Sr Project Manager Resume Example

Senior Project Manager Resume with Writing Guide

As a senior project manager, your resume is more important than ever. You need to help employers see what you really bring to the table quickly and easily. Here’s how:

Attention all Senior Project Managers! Are you looking for a way to stand out from the crowd? Many of our readers have been having great success with their resumes by customizing them for each job application. If you want to get noticed, there are 5 tips you should keep in mind when updating your resume.

Tip #1: Tailor Your Experience to the Job

Information is key in any resume. Employers want to know what you’ve accomplished, and why you’re the best candidate for their job opening. It’s important to tailor your resume to fit each job application, and here’s how:

1. Make sure you highlight past experience that’s relevant to the position.
2. Focus on accomplishments rather than duties, skills or training.
3. Write the role and skills you want to highlight in bold so it’s the first thing a reader sees.
4. Add keywords and phrases that describe your skills to help search engines find what you need.
5. If you worked on multiple projects, group them together with “projects” headers instead of “duties.”
6. Use your current position as a heading in your resume for quick reference when looking for work that is similar to yours.
7. Consider updating your skills, including any certifications you’ve earned.
8. Re-use your resume template with the new information to save time and make it easy for an employer to find what you want them to see.
9. Use a resume template that includes sections that make it easy for employers to quickly find information about the type of work you’ve done and what you accomplished.
10. Ask an employer to look at your resume, and find out what they think would make it easier to understand.

Make sure you’re using a resume template that has features for each of these steps!

Tip #2: Focus on What You’ve Done in the Past

One of the top mistakes most job seekers make is focusing on their current responsibilities instead of the projects they’ve worked on previously. Focus on your projects, and the skills you’ve developed by doing this work. Use this experience to highlight how you can contribute to your employer.

Tip #3: Showcase Your Accomplishments

Employers are always looking for a proven performer, and they rarely take a chance on someone who hasn’t done the job before. Don’t just list job duties or tasks that you were responsible for – show results! The best way to do this is through accomplishments and achievements that showcase your skills.

Your accomplishments can be a combination of work-related items and non-work related activities. Just make sure you focus on work that you’ve been part of.

Tip #4: Rely on the Right Words to Give Descriptions

Many job seekers use words like “expert.” However, employers are looking for specific skills and experiences, not general descriptions of your accomplishments. Instead, find the right words that speak to the employer’s needs.

Tip #5: Keep It Short and Sweet

Don’t waste space on an employer’s table with a long list of accomplishments. Instead, focus on the projects you’ve worked on that show your skills. The best way to do this is by using numbers to highlight accomplishment levels. This keeps it short! If you want to include more information, just make it into a bulleted list that gives an overview of what you did in each role.

List of Typical Responsibilities For a Senior Project Manager Resume:

• Work with and support a team leader for project planning, scheduling, daily progress reporting and monitoring.
• Manage the project communication to the business stakeholders.
• Understand client requirements and translate them into project documents using appropriate project management techniques such as GANTT charts and PERT charts.
• Establish and manage a project budget.
• Perform planning activities for the projects such as requirements, scope definition, schedule estimation, resource identification and allocation.
• Prepare reports to track project progress and deliverables.
• Provide project management support to multiple projects in coordination with project leaders and stakeholders.
• Manage the team’s performance to meet project targets by providing feedback to team members and solving problems.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of current and new processes, policies, procedures, quality programs and controls in order to provide input for modifications or improvements.
• Must be able to communicate effectively with clients, managers, engineering staff and other technical personnel on a daily basis.

Top 10 Must-have Senior Project Manager Skills:

1. Ability to deliver projects on time and within budget
2. Ability to lead project teams through the development process
3. Experience with Agile/SCRUM/Kanban methodology and practices
4. Experience with project management best practices like risk management, protocols, performance measurement, and change control
5. Ability to work effectively in a dynamic environment and meet tight deadlines with minimal oversight
6. Strong analytical and financial skills
7. Ability to work effectively with all levels of management
8. In-depth knowledge of project management software and tools, such as Microsoft Project, Microsoft Word, and SharePoint
9. Ability to schedule resources in advance and adapt accordingly when changes are required
10. Strong negotiation skills and experience with contract development

Tips to write a Senior Project Manager Resume Summary:

• Include your Project Manager experience in your summary: If you have a lot of experience, include it at the top of your resume. If you are new to the industry, it is recommended to leave it out. This will give recruiters a clear idea of what you can do and the potential that you could be an excellent fit for their company.
• Include background information: If this is a new job for you, mention any previous work experience that goes along with the title of this type of position.
• Mention your title and position: Make sure to clearly mention your title and the name of the company where you work.
• Include dates of employment: Also, include your dates of employment in an easy-to-read format, if available.
• Make sure titles match: Be sure to match both the company name and position title exactly as they are on your resume otherwise you will leave questions for the recruiter that can lead to more delays when you go through the application process.

How to write a Senior Project Manager Resume with No experience:

• First thing to do is to prepare a list of all the qualifications that you already have. Listed below are some sample bullet points for you to get started. Feel free to add or take away as much information as you want.
• Now it is time to gather a list of all the locations and companies that you have previous experience with. There are a number of online tools available to help you do this: reference sites such as LinkedIn, Glassdoor, Indeed, Dice and Google. Not all of the sites listed below are free, if you need them to be then just go ahead and buy them.
• Once you have read through all the job postings and existing experience, it is time to write down the list of roles and responsibilities within each company that you have worked with. This can also be done via Google or even referenced from your resume.
• Now it is time to collect a list of any awards or accomplishments you might have had at each company and in each role.
• Lastly, the most important part. You need to reflect upon your skills and abilities in each area of expertise so that you can find a common theme for each of the columns. For example, you might be well experienced in leading a team or building relationships with customers, so that is something you will need to include on your resume.
• You are done with step 1 by now! Congratulations!!!

How to write a Senior Project Manager Cover Letter:

1. The main objective of the cover letter is to serve as an introduction to your resume and not the whole content of the document. Your goal for the cover letter is to persuade hiring managers that you are worth interviewing for a position at their firm. If you have an impressive interview, this will give them an added reason to offer you the job.
2. Keep your cover letter short and to the point: avoid using long introductions. A few sentences will suffice.
3. Keep the letter focused on your skills and accomplishments, and the job you are seeking.
4. If you are not a professional writer, consider seeking out help from a professional writer who can make the letter effective for your position (or use an online resume writing service).
5. The cover letter may be the only chance you will have to sell yourself. The hiring manager may not read your resume carefully enough, so make sure to highlight the most important features in your letter.
6. Make sure that the letter is free of grammar and spelling errors (just like your resume should be). Any mistakes on these two documents will work against you in getting the job.

Key Takeaways:

• Choose the right resume format.
• Tailor the resume for each position you apply to.
• Make sure to have a clear and clean objective section.
• Use a skills-based resume.
• Include a professional summary section.
• Add keywords to each section of the resume.
• Get feedback from an objective expert or hiring manager while you write your resume document and always edit based on their advice.