INDUSTRY STATS
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Project Managers & Cost Estimators positions are at a much faster than average growth rate, which is 33%. With that said, there are currently 1,279,390 jobs in the market right now. The total number of jobs is expected to increase by 422198.7 to 1,701,589 in the period of 2020-30.
What’s more, the median annual wage for the Project Managers & Cost Estimators jobs was $66,610 in May 2020. The lowest 10% earned less than $39,930, and the highest 10% more than $128,420.
Our conclusion? The Project Managers & Cost Estimators job market is facing competition due to decreasing demand.
Top product development manager sections that make the best resume
- Header
- Professional summary
- Experience (with numbers and results)
- Relevant skills
- Education
- Certifications
A product development manager resume experience section to be proud of
Writing a strong experience section for your product development manager resume.
- List your previous jobs in chronological or reverse-chronological format;
- Use no more than 4-6 bullets per position;
- Mention only relevant work experience;
- Describe the tasks you were responsible for and how you managed to exceed expectations;
- Show you’re able to take charge by choosing action verbs over buzzwords.
Looking for real-life examples of what a strong experience section looks like? Check out our suggestions below!
- Lead technical delivery (TPL) of NAMET-RUB projects, including formulation design and specification, laboratory and pilot plant prototypes, cost, claims and registrations
- Manage and lead supplier relationships in the development of new products to find alternative materials for cost-effectiveness and supply crisis together with other functions such as procurement and production teams
- Lead and manage laboratory trials and product development activities to support technical projects including consumer tests and saving opportunities
- Work closely with the cross-functional brand teams: marketing, supply chain, procurement, and finance
- Operator Billing as a payment method to purchase digital contents (e.g. Apps, Movies, Music, Books, Newsstand) on: Windows 10 / Xbox stores (July 2016, first in Italy, link: http://goo.gl/BVzTw4), Google Play Store (June 2013 - Link: http://goo.gl/ybWs8U) and Windows Phone Store (July 2014 - Link: http://goo.gl/XHnm2D). The three services account for Millions €/year.
- Utility Bill Payment with Wind App (July 2016): First Carrier in Italy to launch the utility bill payment financial service with Credit Cards on its mobile App. Link: http://goo.gl/8juDmd
- Digital movie promotion in Google Play Store (Dec 2015 - ongoing). First European operator in 2015, in partnership with Google, to offer digital promotions on Google Play Store. Link: http://goo.gl/zUf876
- Mobile Ticketing (March 2012 - ongoing) Mobile Operator Billing to purchase Transport Tickets in more than 46 smart cities. Link: http://goo.gl/wkVOd2
- Wind Mobile websites (Sep 2013). Wind websites adapted to mobile phones, http://m.wind.it and http://start.wind.it
- MyWind App (2011 – 2013). First two releases of self-care App for mobile (Wind) and fixed lines (Infostrada). Link goo.gl/Ddzp8F
- Manage 100+ projects per year from concept to launch
- Developed the fastest selling product in the companies history, 2.2 million m2 in 2 years.
- Manage up to 50 million pounds in product sales per annum
- Ensure all products meet stringent test criteria and adhere to ISO and GUT standards
- Developed the most sustainable product in our portfolio with fine dust catching abilities.
- Keep the vision, mission and values of the organization by defining organization’s strategy, structure and long-term planning
- Joined as first tech employee, built a team and process from scratch
- Hands-on "BIDS” product development: low-code dev platform with forms, workflows, security, reporting used primarily for state-level budget management solutions
- Automated CI/CD/CT pipelines in Azure DevOps (former TFS)
- Hiring, training, mentoring, tech leadership, reviews, tech pre-sale
- Product planning and API design, overlooking UX across teams
- Overlooking US and AU solutions teams
- Security architecture for product and solutions
- Implementation of cloud strategy and Azure support
- Microsoft Partner Network product certification
- Redesigned look and feel of the product, Bing/Google maps integration
- Joined as first tech employee, built a team and process from scratch
- Hands-on "BIDS” product development: low-code dev platform with forms, workflows, security, reporting used primarily for state-level budget management solutions
- Automated CI/CD/CT pipelines in Azure DevOps
- Hiring, training, mentoring, tech leadership
- Product planning and API design, overlooking UX across teams
- Overlooking US and AU solutions teams
- Security architecture for product and solutions
- Implementation of cloud strategy and Azure support
- Microsoft Partner Network product certification
- Redesigned look and feel of the product, Bing/Google maps integration
- Developing, launching & managing quality of own label products.
- Executing range plans to deliver NPD & Innovation & first to market products.
- Briefing & managing artwork & design, packaging and creative copy.
- Contributing to category growth and incremental sales & profitability.
- Supplier Management on a domestic and global level.
- Ongoing quality reviews, bench marking & continuous improvement.
- Responsibility for management of due diligence testing, product safety, legislative requirements, efficacy & claim substantiation.
- Specification management.
- Factory visits, auditing & first production sign off at UK, European & Far East sites.
- Identifying & delivering cost saving and packaging reduction opportunities.
- Working as a product developer has so many benefits from every aspects. Partner with the design and engineering teams on design concepts and product iteration. It has given me a wide perspective on development of a product. Its a challenging task to work through a product lifecycle. It taught me management skills.
- Direct interaction with customers.
- Focus on product vision.
- Capable of resolving conflicts.
- Since I'm always inclined towards designing, I have an eye for details.
- I manage multiple brands with great designs, discussing ideas with customers, about material ,processes and delivering end product on time.
- Project Leader responsible for all new boat platform development from conception to launch
- Leads Project Managers and Project Chiefs at remote facilities globally
- Guides Advanced Development efforts to bring exciting, Patented products to market
- Works cross-functionally to deliver customer focused content as the face of the product
- Discontinued old obsolete products and replaced with newer technology.
- Established proper product series with defining qualities.
- Redesigned Front End GUI to enhance user experience and is currently used on 11 out of 24 recorders.
- Identified & consolidated over $300K slow moving inventory.
- Launched 69 new products in 2020 maintaining 200 SKUs.
- Launched New AI-based technology.
- Resolved over 250 open bug issues in one year.
- Launched 8 major software revisions on iOS, Android, Windows, & MacOS.
- Worked on 20 unique project opportunities valued at over $200K.
- Acted as assistant network administrator due to extensive knowledge in networking.
- Managed seasonal product launch calendar and worked with cross-functional teams to ensure successful introductions
- Developed merchandise strategies aligned with brand identity for all Home categories, including: Mirrors, Furniture, Lighting, Tabletop, and Decor
- Negotiated costs with suppliers and achieved margin goals while offering commercially viable products
- Developed strategic plans that aligned financial and product opportunities by department, class and key items
- Created pricing strategies to maximize sales trends and opportunities
- Evaluated weekly, monthly, and quarterly reporting to identify trends and make data driven decisions
- Traveled overseas to visit factories and source new suppliers
- Managed a team of nine and supported team with strong direction, praise, and direct feedback - created a collaborative and empowered team dynamic
PRO TIP
Show off real numbers that display your accomplishments in past roles. Instead of listing out your responsibilities as Product Development Manager, talk about the measurable impact you made to their business. Did you boost their revenue? Increase customer retention? Mention your proudest points on your resume.
Action verbs for your product development manager resume
Recommended reads:
Taking Control of Your Product Development Manager Resume’s Skills Section
A skills section that shows what you’re capable of includes:
- Keywords from the job advert to help you pass ATS;
- Both hard and soft skills, incl. technical skills and people skills;
- Skills that are relevant to the position you’re applying for;
- No more than 15 skills – to keep your resume readable.
Top skills for your product development manager resume
Jira
Project Management
SQL
MS Office
Agile
Scrum
Tableau
CRM
Strategic Planning
Planning
Budget Management
Influence
Delegation
Negotiation
Motivation
Conflict management
Adaptability
Resourcefulness
PRO TIP
Add a Talent Section to your resume, where you can pick your top 3 soft skills and describe how you used them to complete a project or balance departmental communication.
Recommended reads:
Product development manager resume header: Tips, red flags, and best practices
Checklist for your product development manager resume header
- Your name and surname in a legible and larger resume font
- The job title you’re applying for or your current job title as a subheading to your name
- Link to your portfolio or online profile, such as LinkedIn
- Address (City and State for the US; just your city for rest of the world)
- Email address
- Headshot (required or welcomed in the EU; not required and sometimes frowned upon in the US)
Stick to popular email providers such as Gmail or Outlook. And use these professional formats to create your username:
- first.last@gmail.com
- last.first@gmail.com
- firstlast@gmail.com
- f.last@gmail.com
- first.l@gmail.com
Recommended Reads:
PRO TIP
Some companies, states, and countries have non-discrimination policies about what kind of information can be included on your Product Development Manager resume. This might include a photo (which is often included in a resume header and might be on personal web pages you link to). You can always email the company’s HR department to ask about their policies before you apply.
A product development manager resume summary that spotlights your achievements
Checklist: A strong product development manager resume summary:
- Use adjectives that highlight the character traits you’re most proud of;
- Mention 1-2 of your biggest achievements;
- Add keywords from the job advert to increase your chances of passing ATS;
- Keep the recruiter’s attention by going for short sentences.
Resume summary formula:
PRO TIP
Highlight specific past projects that you’re most proud of in your summary. It sets an excellent tone for the rest of your resume. You can talk about all of your former jobs in your work experience section later on.
Recommended reads:
Creating an impressive education section for your product development manager resume
The Education Section: Checklist
- List your degrees in reverse-chronological order;
- Include your degree subject, place of study, name of institution, and year of graduation;
- Add a line or two about your relevant certifications;
- Mention some classes and projects that have helped you gain additional skills.
Top Certifications for Your Product Development Manager Resume
Become a Product Manager | Learn the Skills & Get the Job
The most complete course available on Product Management. 13+ hours of videos, activities, interviews, & more
Great Product Manager: Product Management by Microsoft's PM
Become a Great Product Manager! Land your dream job with Microsoft's Senior Product Manager. Free CV review included!
Product Management 101
Learn to become a more strategic product manager - and have a greater impact on your company and your products
Advanced Product Management: Vision, Strategy & Metrics
Learn the skills Product Managers use every day. Vision, strategy, & advanced metrics for Product Managers
Product Management A-Z™: A Hands-On, Real-World Simulation
From Beginner to Modern Product Manager with Just One Course!
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PRO TIP
If you hold a certain major and a minor, your majors should be mentioned first.
A professional format for your product development manager resume
There are some aspects worth taking into consideration when choosing the format of your Product Development Manager resume. These include the position and company you’re applying for, your total years of experience, whether you’ve been through some employment gaps, and so on.
Generally speaking, there are three basic resume formats for you to choose from:
- Reverse-chronological resume format;
- Functional skills-based resume format;
- Combination (or Hybrid) resume format.
The reverse-chronological resume format is just that: all your jobs listed in a reverse-chronological way, starting from the most recent and moving backward. It’s great for highly experienced professionals with over 10 years in the industry behind their backs. The reason for this: it’s almost entirely focused on experience and achievements.
The functional skills-based resume format, on the other hand, is just the opposite. It’s based on your skills, personality, and expertise. It highlights what you’re capable of even when you don’t have sufficient work experience. This makes it great for students, recent graduates, or people with larger career gaps.
If neither of these sounds like you, go for the combination resume format. It’s a combination of the best characteristics of other formats, which makes it great for showcasing different aspects of your career and education. It also gives you plenty of options to choose from – in terms of colors, structure, and sections.
Check out our additional tips on perfecting your Product Development Manager resume’s style and layout:
- Choose traditional 1-inch resume margins;
- Go for a serif or sans serif resume font that’s easy to read yet looks professional (e.g. Arial, Verdana, or Calibri);
- Keep your Product Development Manager resume short: one-page template are preferable, but if you have over 10 years of experience, you can also go for a two-page format;
- Save your resume as PDF and choose a suitable name, e.g. NameSurnameResume;
Tired of looking for ways to make your resume stand out? Read this article!
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
Sometimes you’ll want to go after a job which requires more experience than you have. Instead of using a typical Product Development Manager resume layout, you can use a creative layout. Getting noticed is the most important challenge and a creative resume layout might help you get invited for an interview as most of other accountants have boring resume designs.
Additional sections for your product development manager resume
After drafting the required sections of your Product Development Manager resume, it’s now time to move to something a bit more fun. There are a number of sections you can add to your resume depending on the company, the position, and how you’re feeling in general:
Adding the right kind of creativity to your product development manager resume
It is through creativity that we express ourselves. And trust us, it’s important to show at least a bit of your personality if you want to leave a strong first impression.
But what are the ways to add creativity to your Product Development Manager resume? Well, you can either go for a colorful and engaging template, or you could add some out-of-the-box sections, such as ‘life philosophy’ or ‘what my typical day looks like’.
It’s up to you! Just make sure that the level of creativity matches the position, the company, and the industry you’re applying for.
What makes a great product development manager resume: key takeaways
- Choose a resume layout that sends the right message across and fits your current career situation;
- Create a resume header that shows your desired job title, and easy to find contact numbers;
- Be specific about your experience, accomplishments and future goals in your summary;
- Feature detailed metrics and specific examples that show the impact you made in your previous roles when describing your experience;
- List soft skills backed by examples;
- Add all of your technical skills and certifications that you have and match the job description;
- Show off a dash of personality in your resume that will demonstrate your culture fit and the right mix of hard and soft skills.
