Here are the keywords and skills that appear most frequently on recent Program Manager job postings. In other words, these are the most sought after skills by recruiters and hiring managers. Go to Sample Templates ↓ below to see how to include them on your resume.
Remember that every job is different. Instead of including all keywords on your resume, identify those that are most relevant to the job you're applying to. Use the free Targeted Resume tool to help with this.
Does your resume contain all the right skills? Paste in your resume in the AI Resume Scan ↓ section below and get an instant score.
Paste your resume below and our AI will identify which keywords are missing from your resume from the list above (and what you need to include). Including the right keywords will help you get past Applicant Tracking Systems (i.e. resume screeners) which may scan your resume for keywords to see if you're a match for the job.
Go through the Program Manager posting you're applying to, and identify hard skills the company is looking for. For example, skills like Strategic Planning, Program Management and Capacity Building are possible skills. These are skills you should try to include on your resume.
The following word cloud highlights the most popular keywords that appear on Program Manager job descriptions. The bigger the word, the more frequently it shows up on employer's job postings. If you have experience with these keywords, include them on your resume.
Here are common soft skills that appear on Program Manager job postings. Unlike hard skills, which refer to tools, software or techniques, soft skills focus on character traits and interpersonal skills. Instead of listing these phrases on your resume, try to show them through your bullet points like in the examples below.
Tip: Do not list these words or phrases on your resume, and instead focus on the hard skills we described above.
Here are examples of proven resumes in related jobs and industries, approved by experienced hiring managers. Use them as inspiration when you're writing your own resume. You can even download and edit the resume template in Google Docs.
Every business needs marketing. The field has flourished over the last decade with the explosive growth of social media and endless channels to reach your target audience. A marketing program manager will work closely with the marketing team and cross-department communication is a must. This resume template will demonstrate your previous experience in marketing and communication.
The Skills section of the resume mentions specific hard skills, such as market research, product development, Google AdWords, Salesforce CRM, and more. These specific skills are necessary for a marketing program manager in 2023 and check off all of the boxes for the position. Using hard skills rather than soft skills also showcase your fluency in the marketing field.
The positions in the work history are all marketing related and detail relevant, prior experience to both marketing and program management. This specialized resume is an excellent fit for the marketing program manager role, and you would not want to use this resume for a technical program manager role in comparison.
The barrier to entering a new industry can be difficult, but you shouldn’t let that deter you from what you want to do and any windows of opportunities! After all, you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. This entry level program manager resume capitalizes on your education, followed by your work experience and other applicable activities that make you a promising candidate to get your foot in the door.
Not having real world work experiences won’t disqualify you from an entry-level job in 2023. Relevant academic success and internships will help you stand out from other fresh graduates who may be lacking applicable experience. The added bonus of event management and being a member of the committee further shows your dedication to program management in this resume template.
A program manager must be savvy in the realm of business management and collaboration, given the responsibilities of the role. By using keywords such as “data analyst,” “standardized reporting,” and “managed international stakeholders,” this entry level resume template shines amongst the pool of applicants to the recruiter.
So, you have experience in this role and you’re looking for something new. This isn’t your first rodeo and you’re familiar with the world of program management -- if this sounds familiar, this senior program manager resume template is for you! This resume is heavily concentrated on your impressive work experience and transferable skills.
Hopping between jobs is generally discouraged, though sometimes life gets in the way with uncontrollable events like COVID-19 in 2023. However, multiple jobs with six months or less on a resume is a red flag to recruiters. In comparison, this resume has several positions with at least two years minimum at each which shows investment to your employer, and retention is very valuable to companies.
In this program manager resume template, the first bullet point under Third Company details a promotion as a reward for excellent performance -- one year quicker than anticipated. The promotion shows that your previous employer saw value in what you offered and gave you more responsibilities as well as compensation based on your accomplishments, which is attractive to companies.
The technical industry has wildly grown over the last several years, with many developer and engineer roles in high demand by startups and tech giants alike. As a result, technical program managers in 2023 are highly desirable and this resume template will show you how to stand out against the competition with powerful words and relevant examples.
The use of actionable verbs on your resume are vital. They evoke strong imagery to your reader, and this resume does an excellent job by using words such as “spearheaded,” “managed,” and “drove.” These words will help you to put your achievements in perspective, in conjunction with measurable results.
A program manager is responsible for high-level projects. Recruiters want to see what you’ve completed in previous roles -- such as the Operations Improvement Project and new iPhone app launch highlighted in this resume. The numbers make your experience real, rather than a vague “oversaw several teams for a project.” What did you do specifically? Inquiring minds want to know!
If you're in operations, make sure to focus your resume on how you improved general operations at your company, whether that's process improvement or creating systems.
Almost every bullet point uses numbers, which immediately adds context to achievements and tells recruiters the impact you've had.
This is a resume example of a highly focused resume, specifically in operations, through the past job titles. In addition, skills included on this resume are highly relevant to operations (e.g. supply chain management).
An IT program manager oversees and leads multiple IT projects. You will be in charge of a sizeable team, with project managers and their teams answerable to you. You need to have a strong IT background and excellent managerial skills to succeed in this role. At the very least. Recruiters will expect a bachelor’s degree in IT or a closely related field and years of experience in a managerial position. Here is a strong IT program manager resume.
Show recruiters your success in these areas by using metrics to show increases in efficiency, cost saving, or increases in revenue, due to your leadership.
Show recruiters that you are experienced in program management by including industry standard program management tools. To be extra impressive, do research into the company you are applying to, to find out what tools they use. If you aren’t experienced with their tools, do a crash course to learn how to use them before adding them to your resume.
On top Program Manager resumes, skills like Program Management, Project Management, Nonprofit Organizations, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Management, Strategic Planning, Capacity Building and Project Planning appear most often.
Depending on the exact role you're applying to, skills like Engineering, Integration, Vendor Management, Change Management and International Development can also be effective keywords to include on your resume.
If you are writing an Environmental Program Manager resume, try to emphasize skills like Environmental Compliance, Environmental Science, Environmental Awareness, Environmental Policy, Environmental Management Systems, Environmental Consulting, Environmental Permitting and Environmental Impact Assessment.
Similarly, if you are writing a Compliance Program Manager resume, emphasize skills like Regulatory Compliance, Compliance Management, Risk Management, Risk Assessment, Business Process Improvement, Medicare, Auditing and Change Management.
Depending on the specific role you apply to, you may need to emphasize different skill sets. Here are a few examples:
Examples of Program Manager soft skills include Public Speaking, Leadership, Team Leadership, Negotiation and Working with Adolescents.
While the keywords above are a good indication of what skills you need on your resume, you should try to find additional keywords that are specific to the job. To do this, use the free Targeted Resume tool. It analyzes the job you are applying to and finds the most important keywords you need on your resume.
It is personalized to your resume, and is the best way to ensure your resume will pass the automated resume filters.
Thank you for the checklist! I realized I was making so many mistakes on my resume that I've now fixed. I'm much more confident in my resume now.
