How to write a sales resume for a project manager

There is a pattern: the better your CV looks, the more likely you are to meet an HR person for an interview. When a CV is informative, neat and attractive, it automatically adds a few points to your bank account and increases your chances of competing for a good vacancy.

Structure your story about yourself

A clear outline of the document will allow HR or a recruiter to quickly familiarize themselves with the candidate's profile - to see his or her experience, abilities, education and achievements. Already on the basis of the CV, the expert assesses the qualifications of the specialist, i.e. do his or her skills match the employer's needs, can he or she cope with the current challenges? The recruiter also understands whether it makes sense to invite the specialist for an interview or whether it is worth continuing the search.

When opening a project management resume, an HR person wants to see the following information:

1. Candidate's name, role/specialization, contact details, links to professional social networks (LinkedIn, Facebook). Please note: if you don't keep these pages up to date, we don't recommend sharing them. Or better yet, take the time to update them. By the way, this is a good revision of your own knowledge and experience. So you can highlight your strengths and weaknesses. And they are often asked to name them during an interview.
2. A summary (summary of key thoughts) with information on what role the candidate is applying for. For example, Junior Project Manager or Project Manager/SCRUM Master. If you already have a strong background, and you want to get "up to speed" in a particular niche or work with certain technologies, you can mention that. It would be useful to tell how you can add value by joining the team.
3. Experience and successes. Work experience is usually listed in reverse chronological order. This is the most important block in which to detail professional experience according to the following principle:

• company/project name and period of employment;
• position and responsibilities;
• professional achievements and key skills of a project manager.

4. When describing your achievements, try to emphasize the results of your own work and the benefits you have brought to the company. Avoid passive forms and emphasize the results achieved by using action verbs. For example, "saved", "increased" or "reduced". If you have no previous work experience, you can include an internship in your specialty and what you have learnt.
5. Education. This can be information about university or specialized courses. If you do not have work experience (or have but little), this item should be placed before the description of professional experience and disclose more information about the study of the discipline, skills acquired, relevant to your goal. Also mention informal, additional education: courses, seminars, trainings, internships - anything that will show how deeply and seriously you have approached mastering your new profession.
6. Recommendations. You do not need to add names of people and letters of recommendation directly into the text itself. Simply state that it is possible to obtain such a reference from a previous job or course if necessary.
7. Additional Information. This is any data that can increase the chances of getting the desired position. For example, knowledge of the level of foreign languages, technical education, internship abroad, etc. Is it advisable to write about your hobbies when writing a project manager resume? Only when the hobby will really come in handy in this position. And it is better to explain how this is possible.

Format your CV correctly

Keep a bit of practical advice to make your CV formatted, 'clean' and readable:

1. Use indents and bullet points to draw the recruiter's attention to what you think is important information.
2. Use bold and italics to emphasize key words or skills. However, do not overuse it. Because when too many elements are bolded or italicized, that emphasis is lost. And then the document will look sloppy.
3. Use a larger font for headings and subheadings. This will help draw attention to key parts of the document and give it structure.
4. Choose conservative fonts like Times New Roman, Arial or Tahoma. Do not use more than two fonts at the same time. This will make it difficult to read the document. The reader's eye needs fonts that are familiar and easy to read. If it is difficult to read, too creative, your CV may not pass further inspection and never reach the examiner.
5. Leave enough space. Do this by spacing 1.15 or 1.5 around headings, text boxes and margins. Hiring managers can use this area for notes before, during or after the interview.
6. Structure the information so that the CV looks informative and not overloaded with facts. A story of more than 3 pages is not a good option.
7. Store the finished document in PDF format and name it accordingly: CV_FirstName_LastName. Sometimes you can specify your role.

Tips for completing a CV

Now a few useful talking points about the body of the CV itself.

Write on the merits

First of all, decide what you want to do. Analyze your professional experience and select from it only that which clearly corresponds to your current goal. For a PM position, this could be experience in organizing and managing projects or negotiating. A selective approach will keep your CV free of unnecessary information and help convince the HR manager that this is the position you want. 

Highlight specific skills, professional accomplishments and goals. It is important for employers to understand whether your experience is relevant to the open position and whether you would be interested in the position.

Use the correct tense of verbs

Use the present tense for your future work. For example, "design", "control", "customise". Describe previous experience in the past: "designed", "acquired", "performed".

Be consistent

If you have used abbreviations once, continue in the same style throughout the text. Although, it is better to specify all names in full.

Spell check

Almost every recruiter and hiring manager has a story about a resume they rejected because of misspelled words, with trivial spelling or grammatical errors. Typos or errors in a CV indicate that a candidate is not conscientious about the design of their CV. To some extent, this can then show up in the job itself. Lastly, make sure that all project manager resume examples are designed in a consistent style.

What to avoid when writing a CV

To increase your chances of getting a position as a project manager:

1. Do not send a CV for a position for which you are not qualified. Make sure you fulfil at least the basic requirements.
2. Don't lie. Whether it's a deliberate lie or slightly inaccurate information - either way, it compromises your ethics. Besides, almost all HR managers pre-screen candidates by reviewing their social media profile, getting feedback from their colleagues in other companies, etc.
3. Do not write about salary expectations unless asked for in the job description.
4. Do not neglect references from previous jobs. Although this item is not mandatory, and if you can easily obtain such a document, indicate this.
5. Do not use clipart (graphics, illustrations and ornaments). Clipart is generally not considered professional and any styling or formatting should be minimal. However, if you are applying for a job in the creative industry, a demonstration of design ability may be viewed favorably.
6. Do not add two or more photos. One portrait on the front page is enough. It should be a photo on a light coloured monochrome background. Don't cut yourself out of a group photo, add a photo from a holiday, wedding or graduation party.
7. Do not include personal or health-related information. This includes date of birth, height, weight, health or marital status, religion or membership of non-career clubs or organisations.

For a Project Manager candidate, these steps will be enough to increase the chances of getting an interview. By making your CV informative, readable and accurate, you will attract the interest of the HR manager.