Product Development Resume Example

This comprehensive guide will give you all the tools you need to craft a product development resume that positions you strongly against other candidates. You'll find useful insights on constructing a resume that makes the most of your unique skills, experience and strengths. You'll also learn how to tailor your resume according to the job description, and depending on your experience levels. Read on to learn the tips Jobseeker careers experts recommend as the best for your product development resume.

Main sections of a product development professional resume

A successful product development resume will typically include each of the sections listed below, with some optional sections.

You will have some choice over your resume layout and structure, but be sure to include these sections as the core of your document:

Resume Header

A product development resume header contains your name and contact information. Add your first and last name, your phone number and your email address. Include your address or location, but avoid adding any other personal information. If you have a LinkedIn profile, you can add the URL to your header so the hiring manager can get a better understanding of your work history and experience. Make sure your resume header is as brief as possible and doesn't take up too much valuable space. Choose a clear, professional design that sets the tone for your application.

Only include professional, name-based email addresses in your resume header. If you have an old email address that uses nicknames, puns, references to your personal interests or anything else that could appear unprofessional, set up a new email just for your job applications. Finally, always double-check your contact details are correct and up-to-date before sending your resume.

Resume Profile

Next, write a short paragraph to introduce yourself. You could also call this section 'resume summary' or 'personal profile'. In two or three sentences, explain your professional background, achievements and key skills. If you choose to write a resume summary, this focuses on your career experience to date. On the other hand, a resume objective addresses your future plans and career ambitions. However, make sure you keep your resume summary short and snappy, and focused on the skills and experience listed in the job description.

Alternatively, write a paragraph that concentrates on your career objectives and how this role fits with your wider ambitions and progression.

A good resume summary is short and snappy, and focused on the skills and experience listed in the job description, with evidence to back it up. It will also help the reader to form their first impressions of you by providing an insight into your personality and unique qualities. You can see some positive examples of a resume summary for product development professional jobs below.

On the other hand, a resume summary can be ineffective if it lacks specific information about how your skills align with the job description, or fails to paint a picture of your unique qualities and talents. See above for some examples of things to avoid when writing your product development resume summary.

Employment History

Your resume work experience section is the chance to show your relevant previous jobs and career achievements as a product development professional. Mention only the most appropriate and relevant jobs you've had in reverse-chronological order, starting with your most recent and working backwards. Add your job title, the name of the employer, the location of the role and your dates of employment.

Also include some bullet points for each job mentioned, showcasing your achievements so the employer can see the impact you made on the company. Pay attention to the job description and make sure each point is relevant to product development professional roles.

A good work experience section pulls the reader in with clear examples of where you've put the skills necessary for the job into good use in your career to date. This typically includes evidence of how your skills and activities contributed to positive outcomes for the organization. There are some examples of strong resume work experience sections below.

The example above can give you some idea of what not to include in your resume work experience section. A bad resume work experience section might fail to address skills and achievements that relate directly to the job description. Falling back on clichés, vague descriptions and basic responsibilities, rather than showing the impact you made, is likely to disengage the reader.

Education

Your resume's education section provides space for you to list your highest and most relevant qualifications for product development professional roles.

Typically, working as a product development professional requires a university or college degree, which you'll need to list on your resume. If you're working in this sector, it's usually a good idea to highlight your Bachelor of Science in Industrial Design degree or other relevant qualifications. Focus on qualifications that showcase your project management tools or market research methods.

Include any qualifications relevant to the role. For each, add the name and level of the award, the institution name, its location and your dates of study. You can also add some bullet points outlining any high grades, awards you won or specialist subjects you studied. Adding this information will show the employer your dedication to learning and your areas of specialist knowledge.

If you took part in any volunteering or you were a leader or member of any university societies, you could also mention these in your education section.

Skills

Adding a list of your key skills provides a quick reference for the reader of what you can bring to a product development professional role. Skills such as project management tools or problem-solving ability are particularly useful for product development professional jobs. Again, include any skills that match those listed in the job description. Focus particularly on technical skills required for product development professional jobs and transferable skills that show your qualities as a product development professional.

Showcasing hard skills on your product development resume

Hard skills are the key technical skills required for product development professional positions. They include specific industry knowledge and abilities that you could learn on the job, or through a specialist qualification. Furthermore, it's important to show these skills in a product development resume as they provide a strong indication of your experience in the sector. Include around four or five key hard skills that are listed in the job description. These skills will help to convince the hiring manager that you're a good fit for the position.

You'll make more impact with your resume hard skills list if you focus on technical skills that reflect your unique expertise and specialism, and that match the key requirements in the job description. See the graphic below for some tips on hard skills for a product development resume.

Adding soft skills to your product development resume

Soft skills are your transferable skills and personal qualities that make you a good match for a product development professional position and the organization. Soft skills tend to be more universal than hard skills, and can often apply to multiple jobs and industries. In fact, as technology develops, soft skills are growing in importance for recruiters and employers, so be sure to add several of these to your resume. Aim to include approximately five soft skills that reflect the skills listed in the job description.

An effective product development resume soft skills section should be targeted to include skills that reflect your personality and unique characteristics, while also matching the job description. The graphic below includes some examples of good resume soft skills.

Certifications and Training

Under this section, list any relevant certifications or licenses that are relevant to product development professional jobs. Add any official certifications or accreditations that increase your level of qualification and suitability for working as a product development professional. Therefore, add any professional licenses or certifications, along with valid dates that show they're still valid.

Review the list below for some suitable certifications for a product development resume:

Optional Information

To provide further information on your suitability for the role, you could add some optional sections to a product development professional resume. Choose any optional sections that showcase essential or desirable skills or experience for product development professional jobs.

Hobbies and Interests

Including your hobbies and interests can be a valuable way of showing your key skills and qualities. These are particularly useful for your resume if you're short of work experience and need to showcase a particular skill or experience. Think about adding hobbies and interests to your resume if they add some insight into your personality that you can't express elsewhere in your application.

Voluntary Work

Listing volunteer work is another useful way to prove your relevant experience for product development professional roles. Add any voluntary roles, including your position, the name of the organization, the dates of your voluntary work and a brief explanation of your responsibilities and achievements.

References

It's relatively unusual to include references in a standard product development resume, but they are required occasionally. Check the job advert to see if you'll need to add references to your resume. Only include referees that you've had prior approval from, and notify them to expect contact from the employer.

Best words to use in a product development resume

Action words can help illustrate to the hiring manager the difference you made in each of your previous jobs. Choose verbs from the suggestions below that highlight your key skills or those mentioned in the job description.

Jobseeker's resume templates were created by careers experts to help you produce a professional resume in minutes. You can also find cover letter templates to complete an eye-catching job application that gets you noticed.

Example of a product development resume

Now that you know everything that needs to go into your product development resume, let's review an example resume that you can use as a guide when creating your own:

How to make your resume ATS compliant

Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) are one of the key ways recruiters and employers manage the hiring process. The systems can screen candidates by scanning and ranking resumes based on each candidate's likely suitability for the vacancy. When drafting your product development resume, there are a few guidelines to follow to give you the best chance of passing the ATS screening stage and progressing with your application.

Here a some simple tips to follow for an ATS-friendly resume:

• Use a traditional resume layout, such as a reverse-chronological or functional format. This will mean your resume includes all the necessary sections, in the expected order.
• Use of job description keywords throughout your resume will help it rank higher in the ATS scanning stage, as it will more closely match the requirements laid out in the job description.
• Use clear headings that break your resume up into readable, scannable sections that match the standard content employers expect from a resume.
• Use a resume design that includes clean, professional design elements to give your content space to breathe. This might include clear, readable fonts, subtle color accents and simple design elements.
• Keep your resume as concise as possible, to make it easier to read, and for ATS software to scan.

Key takeaways for your product development resume

If you want to catch the eye of employers and recruiters, you need a professional resume that showcases your best skills and career achievements. Pick a resume format that matches your experience levels, and tailor the content of your resume to reflect the details of the job description.

Remember, Jobseeker resume templates and other tools make it easy to create a resume and cover letter that leaves a positive impression on hiring managers. Sign up now to start building your perfect resume. Whatever job you're applying for, a professional cover letter can make all the difference to your chances. Use Jobseeker's HR-approved tools and cover letter examples to inspire your applications.

Sources:

(1) Tips for Writing a Federal Resume, U.S. Department of Labor: https://www.dol.gov/general/jobs/tips-for-writing-a-federal-resume

(2) Resume Tips, Duke University: https://careerhub.students.duke.edu/resources/resume-tips/