As COVID-19 has taken the world by a storm, there is still an outrageous demand for project managers. In 2020, almost 2 million jobs are expected for project management professionals.

The number of aspiring professionals has also been increasing, leading to tough competition. It is YOUR responsibility to make sure that the recruiters are aware of YOUR skills.

If you wish to hear back from the recruiter, your resume needs to stand out. You must have the skills and knowledge and stand out as someone worth considering for the job.

In this guide, we cover how you can make your resume, and what specific things you need to focus on as a project manager.

Let’s dig in:

Optimize the header and profile title

If you wish to create a resume and give it its own identity, do not name it “resume” or “CV”.

Most professionals think of profile title and resume header as a secondary step in the resume-building process.

The resume header is the most important aspect of your project manager resume as it is the first thing a recruiter notices. In an optimized resume format, the header is the second largest font after your name.

If your profile title is not in-line with the target profile, it may not leave the right impression on the recruiter and your resume may end up in the rejection pile.

Here are a few pointers that can help you perfect your header:

• Make sure the header comprises vital contact information such as email, location, phone. Further, include links to your LinkedIn, GitHub profiles.
• In the profile title, make sure your functional industry/career level is visible. Further, you can optimize it by using the job description. Here are a few examples of profile titles: Senior Project Manager, Certified Associate in Project Management, etc.

Write a resume summary

The idea of a professional summary is to charm the recruiter into reading the rest of your resume. Treat your resume summary as an overview of why you are so valuable. Include all your career highlights and significant achievements as a project manager.

Further, to make sure your resume is relevant to the profile you are targeting, use key requirements from the job post.

Let’s say the job description wants you to be great at managing the budget. If you can substantiate this information in your resume, include it in the summary.

Consider the example below:

4+ years experienced Certified Associate in Project Management with a track record of planning projects while maintaining the budget. Adept at managing a team of executives to handle multi-million dollars projects with corporate conglomerates. Proficient in deploying best practices regarding quality management to minimize risk mitigation.

Create an effective professional experience section

While writing the professional experience section, merely giving an insight into your roles and responsibilities is not enough. You need to show quantifiable accomplishments and how your leadership added value to the organization.

The best way to write your professional experience is to make it achievements based. Here is how you can achieve that:

• Use power verbs: While framing one-liner statements, use  power verbs. So, instead of writing “Responsible for financial cuts”, write it as “Overseeing the financial cuts”.
• Create buckets: Assign unique subheadings to 3-4 similar points. For example, ideal subheadings for a project resume are “Project Optimization & Budget Planning”, “Risk Mitigation & Team Management”, etc.

Include Relevant Certifications

If you are newer to project management and you have invested in education and certifications, then reflect those relevant certifications. They can bridge the gap between your current and target role.

Let’s say you earned your PMP or CAPM certification . Listing the certifications will definitely help you convey it to the recruiter. Consider going the extra mile to showcase your achieved skills.

Here’s how you can write certifications in your resume:

• Certification in Project Management | Blue Moon Institute for Project Managers | Boston, Massachusetts
  • Key modules: Budget Planning | Process Optimization | Cost Management | Risk Mitigation

Use the job description

Let’s say in one job post, the potential candidate should possess skills important in the real estate industry whereas the other profile does not think that this is important. One resume to apply for all the project management jobs will not work.

Create a resume that considers the required skills and expertise in the job post and incorporates the primary keywords into your resume. Do not misrepresent your skills or knowledge. But do emphasize what makes you a good fit for each specific position.

Be sure that whatever information you incorporate into your resume, you have points/statements to validate it.

Key Takeaways

To end, here are a few key takeaways:

• While optimizing the profile title make sure it is in line with the target profile.
• Do not exceed more than 3-4 lines to write the professional summary.
• Make sure statements in the professional experience section do not have full-stops as they are not complete sentences.
• Do not write the certification and education together, make separate sections for both.
• While incorporating the keywords from the job description, make sure you do not compromise the legitimacy of the information.