Project Director Resume Example
Working as a project director can provide a rewarding career, involving overseeing project execution and managing cross-functional teams. If you want to stand out with your project director applications, you'll need to create a professional resume that makes a strong impression on employers. In this article, we'll discuss how to create a project director resume that catches the eye of employers, with tips and examples to help you write your own.
This comprehensive guide will give you all the tools you need to craft a project director resume that positions you strongly against other candidates. The article will take you through the key steps of creating a resume that presents your key skills, qualities and career achievements in a format that employers favor. It will also help you tailor your resume according to your unique skills and experience level. Read on to learn the tips Jobseeker careers experts recommend as the best for your project director resume.
Key sections for a project director resume
A successful project director resume will typically include each of the sections listed below, with some optional sections.
For junior and entry-level project director positions, you may be short on work experience to include in your resume. Select a resume layout that emphasizes your skills and qualifications, such as a functional format. Likewise, an entry-level resume might focus more on soft and transferable skills, as well as details about internships, voluntary work or relevant training you've completed.
For those with some prior experience as a project director work experience is the most important element of a resume. Use a traditional, reverse-chronological resume format to emphasize your career timeline and achievements. Use your work experience section to highlight your career achievements and show how you meet the job description. Offer evidence of the impact you had on successful outcomes for the company.
For senior project director applications, concentrate on your work experience and any accolades or achievements that prove your status as a highly experienced candidate. Use a reverse-chronological resume format with additional sections. Senior resumes are often longer than resumes for junior roles. This is because you may choose to include extra sections, such as awards, professional memberships, publications, conferences or certifications on your resume.
While the content and format of your resume may vary depending on your experience levels, it's important to always include the following sections:
Header and Personal Information
In your project director resume header, list your name, email address, phone number and address or location. You can also add your LinkedIn, if you have one, to help employers better understand your work history and skills. While in some countries, you might include additional personal information or a photo, these aren't necessary. Be aware of the amount of space your resume header takes up. You don't want your contact details to take space away from the main content of your resume, so keep this section as brief as possible.
Use an email address that's professional and appropriate for professional communication. Typically this would be an email address based on your first and last name, or your initials. If necessary, you could include your profession or another unique identifier. Avoid using old email addresses that could be considered unprofessional or inappropriate. Additionally, always check your contact details before sending your resume to ensure they're up-to-date.
David Nelson
david.nelson@example.com
(111) 222 33 444 55
221B Baker Street, Chicago, IL
linkedin․com/in/david–nelson123
Resume Summary
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. In addition, your objective should highlight why you're an ideal candidate for project director roles by showing key skills and qualities that reflect the job description.
Alternatively, you could use this section to reference your objectives and ambitions, and how this role would fit into your career journey.
A good resume summary reflects the job description and highlights some of the key skills required for project director roles, while leaving the reader with an impression of your unique qualities and strengths. The most effective resume summaries also provide evidence to back up the claims made in them. The graphic below showcases some good examples of what to include in your project director resume summary.
Good example:
Results-driven Project Director with an MBA and extensive experience as a Project Manager. Proven track record in leading cross-functional teams, managing large-scale projects, and delivering on-time, on-budget results. Skilled in strategic planning, risk management, and process optimization to drive business growth and operational efficiency. Strong leadership and communication abilities with a focus on achieving project objectives and exceeding stakeholder expectations
Bad example:
Project director with some experience in business and managing projects. Led teams and handled projects of various sizes, focusing on timelines and budgets. Involved in planning and managing risks to help improve operations. Have some leadership and communication skills, aiming to meet project goals and keep stakeholders satisfied
Conversely, a bad resume summary might be too generic, lacking focus on the specifics of the job description. It will also fail to provide any useful insights on what makes you a unique candidate. The graphic above shows some of the pitfalls to avoid when creating your resume summary.
Work History
In your work experience section, list any previous relevant roles you've worked in, as well as your key achievements as a project director. For each entry, list the job title, the name of the employer, its location and the dates you worked there. Add each job in reverse-chronological order, starting with your current or most recent role.
Add some bullet points under each job entry, explaining your achievements in the role, so the reader can see how you contributed towards success for the company. Provide evidence of your impact and make sure each point addresses a requirement listed in the job description.
An effective resume work experience section is one that constantly echoes the skills and experience listed in the job description, and shows how you used your skills to positive effect in each job. Each bullet point should be carefully crafted to showcase a particular skill or achievement relevant to project director jobs, with evidence to show the value you added. See below for some good examples of what to include in your resume work experience section.
Good example:
Project Manager, January 2022 - Present
Orion Innovations Ltd, Gilbert
- Successfully led a $5M project, completing it 2 months ahead of schedule and under budget by 10%
- Implemented Agile methodologies, increasing team productivity by 25% and reducing project delivery times by 30%
- Managed cross-functional teams of 50+ members, achieving a 95% client satisfaction rate and zero critical defects post-launch
Bad example:
Project Manager, January 2022 - Present
Orion Innovations Ltd, Gilbert
- Led various projects, ensuring team collaboration and positive outcomes
- Implemented new strategies to enhance team efficiency and project success
- Managed diverse teams, fostering a productive and harmonious work environment
In the graphic above, you'll see some examples of less effective resume work experience sections. Ineffective work experience sections tend to focus too much on everyday responsibilities over skills and achievements. If you use vague descriptions of activities and fail to back up your achievements with evidence, you're likely to fail to make an impact on the reader.
Education
The education section provides space to list your highest and most recent academic achievements that are relevant to working as a project director.
Opportunities as a project director and similar roles in the sector usually require a specialist degree. If you have a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree, be sure to mention this in your resume. You might also want to list any qualifications that highlight your stakeholder communication skills or project management software.
List every relevant qualification, including the name and level of the course, the name of the school, college or university, its location and your graduation date. You can enhance this section by adding bullet points that show any outstanding grades, awards or achievements and any specialist subjects you studied. These details can make you stand out from other candidates.
Membership or leadership of any societies, clubs or causes while studying can also make a positive impression on hiring managers. Consider adding these to your education section for more insight into how you used your time as a student.
Master of Business Administration (MBA), 2017 - 2020
University of Denver, Denver, CO
Skills
Listing your key skills can help to prove your suitability for project director jobs. These could be agile methodologies expertise, time management mastery or various other relevant skills. Again, include any skills that match those listed in the job description. Focus particularly on technical skills required for project director jobs and transferable skills that show your qualities as a project director.
Highlighting your hard skills
In your hard skills list, include any specific abilities related to the role you're applying for. These could be technical skills or industry knowledge that showcases your expertise in your chosen profession. Furthermore, your hard skills list helps to show employers how competent and experienced you are at key project director duties and responsibilities. Aim to include four or five key hard skills. If you have space, explain how and where you've used that skill to create successful outcomes in your career. These skills will demonstrate your credentials and show how you meet the job description.
For an effective resume hard skills section, focus on the technical skills that are most essential in the job description, and that match your specific expertise. Some examples of the best hard skills for a project director resume are listed below.
- Project management software
- Budgeting and forecasting
- Risk management techniques
How to list soft skills on your project director resume
In your soft skills list, include any personal characteristics that make you a good fit for a project director job. Soft skills tend to be more universal than hard skills, but they're no less important. In fact, you can develop soft skills throughout your career, and they tend to be suitable for various roles and professions. Aim to include approximately five soft skills that reflect the skills listed in the job description.
A strong soft skills section should play to your strengths, listing skills that reflect your personal qualities while also reflecting the skills listed in the job description. For some examples of good soft skills for a project director resume, see below.
- Effective communication skills
- Strategic decision making
- Emotional intelligence (EI)
Licenses and Certifications
In your certifications section, list any professional certifications or licenses that are relevant to working as a project director. These could be official licenses required for the job or certifications that improve your employability. Therefore, make sure you list the dates of your certifications and licenses so employers can see they're up-to-date and valid.
Take a look at some example certifications for a project director resume below:
- PMP Certification, 2022
- PRINCE2 Practitioner, 2022
- PMI-ACP Certification, 2022
Resume tip:
Optional Resume Sections
In addition to the core sections of a project director resume, there are several optional sections you could include to enhance your chances. Pick from the optional sections below to help show the employer you have the skills and experience for the job.
Hobbies and Interests
Hobbies and interests can be a useful way of showing your skills and experience beyond your work and education. Your hobbies and interests are useful for a project director resume if you want to show a different side to your personality, or to stand out among other candidates. They can also be valuable if you're a junior candidate without much relevant work experience. Only include hobbies and interests that showcase your personality and personal qualities, and add something different to your application.
Volunteer Experience
If you're lacking relevant project director work experience, volunteer work can help to show you still have the relevant skills. List your volunteer job title, the organization you volunteered for, its location and the dates of your involvement, alongside a brief explanation of your responsibilities in the role.
References
It's relatively unusual to include references in a standard project director resume, but they are required occasionally. Check the job advert to see if you'll need to add references to your resume. Before adding any referees to your resume, ask them for their assistance and prepare them for contact by the employer.
References will be available upon request.
Best words to use in a project director resume
Add strong verbs to your work experience section to show the hiring manager the impact you made in your previous roles. The suggested action verbs below will help the reader to understand your key qualities and the impact you made on the organization.
- Lead
- Manage
- Coordinate
- Strategize
- Oversee
- Implement
- Direct
- Mentor
- Facilitate
- Evaluate
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 resume for project director applications
The project director resume example below incorporates all the information from above into a full-designed resume template, so you can see how a final resume will look:
221B Baker Street, Chicago, IL
•
david.nelson@example.com
•
(111) 222 33 444 55
•
linkedin․com/in/david–nelson123
Experienced Project Director with a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) and a proven track record as a Senior Project Manager. Skilled in overseeing complex projects, driving strategic initiatives, and leading cross-functional teams to deliver results on time and within budget. Adept at stakeholder management, risk assessment, and process optimization to achieve organizational goals
Senior Project Manager
2020
-2022
Innovative Solutions Group (Richmond)
- Successfully led a $10M project, delivering on time and under budget, resulting in a 15% increase in annual revenue
- Implemented agile methodologies across 5 teams, reducing project delivery time by 30% and improving client satisfaction scores by 20%
- Directed a cross-functional team of 50+ members, achieving a 95% project success rate and securing a major industry award
Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA)
2017
-2020
University of Vermont (Burlington, VT)
Project management software
Budgeting and forecasting
Risk management techniques
Effective communication skills
Strategic decision making
Emotional intelligence (EI)
PMP Certification
PRINCE2 Practitioner
English - Fluent
Spanish - B2
Quick tips for a project director resume
Tips for best resume practices
- Adapt your resume for every job application for maximum impact. Review the job description to understand the specific requirements for the role.
- Use reverse-chronological order for your work and education, starting with your most recent employment and education.
- Use strong action words to demonstrate the impact you've made in each project director role (e.g. 'strategize', 'oversee', 'implement').
- Choose a resume format that's clear, professional and makes your resume as readable as possible. Pay particular attention to the font, line spacing, heading and margins to make your document as easy-to-read as possible for employers.
- Make your project director resume short and to-the-point. A length of one page is ideal for junior roles, while two is acceptable for senior applications.
Avoid these common mistakes on your resume
- Don't forget to keep your header up-to-date with every application, to make sure you don't include old contact information.
- Don't use an email address that contains unprofessional content, and if necessary create a new, more professional email address.
- Don't use unnecessary jargon to try and impress the reader. It may have the opposite effect.
- Don't add work experience that's unrelated to the role you're applying for, as it isn't likely to help your chances of success.
- Don't lie or exaggerate the details of your project director career or education, as this can backfire later in the recruitment process.
How to make your resume ATS compliant
Applicant tracking systems (ATS) help recruiters and employers to streamline their hiring process. They can store and process data, including applications and applicant data, quickly and efficiently. One of the jobs ATS applications are increasingly responsible for is initial candidate screening. The systems can quickly scan and rank resumes based on how closely they match the job description. When drafting your project director 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.
Follow these guidelines to create the best ATS-friendly resume:
- Use a traditional resume format, such as reverse-chronological or functional. These will give your resume a structure that's easier for ATS systems to scan.
- Include keywords throughout your resume that align with the job description. ATS software tends to compare your resume to the job description for points of similarity, so careful, considered use of keywords should help your chances of success.
- Add each section with clear headings that match the established resume conventions, so ATS software can easily identify each part of your resume.
- Use design elements that help make your resume more readable. These might include white space, clear, professional fonts and subtle color accents to help certain elements stand out.
- Adopt simple, professional language to keep your resume as concise as possible. This tends to make your document more readable, and easier for ATS software to scan.
For tips and ideas to help you draft a professional resume to get noticed by employers, read our expert career articles and check out our detailed resume examples.
FAQs for a project director resume
As well as writing a professional project director resume, you'll need a cover letter to introduce yourself and emphasize your credentials.
In some situations, a full, professional cover letter may not be necessary. Check the job advert and decide whether to write a formal cover letter, or if a brief email is more suitable.
A traditional cover letter should follow formal letter-writing conventions and structure, including a header, the recipient's address and professional greetings and sign-offs. For the main body of the letter, open with a short paragraph introducing yourself and explaining your reasons for applying for the project director role. Follow that with an explanation of your skills and experience and how they're relevant to the position. Close by expressing your gratitude and enthusiasm, and leaving a call to action that encourages the employer to open a dialogue with you.
If you want to impress employers with a professional cover letter, use Jobseeker's simple and beautiful cover letter templates.
If you have no experience, it's still possible to write a professional project director resume that makes a positive impression on hiring managers. Opt for a skill-based resume format instead of a traditional layout. This places your skills and education in a more prominent position on your resume. Make the most of additional sections such as hobbies and interests, volunteer work, certifications and internships. These can help you showcase skills that you've developed outside traditional work settings.
A resume headline can catch the attention of the reader and give them a strong first impression about your suitability for project director jobs. A well-constructed resume headline can help your resume rank highly with ATS screening tools by referencing some of the key information from the job description. Write a few words to set the tone for your resume, including the job title, your experience or track record and one or two key skills that make you stand out.
Below you can see a resume headline example:
- Junior Project Director Seeking Opportunities
- Innovative Project Management Specialist
- Senior Project Director with Expertise
The resume format that gives you the best chances of success depends on your experience levels, as well as the type of job you're applying for and its seniority level. For entry-level roles, or situations where you're changing to a new career, a functional resume is often the best option. This places your skills and education above your work experience. If, however, you have relevant work experience in the industry, it's typically best to use a reverse chronological resume format. This highlights your achievements in work, which is probably the most important factor for hiring managers to consider.
Takeaways for your project director resume
An effective resume is a concise, professional summary of your relevant skills and career achievements, showcased through a chronology of your career history. Choose the most suitable resume format for your experience levels, and focus on tailoring your resume based on the requirements listed in 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. To make the best possible impression with your applications, write a cover letter with the help of Jobseeker. You can also find plenty of expert-designed cover letter examples for inspiration.
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/
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