Technical Project Manager Resume: Sample & Writing Guide

Procedures, checklists, and application upgrades all cower before your ability to just get it all done. Seamlessly and without much downtime.

Except there’s this slightly less technical project—your technical project manager resume—that you’ve been working on and after 500 development hours it ain’t going nowhere.

Well, today’s your lucky day. Let’s turn this pipe dream into an EOD deliverable.

This guide will show you:

• A technical project manager resume example better than 9 out of 10 other resumes.
• How to write a technical project manager resume that will land you more interviews.
• Tips and examples of how to put skills and achievements on a technical project manager resume.
• How to describe your experience on a resume for a technical project manager to get any job you want.

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Technical Product Manager Resume Example

Now for the perfect technical project manager resume step-by-step:

1. Optimize the Formatting of Your Technical Project Manager Resume

Technical project managers perform the balancing act of being a well-versed technical expert and simultaneously possessing the interpersonal skills to communicate with non-tech people and shareholders. A good technical project manager resume will have to cover all of those bases and more.

But before we get to mitigation strategies and prioritization schemes, one thing has to be acknowledged:

The 2019 project management global status report states that only 46% of projects are delivered with stakeholder satisfaction.

So now, ask yourself this: will recruiters bother with someone whose resume doesn’t scream optimization?

Don’t think so.

You have to get at them with perfection from the very start.

Check out this fancy resume checklist:

• Pick a good resume format. The reverse-chronological resume beats out other candidates—it’s the industry standard at this point.
• Select an easy-to-read resume font. It’s definitely a measurable success factor as it directly impacts the readability of your application, and if it suffers, so do your chances.
• Use white space to separate your resume sections.
• Is risk management your strong suit? You’re a technical PM, of course it is, so don’t risk submitting an overly long application. The ideal resume length for you will depend on your experience, but in general, you should aim for one page.  

Pro tip: Submit your resume as a PDF. It’s another form of minimizing risk, as Word files bug out sometimes.

2. Prepare a Technical Project Manager Resume Summary or Resume Objective

Writing a strong resume profile is crucial.

Not sure what that is?

In essence, it’s a brief statement at the top of your resume that details how you got to where you are on the technical project manager ladder.

Managers will typically use a type of resume profile for experienced candidates: a resume summary statement. Inform the hiring manager about your best career wins, most relevant skills, and what you can do for your new employer. 

Read more: How to Start a Resume: Strategies, Tips & Examples

3. Describe Work Experience on Your Technical Project Manager Resume

There’s a lot that goes into a successful project from the technical point of view.

Documenting from the start, dividing work, tracking progress, the list goes on.

It’ll all count for zip though if you can’t organize your resume work experience section to actually demonstrate your ability:

• Following reverse chronology, your work experience section should start with your most recent job first.
• State your official job title, the name of the company, and how long you worked there.
• Write bullet points to bring up your achievements in technical projects you spearheaded. Focus on your accomplishments, not just day-to-day TPM duties. Aim for up to 6 bullets for newest/most relevant work experience, up to 3 for older jobs.
• Action words will keep the recruiter engaged, and numbers will show just how extraordinarily skilled you are at juggling different technical aspects of your projects.

Read more: How to Efficiently List Your Current Job Responsibilities

4. Get the Most out of Your Technical Project Manager Resume Education Section

Since technical project managers are so laser-focused on deliverables, deadlines, and keeping the work queue running, you don’t need an education.

Nope. Nope, nope, nope.

The truth is entirely different: every resume needs an education section.

Got boatloads of experience managing engineers? List your school name, obtained degree, and graduation date.

Not feeling like a Scrum Master just yet? Include tidbits from university years like relevant coursework, diploma honors, or a high GPA, to make yourself stand out more.

And just like that, you’ve made the most out of your education section!

Read more: How to List Your Degree on a Resume the Right Way

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5. Show Off Tailored Technical Project Manager Skills

These are the best technical project management skills to list on a resume:

Technical Project Manager Resume Skills

• Project planning
• Delegating tasks
• Scheduling/running team meetings
• Product knowledge
• Organization skills
• Leadership skills
• IT Infrastructure & Architecture
• Balancing outcomes & capabilities
• Scrum methodology
• Agile
• Technical risk assessment
• Mediating
• Multitasking skills
• Liaising between departments
• Motivating
• Management skills
• Project management
• Interfacing with other teams
• Reports & documentation
• Lenovo x86 server infrastructure
• Ticketing software
• Initiative & proactivity
• Problem-solving skills
• Giving feedback
• Active listening skills

However, if you overload it, it’s just going to break under its own weight. A bloated skills section is often unrealistic, and employers know.

Instead, focus your efforts on creating a list of all of your professional abilities. From that list, pick a good mix of 6–10 hard skills, soft skills, and technical skills that are tailored to the job ad, i.e., contain the proper resume keywords.

That way, your resume will be even more optimized and crush both your competition any chances of being rejected by the company’s ATS resume software.

Read more: How to List IT Skills on a Resume: Tips & Examples

6. Include Additional Sections on a Resume for Technical Project Managers

So, what makes you the best choice for this position?

That’s probably a question you can expect to hear during your job interview.

But, if your resume already reflects that one-of-a-kind quality about you, you’re several steps ahead of the competition.

Say you’re part of an improv comedy group in your spare time—that could be a great addition to your resume.

To the recruiter, it’s a telling sign you can adapt on the spot, are dynamic, and can deal with unknowns and variables to create something more—which can be a life-saving combination in the life of a TPM. When including interests on your resume, though, make sure to stick to things that show your skills in some way. 

Other sections to consider adding are things such as your foreign language skills, licenses and certifications, freelance work, or volunteer work.

Read more: What to Include in a Resume

7. Write a Technical Project Manager Cover Letter

Writing a cover letter shouldn’t be seen as tedious.

Rather, think of it as an opportunity to tell the recruiter more amazing things about yourself that you couldn’t fit on a resume.

Bottom line is: you need to write a cover letter if you want to give yourself the best chance possible to land an interview.

Here are a few cover letter tips to keep in mind:

• Before you get started, make sure to fix your cover letter format.
• Learn how to grab your reader’s attention in the opening paragraph of your cover letter. A strong achievement statement or two should do the trick. 
• In the middle paragraphs, elaborate on what you find attractive about the company and why you’re the perfect fit for the role. Back up your claims by citing more of your past accomplishments and leaning on the values you share with the company. 
• Finish the cover letter with a compelling closing statement and suggest meeting for an interview.

Also, keep in mind this isn’t a technical status report and it doesn’t need to go on for 20+ pages. Maintain the cover letter length at 3 or 4 paragraphs, all on one page. 

Read more: Project Manager Cover Letter: Guide with Examples to Copy & Use

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:

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All set!

An exquisite technical project manager resume!

Got any questions about writing the perfect technical project manager resume? Need extra help with writing your education section? The comments below are always open if you want to give us feedback or ask for advice!

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Sources

• https://bootcamp.berkeley.edu/blog/how-to-become-a-technical-project-manager-step-by-step/