Category Archives: project management resume

CV Tips, CV Writing, PMO CV, Project management CV, project management resume

Tweaking your CV for project management jobs

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If you have a good, strong CV then you are in a great position to apply for new roles – however there is such a solid emphasis placed on matching candidates up for jobs with a requirement of 90%+ ticking of boxes. As your CV shouldn’t exceed 3 pages, it can be difficult to be able to place all your experience in there. This is where tweaking comes in, now it is not about drawing out a tiny fraction of your experience for a role which is predominantly looking for someone with a clear focus on something. For example if the role is a project manager for implementation of desk top rolls outs and your core experience is new product development but you have a small amount of exposure in a previous life to desk top roll outs. As clearly there are people with the right experience level who can fit the bill.

Tweaking is about highlighting specific areas deemed as most important to the hiring manager – such as stringent reporting, you may have covered this lightly in your CV but if it is listed high up in the job description then this skill is clearly an area which the employer deems are very important to that role – therefore you should look to draw out detail about your reporting in your CV. Looking at what kind of reports you generate, who you present them to, how often, and in what format these take.

Choosing the right combination to create the best picture
Choosing the right combination to create the best picture

Achievements are another area which can be tweaked for applications, again focussing on particular examples which may be relevant to the position – this is where you can be a little clever too. By researching a business (this only tends to work for direct employer roles as recruiters aren’t keen to divulge enough information on businesses to be able to know who they are) and looking at what else they are doing such as major change, and incorporating an achievement relevant to their change. Although not directly relevant to the role you are applying for it can highlight your exposure to specific scenarios which the business is currently undergoing. If the project management function is undergoing changes such as new structures or implementing a PMO then you may have some exposure to working with PMOs / heads of projects to support implementation. Something which you haven’t necessarily covered in your CV as you are focusing on delivery – it’s these little extra pieces of information which can really set you apart from your peers and put you in a shortlist for interview.

Always scrutinise the job description / advert and see where the emphasis lays with competencies; they are usually in order of importance. Make sure you read through the list of requirements and can tick the boxes, then put your CV next to the description and make sure your CV have the required emphasis on each competency. Clear communication is the order of the day and let’s face it – that is the key to effective project management, demonstrating what you say you are good at from the first point in the application process will stand you in good stead.

CV Tips, CV Writing, Job Applications, Project management CV, project management resume

How to refer to yourself in your CV

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Always an interesting subject, how people refer to themselves in their CV – some opting to take the “I” approach, others opting for “We”, the third person approach and no pronoun. Let’s take a look at each approach and talk through the benefits and pitfalls when using them:

  • Using “I” – a common method, put in context this would usually be used like this:

“I was responsible for doing xxxx” or “I have a team of xx” – although you are keeping the emphasis on what you did it does tend to look unprofessional.

  • “We” – often we work in team environments and talk about our achievements in an inclusive context, however this can be very difficult for hiring managers and recruiters to really understand what your involvement was. Being vague can be very off putting and doesn’t tend to favour well on applications.
  • The third person – referring to yourself in the third person such as “John was engaged in xxxx”, this style can work but be careful of grammatical errors and confusion in the CV. Also I have had feedback in my recruitment days from clients feeling this line comes across as egotistical.
  • No pronoun – this is my choice of tactic for a CV, avoiding using any personal pronoun by making statements such as, “Managed the technical team on the xxx project to produce xxxx”

Here’s an example profile I have used previously in a blog, I have written it in all the above styles – which do you think works best?

Example 1; Using “I”

I am an experienced Programme Manager with accreditations to back my practice (APMP & MSP). I have overall programme responsibility for corporate wide initiatives; I lead a team of 10 project managers and I also have hands on experience of managing multiple concurrent strategic projects increasing a business’ ability to achieve its goals. I have good exposure to interfacing with all levels of management and cross functionally within the organisation.   

Example 2; Using “We”

As an experienced Programme Manager with accreditations to back up the practice (APMP & MSP) and with overall programme responsibility for our corporate wide initiatives. We lead a team of 10 project managers and we boast hands on experience of managing multiple concurrent strategic projects increasing our business’ ability to achieve its goals.  We have good exposure to interfacing with all levels of management and cross functionally within the organisation.   

Example 3; using the third person

John Smith is an experienced Programme Manager with accreditations to back up his practice (APMP & MSP). John has overall programme responsibility for corporate wide initiatives; leading a team of 10 project managers and hands on experience of managing multiple concurrent strategic projects increasing a business’ ability to achieve its goals.  John also boasts good exposure to interfacing with all levels of management and cross functionally within the organisation.  

Example 4; using no pronoun

An experienced Programme Manager with accreditations to back up the practice (APMP & MSP). Overall programme responsibility for corporate wide initiatives; leading a team of 10 project managers and hands on experience of managing multiple concurrent strategic projects increasing a business’ ability to achieve its goals.  Good exposure to interfacing with all levels of management and cross functionally within the organisation.   

CV Tips, CV Writing, Project Management, Project management CV, project management resume

Example Project Manager CV profile

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So you’ve taken the first step and decided to update your CV, there are many example Project Manager CVs on the internet but none are aligned to your specific needs. This is where The CV righter can help you, having worked with thousands of project management professionals over the years in a recruitment capacity and latterly producing CVs – we have seen every shape and size. There is no one size fits all template but we can focus on key areas of importance to employers and recruiters alike. This article is centered on the start of the CV – the profile.

We’ve addressed this a few times on the blog; but as it is (or should be) the first element a reviewer reads beyond your name and contact details then it needs to be strong. Think about summarising who you are as a professional by talking through the type of PM you are, highlight your key skills whether it be managing multiple concurrent projects, complex high budgeted projects, business transformation pieces or implementing PM structures (to name a few) and think about team management, direct line management, locations, internal and external stakeholders, and benefits realisation. Do not fall into the trap of merely stating you deliver projects on time and within budget – this is expected, however if you have been dealing with particularly difficult situations to achieve this then that is something which can be addressed briefly in the profile and further examples can be made in your key achievements. This kind of information is very interesting for hiring managers.

Here’s an example of a generic project manager profile for a CV:

“Project Manager with experience of managing multiple interdependent concurrent software projects within large organisations – boasting demonstrable experience of exceptional stakeholder engagement with both internal and external parties from technical staff through to board level. Currently managing globally dispersed teams within a matrix managed environment requiring a good understanding of cultural diversity.”

It is short and sweet and by adding in a little more detail about your situation you are clearly pitching your skill-set and level of experience to the reviewer. The profile should really not go on beyond a short statement, it needs to capture what you do and the rest of the CV is there for you to go into more detail and pick up all the other bits and pieces required for a job checklist.

Project Manager CV profile word cloud

Profiles can be tweaked for specific applications, however the core element wouldn’t change too much unless you are applying for something rather different from your current skill-set and this means that you may actually be applying for the wrong role. Just keep this in mind when you are tweaking your CV generally – you will harvest greater success with applications for roles most closely aligned to you core skills and experience.

CV Tips, Project management CV, project management resume

That all important first half of your CV

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The most important part of your CV is the first half – the reason is simple, it’s the first thing hiring managers and recruiters read and it can either whet their appetite to read more or switch them off and make them move on to the next CV without giving you any serious consideration. So what is the winning formula to generating the right kind of attention and will it make the reader actually turn the page with interest?

Let’s take it from the top:

  • Headings – whaaaaat?? Indeed what! There is absolutely no need to give your CV a heading, it is very obvious that the document is a Curriculum Vitae or Resume so don’t waste precious space. Also bear in mind software for candidate databases tend to take the first line of the CV and process it as the name of the candidate. You do not want to be listed as Curriculum Vitae instead of Bernard Thomson right!
  • Name – your name should always be at the top of the CV and ideally in a larger font than the rest of the document. For the above database reason, but also because it needs to be in a place which is easily seen by the reader, there is nothing worse for a recruiter than having to search for a name on a CV trust me! Some also choose to add the name alongside page numbers in the footer – this works well for when the document is printed out helping to ensure none of the pages are lost. However a lot of offices do tend to be paperless these days so a footer isn’t a crucial requirement.
  • Address – again this should be towards the top of the CV and ideally under your name. If applying to recruiters and posting your CV online I recommend you don’t include your entire address, in fact I would suggest maybe stating a City or County. However if you are applying direct to an employer then it is better to include your full address so they can see how far you are from the role location. Some employers will contact you by post (yes this practice is still very common for larger organisations); also offers will generally be posted out. Not getting ahead of ourselves here, but it pays to keep HR on side; they do not want to be chasing up such details.
  • Phone number – your mobile number will suffice, this is ideal as you can screen calls and take them in appropriate areas rather than in front of the current boss. Don’t give work numbers and if you work in security cleared areas which do not allow mobile devices – make sure you tell the hiring manager / recruitment consultant this in your application and provide an appropriate method for them to contact you.
  • Email address – often recruiters will email you to arrange a time to talk and employers may wish to send you further information / testing etc via this method. Make sure you have a sensible email address and it is spent correctly. I have lost count of the amount of emails I receive on behalf of another Nicola with a dot missing from her email address!
  • Profile – who are you / what can you do (in a professional capacity)
  • Achievements – the all important evidence of where you have added value.
  • Career history – starting just about half way down the page, starting with most recent role first.

This takes us to half way down the CV – the crucial point! Do read through the above links to blog posts which drill down in to more detail and give examples etc.