For technical project managers, end results tend to count more than any other performance indicator. A results-driven technical project manager resume gives prospective employers their best assurance of counting on you to deliver everything needed and expected.
Whether you seek a promotion or a different kind of career move, Resume.io is here to help. As a leading international resource, we’ve produced more than 300 occupation-specific writing guides and free resume examples.
If you’re ready to get started, this is the right place. Step by step, we’ll cover the following topics in this resume writing guide, alongside the corresponding technical project manager resume example:
- Role of technical project managers and the job market outlook
- General writing tips for a technical project manager resume
- The best format for structuring your resume
- Advice on each resume section: header, summary, work history, education and skills
- Professional resume layout and design hints.
What does a technical project manager do?
Technical knowledge and skills set technical project managers apart as a project management subcategory. The common denominator in a vast category of project manager job roles is the ability to lead, guide and track client-driven, solution-focused project activities from start to finish. Even without necessarily having hands-on responsibility for juggling all these balls simultaneously, the oversight provided by project managers is crucial to the delivery of results on time as budgeted.
For additional ideas and inspiration, these Resume.io writing guides and resume examples from the overlapping information technology category might be of interest:
- Scrum Master resume sample
- Systems Analyst resume sample
- Network Engineer resume sample
- IT Director resume sample
- Computer Science resume sample
- IT Project Manager resume sample
- Software Engineer resume sample
- Film and Video Editor resume sample
- Motion Graphics Artists resume sample
- Network Systems Analyst resume sample
- 3D Animator resume sample
- Software Developer resume sample
- Web Developer resume sample
- Programmer resume sample
- Data Scientist resume sample
- IT manager resume sample
- Data Analyst resume sample
With an eye on newly emerging IT advances and solutions, technical project managers may be courted relentlessly by head-hunters and business leaders in myriad industries. Lucrative positions are available in all manner of government, private and non-profit organizations.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects a 10% increase in jobs for computer and information systems managers from 2019 to 2029, more than twice as fast as the average growth rate for all occupations.
How to write a technical project manager resume
Your technical project manager resume should fit on a single page and include these elements:
- Header
- Summary
- Employment history section
- Education section
- Skills section
Before we offer specific tips on each section, here is some general advice.
What may not be commonly understood — even to hiring organizations themselves — is the difference between a project manager and a technical project manager. In some cases, there is added confusion with product manager or program manager job titles, applied rightly or wrongly. This could create a golden opportunity to tailor your resume in such a way that the recruiters will gain a better understanding of what they should be looking for in the ideal technical project manager. In effect, you’ll help them know it when they see it in yourself! By speaking directly to the employer’s needs and wants, you’ll come across as the perfect fit.
Customizing your technical project manager resume sample and optimizing it for the ATS are a two-way street to job-winning success. Most larger organizations rely on ATS (applicant tracking systems) to screen all job applications submitted online. Recruiters are spared from having to manually sort through the deluge as they once did, with this task now handled by the ATS scanning algorithms. Only resumes that rank high enough for keywords reflecting specific job requirements will pass through this digital filter for review by human eyes.
The need to ATS-proof your technical project manager resume goes hand-in-hand with tailoring the content, language and tone to the specific position and hiring organization. How do you know how to do this?
It all starts with the listed job requirements in the career ad. This is typically a source of keyword-rich terminology for matching your resume wording. In addition, pursue every line of research — online and firsthand knowledge — to learn everything you can about the position, employer and workplace.
Choosing the best resume format for tech project managers
The best structure for your technical project manager resume is likely the chronological format. Regardless of occupation, it’s the most commonly used way to organize job-related achievements and other resume content for recruiters to easily scan.
However, other resume formats can be worth looking at if you are interested in working as an independent contractor rather than company employee, or if your background includes consulting work. This may lend itself to a functional resume structure, perhaps emphasizing an area of professional expertise or industry. Hybrid resume formats that combine this approach with the conventional chronological experience section can be a versatile option.
Resume summary example
The summary of your technical project manager resume (sometimes called “profile” or “personal statement”) is where the ATS-busting tips we covered earlier can start working to your advantage. It’s your first chance to include job description keywords to help pass through the employer’s screening software, while also tailoring your key selling points to what hiring managers are looking for. You have free-form leeway to demonstrate your technical savvy without sounding like a robot and to convey your project management abilities with hints of passion.
Seize the opportunity on both counts to outshine other job candidates by speaking the hiring organization’s language. Pick your most directly relevant accomplishments to start telling a success story that this employer will want to figure into as a next-chapter focus. Infuse your narrative with personality and purpose, along with facts and figures, for recruiters to imagine what this would look like.
Below is a technical project manager resume example summary you can customize.
Dynamic Technical Project Manager adept in managing all project phases to ensure goals are achieved in an efficient and timely manner. Experienced in developing and overseeing management plans, communication plans, and project processes.
Employment history sample
The employment history section of your technical project manager resume should showcase the benefits of your past contributions in a way that resonates for the future. Regardless of how much project management work experience you have, offset your examples of autonomously achieved outcomes with project team accomplishments.
Focus on measurable outcomes that will make recruiters sit up and take notice, envisioning such results being replicated if they hire you. Again, this won’t be in a single-handed context but as a project manager who can motivate others. You must come across as a good fit with the specific kinds of projects that are integral to the business and the project teams already in place.
For each experience you choose to summarize below a previous employer heading, distill the information into a three-part synopsis: action verb, specific task completed and tangible benefit. Ideally, express cost, efficiency or client satisfaction improvements in terms of dollar amounts or percentages.
Below is a technical project manager employment history resume example you can use while writing your own.
Technical Project Manager, Edgerton Associates New York
Jun 2016 - Jun 2021
- Oversaw and managed processes leading to the development and simulation of investment decision models.
- Helped to drive complex software projects to enhance the company's success.
- Identified and resolved dependencies, while working to remove obstacles that obstructed progress.
- Partnered and collaborated with engineers to understand their goals.
Technical Project Manager, IconStone New York
Jun 2013 - May 2016
- Worked to enhance the processes and practices for this busy technology consulting company.
- Planned and led global, cross-functional technology initiatives.
- Led, coached, and mentored the consulting teams.
- Built trusted advisory partnerships with clients to develop and deliver creative solutions.
Technical project manager resume education example
This section of your technical project manager resume should be straightforward, even if your education and training path is different from those of other qualified candidates. Start by listing your relevant college degrees in reverse chronological order, from highest to lowest level. Include scholastic awards or other special achievements and honors, including GPA if impressive.
Although not always a job requirement for technical project managers, many candidates will have certifications to include in their resume education section (or possibly mention in their resume summary).
According to Coursereport.com, these might include Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM), Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP), Professional in Business Analysis (PBA), Project Management Practitioner (CPMP), Certified Scrum Master or Project Management Professional from the Project Management Institute.
Mention training or professional development programs you’ve completed on the job or on your own. Those related to your IT knowledge should be obvious. But be sure not to overlook your learning investments in management, leadership, communication or interpersonal skills.
Professional association memberships also send the right message by demonstrating your commitment to continuous learning, and also possible contributions outside the workplace.
Post-secondary education that is not relevant should take lower priority or be omitted from your resume. High school graduation need not be included.
Below is the education section from a technical project manager resume example you can modify.
Master of Business Administration , Fordham University New York
Sep 2011 - May 2013
Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, Manhattan College New York
Sep 2007 - May 2011
CV skills example
The skills section of your technical project manager CV is another place to include some ATS-smart keywords. Naturally, the technical skills you list on your CV are vitally important. Again, take your cue from the job ad listing of position requirements, plus anything else you earn about the business and typical projects. Draw additional clues about the soft skills that hiring managers will consider essential in someone capable of leading teams to success. That includes adjusting communications approaches to your co-workers, managers and project clients. Your visionary ability to map out one project stage at a time, while keeping an eye on the big picture, is also crucial. The same goes for being impeccably well organized and high-functioning under pressure.
Remember other job contenders are likely to list similar skills on their resume samples. Therefore, try to avoid clichés and put your own twist on vague, overused phrases like “team-player” and “detail-oriented.”
Check out a technical project manager example for the skills section below.
- IT Project Management
- Technology Risk Management
- Agile and Scrum
- Effective Time Management
- Creative Problem Solving
- Data Analysis
- Leadership Skills
Resume layout and design
Nothing less than a professionally polished resume sample that also looks inviting to read will do for technical project managers. Put yourself in the hiring manager’s chair to deliver on the expectation of a streamlined, well-organized layout that does justice to your efficiency and attention to detail.The overall look should be eye-catching but not flashy or gimmicky.
And it should go without saying that your resume is letter-perfect and bug-free in every other sense. Put it through multiple beta test runs under anyone’s scrutiny but your own. Tweak it further and reboot with each proofreading.
Be mindful of the tech-confident impression you are trying to convey when making choices about font style and size, text formatting and color splashes. Strike a careful black-and-white balance on the page by going easy on the text-heavy blocks and augmenting the margins and line spacing. Make everything much easier for yourself by using Resume.io’s builder tool with one of our field-tested resume templates. With all of the design and formatting details taken care of, it can’t be any simpler.
The necessity of a striking, well-designed resume header is not only for esthetic reasons. It clearly identifies who your resume belongs to and how interested recruiters can instantly reach you. Consider aligning your resume’s graphic style — noticeably in the header — with the employer’s own visual brand, reflecting themes in its web pages and printed materials.
Key takeaways for a technical project manager resume
- Technical project managers are highly sought-after in virtually all industries, with job growth outpacing the average for all occupations.
- The dynamic nature of IT as a driving force for that expansion puts pressure on technical project managers to continually refresh their knowledge and skills.
- A versatile and adaptable resume sample is essential for technical project managers to update the content and tailor the wording to specific job and employer requirements.
- It’s also important to think strategically and intuitively in showcasing your attributes to best advantage. Be sure not to downplay soft skills that might set you apart from your peers with similar technical skills.
- The right resume design and formatting choices ensure you come across as technically proficient and well-organized as you sound. Using Resume.io’s builder tool with one of our professional templates lets you focus on delivering the right message for job-winning results.
