How To Create The Perfect Project Management CV

Truly great project managers are like gold dust to any prospective employer as they are the individuals that get things done. Such is the broad skill set that a project manager requires in the modern corporate world that anybody who can successfully manage a team to see a project through to completion on time and within budget is seriously sought after property.

So why do so many experienced and high achieving project managers submit CVs that are poorly thought out and irrelevant to the job being applied for? Employers receive vast numbers of CVs for any given project manager (PM) position so if your resume is confusing or fails to play to either your strengths or the specifics of the role then they will have no qualms about throwing it straight in the waste paper bin.

One of the most common mistakes that applicants make is to imagine that there is a standard fit CV that they can simply fire off to all prospective employers. A good PM will know that no two project management roles are the same with major differences in expectations and ideology not to mention the sheer practicalities of time, cost and resources. A successful CV will be minutely tailored to what that position entails and will amply demonstrate how the applicant has proven their worth in these fields.

The first point of contact that the employer has with you is the profile part of your CV so you need to make sure that this area is punchy, attention grabbing and makes them want to read more about you. Some applicants feel that they should hold back on their qualifications and relevant experience for those specific parts of the resume but there is no harm in repeating them if they are the factor that could set you apart from the competition. Remember that if your profile does not immediately shout out your skills they may well never get to the qualifications and experience sections of your CV.

It is also worth pointing out that nobody is going to be impressed with an essay in your profile section. You may think that a massive blurb highlights how much you have achieved but an employer will just get bored and move on to another resume.

The same goes for the major project achievements section. Employers are looking for concise, relevant information not pages of woolly gobbledegook so outline three or so different projects that you have been responsible for and describe, briefly, what you did to lead them to a successful conclusion.

The work experience section is where you can add meat to your previous claims. As well as expounding on what the project was and what your role entailed it is worth mentioning any unforeseen developments that arose and what you personally did to overcome them. It is also advisable to give a brief description of what your previous employers actually do as without this your work experience section can just come across as a jumble of meaningless names without any kind of context.

Following these simple rules can really boost your chances of standing out from the crowd and getting that all important interview where you can really shine.