Breaking into project management can be intimidating, but not if you have a resume with a strong career objective. Wording out how you can plan a project and coordinate things unlike anyone else is the first step to landing your dream project management job.
Hiring managers know you’re either fresh out of college or very new to the field, so they don’t expect a lot of direct experience, but that shouldn’t stop you from including any related projects, internships, or even part-time roles.
You don’t need to over-engineer it either. Just using a free resume builder can do the trick, and that’s exactly what we’re going to help you with. Keep reading to get:
- ↪ 5 professional resume examples
- ↪ The best project management resume tips
- ↪ Skills that make you stand out among other candidates
Why this resume works
- Time to prove you’re well-versed in project management? We know it’s asking too much for an entry-level project manager resume and that’s why you’re gonna interest readers with your education more than experience. List down all relevant degrees and courses which can show your knowledge prowess in tech and business simultaneously.
How to Write an Entry-Level Project Manager Resume
Before writing, ask yourself a question: Have I ever managed tasks, timelines, or teams in some context? If you’re answering yes to all of them, you won’t have trouble building your application.
When it comes to formatting your resume, keep everything well-spaced, avoid fancy graphics, and use quantified bullet points in each work experience section. This allows you to easily pass ATS systems.
To help you write your entry-level project management resume, this section will cover:
- How to build a professional header
- Projects/internships and highlighting management skills
- The best certifications for project management
What should a contact header look like on an entry-level project manager resume?
Your contact information section must be clean, professional, and easy for ATS systems to parse. So, keep it simple with no images, icons, and (most importantly) no unnecessary personal details.
Here’s a simple format you can use while writing this section:
That’s about all the information you really need to include here. If you already have a LinkedIn account set up with all your personal details, using a LinkedIn resume builder will make the whole process much quicker.
How do you write a resume objective for an entry-level project manager?
A resume objective should convey three main things:
- Your best project management skills
- Your certifications and education
- How are you planning to contribute
Write a 3–4 line objective to quickly convince employers that you’re the right fit for the job. Also, it helps to include that you’re well-versed in AI-powered workflows, in case they’re seeking a tech-savvy individual.
Below, we’ve included a sample objective which you can use for reference:
“Certified entry-level project manager with training in Agile methodologies and project scheduling. With internship experience in using tools like Jira, Trello, and Excel, eager to support Sendcloud’s project planning, communication, and task coordination, and grow into a senior role.”
How to demonstrate your project management skills
When a recruiter is looking at your entry-level PM resume, they’re trying to determine two things:
- Do you have the right technical skills to do the job?
- Do you have the capacity to learn on the job to ultimately be an effective project manager?
The first question is answered through the skills section on your resume.
Now, you’re not going to get an interview just because you have a good skills section. But you can lose a potential interview if this section isn’t done correctly.
How do you do this? By reading the project manager job description! For example, if you’re applying for a technical project manager role focused on a Python tech stack, you’ll want to have Python on your resume.
9 most popular entry-level project manager skills
- Data analysis
- Agile methodologies
- Budgeting
- Tableau
- Microsoft Excel
- SQL
- Statistics
- Project planning
- KPI reporting
Example entry-level project manager work experience bullet points
Once you pass the recruiter’s preliminary screening with an effective skills section, it’s time for the main course.
Your work experience and projects will determine whether you get an interview. You need to convince the recruiter you have the capacity to become an effective project manager.
You do that by focusing on the measurable impact of the projects you’ve managed in the past. Now, these don’t have to be projects directly related to project management.
Did you oversee a group project in school? Work to improve some operation in a part-time job you held? Manage a research group to answer a question?
Here are a few samples:
- Managed the process of improving the check-out system at a local pizzeria ultimately reducing check-out time by over 40%
- Conducted user interviews to identify complaints of student dorms and then presented findings to school administrators, leading to an improvement in student reviews of 17%
- Worked closely with a team of software engineers to create easy-to-use signup forms for clubs on campus resulting in 20% more signups
- Identified biggest sources of inefficiency in the customer onboarding flow and then worked with developers and product managers to iteratively improve this flow, improving trial to paid signup rate by 10%
How should you list education on an entry-level PM resume?
Education is crucial in entry-level roles, so don’t skimp on details. From your coursework to any honors/awards, include everything that improves your credibility. For project management, it’s best to have a degree in business or a similar field.
The general format for this section includes:
- Name of Degree
- University/Education Institute
- Graduation Dates
- Location
- GPA (only if it’s 3.4 or above)
- Relevant Coursework
Having your coursework is optional, but very helpful when applying, as it shows employers the exact fields you specialize in, such as team management. A wide range of achievements solidifies your profile, which brings us to our next point—get certified!
What certifications help entry-level PMs stand out?
One of the best ways to show expertise, without any experience in the field, is mentioning certificates. We’re not just talking about certificates from boot camps, but also professional and university courses.
As an entry-level candidate, you can make use of certificates, such as:
- Google Project Management Professional Certificate
- CAPM® (Certified Associate in Project Management)
- Professional Scrum Master 1
- Jira Fundamentals
These documents are proof that you’ve invested the right amount of time in learning the basics of project management.
Pro tip: Even if you’re in the middle of completing a course, add it in! In-progress credentials also hold value, so don’t hide them.
How do you list internships or school projects on a PM resume
When you’re fresh in this field, internships and projects are your work experience. However, make sure you label them under projects/internships. To write this section, it’s key to identify achievements you’d usually find in full-time project management jobs.
Impacts like “delivered 97% of projects on time” and/or “managed 8 team members simultaneously” are very helpful and feats even experienced individuals may not have sometimes.
When listing an internship or project, try using this format:
Capstone Project – Business Case Study
University of California | Jan–May 202
- Led a 5-member team to analyze business data and recommend changes.
- Used Trello to track 12 tasks and weekly milestones.
- Compiled and presented findings 2 days before the deadline, gaining approval from 98% of business professors.
Top 5 tips for your entry-level project manager resume
- Any role can be made relevant: When you don’t have much relevant experience in project management, you need to frame your other experiences (and projects) to convince a recruiter you can do the job. Focus on processes you improved in part-time jobs or group projects you managed in class, for example.
- Quantify your project’s impact: As a project manager, you need to focus on metrics. What metrics are you trying to improve with a given project? To demonstrate you know the importance of metrics, include your impact (in numbers) on your resume. Did you improve a process? How much time did it save? Did you oversee a group project? What was the outcome of that project?
- Put your strongest assets center stage: As an entry-level PM, your education and/or certifications may be your biggest strengths. That’s okay! Just make sure to put them at center stage. Break them out into their own sections on your resume, and talk about things like classes you took that are relevant to the role you’re applying for.
- Focus on your technical skills: I’ve seen a lot of resumes. Never have I seen a soft skill in the “skills” section and been convinced of anything. What does “detail-oriented” mean without context anyway? As such, focus your skills section on your technical, objective skills. Things like Excel, Google Analytics, and budgeting are good examples.
- Demonstrate your ability to learn: No one expects you to be an expert project manager when starting your career. Instead, you’re being hired for your potential to become an effective PM. To do that, you will need to learn on the job. Convince the recruiter you seek out new skills by showcasing what and how you’ve learned some of the skills that will make you a great project manager.
What mistakes should junior project managers avoid on resumes?
While it’s completely fine to make mistakes on your first project management resume, avoiding them is best. Here’s a list of some common mistakes newcomers to the field may make:
- Including duties instead of quantified outcomes
- Leaving out university projects
- Writing extremely long bullet points (1–2 lines is all you need!)
- Cluttering everything with no breathing room
Key takeaways
- Treat projects and internships like real project management work.
- Include entry-level project management certificates for extra credibility.
- Always add in-demand project tools that the company uses (Asana, Jira, ClickUp, etc.)
Entry-Level Project Manager Resume FAQs
Yes, you can write a project manager with no experience resume and still get the job. Without experience, you should focus on adding your skills, projects, and volunteer work. Use metrics on every bullet point you write and mention what impact your contributions made on a project.
Keep it to one page. Under no circumstances should an entry-level resume extend to two pages. You don’t need to add content just to hit one page, though. Recruiters can read right through fluff on your resume!
The essentials for an entry-level PM are contact info, skills, education, and work experience. Optionally, choose a resume template that lets you include a projects and hobbies/interests section. Avoid a career objective unless you’ll take the time to customize it for each job you apply to.
Select a spacious template like our “Beam” template and list your work experience in a reverse-chronological format. This will automatically list your best and latest achievements at the top, giving employers a quick look at your profile’s biggest strengths. The end game here is to have a document that is easy to read, ATS-friendly, concise, and appealing to recruiters.
Short answer: Not mandatory, but hugely beneficial. Early-career certificates are a great way to show employers you not only have similar experience but also have a strong foundation. Using the right resume templates will let you add a specific section for adding your certificates.
