Program Manager Resume

Being a program manager gives you the chance to work on a variety of tasks every day. You might be working on problem identification, team management, and task delegation throughout the workday. Experience with managing budgets and crafting plans is a must, but do you know how to create a program manager resume that creates an impact?

When you build a program manager resume, you need to let hiring managers and recruiters see that your team management and strategic planning abilities are major assets for the organization. This might sound complicated, but there are tips and tricks you can use to make sure your first impression is a positive one.

Paired with outstanding skills, sufficient education, and a dose of experience, your program manager resume can make you more intriguing than other applicants. Once you get a manager curious about what you can do, that’s half the battle involved in being called in for an interview. This is why your resume has to be the very best.

In this guide, we’ll give you tips on how to customize your resume, effectively showcase your relevant work experience, and include the right hard and soft skills. We’ll also delve into the best resume formats for a program manager resume and provide some examples you can use as you get started.

Program manager resume writing guide: where to start?

Before you get a call for an interview, you need to make sure your program management resume is one of the best that hits a manager’s desk. Looking at example resumes can give you a good start to understanding what information needs to be included. These are two parts to creating a great program manager resume and we’ll share the details on both below.

Master resume for program manager

Before you start designing a gorgeous senior program manager resume, you want to be sure you have a master resume ready to go. This is a specific document where you keep all the information you pull out and use when you make customized resumes for specific jobs. This isn’t something you share with others. It’s for your eyes only and makes the resume process easier to handle.

Basically, anything related to employment is kept in the master resume. List out your past jobs, what you did there, and any achievements you want to remember. You can also include your educational information, a list of skills, and other information that is relevant to employment. It doesn’t have to be related to a specific job since this document doesn’t get sent in with an application.

It does take time to create a master resume but it ends up being well worth the effort. All the information in the master resume can be easily moved to your job-specific resumes to make those easier to complete. Then you can just make some tweaks for the position before you apply. This is especially useful for anyone applying to multiple jobs.

You can make a master resume in a Word document, write it out by hand, or keep details on your tablet. It’s entirely up to you since this document is for your eyes only. There’s no need to worry about design or format. The main point is to keep all your professional information in one place so you don’t forget anything important in the future.

Job-specific resume for program manager

Once you have a master resume, you’re ready to start making a job-specific program manager resume with keywords. The idea is to take the most important things from the job description and include them in your resume along with other relevant information. This resume is made for a specific job of your choice, so you can customize it based on that.

You want to have your master resume and the job description available for this part of the process. Consider browsing the description for keywords that you want to use in your own document. If something is essential to the position and you can weave it into your resume, that’s what you’re going for. It shows that you would be a great fit for the position.

At this point, you can start inserting your sections. You want this resume to be more aesthetically pleasing than your master resume since other people will be viewing it. Tailor the resume using bits from the master but there’s no need to include everything. Use the most relevant skills, experience, and other information so the resume isn’t overly long.

Program manager resume example

If you’ve already looked up program manager resume examples, here’s another one to help you out as you build your own document. You can see that this resume has lots of good information about the applicant’s skills and experience. There is a brief resume objective at the top with education and references included. It has everything a hiring manager wants to see from a great applicant for this type of position.

What to include in a Program Manager resume? Writing tips and examples

Now that you have a sample program manager resume to look at, all that’s left is a few tips about how to craft specific sections of your own resume. Several sections are must-haves for a program manager resume and others you might want to add to showcase certain skills or other items. However, all good resumes should have contact information, a resume objective, skills, education, and experience sections.

How to write a resume objective on a Program Manager resume

The resume objective is one of the smallest parts of your resume but it also happens to be one of the most crucial to include. This section is only one to four sentences and is a simple paragraph toward the top of your resume. However, it’s used to share information about your accomplishments and achievements. It’s a good place to make use of action verbs and numbers to quantify what you are capable of.

So, you want this section to be very concise but have a ton of information. In addition to your achievements, there are other things you can include. For instance, skills that are listed in the job description are a good fit for the resume objective. You can also talk about your degrees, certifications, and duties at past positions.

Every time you apply for a job, you want to customize your resume’s objective. This ensures you customize it to the position. Something generic isn’t going to do a lot to show that you’re good for a certain role. It’s worth doing a bit of research to make sure you are providing the details a hiring manager at this company would want.

The formatting for this section is minimal since the words are where the power is. You should use a legible font and make sure everything looks nice on the page, but otherwise, aesthetics aren’t a huge concern at this point. Share the most relevant details about what you’ve done in the past and you’ll be golden.

Tips to include work experience on a Program Manager resume

Next up is the work experience for your program manager resume. Since this section usually takes up the largest amount of space on the page, you can consider it the meat of your resume. You need to get this right and share the appropriate information to ensure you have a chance at being hired. However, this isn’t as complicated as you might think.

When you think of work experience, you probably think about the tasks you did in a role. It’s fine to add that kind of information but it isn’t the best way to make an impact. Instead, try to focus on achievements in each position rather than the things you did throughout a workday. If you made a positive change in some facet of the workplace, you could elaborate on that here.

Those who have previous experience as a program manager will want to largely focus on that. However, if you have no or little experience, it’s okay to include other types of positions you have held. The trick is to get creative about how you share these things. Try to make it clear how what you did is similar to what you might be asked to work on in the new position.

You’ll start each entry on your resume with a header. This is where you’ll include the name of the company, what your role was, when you worked there, and where the job was based. Once you get that inserted, you can make a simple bullet list underneath. Here is where you start to pull out your accomplishments in a short list.

Skills to list on a Program Manager resume

Program manager skills on a resume are another mandatory requirement. Managers want to know what you can do and expect you to share that. The good news is you can easily fit some keywords in here. However, it’s best to include an assortment of skills, including both hard skills and soft skills. This shows how well-rounded and capable you are.

A position might use more hard skills than soft skills, or vice versa, but you still need to have both. Everyone is going to have moments when soft skills are a huge perk and you may use hard skills regularly. A nice balance between the two is a great way to set things up. It shows your versatility and ability to work with others well as your abilities related to the actual position.

Not sure what skills are going to be appreciated on your program manager resume? That’s okay. We’ve added a short list of options below. Use them or let them guide you to your own unique skills that you want to share with a potential employer. Let’s start things off with some hard skills that might be useful:

Hard skills

• Agile methodologies
• Software project management
• Software development life cycle
• Software development
• Cloud computing
• Requirements analysis
• Jira
• Vendor management
• Cross-functional team leadership
• Integration
• Product management
• Program management
• Agile project management
• Scrum

And here are a selection of soft skills for program manager resumes that could help you get your foot in the door:

Soft skills

• Communication
• Negotiation
• Collaboration
• Risk assessment
• Time management
• Problem-solving
• Critical thinking
• Decision-making
• Creative thinking

Ready to make sure your resume looks fantastic? CVMaker is here to help with a selection of resume templates. Find one you like and cut down on the time it takes to create a resume that any manager would be happy to have come into their inbox. It’s a great way to make sure you stand out.

Key takeaways

At this point, you have the tips you need to turn a program manager job description into a resume. Use the above examples to create a great resume with the right sections, formatting, and additions to get noticed. When you customize your resume using our professional advice, you’ll be sure to end up with a well-structured document you can be proud of.

Program Manager resume tips:

· After you write the resume, read over it and see how it flows. Make sure everything sounds good and is easy to understand for the recruiter.

· Check over the contact information to ensure there are no errors. Avoid using unprofessional email addresses for your resume.

· Make sure all language in the resume is professional, concise, and simple.

· Do not include any slang terms or colloquial terms.

· Proofread the resume and look for typos and misspellings. Consider using a tool like Grammarly to catch anything you miss.

· Craft a cover letter and any other extra documents you need before you apply for the position.

Next steps?

Are you having trouble creating an amazing IT program manager resume on your own? Don’t worry, you don’t have to handle the whole process alone. CVMaker offers Resume Writing Services by professionals who can ensure a fantastic document for you to share. Check out the options and make sure your resume truly shines.

FAQs

What does the best program manager resume include?

A quick look at a few program manager resume samples will give you an idea of what to include in your own document. You want to start with contact information and a resume objective. From there, you’ll move through sections like experience, education, and skills.

Most program manager resumes will include the following sections:

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• Contact information
• Resume objective
• Work experience
• Education
• Skills

In addition, the following sections can be added if relevant:

• Certifications and courses
• Other experience
• Technical proficiencies
• Interests and hobbies
• Languages
• Accomplishments
• References

How to write a Program Manager resume objective?

Writing a program manager resume objective involves sharing all the things you are best at as relevant for the position. Achievements and accomplishments related to the job should take up most of the space. However, you can also share information about skills, experience, and other items.

The important thing to remember is that this is a persuasive section. You want to hook the hiring manager and make them interested in learning more about you. At the same time, this is a short section, so you need to be brief and pack in action words that make your point in the process. It’s also okay to talk about your goals for the future.

What is the best writing style for a Program Manager?

The number one thing to concern yourself with in a program manager resume is being professional. You want to be sure you avoid being too casual throughout the process. Even if you are applying with a company that has a more laid-back culture, the resume is not the place to do the same with your information.

Instead, be professional and make sure the resume is clear and simple to read. Whenever possible, incorporate action verbs to persuade the person reading your resume. Add keywords and phrases that you find in the job position and on the company website. You want to be sure you’re formal and persuasive.

What are the top five skills of a Program Manager?

It’s hard to answer this in any definitive way since every person and position is a little different. However, one thing you should know is that a combination of hard and soft skills tends to be the best option. This shows you have the technical skills for the job but also do well working with others. Both are important in this position.

For an idea of some skills that are often on product manager resumes, consider things like communication, marketing, project management, product design, market research, and product development. Business strategy, account management, accounting, and customer service are also good options.

How long should a Program Manager resume be?

In short, a program manager resume should be one to two pages long. To make it even easier, how long you’ve been in the industry can indicate how many pages your resume should be. Has it been less than 10 years? One page is a great option. If you’ve worked in program management for over a decade, two pages work well.

At the same time, remember that people generally only spend a few seconds perusing a resume. Even if you have 20 years of experience, that doesn’t mean you have to include two pages. If all of the most relevant information will fit on a single page, that’s completely acceptable.

What layout is best for a Program Manager resume?

There are several layouts you can choose from when creating a program manager resume. As you look at your options, remember that the priority is crafting a resume that is easy to read. Put the most crucial sections toward the top so they are read first. Any other sections can go toward the bottom of the document.

While you consider the right layout, remember that there are two major types to choose from. You can go with a single-column layout where all the information is in the middle of the resume. Or, you can select a two-column layout where some of the information is on the left or right. This can give you more room to include relevant bits if you are running out of space.

How to format a Program Manager resume?

The first steps here are to choose a structure and layout for your resume. Once you’ve done that, you can move forward to the format. There is no one answer for how to format things so consider what looks good to you. A good program manager resume will be very professional but eye-catching so you can ensure it gets read. Consider everything from the colors and fonts as you craft the look of the resume.

Choose a font, font size, and font color for the overall document. Think about how much spacing you want between sections and what visual elements you’d like to include. As you work on the format, remember that most resumes will be no more than one to two pages. Try not to make things so large that you surpass this length.

What extra sections are useful on a Program Manager resume?

Once you’ve added a resume objective, education section, experience section, and skills, the other sections are optional. That gives you the option to make yourself stand out. The right sections to include will depend on what you want to showcase and let employers know about.

That said, some of the most common choices include certifications, achievements, languages, interests and hobbies, and references. Think about which sections will give the most relevant information to a recruiter and bring you closer to interviewing for the position you want.

Ready to create a program manager resume with a dose of style? CVMaker is here to help with a variety of exciting templates for you to choose from. Check them out and choose the one that best matches your style. Make an impact with your application.