Project Manager CV: free template, example, & guide

Maximize your Project Management potential with a CV upgrade

create your cv now

View fullscreen

CV Whizz » Professions » Project Manager

As a Project Manager you know how important it is to execute all tasks correctly, so why should preparing a curriculum vitae be any different? 

To ensure high-performance indicators on your applications, your CV needs to include the right information that focuses on your best qualities. 

For that reason, we provide an easy-to-use CV builder along with the expert advice in this article that will help you prepare your application in minutes.

In this article, you’ll learn how to:

• Create a project management CV for candidates with no experience
• Draft a personal statement with the right amount of details
• Include the ideal skills, experience, and education in your CV
• Choose the correct format for your curriculum vitae
• Add certifications that are relevant to the Project Manager role

As a Project Manager, you surely know the importance of ensuring quality results. Keep reading to get a job-winning formula to help you create a CV that goes beyond a hiring manager’s expectations.

The best Project Manager CV layout to use

Like working to complete one of your objectives, your CV has to follow some type of logical order. 

There are 3 CV layouts that are typically used, and depending on your experience one may be more advantageous than the others. 

These 3 layouts include:

• Combination
• Skills-based
• Chronological

The best CV layout for a Project Manager generally depends on experience. 

Both experienced, and less experienced Project Managers need to highlight different aspects of their skills and experiences.

If you’re an experienced Project Manager you should go with a chronological format for the following reasons:

• Demonstrates progression: This layout allows you to demonstrate your career progression and growth over time, which is critical in project management.
• Highlights stability: Long stints at companies suggest loyalty and stability which employers appreciate. 
• Recognisable and preferred: Many HR departments and recruitment software are used to this traditional format, making it easier for them to extract necessary information quickly.

Best layout for an entry-level Project Manager

For an entry-level or less experienced Project Manager try using a combination or skills-based layout. Here’s why:

• Focus on skills: A combination or skills-based CV allows you to mention skills that you have gained, either through education, unrelated jobs, or internships.
• Transferable skills: You can list transferable skills such as leadership, organisation, and communication if you’re switching from another professional field.
• Customisation: A skills-based CV is highly customisable and can be easily tailored to meet the specific requirements of the job.

The ideal CV layout will ultimately depend on your work history and skills and by choosing the format that best suits your qualities you should have an eye-catching application.

Study a well-structured Project Manager CV Sample

When drafting a CV, it’s never a bad idea to have a look at a finished sample. It can give you an idea of how you should outline your application. 

Study the Project Manager CV example to get a good idea of the information and structure you should use.

Project Manager

Copy to clipboard

Copied!

[James Smith]

[Project Manager]

[123 CV Street, London, UK, SW1 1AA]

[+44 7123 456 789 | james.smith@randomemail.com]

Personal Statement

Accomplished Project Manager with over 8 years of experience in the IT sector, holding a consistent record of delivering large-scale projects within budget and on time. Adept in project scheduling, risk and budget management, and quality control. Effective in stakeholder communication and conflict resolution, with a demonstrated ability to think critically and make strategic decisions.

Experience

Senior Project Manager | ABC Tech Solutions, London, UK | Jan 2018 – Present

• Managed a diverse project portfolio, overseeing budgets exceeding £1.5M and ensuring on-time delivery for 95% of projects.
• Facilitated communication between all stakeholders, resolving conflicts and fostering a cooperative team environment.
• Successfully managed project budgets, delivering all projects within the cost constraints and saving the company over £200K in excess expenditure.
• Ensured quality control in all projects, leading to a 15% decrease in project rework requests.

Project Manager | DEF Software, Birmingham, UK | Dec 2015 – Dec 2017

• Coordinated project schedules for multiple simultaneous projects, ensuring 90% of projects were delivered on time.
• Maintained open lines of communication with stakeholders, ensuring project goals and progress were clearly understood.
• Utilised critical thinking to navigate project challenges, resulting in a 25% improvement in project outcomes.

Education

Master of Business Administration (Project Management), University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK | 2014

Bachelor of Computer Science, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK | 2013

Skills

• Proficient in project scheduling and timeline management
• Excellent stakeholder communication
• Experienced in risk identification and mitigation strategies
• Strong budget management and cost control abilities
• Adherence to quality control standards and procedures
• Effective conflict resolution and team management

Certifications

• PRINCE2 Practitioner | 2016
• Certified Project Management Professional (PMP) | 2011

Useful tips for experienced candidates preparing a Project Manager CV

Have you found a job advert that spoke to you, and think it’s better than your current position? Or maybe you’ve just been out of work for a while. 

Either way, you know what it takes to be a successful Project Manager, you just need to know how to list your productivity on your CV. 

To ensure that your experience on your CV can help you stand out you should:

• Use data that can quantify your achievements
• Mention your past responsibilities
• Don’t forget to highlight your project management skills

Your project scheduling, communication, budget management, and other relevant skills should be present throughout your CV.

Show off your best qualities in your personal statement

As an experienced Project Manager, you can use your productivity in your current or previous roles as a major advantage. 

You should also mention your goals and long-term plans in the company you are applying to as hiring employers want to get to know a bit more about you both personally and professionally. 

To introduce these elements, you can write something like this:

Project Manager with over 10 years of experience in the IT industry, holding a proven track record in delivering complex projects within agreed timescales and budgets. Successfully led teams of up to 15 members, managing budgets over £1M and consistently achieving project goals. Skilled in Agile and Prince2 methodologies, and adept in identifying efficiencies, with a record of improving delivery times by 20%. Seeking to utilise these skills to drive successful project outcomes and further business growth in a dynamic, forward-thinking environment.

Skills to mention in your Project Manager CV

As an experienced Project Manager you’ve surely developed and demonstrated skills over the years. 

If you’re thinking about the skills that will stand out to an employer, here is a list of skills you can add to your skills section and other parts of your CV:

• Resource allocation
• Quality management
• Agile methodologies 
• Earned value management
• Critical path method
• Conflict resolution
• Benefit tracking
• PM software proficiency
• Project charter development
• Change management

If you can add these skills throughout your CV, you’ll be able to hit on the right keywords and impress a hiring manager with your knowledge of the sector. 

How to write your Project Manager CV experience section

The experience section of your Project Manager CV should convincingly demonstrate your track record of delivering projects successfully. 

It’s key to not only mention your responsibilities but also the tangible results you’ve achieved, backed by quantifiable data.

Begin with your most recent job, following a reverse chronological order. For each role, provide your job title, the company’s name, the location, and the period you were employed. Then, write a bullet-point list of your duties and achievements.

Here’s an example:

Senior Project Manager, ABC Tech Solutions, London, UK (Jan 2018 – Present)

• Managed a portfolio of high-profile projects with budgets over £1.5M, ensuring all were delivered on time and within budget.
• Successfully led a cross-functional team of 15, fostering collaboration and boosting team efficiency by 25%.
• Oversaw risk management processes, reducing project-related issues by 30%.
• Negotiated with vendors, saving the company £100K annually in project costs.

For each bullet point, try to start with a powerful action verb like “Managed”, “Led”, or “Negotiated”. 

Remember, your CV should be tailored to the specific role you’re applying for. So, highlight the experiences and accomplishments that are most relevant to the job description.

What to include and avoid in your education section

Even though you are focusing on your work history, your CV’s education section is important; it provides context to your qualifications and academic background. 

Here is what to include:

• Qualifications: List your degrees along with the institutions where you studied and the dates. Begin with your highest qualification.
• Degrees and relevant coursework: If applicable, mention specific degrees, courses, or projects that are particularly relevant to the role you’re applying for.

What to Avoid

• Overemphasis: Don’t dedicate too much space to your education. For experienced professionals, a few concise lines should suffice.
• Secondary education: There’s no need to list your secondary education unless it’s particularly relevant, or you’re at an early stage in your career.
• Unnecessary details: Avoid including grades for every subject or every module during your degree, focus on the most relevant or impressive.

While education is a key part of your background, it should not overshadow the practical experience and abilities that make you an excellent candidate for the job. Keep it short and sweet.

How to write a junior Project Manager CV

Are you just out of uni, or trying to enter a new sector? There is good news and bad news.

The bad news is that a study showed that 35% of entry-level positions ask for previous experience. A bit of an oxymoron.

The good news is that you simply have to adapt your CV to your level of expertise as a Project Manager. 

In this case, you should stick to a skills-based or combination style format. 

Look to focus on your relevant skills and experience as an intern or whilst working in a previous position.

That way you can come up with the perfect personal statement and information in each of your CV sections that will grab an employer’s interest. 

Keep reading to find out how to put your entry-level CV together. 

Tips for writing your entry-level personal statement

The introduction to your CV, also known as the personal statement, is critical. It is the first section of professional information that your employer will pay attention to. 

As a junior candidate, you should focus on the following details: 

• Your motivation to improve as a Project Manager 
• Your relevant skills
• What your goals are
• Why you want to work for the company

Try to make your personal statement like the following example:

Motivated Business graduate with a 2:1 from University of Manchester, possessing strong leadership and problem-solving skills from university projects and internships. Eager to apply these skills in a project management role, with a commitment to learning and excelling in the field. Recognised for a detail-oriented, proactive approach, dedicated to achieving superior project outcomes.

Highlight your entry-level Project Manager skills

Since you’re just starting out as a Project Manager, it’s key to capitalise on your skills. 

Include any skills that you developed during internships, work placements, or volunteer work. 

Here are some examples of hard and soft skills that you can include in your skills section and throughout your CV: 

• Project scheduling
• Stakeholder communication
• Risk management
• Budget management
• Critical thinking 
• Quality control
• Conflict resolution

By adding any of these to your CV you can increase the possibility of being called in for an interview, like in the following example of an entry-level experience section:

University of Leeds, Group Project, Leeds, UK – Team Leader (Sept 2022 – May 2023)

• Led a 5-person team in a semester-long Business Management group project, achieving a project grade of 90%.

Developed and managed the project schedule, ensuring 100% of milestones were met on time.

Show off your education section

Your education section will also be a key part of your CV as you want to cover for your lack of full-time experience as a Project Manager. 

You may want to stress your educational background and achievements, grades, and projects a bit more than an experienced candidate. 

Here is an example for you to follow:

Bachelor of Business Management (First Class Honours), University of Leeds, Leeds, UK (Sept 2020 – June 2023)

Achievements

• Secured a top 5% grade in the course module ‘Principles of Project Management’.
• Awarded ‘Best Group Project’ for leading a team of four in a semester-long project under the ‘Strategic Business Planning’ module, achieving a grade of 93%.

Don’t forget to add any certifications along with your educational background as they will surely be a plus for your CV. 

Key points

Whether you are a long-time Project Manager or creating a project management CV with no experience, your strategy for creating your application is key. 

When writing your CV remember to follow the advice that we mentioned above:

• Use quantifiable data and be specific 
• Choose the CV layout that best suits you
• Take advantage of our online tools including a Project Manager CV template
• Include the right skills

If you manage to hit on all these points you won’t have trouble demonstrating that you can handle all the requirements listed in the job advert. 
Remember to be honest, detailed, and precise, and you’ll get called in for an interview in no time!

Other Professions