Program Manager Resume Sample

How to write a Program Manager Resume [Guide & Tips]

This article will cover everything you need to know about creating the perfect Program Manager resume. We’ll discuss how to include your skills, experience, and accomplishments in a way that will really help you stand out from the crowd. We’ll also go over tips from industry professionals on what should be included in your resume or CV and some advice for writing a great cover letter.

Program Manager Job Description:

As a Program Manager, you are responsible for the delivery of a product or service to meet the needs of key stakeholders, including customers. The position requires a high level of understanding and strategy for realizing successful projects.

Program Managers take a special role in the organization because they have the responsibility of managing a subset of an overall project. The Program Manager is not responsible for implementing the solution, but only for coordinating and overseeing the implementation process. In essence, the Program Manager works to deliver a complete product that meets business and technical requirements at every milestone.

One of the most crucial skills needed by Program Managers is problem-solving. They are responsible for solving problems that arise during project planning, requirements gathering, design, development, and testing/QA review.

Program Manager Job Responsibilities:

• Must be able to analyze, interpret and research information from various sources.
• Must have excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Must be detail-oriented and have the ability to understand and evaluate situations from different points of view.
• Must maintain objectivity; must be able to act impartially when dealing with conflicts or sensitive issues.
• Ability to deal with a variety of personalities; both within the team environment, and also interfacing with senior management, clients, vendors, etc.
• Must have the ability to adapt to changing technology.
• Must have an inquisitive mind and ask questions.
• Should have a good knowledge of accounting principles and practices, and knowledge of related financial statement analysis, taxation, audit standards.
• Have general knowledge of accounting systems that are used within the organization.
• Would be able to communicate in different forms such as writing/presenting/drawing etc.
• Should be analytical and possess good planning skills.

Tips to Write a Program Manager Resume Summary:

The Program Manager resume should include a summary of responsibilities and key achievements in the form of bullets. The summary should be the first paragraph on your resume. This is one of the most important sections, as this is what will grab the attention of an employer looking over hundreds of resumes for a single job opening.

• Use a strong opening paragraph.
• Always start with a verb (e.g. managed, implemented, directed, etc.) and an active voice (e.g. was able to, managed to, developed etc.).
• Do not use non-action verbs such as “responsible for” or “contributed to”.- Put the most important information into the first section of your resume (the first 3-5 items).
• Use numbers wherever possible to provide impact and show the magnitude of your accomplishments (i.e. increased sales by 40% or reduced turnaround time by 50%).
• Include all of your relevant education and experience.
• Show how you have used your skills and experiences to improve a business process.
• Ensure you include a strong personal statement at the end of your resume.
• Ensure you include details of your accomplishments during any breaks in your career.
• Make sure you use your resume to make it clear what type of job you want and demonstrate that you are qualified for this type of role.
• Make sure your resume is easy to read. Use bold, underline, and italics when appropriate to make important items stand out.
• Be consistent with the font, size, and spacing used throughout your resume.

Top 10 Must-have Program Manager Skills:

1. You should have good communication and interpersonal skills- Ability to work under pressure.
2. Communicate effectively to stakeholders, including the client, project staff, and non-IT users.
3. Creative problem solver and Highly organized but agile person, with strong attention to detail.
4. Value commitment as a team player with very high-performance standards.- Flexible and able to adapt accordingly.
5. Resourceful self-starter with a positive attitude and assertive approach to work.
6. Encourages others to be proactive and make decisions on their own.
7. Manages and maintains relationships with customers, vendors, suppliers, and staff for all functions.
8. Strong ability to manage time and budget effectively.
9. Ability to apply critical thinking skills when analyzing issues.
10. You need people management skills including motivating people, building trust in others, and delegating tasks effectively.- Good relationship with the client group is essential to ensure future work opportunities in the organization.

Tips to Write a Program Manager Cover Letter:

• The cover letter should be specific and concise about your background, skills, and experience which you can provide to highlight your suitability for the role.
• Make sure the letter is free of spelling mistakes so that it can be easily read.
• Do not send a cover letter with an email application, as it will not be properly read.
• Cover letters should never take more than one page (single-spaced) with 1-inch margins on all sides of the paper (except for two sides of the last page).
• Make sure the letter ends with thanks to the employer and a polite note saying that you would like to be contacted for an interview.
• The name of the person who will receive your letter should be highlighted, rather than the name of the HR department or another individual such as “David Lin”.
• Make sure that the letter is focused on one job opening only and not on numerous positions of the employer.
• In case you want to contact your contact at the HR department, make sure to state your full name, contact number, email address.
• Do not send a cover letter with a resume as it will be treated as spam mail and so will not get read or replied to by the employer. Instead, use contacts in your resume and call them up for an interview!
• Cover letter should be concise and easy to read. Do not make it too long, especially if you are short of time for reading it.

Tips to Write a Program Manager Resume with no experience:

• You should have a clear idea about the kind of role that you are applying for and should be focusing on the following skills for your resume:
• In case you want to add irrelevant skills, make sure they are included at the end or in a separate section instead of putting them on top of your resume.
• Make sure you include list of all your hobbies and interests that can be considered relevant by the employer or could be used as an icebreaker during an interview.
• List your educational qualifications along with a list of achievements and qualifications during your studies.
• Make sure that the resume is simple and logical with no unnecessary information that can be considered irrelevant by employers.
• Create a cover letter separately for each job that you apply for to make sure that your resume and cover letter are not too long and more difficult to read.
• While writing your resume for no job experience, you should be very careful while including only those skills that you are confident of and can be claimed in a good way. If you don’t have confidence, it would be better to keep your resume entirely blank or just mention your name.
• Avoid cutesy words and phrases that may sound too much like your personality.

Conclusion:

Your resume is the first thing that will capture the attention of hiring managers. It will sell your skills and your experience to them, so you need to write a resume that reflects your best self. Not only will they be impressed with your work, you will also get a chance to showcase the value you can bring to their organization. Follow these tips and you are sure to get noticed!