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Product Manager Resume: Ultimate Writing Guide with Tips & Tricks to Land Your Dream Job
Volen Vulkov
8 minute read
Updated on 2020-07-07
A new Product Manager position has opened up at your dream company.
It’s a prestigious SaaS product that is loved by thousands of people.
Being a Product Manager on their team would be a huge jump-up in your career.
There will be hundreds of applications sent in for the role, but you know that you’re the perfect fit.
But first, you have to get past the hiring manager with a stand-out resume.
This guide will help you do just that, with tips and tricks on what they’re looking for in your Product Manager resume.
What will you will learn
- How to best demonstrate the value of your skills as a Product Manager
- The top hard and soft skills that companies want to see
- How to make up for lack of experience in your resume if you’re just starting out
Product Manager resume example
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How to write a Product Manager Resume
What format should you use?
The reverse chronological resume format is the most common one used by Product Managers.
This layout emphasizes your work experience, and also highlights your skills, education and summary.
If you’re writing an entry level Product Manager resume, you won’t have work experience to talk about yet. In this case, the functional resume format is best. We’ll talk more about this later!
No matter what format you use, hiring managers reading your resume will only spend a few seconds scanning before deciding if they want to read on. Follow these tips to ensure that your resume is easy-to-read:
- Use a clear font like Times New Roman or Arial
- Bullet points will help make your resume be scannable
- Export your resume as a PDF to ensure that it looks the same on any computer
With these tips in hand, it’s time to write a Product Manager resume that will pass through applicant tracking systems. This software scans your resume for the right keywords before passing it along to a real human being on the other side.
What are the right Product Manager resume keywords?
How can you ensure that your resume passes through these applicant tracking systems and makes it to the hands of the hiring manager?
By using the same keywords that are listed in the job description.
Take a close look at what language is used in the job description to describe the responsibilities of the role, and use those same phrases throughout your resume: in your experience section, summary, and skills.
What employers want to see in Product Manager resumes
Recommended resume sections
- Aresume header that has all of your important contact information
- Descriptivesummary that proves your value in a few sentences
- Work experience section with data-backed accomplishments
- Youreducational background
- A mix oftechnical and soft skills
What recruiters want to see
- Proof that you can plan, build and launch successful products
- Work effectively with a team to manage the product life cycle
- The right mix of technical and soft skills to excel
- A genuine passion for the role and the industry
How to write a Product Manager resume header (with right and wrong examples)
Your resume header will be the first thing recruiters read. It’s essential that you make a great first impression.
This section is straightforward, but getting it wrong can mean the difference between being approved for an interview or getting rejected.
Let’s take a look at two examples of a Product Manager resume header.
Marina Jenkins
Product Manager
WRONG
This first example has a few mistakes that need to be resolved.
First of all, the role of “Product Manager” can apply across many industries. From industrial to banking to technology, this role can look very different depending on where you work.
Hiring managers will prioritize applicants who have relevant industry experience. That’s why it’s important that you’re specific about your title in your resume header.
Just putting “Product Manager” isn’t enough. You should also include the industry you specialize in.
Also, it’s bad practice now to include your full address. It’s unsafe to have your full address floating around, and at this point in the hiring process, it’s unnecessary to include. Simply stating your city and state/province is enough.
Now that we’ve covered those tips, let’s take a look at a resume header that checks all the boxes.
Marina Jenkins
SaaS Product Manager
RIGHT
This example is much better.
For one thing, the title is descriptive. The hiring manager will know right away that the applicant has experience in the SaaS industry.
They also included the URL to their LinkedIn profile for more context.
And finally, they included the right amount of information about themselves, including:
- Name
- Descriptive title
- Phone number
- Email address
- City and state/province
How to write about your Product Manager work experience
The work experience section is the best place to impress the recruiter reading your resume.
The one thing that companies want to know when hiring a new Product Manager is:
Can they own the product life cycle and deliver more revenue as a result?
The fastest way to answer this question is by talking about your real accomplishments in former roles.
Then back up those claims with quantitative data.
Experience
Product ManagerAmbroise Solutions Inc.Workforce management system for restaurants.
Received product feedback from customer interviews
Planned out the product roadmap
Presented market assessments to executives
Collaborated with the marketing and development teams
WRONG
This example only lists the responsibilities in the role. Boring.
Every other candidate applying has done and can do the same things. You won’t stand out with this resume.
Hiring managers want to be confident that you can make a positive impact in your role. That you will make the company more money with your exceptional product management skills.
You only have a few seconds to prove this in your resume. Here’s how you can inspire that confidence.
Experience
Senior Product ManagerAmbroise Solutions Inc.Workforce management systems for restaurants
Achieved 40% product revenue growth in three months by planning and launching four new key features
Improved user activation rate by 200% and boosted conversions to premium plans by 60% by strategizing and implementing a new user onboarding flow
Conducted 500+ customer interviews for product feedback, with suggested improvements leading to a 99.6% customer satisfaction level
Presented market research, competitive positioning, pricing and revenue models to key stakeholders
RIGHT
Now the hiring manager is ready to call you for an interview!
You can make a real impact in your role as a Product Manager. Your past accomplishments prove this!
By using real percentages and statistics to back up your claims, you will stand out from other candidates.
Quantitative data adds more trust and confidence in your resume, and your abilities.
Product Management Resume Skills
The skills section is the best opportunity to use the right Product Manager resume keywords to pass through ATS software (applicant tracking systems).
The best place to find the right keywords is in the job description for the role you’re applying for. Look at the responsibilities they have listed and mirror those same keywords in your resume, especially in the skills section.
For example, are they looking for someone who can handle mobile product development? If you have this experience, you should mention it in the skills section.
Don’t just stick to the technical skills you need as a Product Manager.
Recruiters and hiring managers are looking for candidates who can not only do the job well, but who will fit in with their company culture and be a welcome addition to the team.
The best resumes highlight soft skills too, such as great communication or strong leadership.
Here’s a list of the top hard and soft skills Product Managers should have. Use this list as inspiration to write your own skills section.
Soft Skills List for Product Manager resumes
- Communication skills (written and verbal)
- Presenting to key stakeholders
- Leadership
- Analytical thinking
- Problem solving
- Time management
- Project management
- Collaborating with cross-functional teams
- Research (market and competitive)
- Risk management
Hard Skills List for Product Manager Resumes
- Product roadmaps
- Agile methodologies (Scrum and Kanban)
- Financial modelling
- Product pricing
- Create go-to-market launch plans
- User onboarding strategy
- Analyzing product metrics for growth and troubleshooting
- Conducting customer interviews
- UX and UI design
- Prioritizing features based on user feedback and metrics
How to write an entry level Product Manager resume
If you’re just starting out in your career as a Product Manager, it can be difficult to think of what to write.
You don’t have previous experience to talk about.
You don’t have career accomplishments to prove your abilities.
What can you do?
To land a job as an entry level Product Manager, your resume should focus on side projects, education and your skills.
The functional resume layout is perfect for this situation. It emphasizes your skills and education, rather than your work experience.
Showing off your side projects will help you stand out from other entry level candidates.
Related side projects, like building your own app, publishing videos on YouTube or launching your own product online will prove your passion and competence.
You can also talk about your favourite projects or assignments that you completed in college or university.
Hiring managers are looking for entry level candidates who have the potential to be great in their role. They understand that you may lack formal experience, but they want to see proof of your passion and knowledge for the industry.
The best way to prove this is through your side projects, skills and education.
Key Takeaways when writing a Product Manager resume
- Use quantitative data to back up your claims about your accomplishments. Did you improve revenue with a new product launch? Use real numbers to show your impact.
- Include a mix of soft and hard skills on your resume, and mirror the same keywords and phrases that are listed in the job description.
- To write an entry-level Product Manager resume, highlight your side projects, education and skills to prove your passion and potential.
* Data reflects analysis made on over 1M resume profiles and examples over the last 2 years from Enhancv.com. Use this Product Manager resume sample as a base to create a unique resume for yourself.
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