Program Manager

Program Manager Resume Keywords and Skills (Hard Skills)

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. So try to include them on your resume where possible.

Remember that every job is different. Instead of including all these keywords on your resume, identify the keywords most relevant to the job you're applying to and include those. Use the free Targeted Resume tool to help with this.

  • Program Management
  • Project Management
  • Nonprofit Organizations
  • Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)
  • Management
  • Strategic Planning
  • Capacity Building
  • Project Planning
  • International Development
  • Program Development
  • Teaching
  • Research
  • Program Evaluation
  • Vendor Management
  • Strategy
  • Community Development
  • Proposal Writing
  • Service Delivery
  • Integration
  • Microsoft Project
  • Engineering
  • Change Management
  • Continuous Improvement
  • Software Project Management
  • Requirements Analysis
  • Systems Engineering
  • Product Development
  • Project Management Office (PMO)
  • Aerospace
  • Manufacturing
  • Business Intelligence (BI)
  • Business Analysis
  •   Show full list

  Where on my resume do I add these buzzwords?

Add keywords directly into your resume's work experiences, education or projects. Alternatively, you can also include a Skills section where you can list your technical skills in order of your proficiency.

Only include these technical skills or keywords into your resume if you actually have experience with them.

Compare Your Resume To These Program Manager Skills (ATS Scan)

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.

How do I add skills to a Program Manager resume?

1
Review the job posting closely.

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.

2
Add industry skills like Project Planning and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs).

Add other common skills from your industry - such as Management, Nonprofit Organizations and Project Management - into your resume if they're relevant.

3
Add skills into your work experience.

Incorporate skills - like Engineering, Change Management and Integration - into your work experience too. This shows hiring managers that you have practical experience with these tools, techniques and skills.

4
Show examples of where you trained people.

On Program Manager resumes, you should give specific accomplishments that involve you training others, whether that's in your team or other stakeholders.

5
Highlight leadership and management skills.

Hiring managers often want to see evidence of leadership and management on a Program Manager resume, so try to include any examples of where you led a project or managed other people.

6
Use the exact job title.

Try to add the exact job title, Program Manager, somewhere into your resume to get past resume screeners. See the infographic for how to do this.

Word Cloud for Program Manager Skills & Keywords

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.

Top Program Manager Skills and Keywords to Include On Your Resume

Program Manager Soft Skills

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.

  • Team Leadership
  • Communication

Tip: Do not list these words or phrases on your resume, and instead focus on the hard skills we described above.

Resume Skills and Keywords from Related Jobs

We also found variations and further specializations to your job title. Browse through the related job titles to find additional keywords that you can include into your resume.

Get your Resume Instantly Checked, For Free

Upload your resume and we'll spot the issues in it before an actual Program Manager recruiter sees it. For free.

Program Manager Resume Templates

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.

Resume Example
Marketing Program Manager


Resume Example
Entry-Level Program Manager


Resume Example
Senior Program Manager


Resume Example
Technical Program Manager


Resume Example
Operations Program Manager


Resume Example
IT Program Manager


Browse Skills from Similar Jobs

Frequently Asked Questions

What hard skills should you include on a Program Manager 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.

What are the differences in resume skills between an Environmental Program Manager and a Compliance Program Manager?

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.

What are good resume skills to include for different Program Manager roles and job titles?

Depending on the specific role you apply to, you may need to emphasize different skill sets. Here are a few examples:

  • Communications Program Manager: Strategic Communications, Internal Communications, Corporate Communications, Hootsuite and Press Releases
  • Materials Program Manager: Supply Chain Management, Earned Value Management, Materials Management, Aerospace and Six Sigma
  • Training Program Manager: Program Management, Training & Development, Asset Based Lending, Instructional Design and U.S. Department of Defense
  • Security Program Manager: Security, Information Security, Cybersecurity, Security Management and Security Operations
  • Technology Program Manager: Project Management Office (PMO), Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), Vendor Management, Project Portfolio Management and Cross-functional Team Leadership

What are common Program Manager soft skills?

Examples of Program Manager soft skills include Public Speaking, Leadership, Team Leadership, Negotiation and Working with Adolescents.

Target your Resume to a Job Description

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.

Start targeting your resume

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