Working on a project without someone to oversee the coordination and collaboration can be a nightmare.
From dealing with unexpected supply issues to managing unforeseen challenges among team members, a project manager is an essential leader who wrangles the troops and executes a project on time and within the given budget.
Due to the increasing importance of project managers in the workforce, the field is forecasted to grow substantially in the coming years. Specifically, the latest PMI-commissioned talent gap analysis by Anderson Economic Group (AEG) suggests that the project management sector is expected to grow by 33% (nearly 22 million new jobs) in the next six years.
What Is a Project Manager?
The role is indispensable and the field is growing, but what exactly is a project manager? Think about a project manager as the leader of the pack or the glue that holds a project together.
A project manager handles coordination and organization, including timelines and budgets, to ensure that a project runs smoothly from start to finish. Once the project manager has an outline of what needs to happen, a good project manager will then delegate tasks and assignments to different team members so that everyone knows their role in order to effectively and collaboratively complete the project.
The Project Management Institute (PMI) describes the role as follows:
"Project managers are change agents: they make project goals their own and use their skills and expertise to inspire a sense of shared purpose within the project team."
Types of Personalities Who Thrive as Project Managers
PMI goes on to note that “To be a successful project manager, you must be able to influence stakeholders and encourage them to make decisions that benefit the project.”
A Good Project Manager is a Strong Communicator
This means that project managers are required to interact with multidisciplinary teams in order to influence others to achieve a given task. If you’re someone who does not enjoy interacting with others, this probably is not the role for you.
If you thrive when creating order from chaos, communicating with others, delegating tasks, and coordinating schedules, project management may be a great career path for you.
An excellent project manager knows that communication is verbal and written. They know when to utilize bullet points, bold text, and how to over-communicate when necessary.
A Good Project Manager is Budget-Savvy
Additionally, depending on the industry, project managers are often required to monitor finances, come up with budgets, and allocate resources according to varying requirements, so it’s important that a PM likes going over the details in order to ensure that every aspect of the project is accounted for.
A Great Project Manager Knows How People Work (Psychologically-Speaking)
Furthermore, a background in psychology may lend itself to this role, as it can help a project manager evaluate how people behave, their decisions, and how these actions might affect the project as a whole.
These personnel evaluations can help PMs decide how tasks are delegated amongst team members. If you have taken courses in psychology, they may be beneficial to include in your project manager resume.
Alternately, if you don’t feel comfortable adding said courses to your resume, consider discussing how your background in psychology or understanding of the subject would help you thrive within the project manager role you’re applying for.
Types of Project Managers
Nearly every field or specialty will have its own type of project manager, as each field requires its own set of skills and expertise in order to effectively manage related projects. Below, you’ll find a few types of common project management roles. Keep in mind that this list is not exhaustive.
- Construction Project Manager: This project manager often handles procurement of materials, client negotiations, and serves as the liaison between clients and contractors who are physically completing the construction work. If a building is getting renovated, the project manager will meet with designers, construction workers, clients, accountants, and sometimes government agencies to sort out permits, timelines, designs, and budgets in order to properly allocate tasks.
- IT Project Manager: An IT project manager handles projects in the scope of information technology (IT). This project manager often handles the coordination and planning surrounding software upgrades, hardware upgrades, cyber security, or other related technology projects.
- Senior Project Manager: A senior project manager has more experience than a traditional project manager, and often will manage groups of project managers. A senior project manager may manage a group of project managers who each focus on different departmental projects.
Compensation for Project Managers
Compensation for project manager roles can vary greatly based on industry and experience.
Entry-level project managers will not make as much as those of senior-level, and different industries have varying pay ranges.
Additionally, the metropolitan area in which you work makes a large impact on salary due to differences in cost of living. Indeed reports that the average annual salary for an entry level project manager based on about 24,000 respondents is $74,244.
Glassdoor includes salaries of project managers from entry level to senior level, and estimates that the average salary among project managers across experience levels is approximately $88,799 annually.
Keep in mind that there are ways to increase your salary as a project manager. It’s estimated that project managers who hold a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification make about 22% more than those who are not certified. This certification does take time and experience to obtain; however, it is a smart certification to look into if you’re trying to forge a career in this field of work.
Real Project Manager Salaries from The Salary Project®
- Project Manager; Miami, FL; Age 29; $70,000
- Project Manager; Arlington, VA; Age 25; $80,000
- Project Manager; Golden, CO; Age 35; $96,000
- Project Manager; Pasadena, CA; Age 51; $82,000
- Project Manager; Atlanta, GA; Age 33; $113,000
- Project Manager; Detroit, MI; Age 41; $132,000
- Project Manager; Seattle, WA; Age 44; $90,000
- Project Manager; Dallas, TX; Age 29; $53,000
- Project Manager; Orlando, FL; Age 49; $107,000
- Project Manager; Chicago, IL; Age 28; $65,000
Want to see more real Project Manager Salaries? Head over to The Salary Project® to access over 60,000 real salaries.
Transferable Skills for Your First Project Management Job
When you’re writing a project manager resume for your first project manager job, adaptability, collaboration, leadership, and problem-solving are among the most important skills to highlight in your skills section.
Integrating key skills outlined in the job description you’re interested in applying to is important due to applicant tracking systems (ATS). However, it is equally important to show how you put these skills into practice.
Here are some skills to showcase when writing a resume for a PM role.
- Data analysis and metrics
- Quality control + attention to detail
- Achievements related to successful implementation in previous positions
- Calendar management with attention to deadlines
- Knowledge of project management methodologies (e.g. Agile, Scrum, Lean, Waterfall)
Key Project Manager Responsibilities
The following are some key PM responsibilities, as well as one or two sentence summaries that could fit nicely in a project manager resume. This is a great way to tell a little more about your work history, years of experience, and accomplishments—by adding real context.
Cross-Functional Communication and Collaboration
Show how you have communicated across various teams to complete the task at hand or increase transparency at work.
Example: Implemented design review meetings to unify teams to ensure designs and schedules meet or exceed customer requirements; meetings led to a 92% client acceptance rate.
Prioritizing Based on Unforeseen Challenges
Show how you’ve adapted to changing priorities, schedules, delays, or problems in order to execute the task that was given to you.
Example: Liaise with U.S.-based labs to develop and safety test products for a new product line and sourced a new manufacturer in Japan after prior manufacturers failed to produce products according to given brand quality standards.
Leadership
A great project manager can rally teams and inspire others to work towards a common goal.
Example: Managed a team of five direct reports and orchestrated design activities in collaboration with architects, contractors, and clients to review legal documents, conduct construction management, and execute real estate development projects according to outlined timelines.
Problem-Solving
A project manager will help solve problems as they arise and evaluate the big picture in order to minimize risk or be proactive about potential problems or challenges.
Example: Identified supply inefficiency, introduced new product sorting machines, and developed new manufacturing processes that increased efficiency and reduced costs to both company and customers by up to 27%.
Project Management Skills to Highlight on Your Resume
Hard Skills for Project Managers
Be sure to list any project management software that you’re familiar with. Some examples of software you may want to highlight when writing your project manager resume include:
- Hive
- Trello
- Asana
- Basecamp
- Nifty
- Workfront
- Smartsheet
- Wrike
- Microsoft Project
If you’ve taken any project management courses or have your Project Management Professional (PMP) certification, be sure to list those, too.
Soft Skills for Project Managers
As listed above, soft skills including leadership, resource allocation, public speaking (if you present information at meetings, this counts!), and liaising between internal and external teams.
Project Manager Resume Templates
When writing a project manager resume, divide your resume into sections and use the following structure:
- Headlining Statement
- Skills
- Certifications and Specialized Training
- Career History (listed in reverse chronological order)
- Professional Affiliations
- Education
The following project manager resume samples should be a great guide to get your resume written!
Hiring managers and recruiters tend to focus on the top third section of the document, so it’s crucial to include relevant keywords and certifications towards the top when writing a project manager resume.
Unless you’re currently in school or are a recent graduate with minimal work experience, your education can be placed at the bottom of your resume.
If you have minimal experience and are writing an entry-level project manager resume, move your education up before your career history. This will provide the reader perspective as to why you don’t have a ton of corporate experience.
Trying to figure out how to write your first resume with minimal experience? This guide is for you!
