During your career, you have accomplished many worthwhile projects that you are extremely proud to say have brought value to your past employers. As someone with extensive project management experience, you want to showcase your experience and skills on your resume.
But you have questions, such as what projects should you list projects on your resume and how do you do it? Well, Career.io has answers.
In this article, you’ll discover:
What do projects on a resume mean? Should I list projects on my resume?
What kind of projects should I put on my resume?
How many projects should I add to my resume?
How do I describe my project in a resume?
How do you write project achievements on a resume?
Can I put unfinished projects on my resume?
Learning how to list projects on your resume will allow you to show your value through your accomplishments and achievements and provide the hiring organization an indication of what you will do for them.
What do projects on a resume mean?
A resume is a formal document that outlines your career and shows your qualifications through your skills, education, relevant experience, and accomplishments. There are different resume formats that you can use to achieve the goal of creating an effective resume to show you as the most qualified applicant for an open position. There are three different types of resume formats that you may be familiar with – chronological, functional, and combination.
But are you familiar with the project-based resume? It is simply listing your most relevant project accomplishments on your resume to promote your professional qualifications.
The project-based resume is still formatted in a traditional chronological resume format; however, you will create a section in the resume for key projects. Your key projects should demonstrate experience and show you as an achiever.
A well-written resume will grab the attention of the reader and have them contact you. The resume should make the reader want to learn more about you and how you can be a valuable member of their organization.
Should I list projects on my resume?
Yes, if the projects are relevant to the open position, then list the projects on your resume. Here are three situations when it’s relevant.
1. You are a project management professional.
As a project management professional, most of your work experience comes from projects, so showing your ability to manage or execute projects is extremely important. Listing your projects on your resume is therefore a must as you want to drive home your experience as an indicator of how you will perform on future projects.
2. You are a consultant or contractor.
As a consultant or contractor, your past work experience may consist of you working with multiple clients on different projects. Working as a consultant or a contractor often means that you move from project to project and may even have gaps in employment between the projects. Along with highlighting your skills and experience, listing projects will help explain why you have multiple jobs listed on your resume and help account for any gaps in employment.
3. You are a recent graduate with little to no work experience.
As a recent graduate, you can list school projects on your resume. Hiring organizations want to learn about your skills and the value you will bring to the organization. Listing school projects will help illustrate your leadership qualities and ability to work in a team setting, along with presenting tangible work experience.
Expert Tip When listing projects on your resume, be sure to read the job posting to understand the position qualifications and identify keywords to optimize your resume for the ATS. Get more insight in our blog, What is a resume keyword-scanning. |
What kind of projects should I list on my resume?
We have addressed the fact that you should put projects on your resume and the reasons why. But the question of what kind of projects should you put on a resume remains. As we have already established, listing projects on your resume will help promote your professional qualifications. But not all projects should be listed.
Here is a list of project types to include:
Professional – Professional projects are projects you have led or been a part of during your professional career. The professional project is a great way to illustrate your value and accomplishments on your resume.
School – School projects are for job seekers currently enrolled in school and looking for internships or for recent graduates looking to enter the workforce. School projects are perfect when your work experience is limited.
Volunteer – Putting projects on your resume that are volunteer related is fine if it pertains to the open position. Work experience does not always mean paid work experience. But again, the experience must be related to the job description.
Personal – Typically, personal projects should not be included on a resume. However, just like with volunteer projects, if the personal project is related to the job description and it shows your ability to do the job, then you should consider putting a personal project on the resume.
For example, if you are a software programmer who completed a personal project using a powerful programming language and the hiring organization is looking for a programmer with that skill set, then yes, think about adding it to your resume. It shows that you have the ability and experience with the desired skill set.
Expert Tip It is important to state that no matter the project, it needs to be relevant to the open position. |
How many projects should I add to my resume?
There is no hard and fast rule on how many projects you should or should not list on your resume. It will depend on how much resume real estate you use to convey the message that you are the best candidate for the open position.
With that said, you will want to follow the guideline that a resume, in most cases, will remain at one to two pages. There are exceptions, of course, but typically most job seekers will not require a resume that is more than one or two pages long.
How do I describe my project in a resume?
When describing your project in a resume, you want to ensure that you convey your value by highlighting your accomplishments and achievements. A great way to draw attention to your successes is by quantifying your results.
Here is a list of questions presented in an article by Neal Whitten of the Project Management Institute that will help you create a “jaw-dropping resume” for projects.
Do you make your clients look good?
Do you make your organization money or boost profit margins?
Do you mentor others to achieve noteworthy accomplishments?
Do you make your bosses look good?
Do you accomplish the near impossible?
Are you consistently reliable in achieving the challenging objectives handed to you?
Do you change the landscape for those who follow after you?
Do you save or create jobs?
Do you go after and secure new opportunities?
Do you win awards for saving your organization's proverbial butt?
Have you established processes that are now standard operating procedures?
Would your absence be seen as a notable loss to the organization or company?
How has your presence and involvement made a difference to the bottom line? (Whitten, N. (2005). Jaw-dropping resumés. PM Network, 19(1), 25.)
How do you write project achievements on a resume?
You now know that it is appropriate to list projects on your resume. It may even be necessary. The question now becomes how do you write project achievements on your resume?
Here is a sample of how to list projects on a resume. You can copy it, change it to your specific project experience, and use it in your resume.
Example First Name Last Name City, State | Phone | Email | LinkedIn URL Work Experience Senior Project Manager | Acme Corporations | 2021 - Present Led multiple high-value projects using agile methodology and partnering with key stakeholders to identify and scope project requirements. Directed five Project Managers charged with developing plans, schedules, and processes to produce project deliverables on time, within scope, and on budget. Project A (Duration: 12 months): Accelerated the development and automation of a new and robust system by managing a $5 million project and overseeing the implementation of industry best practices with little to no impact on the customer. - Delivered the first-of-its-kind automated process by controlling all project phases: initiation, planning, execution, and closeout - Advanced process improvement by over 75% using cutting-edge tools and technology Project B (Duration: 6 months): Defined the vision for large-scale projects by identifying solution requirements and leading cross-functional teams on agile development projects meeting all contract requirements. - Maximized project efficiency by implementing lean budget control, saving the company $1.5 million - Championed organizational change by moving from waterfall to agile methodology, allowing for a more responsive and productive environment |
Can I Put Unfinished Projects on My Resume?
Yes, you can include unfinished projects on your resume. But when adding unfinished projects, there are some things you may want to note if applicable.
Signify that the project is currently ongoing
Identify your current role in the project
Use the present verb tense
List the current phase of the project
State the planned duration and/or end date of the project
Here is a sample of how to list an unfinished project on a resume.
Example First Name Last Name City, State | Phone | Email | LinkedIn URL Work Experience Senior Project Manager | Acme Corporations | 2021 - Present Managing a $5 million project using agile methodology and partnering with key stakeholders to control the project scope and requirements. Leading a team of five Project Managers charged with developing plans, schedules, and processes to produce project deliverables on time, within scope, and on budget. Project A (Estimated duration: 12 months): Accelerating the development and automation of a new and robust system by overseeing the implementation of industry best practices with little to no impact on the customer. Currently in phase II (Planning) of a five-phase project. - Assessed and prioritized project deliverables – collaborated with clients and stakeholders to create the project schedule with milestones |
Key takeaways:
Learning how to list projects on your resume will allow you to show your value through your accomplishments and achievements.
Think of using a project-based resume to incorporate your most relevant projects on your resume.
Be sure to use the correct project experience (professional, school, volunteer, or personal) when crafting an effective project-based resume.
Only add project experience that is relevant to the job you’re applying for.
You can use unfinished projects as long as you’re clear they are in progress.
Use the copyable examples to format your projects correctly.
