Project manager CV examples and tips

Choose one of the two standard CV formats to create your project manager CV:

• Chronological CV: This is the most common CV format. It’s best for job seekers with more than nine years of work experience. The chronological format focuses on career progression to show professional growth in a single industry.
• Skills-based CV: This format is better for candidates with little to no work experience or who just graduated from university. Instead of focusing on work history, it focuses on relevant skills, making it a great option for job seekers who don’t have professional work experience.

Here’s some CV formatting tips you should keep in mind when writing your CV:

• Choose a professional font. Stick to fonts that are easy to read like Arial, Times New Roman and Helvetica.
• Maintain margin consistency. Your CV should have 1-inch margins all around but if you need extra space, you can take them down half an inch.
• Size your font correctly. Make sure your font size is large enough for recruiters and hiring managers to read. Keep the body text between 11 or 12 points, the headings 14-15 and your name 16 or 18.
• Select the right spacing. The spacing between lines should be single or 1.5.
• Download in the right format. Unless the job description states otherwise, most prospective employers prefer to receive a project manager CV as a PDF or MS Word document, so save it accordingly.
• Save time with a template. Our CV templates are made by professionals to pass applicant tracking systems (ATS) that filter through CVs and already come formatted, so you don’t have to worry about margins or spacing.

Here’s what you need to know about writing a professional CV for a project manager job.

1. Header and contact information

In the header section, include your name and contact information, including your phone number, email address and a link to your LinkedIn profile.

2. Personal statement (CV summary)

Write your project manager personal statement in a way that explains why you’re the best candidate for the job. This should include details about your work history that highlight your years of experience and top skills relevant to the job.

Solutions-driven project manager with four years of experience in community development. Able to work across departments and with contractors to prepare compliance reports and meet deadlines. Skilled communicator, critical thinker and problem solver comfortable working under pressure. Offering leadership talent with ability to coordinate large and small projects across groups of all sizes

3. Skills section

When you move on to your skills section, use bullet points to write your most relevant skills. Make sure to read the job description to tailor your CV to what the company is looking for. Include a mixture of 8-10 hard skills and soft skills, such as:

Hard skills

• Technical skills
• Project budget management
• Managing project timelines and initiatives
• Cost and risk management
• Negotiation
• Evaluating project performance metrics
• Proficient in project management software or methodologies such as Agile, Scrum and Waterfall
• Microsoft Office

Soft skills

• Communication skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Leadership skills
• Teamwork
• Critical thinking and problem-solving skills
• Time management
• Organisational skills
• Conflict management

4. Work experience section

When you list your previous work history, start with your most recent project manager role and work backward toward older project management experiences. Include your job title, years of experience and the company name provide a few brief examples of your project manager job responsibilities and accomplishments.

In addition to the tips mentioned above, make the most of your work experience section by:

• Using bullet points to highlight achievements rather than mundane tasks.
• Starting each statement with an action verb like planned, organised, coordinated, programmed or oversaw.
• Quantifying your achievements and using numbers to portray your work achievements.
• Taking keywords from the job description and including them wherever they fit in your CV.

Use this example project manager CV work history section as a template:

Senior Project Manager / May 2018 – Nov. 2022
Better Designs, London NW71 4XF

• Coordinated resources for more than 20 remodeling and construction projects.
• Reviewed construction estimates to determine better budgeting options, reducing expenses by 20%.
• Prepared project schedules and delegated tasks to successfully complete jobs before or by assigned deadlines.

5. Education

List your top educational credentials in the education section. If you have a bachelor’s degree, include your university and graduation year (if you graduated more than 10 years ago, you don’t have to include the date). If you didn’t go to university, then you can list where you received your GCSEl.

Project managers with licenses or PRINCE2 certifications can also list their other credentials in this section. Some relevant project management certifications include:

• PRINCE2
• Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)
• PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)
• Disciplined Agile Scrum Master (DASM)
• Disciplined Agile Coach (DAC)
• Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA)
• PMI Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP)
• PMI Project Management Ready

6. Additional sections

Aside from including certifications below the education section, you have the option of creating additional sections to highlight these credentials. You can add sections for awards, publications, grants and other accomplishments relevant to project management.

No project manager job application would be complete without a cover letter. Use our cover letter writing resources to craft a professional cover letter in a few minutes:

• Cover Letter Examples: Find the inspiration you need for your cover letter on our cover letter samples page.
• How to Write a Cover Letter: Get all the tips and tricks for writing a professional cover letter.
• Cover Letter Generator: Our user-friendly Builder makes cover letter writing easy and quick.
• Cover Letter Templates: Choose from dozens of templates to find the perfect pair for your CV.
• Cover Letter Format: Make sure your cover letter is formatted correctly with our guide.

To wrap up, here’s a summary of what we covered in this article:

1. Choose the CV format that best aligns with your needs and professional experience.
2. Make sure the contact information is up-to-date and professional.
3. Highlight your top skills in your personal statement (CV summary).
4. List a mix of 8-10 hard skills and soft skills that are relevant to the project manager job.
5. Focus your work history on accomplishments and not mundane tasks.
6. Use quantifiable metrics to highlight your work achievements.
7. Select keywords from the job description to include in your CV.
8. Include important certifications in your education section.
9. You can create additional sections to highlight other important credentials and milestones.
10. Every CV needs a cover letter to complete the job application.