CV example
Project manager CV example
Project manager CVs win on three numbers: how big the project was, whether it landed on time and on budget, and who you had to coordinate. This example puts those numbers where a recruiter will see them first.
Below you'll find a full example CV (also called a résumé), summaries for different experience levels, the skills and keywords employers search for, stronger bullet points, and the interview questions to prepare for.
Project manager CV summary examples
Your summary is the first thing a recruiter reads. Two or three sentences: who you are, your strongest evidence, and what you want next. Here is the example CV's summary, plus versions for other levels.
Example CV
PMP-certified project manager with 7 years delivering technology and operations projects of up to $3M. I keep complex projects predictable with clear plans, honest status reporting and early risk management.
Coordinator moving up
Project coordinator with 3 years supporting construction and IT projects. Built schedules, tracked budgets and ran status meetings for projects up to $1M. Studying for the CAPM.
Senior or programme manager
Programme manager with 12 years leading multi-year transformation programmes worth up to $25M. Manage a team of 5 project managers and report directly to the executive committee.
Skills to put on a project manager CV
Hard skills
- Project planning and scheduling
- Budget tracking and forecasting
- Risk and issue management
- Agile (Scrum, Kanban) and Waterfall methods
- Stakeholder and vendor management
- Status reporting
- Tools such as MS Project, Jira, Asana or Smartsheet
Soft skills
- Calm under pressure
- Clear, honest communication
- Negotiation
- Leading without authority
Show soft skills through your bullet points rather than listing them on the CV itself.
Keywords recruiters and ATS look for
Many employers screen CVs with an applicant tracking system (ATS) that matches words from the job ad. These come up often in project manager postings. Use the ones that are true for you, in the same wording as the job you're applying for. To compare your CV with a specific job ad, use the free CV keyword checker, or have Litjob tailor your CV to the job description for you.
- project manager
- project management
- PMP
- stakeholder management
- risk management
- budget
- scope
- agile
- waterfall
- scheduling
- vendor management
- on time and on budget
For live figures, see the skills most requested in Operations and admin job ads, updated weekly from thousands of postings.
Bullet points: before and after
Strong bullet points say what you did, how big it was and what changed. Compare:
WeakManaged several projects.
StrongerManaged 6 concurrent IT projects worth a combined $4M, all delivered within 5% of budget.
WeakResponsible for the project schedule.
StrongerRebuilt a slipping schedule and recovered 3 weeks of delay without extra headcount.
WeakCommunicated with stakeholders.
StrongerRan fortnightly steering meetings with 8 senior stakeholders and kept decisions logged and visible.
WeakHandled risks.
StrongerSpotted a vendor delay 6 weeks early and arranged a backup supplier, protecting the launch date.
Only use numbers you can explain in an interview. An honest estimate (“about 30%”) is better than a made-up exact figure.
Tips for writing a project manager CV
Lead each project with its size
Budget, team size, timeline or number of sites tells a recruiter instantly what level you work at.
Say how it ended
On time, early, under budget, or recovered from trouble. If a project slipped, show what you did about it.
Match the methodology
Agile shops want Scrum and Kanban words; construction and government roles often want Waterfall, PRINCE2 or PMP.
Put certifications in your headline
PMP, PRINCE2 or CAPM next to your name passes a lot of screening filters on its own.
Common project manager interview questions
Your CV gets you the interview, and interviewers will ask about what's on it. Prepare for these:
- Tell me about a project that went off track.
- Explain how you noticed, what you changed and how you kept stakeholders informed.
- How do you handle scope creep?
- Describe a change-control process you have used, with a real example.
- How do you manage a team member who keeps missing deadlines?
- Show you look for the cause first, then agree clear actions and follow up.
- Agile or Waterfall?
- Avoid dogma. Explain when each fits, and how you have blended them.