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 technical program manager sections that make the best resume
- Header
- Professional summary
- Experience (with numbers and results)
- Relevant skills
- Education
- Certifications
Writing a strong technical program manager experience section
Technical program manager resume experience section: ultimate checklist
- Use no more than 4-6 bullet points per position;
- List relevant positions and situations that add value to your application;
- Describe situations, tasks, actions, and results (the S-T-A-R method);
- Remember to include numbers in whatever form you like (e.g. the number of projects you’ve finished);
- Begin each bullet point with an action verb.
Check out the examples below when building your experience section. They will help you stand out!
- Hands on, end-to-end program management from design to delivery of the product development life cycle
- Product Discovery and Delivery Coach, facilitated and supported large-scale efforts across multiple cross-functional Accelerator Teams with 20+ usability tests, 88+ deployments, 32+ Production Releases in 2020 with a cadence of ~2 weeks and moving to a weekly cadence in 2021
- Established the Product and Tech OKRs and helped the team to track the metrics, review the analytics and quarterly OKRs dashboards, 70%+ Product and Tech OKRs reached in the last 6 quarters
- Developed the hypothesis for the A/B Test experiments and led the cross-functional team of Engineers, Designers, Analysts and POs through the different phases of our experimentation program (ideation, analysis, design, development, compliance, QA, launch)
- $11M+ saved by Digital Transformation and Accelerator Journey teams
- Facilitated Value Stream Mapping discovery sessions and supported the continuous improvements in the flow and cadence of Value Delivery
- Mentored the teams to simplify and automate the workflow for the Release process; Automation led to performance and process improvements, cutting down the deployment pipeline lead time from 60 minutes to less than 6 minutes and resulted in resource cost savings of around $8K+ per month
- Managed and collaborated with Product Owners to launch apps, including Credit Sesame, Wiki Wealth, Teespring, SAP CRM, iCharts, Hertz, Driverzz, Box office, Movie Pals, impacting 10M+ users and leading to $117M in funding raised
- 95%+ retention of the clients
- Facilitated Sprint events for up to 2-3 co-located and distributed Scrum teams
- Educated and trained team and key stakeholders on Lean and Agile principles and values with focus on the Scrum Framework
- Worked with Scrum Masters across various cross-functional teams to prepare for the Program Increment and the System Demo
- Facilitated the PI planning and coordinated sync ups with the RTE and other Scrum Masters and Product Owners
- Trained the team on best practices of software development, system design and architecture
- Envisioned the catalog feed onboarding and management suite of applications for external partners, its underlying engine and backbone across a multi-year roadmap, secured commitments across stakeholders and delivered the end-to-end experience enabling 90% of partner catalog integrations from 4+ weeks to under 1 hour.
- Managing with peer TPMs the merging of 2 Catalog processing pipelines across 16 teams against a tight deadline, incorporating the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) processes to manage the scale reducing yearly operational costs and team size by 35+%.
- Delivered a highly critical large scale feed downloader to replace a single point of failure legacy system in time to prevent peak season downtime and potential multi-million$ [undisclosed] revenue loss.
- Architected and Program Managed $ 12m multi-year engagement to develop a Policy servicing platform - Multi-tiered Microservices based architecture in a hybrid cloud infrastructure involving multiple AWS services
- Built strong relationship with Sponsors , Stakeholders and Engineering leaders and influenced on decision towards cloud migration
- Partnered with Business and Engineering Management to define vision and migration Strategy, TOM and Roadmap through Impact mapping,SWOT analysis
- Architected and delivered 4 large scale Cloud transformation initiatives leveraging Microservices, AWS, APIs, React and Node in a hybrid-cloud environment which improved the customer experience by 35 % and policy sales by 25 %
- Defined CI/CD pipeline at the enterprise level and lead the effort to move 100+ legacy applications into the pipeline
- Owned and delivered major technical initiatives across 3 portfolios that eliminated technical debts by 40 % and reduced support workload by 50%
- Developed and governed KPIs by leveraging tools providing visibility to senior leadership including Vice Presidents, Senior Directors and Business stakeholders
- Established and lead high-performance 30+ IT scrum cross-functional teams across distributed locations to deliver Agile backlogs
- Agile team leadership
- Process updates and change management
- Release management and Dev-ops
- Coaching and mentoring
- Building RPA Program from scratch
- Delivery model planning for Automation group
- Strategy planning 2025 Automation vision
- Delivered multiple, concurrent software projects.
- Managed resources in Chicago, Mexico, and India.
- Led Architecture team to define Performance Improvement Opportunities.
- Reduced the time to deliver large, financial reports by 60%.
- Led software application development from whiteboard concept through client implementation, within budget and schedule.
- Managed program roadmap, project planning and tracking, customer issues, release management, and User Acceptance Testing (UAT).
- Working with internal stakeholders and clients, managed Feature Prioritization.
- Brought in to turn around a struggling software development and delivery program.
- Improved Customer Satisfaction, Quality, and On-time Delivery.
- Successfully delivered new B2B software features and infrastructure improvements.
- Implemented process changes to improve Quality of Software Deliverables.
- Led the first Agile Methodology Project at US Foods, which was the prototype for the corporate transition to Agile.
- Programs and teams within the 'Keep the Lights On" portfolio
- Reliability and SRE programs, processes and projects
- Hardware refresh and infrastructure programs
- High-level operational improvement projects
- Lead the organization strategic initiatives like new product launches, application development and Cloud native adoption.
- Collaborate and motivate cross functional teams of Engineering, User Experience, Product, Security, Sales and Implementation.
- Focus teams on program goals and track progress to ensure project milestones are on time, on budget and with the desired results.
- Work with stakeholders and teams to define program vision, identify requirements, define milestones, create project execution plans, capture risks, issues and dependencies.
- Perform the role of Scrum Master for 2 engineering teams.
- Hands on with software engineering teams to ensure system design meets the functional and non-functional requirements and translating recommendations to business stakeholders.
- Built and sustained the day-to-day relationships and communications with business partners at different levels of the organization, including C level, VP's and directors.
- Lead the program from Inception to completion across all SDLC by working closely with business and cross functional project teams.
- Drive the Agile transformation in the organization, including adoption of best practices, tools and metrics.
- Work with Product owners on defining roadmap and release planning & ensure backlog is healthy.
- Organize Scrum ceremonies, remove impediments, resolve conflicts, and protect team from external interferences
- Manage project scope, schedules and budget and define key KPI’s to measure and monitor project progress.
- Establish Key Performance indicators to monitor and measure program health and provide status updates to senior management including C-level executives.
- Lead cross-functional global teams of 200+ size and $20+ million budget for a major global business transformation initiative.
- Achieve project goals by managing scope, risks, issues, dependency, decisions, and action items.
- Resource forecasting and billing and ensure project adheres to budget and schedule.
- Negotiated MSAs, SLAs, SoWs for complex contracts with external vendors in consultation with Vendor Management and legal to ensure receipt of specific resources, as well as best value for the organization.
- Established the Earned-Value based Project Controls and Financial Controls functions by implementing a robust reporting tool.
- Collaborate and motivate cross functional teams of UX, Product, Engineering, Sales and Implementation.
- Lead the organization strategic initiatives like Cloud Native adoption by working with 15 different internal project teams, and external teams like AWS and ADP.
- Focus teams on project vision and track progress to ensure project milestones are on time, on budget and with the desired results.
- Perform the role of Scrum Master for 2 engineering teams.
- Develop Project Management artifacts like Project Charter, Requirement documentation and Project Execution plans.
- Hands on with software engineering teams to ensure system design meets the functional and non-functional requirements and translating recommendations to business stakeholders.
- Built and sustained the day-to-day relationships and communications with business partners at different levels of the organization, including C level, VP's and directors.
- Lead the organization strategic initiatives like new product launches, application development and Cloud native adoption.
- Collaborate and motivate cross functional teams of Engineering, User Experience, Product, Security, Sales and Implementation.
- Focus teams on program goals and track progress to ensure project milestones are on time, on budget and with the desired results.
- Work with stakeholders and teams to define program vision, identify requirements, define milestones, create project execution plans, capture risks, issues and dependencies.
- Perform the role of Scrum Master for 2 engineering teams.
- Hands on with software engineering teams to ensure system design meets the functional and non-functional requirements and translating recommendations to business stakeholders.
- Built and sustained the day-to-day relationships and communications with business partners at different levels of the organization, including C level, VP's and directors.
- Manage complex technical programs by collaborating with various cross functional teams, ensuring everyone is aligned to the program vision.
- Partner with product and engineering team to run one of the most critical program for Okta to scale its infrastructure for serving worlds largest organization.
- Build and maintain alignment across multiple teams for keeping focus on execution, continuous improvement, and operational excellence.
- Establish Key Performance indicators to monitor and measure program health and provide status updates to senior management including C-level executives.
- Champion the adoption of agile best practices within Engineering and Product Management & provide guidance to Scrum Masters.
PRO TIP
Show off real numbers that display your accomplishments in past roles. Instead of listing out your responsibilities as Technical Program 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 technical program manager resume
Recommended reads:
Writing a strong skills section for your technical program manager resume
Checklist for your technical program manager skills section:
- Include all relevant skills from the job description to pass ATS;
- Focus on skills that show your expertise;
- List your technical skills in a clear and concise manner;
- Leave room for transferable skills related to teamwork, communication, negotiation, and conflict management.
Top Skills for Your Technical Program 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
Don’t feel obliged to spend a separate section for your soft skills - you can weave them throughout your job experience or career summary. But, don’t just write empty words - back them with examples.
Technical program manager resume header: tips, red flags, and best practices
Checklist for your technical program 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
Include a link to your portfolio in your Technical Program Manager resume header. Most companies will require that you include one in your resume, and even if they don’t, it’s an excellent opportunity to directly show them your proudest projects.
The ideal summary for your technical program manager resume
Mastering the summary section: checklist
- Mention the total years of experience you have in the field;
- Focus on 2 to 3 of your top achievements;
- Highlight the things that make you the best fit for the position;
- Go for short, easy-to-read sentences to keep the recruiter’s attention.
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 Technical Program Manager experience section. Give examples like how your work benefited each employer.
Recommended reads:
Things to include in your technical program manager resume education section
Technical program manager resume education section checklist:
- Mention your highest education degree;
- Add the duration of your course and the institution you attended;
- List the awards you’ve received during your studies;
- Feature your certifications if they are relevant to the position;
- Entry-level positions: Share more about projects and classes.
Top certifications for your technical program manager resume
Technical Program Management
This is a course designed for individuals looking to learn about the Technical Program Management (TPM) discipline.
Program Management Course - Program Manager Essentials
In this Program Management course you will learn the essentials and more to become an effective Program Manager
Program Management Interview Course
Learn how to interview for program manager roles at tech companies
The Project Management Course: Beginner to PROject Manager
The Complete Course for becoming a Successful Project Manager
27 Program Manager Job Interview Techniques:Detailed Answers
Ace that Dream Job Offer !
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
There are dozens of certifications that you can claim as a Technical Program Manager. 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.
Formatting your technical program manager resume
What’s worse than a .docx resume? A resume with a poorly chosen format.
In general, there are three basic resume formats we advise you to stick with:
- Reverse-chronological resume format;
- Functional skills-based resume format;
- Combination (or Hybrid) resume format.
Choosing between them is easy when you’re aware of your applicant profile – it depends on your years of experience, the position you’re applying for, and whether you’re looking for an industry change or not.
The reverse-chronological resume format is just that – all your relevant jobs in reverse-chronological order. It’s great for applicants with lots of experience, no career gaps, and little desire for creativity.
When working with less experienced applicants, we suggest the functional skills-based resume format. It’s great for recent graduates or people with large career gaps. Functional skills-based resumes focus on your personality, the skills you have, your interests, and your education. Ultimately, the idea is to show you’re the perfect fit without putting too much emphasis on your work experience (or lack thereof).
If you’re in the middle or are generally looking to make your resume feel more modern and personal, go for the combination or hybrid resume format. It offers the best of both worlds by combining sections focused on experience and work-related skills and at the same time keeping space for projects, awards, certifications, or even creative sections like ‘my typical day’ and ‘my words to live by’.
Technical Program Manager Resume Formatting Checklist
- Choose the resume format based on your level of experience and the company you’re applying for
- Go for a traditional 10-12p font
- Stick to 1-inch page margins to ensure high readability
- Match the length of your resume to your experience, but don’t go for more than two pages!
To take it a step further, check out how your resume can stand out without leaning too much on the creative side.
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 Technical Program 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 technical program manager resume
In some cases, especially when it comes to entry-level positions, adding more sections beyond the usual ‘experience’, ‘skills’, and ‘education’ works well in your favor. Such additional sections will help you paint a fuller picture of who you are in the recruiter’s head.
Here’s a list of fun yet informative additional sections for your resume:
Making your technical program manager resume creative
We know too well that recruiters go through tons of resumes every day. The worse part is, they often need to hire people for different positions and teams. So how do you make yourself stand out in such cases?
By adding a dash of creativity to your Technical Program Manager resume. It can be in the form of a colorful layout, a section describing your typical day, or even a picture of your favorite book – you decide!
Just make sure that the levels of creativity match the industry, company, and position you’re applying for.
What makes a great technical program 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.
