Writing a project manager CV

When writing a project manager CV, it is vital to make an immediate impact. It needs to be punchy – keep the CV to two pages – and include achievements with facts and figures to illustrate. The CV needs to be personal too, to give insight into the qualities that make you a good project manager. When writing your project manager CV make sure all the most valuable information is on the first page where most attention will be spent.

A targeted professional profile

In the first line of the professional profile weave in ‘project manager’ or the job title you are applying for. This ensures from the outset the reader is engaged and understands the relevance of your CV. Then use original words to describe the personal qualities that make you a great project manager. Don’t fall back on recruitment clichés, find different words that inject personality and give understanding into what makes you different.

ATS systems

You are probably aware of ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems) systems that are used to filter CVs against job descriptions. They look for concentrations of key words and phrases and work in a similar way to how search engines find web pages. It is estimated ATS systems filter about 70% of CVs before a human even casts their eye over it. The best way of getting your CV through ATS filters is to tailor your CV for every application. Read the job description and person specification and weave in the key words and phrases into your project manager CV.

So what key words am I looking out for?

Job titles are one of the main terms you need to include in the CV. So, mirror the job title you are applying for in your CV. Project management methodologies will be important too such as agile, Waterfall or Prince 2.  Look out for other technical and soft skills such as stakeholder engagement, PMO, project reporting, project assessment or design. You can have a separate key skills section for these terms but always ensure skills are sprinkled liberally – where relevant – throughout the CV.

Make sure your achievements stand out

The reader wants to see evidence that you are a great project manager. You need to show them by example. Start by giving information on the size and complexity of the projects you’ve worked on. Include information on budgets, timescales and size of the project team. Most importantly show the outcomes and business benefits and include facts to support these.

Remember, make sure your project manager CV is no longer than two pages. Ensure it looks professional with consistent formatting and presentation. Don’t cram the CV with too many words – white space is good. Aim for about 750 words in a two page CV.

This article is written by Neville Rose, Director of CV Writers. Please do connect with me via LinkedIn.

Check out our CV writing service with details of our packages that include LinkedIn profiles, cover letters and more. You can get things started with a Free CV review. I am also a qualified career counsellor and provide Career Counselling services for people looking to change career paths.