You’ve got a million things to do already. You’re constantly following projects through and are now tasked with finding your next job.
It can feel disheartening staring at a blank page. Should you use ChatGPT to write a CV? And what about writing your programme manager cover letter?
Here, we’ll delve into creating an effective AI CV, where we’ve compiled some of the best programme manager example CVs that have helped candidates secure positions at top companies like Stripe and Facebook.
Numbers make an impact
- The power of numbers on a CV is not only that they make it concise but also demonstrate your impact in past roles in a profound way. That’s an excellent way to get noticed.
- To make this magic work in your favour, include realistic numbers in every other bullet point.
- Most importantly, stay grounded and don’t get swept up in the excitement. Recruiters can spot a lie from a mile off, and you don’t want to end up on their list of don’ts.
Enhance your impact
- They say actions speak louder than words. And we tell you that’s true, and your technical programme manager CV should reflect that. Otherwise, your competition will take the crown.
- To reach this stage in your career, you’ve held similar positions. Did you leave a track record of a high achiever? Good, because that’s music to the ears of recruiters.
- Pair your relevant skills with the impact you made, and you’re well on your way to winning the race for the job with ease.
View more technical programme manager CVs >
Using a CV summary
- To reach this level, a multitude of projects and people must have passed through your hands. You would want to showcase all those impressive achievements, but a concise CV may not have that kind of space.
- How about rounding it all off with a CV summary? Yes, that statement can be the icing on your senior programme manager CV to make a solid impression on your potential employers.
- Believe it or not, recruiters will be rushing to their phones before anyone else gets to you first. And that’s how you turn yourself into employers’ prize asset.
View more senior programme manager CVs >
Leveraging work experience
- Does your employment history include a period at a large company? While that’s not a guarantee to be favoured by other equally large brands, it’s worth including it.
- You see, if you were worth consideration by another big name, then chances are you’ve proven your professionalism at the highest level.
- The key phrase here is tested and proven, and you want potential employers to see you as a valuable addition to their team.
Focus on the job specification
- Before your application lands on the desk of the actual recruiter, it has to make its way through the Applicant Tracking System (ATS). That’s something you can’t simply ignore.
- To outsmart the ATS, tailor your CV to the job description. How, you ask?
- By ensuring your skills reflect the keywords used in the job advert, you’ll quickly pass through the system. That’s what you want: getting your CV in front of the hiring manager.
Why this CV works
- Want to craft a non-profit programme manager CV that works like a well-oiled machine? Start off on the right foot! But then, how exactly can you do that? It’s no bother—ensure your document is in mint condition before you hit that “submit” button.
- Adding spell-checkers (such as Grammarly, ProWritingAid, QuillBot, etc.) to your proofreading toolkit is one way to ensure any grammatical mistakes like typos, punctuation errors, and awkward phrases in your sales pitch don’t go unnoticed and create a negative impression.
Build credibility
- You may know your craft, but hiring managers want proof that you can do it better than the next person. If you blend in with the average man or woman, then you’re not competitive enough for this role.
- Want to know a little secret about how to stand out from the crowd? Add qualifications.
- Are you a certified Project Management Professional or Agile-Certified Practitioner? Don’t overlook these: let them be the evidence of your professionalism.
View more agile programme manager CVs >
Emphasise your education
- Striking a good balance between your education and work experience is like finding the final piece of the puzzle to becoming the favourite candidate among recruiters.
- Emphasising your education on your aerospace programme manager CV is a sure way to unlock the door to a bright and long career. So, yes, give your classroom knowledge the spotlight it deserves.
- For instance, a bachelor’s degree in aerospace from MIT would provide you with a smooth start with most recruiters.
Display data savvy
- Your acquisition programme manager CV won’t make it beyond the first round of screening if it doesn’t highlight your data expertise.
- And don’t take this the wrong way: it’s essential to demonstrate your ability to generate data and use it to make decisions that positively impact the business.
- Take our advice: include examples of you processing information, interpreting it to make sense, and using it to save time, money, and increase profit margins.
View more acquisition programme manager CVs >
Why this CV works
- “I’ve finally found you!” You want recruiters to utter these words by the time they’re done reading your principal programme manager CV. Did you know that utilising the reverse chronological format can bring that dream to fruition?
- So, when it’s time to highlight your work experience, start with your most recent and perhaps most relevant role (cue principal programme manager) and work backwards to your early days (cue lead programme manager and project manager)—nothing showcases your positive career progression and proactive mindset better than this format.
Related CV guides
How to Write a Programme Manager CV
Entering a new career or changing jobs can be overwhelming, so be sure to provide prospective employers with a well-written CV that highlights your work experience and why you would be a good hire. Also, you should properly format your programme manager CV to make it logical and readable by anyone. With the right format, you can be confident your CV won’t be discarded immediately by an ATS.
- How to Format Your Programme Manager CV
- Writing Your Programme Manager CV
- Land Your Dream Job
Reverse-chronological format, functional format, and combination/hybrid format
These three formats are the most popular ones you can use when writing your programme manager CV in 2025.
- Reverse-chronological format – The reverse-chronological format places a clear emphasis on your most recent work experience, making it easier for potential employers to determine if you’re a good fit for the role.
- Functional format – The functional format prominently showcases the skills you have acquired over the years that would help you qualify for a career as a programme manager. If you have any significant gaps in your employment history, you might consider this format.
- Combination/hybrid format – The combination/hybrid format merges the functional format with the reverse-chronological format by focusing on skills and employment history.
Even though you can make a CV with any of these formats, the reverse-chronological format is the best choice. Many recruiters within the programme manager industry prefer the reverse-chronological format. Since your most recent work history is displayed first in bullet points, employers find the information easy to scan and digest.
Contact and header information
Your CV’s header and contact information should be placed towards the very top of the document. Ensure that your name has the largest font size of any other words on the page. The job position you’re applying for should be placed directly under your name in a slightly smaller font. As for contact information, make sure to include:
- Name
- Social media links as an option
- Location (Town or city is sufficient)
- Phone number
This bold font and classic colour exude professionalism and class; Notice the size of the name in comparison to the job title below.
Place your contact information at the top using a more standard and traditional font style. Fonts such as Times New Roman, Arial, and Cambria are preferred by recruiters and managers. If you wish to use some colour in your CV, consider doing so modestly for your job title and name, with the font size around 20-24 points. Any headings should be closer to 14-18 points. The information placed below headings should have a font size of 10-12 points.
ATS and CV readability
An applicant tracking system is practically essential for larger companies that receive dozens or hundreds of applications every week. Most employers sort through CVs with the use of ATS software. When a company uses ATS software, they typically process CVs through the software at the very beginning of the process. Review your CV before it meets the ATS and a recruiter. Reduce the chances of your programme manager CV being filtered by the ATS;
Some tips and guidelines for you to consider are:
- Times New Roman, Arial, Garamond, Cambria, and Calibri are ATS-preferred fonts.
- Font sizes – While your name should have a font size of 20-24, the font size for headings should be reduced. Any bullet points or similar text should be 10-12 points.
- Margins – Margins should be half an inch or one inch on all sides.
- Header names – You want the headers on your CV to guide the ATS software, which is why you should consider using all caps and bold font.
- Logical order – The reverse-chronological format mentioned previously is easy for an ATS system to scan. Start with your most recent work experience and then work backwards.
- Skills – Ensure that your skills aren’t overly broad. The skills you include on your CV should be specific to the programme manager position.
- One page – Your entire CV should only consist of a single page.
Using our AI CV builder, you can be confident that your programme manager CV has been formatted for success.
Writing Your Programme Manager CV
When you first begin writing your programme manager CV, you might find the task daunting because it is important to secure the interview. However, you can avoid these frustrations by taking the process step by step and using our free CV builder.
- Should you write a CV objective or summary?
- How to include work experience
- Most popular programme manager skills to list
- Education and specialist certificates
- When is it best to include projects, interests, and hobbies?
- Tailor your CV to each job
- Proofread, proofread, proofread
Should you write a CV objective or summary?
Although they aren’t always needed, you can use a CV objective or summary to provide recruiters with a better understanding of who you are before they read the rest of your CV.
- CV objective – CV objectives are two to three sentences that inform recruiters why you’re interested in the position and how you qualify for it. If the job is entry-level, or if you’re changing careers, an objective may enhance your programme manager CV. In any other situation, you should avoid using one.
- CV summary – This statement consists of two to three sentences that highlight your skills and demonstrate how your expertise has been utilised to achieve results in previous roles. If you’ve already had a lengthy career of over 10 years and are applying for a more senior position, a CV summary generator can be beneficial. If you don’t have much work experience, omit a summary altogether.
Emphasise your extensive work experience with a customised summary like this one.
The following are examples of poorly written objectives and summaries for a programme manager position.
Summary: Programme manager with extensive experience in developing programmes of various shapes and sizes.
Objective: Seeking to progress in my career by assisting companies to expand as a programme manager.
It’s easy to see that these statements aren’t well-written because their information is vague and ultimately pointless. If a recruiter looks at the summary or objective before anything else, they might think there’s no substance to the rest of your CV.
The following are examples of well-written objectives and summaries for a programme manager position.
Summary: Programme manager with over 10 years of experience in developing and optimising programmes through scalable processes. Throughout my career, I’ve overseen budgets of more than $30 million and have been part of teams on projects that have generated over $100 million in revenue.
Objective: Aiming to secure a position as a programme manager with Google. As a recent graduate with two years of internship experience in this industry, I’ve developed excellent organisational, leadership, and communication skills that translate perfectly to enhancing service efficiency and delivery regarding company performance.
These statements are detailed while also providing employers with metrics to assess the value you offer as an employee.
How to include work experience
While you must emphasise your previous work experience, you should only include two to four roles. If you’ve had seven jobs since you were 18, you don’t need to include the first three or four. If you already have extensive experience as a programme manager, only include the positions that are relevant to the specific role for which you’re applying.
Writing your bullet points
You should create your work experience bullet points to make this information easy to scan. Use active instead of passive voice to convey a strong and clear tone. Avoid personal pronouns as much as possible. Regarding punctuation, you can either place full stops at the end of your bullet points or leave them out entirely. However, consistency is crucial. As you’re writing about previous work experience, always write in the past tense.
A few examples of poor bullet points include:
- Managed various programmes
- Led the development of various processes
- Enhanced process efficiency
These bullet points don’t convey anything of value to the recruiter. They won’t understand how hiring you can benefit their profits.
A few examples of effective bullet points include:
- Increased the lifetime value of customers from £350 to £885
- Developed project forecasts and managed to improve these forecasts by 10% in the final results
- Implemented extensive policy changes, reducing manual work by over 1,000 hours each month
These bullet points are useful to recruiters because they offer quantifiable data that provides a clearer understanding of the value you could bring to their company.
Measure your impact with metrics
Metrics are practically essential if you want your CV to attract recruiters’ interest effectively. Anyone who’s worked as a programme manager or in similar positions should quantify the impact they had in previous roles.
Try to include at least one metric for every two bullet points. Some examples of how to incorporate metrics into your work experience bullet points include:
- Efficiency improvements – Streamlined product development process to enhance efficiency by 20%
- Number of tickets – Resolved issues with the number of tickets and response rate, which improved the weekly ticket volume by 40%
- Generated revenue – Developed a customer satisfaction programme that eventually generated more than $12 million in total revenue
Should programme manager skills be on a CV?
The skills listed on your programme manager CV will play a crucial role in whether or not you secure the job you’re applying for. When detailing these skills on your CV, remember that they can be divided into hard skills and soft skills. Hard skills are essential and specific to the role for which you’re applying. Conversely, soft skills are considered universal, meaning you could potentially include them on any CV.
To identify which skills you should include in your CV, look through the programme manager job description for keywords and phrases that align with your skills. Your CV should consist of five to eight skills.
Examples of hard skills for programme managers to include:
- Agile Certified Practitioner
- Root Cause Corrective Analysis
- Story Mapping
- Microsoft Excel
Some soft skills that you might include on a programme manager CV are:
- Organisation
- Task Management
- Problem-solving
- Public Speaking
A possible list of combined soft and hard skills might look like this, though we prefer to show hard skills first.
Education and specialist certificates
Another important section of your programme manager CV is the education you’ve received and any specialist certificates you’ve been awarded over the years. If you want to qualify for a position as a programme manager, you will likely need to earn a bachelor’s degree in computer science, business administration, or communications.
A master’s degree in business administration or project management could help you secure a position as a programme manager for a larger company. Useful qualifications include the PMP, CISM, CAPM, CISM, and CISSP, to name a few. Regarding work experience, you should have at least four to five years of experience in human resources or programme management before applying.
Capture the employer’s attention with your qualifications!
When is it best to include projects, interests, and hobbies?
Most CVs shouldn’t include information about interests, hobbies, and projects. However, you might benefit from adding these sections depending on the field and your level of experience. Projects and interests are excellent if you’re a recent university graduate or someone applying for an entry-level position; projects and interests are excellent. They can help address the issue of having too much white space due to a lack of work experience. A couple of examples of interests/hobbies you could add to your programme manager CV include:
- Cooking French cuisine
- Learning new programming languages
Although programming languages may seem more relevant, cooking French cuisine could also be appropriate if you can explain how mastering international recipes and delicacies is akin to programme management.
Perhaps you’ve volunteered your time to assist the university health centre with projects. If so, it might look something like this:
Should you send a generalised CV to a programme manager?
No. Why? A busy recruiter will likely skim it with a yawn if you send a generic CV that could apply to any old programme manager job. To make your programme manager CV stand out, tailor and adjust the skills, experience bullet points, and objective/summary sections.
Proofread, proofread, proofread
Proofreading can be done in several ways. For one, you should carefully read through your CV several times to search for grammatical or punctuation errors. This is the simplest part of the entire CV and is often overlooked. It’s also possible you didn’t add enough information to certain sections.
Have others look at your programme manager CV, allowing you a valuable outside perspective. Take advantage of our free CV checker as well to ensure there aren’t any additional issues that you’ve missed.
Secure Your Dream Job
Formatting and writing a successful CV takes time and patience. However, this guide should provide you with the tools and information you need to ensure your CV is well-written and properly formatted. Your CV should pass through the ATS without issue by highlighting your most relevant work experience and listing the hard and soft skills you possess. Congratulations on completing your programme manager CV and preparing yourself for the next exciting step in your career!
Programme manager CV FAQs
When hiring programme managers, employers are keen to bring on board a candidate with a proven track record of problem-solving to mitigate risks through innovation and sound decision-making. Other top qualities you must possess include excellent communication, teamwork, leadership, and organisational skills; all essential for successfully implementing projects.
A programme manager leads and organises teams while managing resources to ensure the success of high-level projects. Therefore, in your work experience, you must use data-backed achievements to highlight your impact in managing projects. It could be a project to launch a product or improve the efficiency of systems, but you must clearly demonstrate your impact.
Look for the skills and other role-specific phrases mentioned in the job advert. Now, those keywords are needed to write your programme manager CV’s job experiences. For the skills, don’t merely list them: show how you’ve used them and the impact you’ve made in previous roles.
