Project Management Resume Keywords and Skills (Hard Skills)

Here are the keywords and skills that appear most frequently on recent Project Management 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.

  • Project Management
  • Project Planning
  • Management
  • Change Management
  • Engineering
  • Leadership
  • Microsoft Access
  • Team Leadership
  • Project Coordination
  • Construction
  • Project Managers
  • Strategic Planning
  • Business Strategy
  • Product Development
  • Marketing
  • Sales
  • Contract Management
  • Agile Project Management
  • Negotiation
  • Project Engineering
  • Program Management
  • Nonprofit Organizations
  • Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)
  • Capacity Building
  • International Development
  • Program Development
  • Teaching
  • Research
  • Program Evaluation
  • Vendor Management
  • Strategy
  • Community Development
  • Proposal Writing
  • Service Delivery
  • AutoCAD
  • Civil Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Construction Management
  • Microsoft Project
  • Commissioning
  • EPC
  • Energy
  • Engineering Design
  • Manufacturing
  • Project Estimation
  • Oil & Gas
  • Computer-Aided Design (CAD)
  • Piping
  • Public Speaking
  • Higher Education
  •   Show full list

  Where on my resume do I add these buzzwords?

Try to add these keywords directly into your resume's work experiences. Alternatively, you can also include a Skills section where you can list your technical skills in order of your proficiency.

Oh and one more thing! It goes without saying, but only include these technical skills or keywords into your resume if you actually have experience with them.

Compare Your Resume To These Project Management 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 Project Management resume?

1
Review the job posting closely.

Go through the Project Management posting you're applying to, and identify hard skills the company is looking for. For example, skills like Project Planning, Project Management and Leadership are possible skills. These are skills you should try to include on your resume.

2
Add industry skills like Microsoft Access and Management.

Add other common skills from your industry - such as Change Management, Team Leadership and Engineering - into your resume if they're relevant.

3
Add skills into your work experience.

Incorporate skills - like Social Services, International Development and Project Managers - into your work experience too. This shows hiring managers that you have practical experience with these tools, techniques and skills.

4
Highlight leadership and management skills.

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

5
Show evidence of managing projects.

Leading and delivering projects to completion are critical skill sets when it comes to Project Management roles.

6
Use the exact job title.

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

Project Management 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
Entry Level Project Manager


Resume Example
Senior Project Manager


Resume Example
Technical Project Manager


Resume Example
Marketing Project Manager


Resume Example
IT Project Coordinator


Resume Example
Construction Project Coordinator


Word Cloud for Project Management Skills & Keywords

The following word cloud highlights the most popular keywords that appear on Project Management 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 Project Management Skills and Keywords to Include On Your Resume

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Project Management Soft Skills

Here are common soft skills that appear on Project Management job postings. Unlike hard skills, which refer to tools, software or techniques, soft skills focus on character traits and interpersonal skills.

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

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Frequently Asked Questions

What are the top skills you should add to your Project Management resume?

Here are some of the most popular skills we see on Project Management resumes:

  • Project Management
  • Project Planning
  • Management
  • Change Management
  • Engineering
  • Leadership
  • Microsoft Access
  • Team Leadership

What are the differences in resume skills between a Marketing Project Manager and a Project Manager Team Lead?

If you are writing a Marketing Project Manager resume, try to emphasize skills like Marketing Strategy, Digital Marketing, Advertising, Marketing, Google Analytics, Project Management, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Social Media Marketing.

Similarly, if you are writing a Project Manager Team Lead resume, emphasize skills like Copy Protection, Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), Agile Methodologies, Project Planning, Integration, Software Project Management, Business Analysis and Business Process Improvement.

What are good resume skills to include for different Project Management 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:

  • Project Manager Team Lead: Copy Protection, Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), Agile Methodologies, Project Planning and Integration
  • Marketing Project Manager: Marketing Strategy, Digital Marketing, Advertising, Marketing and Google Analytics
  • Program Supervisor: Program Development, Case Management, Social Services, Community Outreach and Crisis Intervention

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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