Writing a CV for IT Project Managers

When writing a CV for IT project managers you need to demonstrate both technical and soft skills. Most important is to describe your achievements. The primary purpose of a CV is to give confidence to the reader in calling you to interview. Following these steps will help your IT project manager CV to illicit the ‘yes’ factor in the mind of the reader.

Plan first

Before you start typing do your research. You can start by searching for IT project manager job descriptions and person specifications online. Once you have collected two or three you will start seeing the common threads of technical skills and project management expertise employers are looking for. It is your job to reflect these requirements when writing your CV.

Professional profile

You should position yourself as an IT Project Manager in the first sentence of your profile. This enables the reader to immediately ascertain the relevance of your CV and read on with enthusiasm. Then, rather than writing a generic description of what an IT project manager does, focus on the personal qualities and attributes that make you great at your job. Allow your individual personality to shine through.

Don’t rely on technical jargon

There can be a tendency when writing an IT project manager CV to real off lists of technical skills. Sometimes these are even detailed per project. This is unnecessary and simply makes the CV feel very dry and uninteresting to read. It is not the technical skills themselves that are important, it is what you do with them. And that is all about your projects…

Allow the reader to visualise your projects

People memorise CVs when they can picture or visualise the information. So, describe the scale and scope of the project. Include facts and figures like the budget, timescales and number in the project team. Most importantly include facts and figures that describe the outcome and impact on the business whether that’s cost savings, increased automation or risk reduction.

Project management methodologies and certifications

You should always state the methodologies you are familiar with such as Waterfall, Scrum or Agile. Also include relevant certifications like PMP, Prince 2 Foundation or Practitioner status. These can be included in a professional development section.

Your CV is a personal account of your expertise and achievements. Writing an IT project manager CV is not about presenting technical skills – these are a given. It’s about how well you apply these skills to the projects you work on. This is the most important feature for your IT project manager CV.

This article is written by Neville Rose, Director of CV Writers. Please do connect with me via LinkedIn.

Check out our CV writing service with details of our packages that include LinkedIn profiles, cover letters and more. You can get things started with a Free CV review. I am also a qualified career counsellor and provide Career Counselling services for people looking to change career paths.