INDUSTRY STATS
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Top Executives positions are at a 8% growth rate, which is as fast as average. With that said, there are currently 2,704,400 jobs in the market right now. The total number of jobs is expected to increase by 209,500 to 2,913,900 in the period of 2020-30.
What’s more, the median annual wage for the Top Executives jobs was $107,680 in May 2020. The lowest 10% earned less than $45,850, and the highest 10% more than $208,000.
Our conclusion? The Top Executives job market is wide open for candidates.
Top program director sections that make the best resume
- Header
- Professional summary
- Experience (with numbers and results)
- Relevant skills
- Education
- Certifications
How to write the perfect program director resume experience section
Program director experience section: checklist
- List your positions in chronological or reverse-chronological order;
- Go for 4-6 bullet points;
- Add only relevant work experience;
- Include information about the challenges you’ve faced, the actions you’ve taken, and the results you’ve achieved;
- Use action verbs instead of filler words.
We’ve selected some of the top Program Director resumes made using the Enhancv platform to illustrate what a great experience section looks like. Use them as inspiration when building your own resume:
- Managed three of the biggest Managed Services in STCS (value of 60 MSAR)
- Turned a zero-margin project into a 20% profit margin by negotiating with the 3rd party involved.
- Built the new STC specific Managed Services department (12 employees) to have higher customer focus, and elevate the customer experience.
- Federate European Ops (France, Belgium, Italy)
- Align Ops methodologies, processes and tools with Dev
- Assess maturity to setup a multi-year plan
- Identify irritants and establish AGILE projects strategy including the existing initiatives
- Emphasize the collaboration and communication of both Dev and Ops
- Streamline the IT services value chain and implement cross-diciplinary teams
- Promote DevOps culture and organize the change management
- Foundational pillar for 200+ teams working on innovation projects in 24+ countries
- End responsible for ongoing program management, managing budgets and improving programs in line with strategic objectives
- Supported 40+ facilitators / mentors to deliver successful results
- Made crazy ideas happen - set up a development fund focused on physical lean startup product development
- Built and maintained 7 online / blended learning programs by building SCORM packages, general training structures and training up facilitators in use of tools
- Originated and implemented a LinkedIn certification process and certified 790 clients worldwide
- Onboarded and trained a new project manager to independently being able to run projects
- Took existing LMS structure and tweaked and improved it to become highly scalable, so my small team was able to execute 50-80 teams per month
- Originated and implemented a social giving back process into AfCE's mentoring programs (9520 donations to date)
- Built and maintained 7 online / blended learning programs by building SCORM packages, general training structures and training up facilitators in use of tools
- Originated and implemented a LinkedIn certification process and certified 790 clients worldwide
- Onboarded and trained a new project manager to independently being able to run projects
- Took existing LMS structure and tweaked and improved it to become highly scalable, so my small team was able to execute 50-80 teams per month
- Originated and implemented a social giving back process into AfCE's mentoring programs (9520 donations to date)
- Implemented Engineering Change Request in Plex Manufacturing Cloud (ERP)
- Revamped all Human Resource processes in Plex, including transition to paperless record-keeping and implementation of Applicant Tracking System (ATS)
- Developed workflows to ensure process repeatability in back-end business operations
- Utilized Structured Query Language (SQL) to delve into business analytics
- Automated information distribution to enhance Business Intelligence
- Created Operations KPI Dashboard from relational database to evaluate productivity, quality, sales
- Project Manager for implementation of Industry 4.0
- Delivered new platform of Plex for three functional areas one month ahead of target
- Implemented Engineering Change Request in Plex Manufacturing Cloud (ERP)
- Revamped all Human Resource processes in Plex, including transition to paperless record-keeping and implementation of Applicant Tracking System (ATS)
- Developed workflows to ensure process repeatability in back-end business operations
- Utilized Structured Query Language (SQL) to delve into business analytics
- Automated information distribution to enhance Business Intelligence
- Created Operations KPI Dashboard from relational database to evaluate productivity, quality, sales
- Project Manager for implementation of Industrial IoT
- Delivered new platform of Plex for three functional areas one month ahead of target
- Administered community oriented human rights programming
- Hired and supervised staff, interns, and fellows
- Developed human rights and social justice oriented curricula
- Wrote grants and administered grant funded projects
- Collaborated with local colleges and universities to bring programming to campuses
- Selected to deliver the 2014 Seattle Race Conference Keynote
- Program participated and presented on regional work at 2013 and 2015 World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates in Warsaw, Poland and Barcelona, Spain, respectively
- Strategically leading Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) Integration, Enterprise Business Planning and other Sales & Marketing strategic programs
- After strategic downsizing initiative, rebuilt team based on new vision and culture, moved team from storming to high performing
- Created M&A Sales and Marketing lead role, securing position in Corporate M&A due diligence team and expanding influence across Sales & Marketing, Business Units, Supply Chain and IT
- Raised M&A cross-functional acumen through establishing M&A University series, growing team's program management & industry acumen
- Led the supply chain, quote-to-cash, business operations and sales & marketing integration for the $16.5B Altera acquisition, deploying new build-to-order business model and ensuring no interruption to the $2B revenue stream
- Increased paid enrollment to over 400, up 500%
- Initiated, developed, and maintained relationships with universities, including University of Oregon, Oregon State University, and University of Portland
- Leading a team of Project Managers within the Global PMO to develop standard Agile practices, procedures and methods
- Working within the PMO to establish a Global KPI and project performance tracking system
- Project Managed the implementation of Project On-line, SharePoint On-line and Office365 for 2,000 users
- Providing project oversight and governance to a $60m program of work for City-of-Gold-Coast
- Managing and processing applications of international exchange programmes participants (W&T USA and Internship/Career Training USA mostly)
- Launching and developing different cultural exchange programmes
- Communication with foreign partners, host businesses, language schools, US Consulates and visa sponsors
- Negotiate and maintain contracts with new partners
- Repersenting company at international conferences (such as WYSTC)
- Definition & Implementation of IT strategy (MAN, LAN, WAN, End User Experience)
- 15.000 Flex Office positions delivered during the 2019-2021 period
- Multi-annual program with a 24M€ budget over the past 3 years
- Recruited and managed a team of 3 people, including interviewing, onboarding, training and monitoring progress
- Oversight on 20 FTE spread across various IT teams
- Change Management & accountability on IT topics with trade unions
- Executive Reporting to board level sponsors
- Client relationship management with board level Business Units representatives
- Established new recovery program with 20 members and growing
- Restructured leadership team to focus on growth and development
- Trained and supervise 3 program leads to deliver recovery sessions
- Established organization's first footprint in Online Gaming for world's leading online game provider.
- Ramped up team from 0 to 130 within 3 months.
- Expanded 3 more service lines apart from core game development within two years, improved margins by 15% and revenue (Growth rate 2.5 M ZAR to 55 M ZAR in 5 years).
- Productivity improvements of 25% through account level initiatives in areas of automation, process standardization, governance and optimization. Ensured 100% critical talent retention.
- 2011-2016
- Led $10 Million program in Digital domain for world leaders in IT and networking.
- Generated new business worth $1.5 M through gap analysis of portfolio and market trends in Learning industry.
- Expanded organizational footprint in Customer and Partner Learning areas of customer organization. YoY Revenue $2.5 M.
- Led deliveries of distributed teams through digital initiatives in social, cloud and mobility for Learning and Collaboration programs. Customer Satsfaction rating > 4.4 out of 5
- Single point of contact for RFPs, proposals, digitization opportunities for $6 M account for an international philanthropic organization2000-2011
- Progressed from Management Trainee to Project Manager. Handson development using a variety of technologies.
PRO TIP
The person reading your Program Director resume will be busy, make sure you never waste their time with fluff.
Action verbs for your program director resume
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Program director resume: how to write a strong skills section
The ultimate program director skills section checklist:
- Balance between all kinds of hard skills – technical, analytical, etc.
- When it comes to technical skills, match them to the job description;
- Add keywords present in the job advert to pass ATS;
- Don’t forget to list transferable skills such as communication, teamwork, work ethic, and presentation skills.
Top skills for your program director resume
Public Speaking
Digital Solutions
Technical Skills
Spreadsheets
Point of Sales Systems
Data Analysis
Marketing Solutions
Writing
Transparency
Communication
Delegation
Decisiveness
Empowering
Consistency and Reliability
Empathy and sensitivity
Mentoring and coaching
PRO TIP
When describing your experience, don’t go too far from its terminology. Recruiters use ATS systems to filter resumes based on them having certain keywords, so make sure you use at least a few keywords mentioned in the job description.
Program director resume header: Tips, red flags, and best practices
Checklist for your program director 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 Program Director 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.
Program director resume summary: things to include and things to avoid
Job-winning program director resume summary checklist:
- Mention your total years of experience in the field;
- Highlight one or two of your top achievements;
- Avoid getting into too much detail – you’ll do that in the experience section;
- Focus on short sentences that are easy to read and add value to your application.
Resume summary formula:
PRO TIP
Your summary should act as an elevator speech, briefly promoting how you will benefit the employer if hired. Pitch your strengths in the summary and expand on them in your Program Director experience section. Give examples like how your work benefited each employer.
Recommended reads:
Highlighting education, courses, and certifications in your program director resume
Education section checklist:
- What? Where? What’s the result? Answer these questions when mentioning education and courses on your resume;
- Give preference to courses and degrees that are relevant to the job position;
- Be honest! Some recruiters love checking with colleges and universities to see if you’ve really been enrolled in them;
- Share more about certifications that have helped you turn into a professional, and mention the bodies that have issued them.
Top certifications for your program director resume
Radio Programming Director Guide
Learn the intricacies of Radio Programming
Program Management Interview Course
Learn how to interview for program manager roles at tech companies
Program Management Course - Program Manager Essentials
In this Program Management course you will learn the essentials and more to become an effective Program Manager
Technical Program Management
This is a course designed for individuals looking to learn about the Technical Program Management (TPM) discipline.
Docker Mastery: with Kubernetes +Swarm from a Docker Captain
Build, test, deploy containers with the best mega-course on Docker, Kubernetes, Compose, Swarm and Registry using DevOps
Recommended reads.":
PRO TIP
There are dozens of certifications that you can claim as a Program Director. But, some are more effective than others. That’s why you mustn’t include every certificate other applicants might have. Try instead to earn and list a few of the difficult ones.
Program director resume format 101
If a couple of years ago Program Director resumes could be text files with no graphic elements, today’s recruiters need a bit more to remember you.
And yet, you can still choose between three basic resume formats:
- Reverse-chronological resume format;
- Functional skills-based resume format;
- Combination (or Hybrid) resume format.
But when it comes to choosing the right format for your Program Director resume, there are two factors to keep in mind: your experience and whether you’re looking for an industry change.
The reverse-chronological format is the most common one. That being said, it gives recruiters exactly what they’re used to in terms of order and information. However, it’s not suitable for applicants with employment gaps or not enough experience.
We at Enhancv suggest the functional skills-based resume format for people with limited work experience who find reverse-chronological resumes irrelevant. This format showcases the applicant’s most significant accomplishments, skills, and strengths.
Don’t miss our resume format checklist:
- Go for a traditional easy-to-read resume font sized 10-12p;
- Don’t risk it: choose standard 1-inch resume margins;
- Make sure your Program Director resume fits in one to two pages;
- Save your resume in PDF to avoid having it edited by someone else.
Looking for more tips? Check out our job-winning guide for crafting a resume that gets you remembered!
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PRO TIP
Sometimes you’ll want to go after a job which requires more experience than you have. Instead of using a typical Program Director 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.
Other sections for your Program Director resume
If the position you’re applying for allows for that, you can include some non-traditional sections in your resume. This will add a bit more depth to your application and will also give the hiring manager a better idea of who you are as a person.
Some ideas include:
A program director resume recruiters would love
You’ve drafted an amazing Program Director resume, but are still not sure whether it will make a strong first impression? After all, recruiters go over tens of resumes each day, right?
Right! And the recipe for getting their attention includes a dash of creativity.
What’s more, a creative resume is perfect for adding your personality to the mix. For example, you could mention your favorite books, quotes, movies, or even what your day usually looks like.
Regardless of what you choose, make sure your levels of creativity match the industry, the company, and the position. Otherwise, your resume might look silly and inapt.
What makes a great program director 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.
