Project management
Project manager CV: example and sample
This example is for project managers in IT, construction, marketing, manufacturing and services, for people working with agile and classic methodologies, and for coordinators who want to move up to a project manager position.
What counts in a project manager's CV are projects: scope, budget, deadline, team and result. We show how to describe them concisely.
How to write a project manager CV
Professional summary
Say which industry you run projects in, what type (implementations, construction, campaigns, product development), at what scale (budget, team) and with which methodology. These are the four pieces of information a recruiter looks for first.
Project manager with 5 years of experience in construction and office fit-out projects. I run projects worth up to PLN 12 million, coordinate contractors and make sure handovers happen on time. I hold a PRINCE2 Practitioner certificate.
Experience: duties and achievements
Describe each important project in one point: what the goal was, at what scale and what the result was. Also show how you dealt with risk, scope changes or a difficult client, because that is the everyday reality of this job.
Weaker: Managing IT projects.
Better: Implementing a customer service system for a bank: a budget of PLN 4 million, 14 people, delivered on time.
Weaker: Budget control.
Better: 92% of projects closed within budget despite frequent scope changes on the client's side.
Weaker: Reporting.
Better: A shared risk report template used by the whole project department.
Skills worth listing
Combine management skills with tools. List only the methodologies you have really worked with, and give the exact level of your certificates.
Professional skills
- Planning, scheduling, critical path
- Budget, risk and change management
- Scrum, Kanban, PRINCE2, PMBOK
- Jira, Confluence, MS Project
- Requirements analysis and documentation
- Reporting to the steering committee
Personal skills
- Leadership without formal authority
- Negotiation and managing expectations
- Clear communication at different levels
- Conflict resolution
- Making decisions with incomplete data
Project manager certificates
Certificates such as PMP, PRINCE2, IPMA or Professional Scrum Master are valued, especially in large companies. Give the exact name and level, for example PRINCE2 Foundation or Practitioner. They are not mandatory, but they help you get through the first screening.
First project manager position
If you are moving up from a coordinator, analyst or specialist role, describe the projects in which you already acted as a PM: planning, client contact, keeping deadlines.
Add projects outside work, for example organizing events or volunteering, if you led a team and a budget. A foundation-level certificate will also show that you take this path seriously.
Tailoring your CV to the job offer
In IT, agile methodologies and tools count; in construction, schedules and handovers; in marketing, campaigns and media budgets. Move the projects closest to the job ad to the top and use its vocabulary.
Questions and answers
What should a project manager put on a CV?
The most important projects with their scale and results, the industry, methodologies, tools, certificates with their level, and leadership and communication skills.
Is a PMP or PRINCE2 certificate necessary?
Not always, but in large companies and corporations it is often required or welcome. With less experience, the foundation level is a good start.
Does this example work for a project lead CV?
Yes, it is the same position under a different name. See also the project lead resume example and the guide to a CV for a management position.