Product Manager resume example & writing guide

This resume guide will cover the following topics:

• What should a product manager resume include

• Advice on each section of your resume (summary, work history, education)

• Adding relevant key skills to your resume

• Choosing the right resume template for a product manager

What should your product manager resume include?

Your resume is what gets you in the door, so it has to knock the recruiter’s socks off. Good product managers know how to solve problems and deliver results. Your resume needs to convey that you can break down a complex problem, prioritize use cases, and come up with innovative solutions to continually enhance the product portfolio. Crafting a standout resume that is laser-focused on your success in these areas is one way to convince the hiring manager that they should invite you to an interview.  

Your product manager resume should contain the following elements:

• The resume header with your contact information

• The professional summary 

• The employment history section

• The resume skills section

• The education section

How can you create a professional summary?

Your first chance to make a great impression is via your professional summary. This is a snapshot of your relevant skills, experience, and success in product management. It’s four key sentences that tell recruiters what unique qualities and value you can bring to their company. Highlighting your specific expertise in the strategic management and development of product portfolios, combined with your talent for data analytics, cross-functional collaboration, and motivational leadership, will position you as the product manager to hire.  

One way to ensure a strong opening to your resume is to place a branding statement right above your professional summary. This is a short, catchy statement that sums up your unique value in 15 or 20 words. This could include niche experience in digital product management, a recognized certification, or an industry award. Check out our article on creating a standout resume branding statement.   

See our adaptable product manager resume summary below.

How should you describe your work experience as a product manager?   

The work experience section is the jewel in your product management crown. Every hiring manager wants to know what you have done and achieved as a product manager. Balance paragraphs with bullet points, providing recruiters with vital information about your core responsibilities in each role, then highlighting your achievements with the all-important results. 

Don’t worry if you don’t have quantifiable achievements to showcase. Instead, focus on special projects, key contributions, and/or other ways you’ve performed above and beyond in terms of your job responsibilities. Any example that shows initiative and creativity is worth including.

For example:

• Created mobile banking application with cutting-edge capabilities, covering personalization-based features based on data analytics and useful features to satisfy end users.

Take a look at the adaptable product manager resume employment history section below.

Include a fitting product manager resume education and certifications section

Highlighting your degrees, credentials, and certifications the right way is vital on your product manager resume as recruiters will be looking to see that you’re suitably qualified for the job opening. Here’s some key areas to focus on when crafting your education section:

• List your education in reverse order with the highest qualification first. If you’re completing any relevant continuing education or certifications include these as “Ongoing,” as this really helps to build your credibility.   

• Include professional memberships. Make sure to highlight if you’re a member of any professional product management associations, such as the Association of International Product Marketing and Management (AIPMM). You can detail this information in a standalone section to follow your education section so it stands out.

• Keep it simple. Only list relevant information—qualification level, subject, and educational institution—to keep this section clear and concise. 

Which key skills are relevant for a product manager resume?

One thing you can be sure of is that hiring managers will be scouring your resume to find out whether you have the key skills they need. They may also employ the use of ATS during the screening process to electronically scan your resume for these very same keywords. So, how do you ensure you get noticed?

Tailoring your resume to the job description is the best way to make sure your resume gets read. Review the job description closely and look out for terms that are repeated or emphasized as important skills and experience as these will be the keywords you want to include. 

Sprinkle those key skills throughout your resume by demonstrating those skills in action—both in your work history and professional summary. For a product manager, a few critical skills might include: 

• Product lifecycle management

• User research

• A/B testing

• Agile methodologies

• Data analytics

• Continuous process improvement

How to select the most impactful product manager resume template

Most recruiters favor a straightforward and easy to follow resume format. When you consider the number of resumes and the amount of time they spend during their initial review of a resume (mere seconds) this makes sense. Try to avoid design-heavy formats, colors, and photographs as these can result in ATS not parsing the information correctly and may result in your falling at the first hurdle in the hiring process.

Stick to reverse chronological order, with greater weight on more recent positions as these will be of most interest to recruiters. Ideally, your product management resume should be one or two pages in terms of length. Anything longer could fall into the remit of “information overload!”

When exploring our many resume templates in our resume builder, start by selecting the resume layout that fits your situation best. Find inspiration with our over 500 available resume examples.

Copyable product manager resume example

Key takeaways for writing a product manager resume

1. Product managers are responsible for keeping products relevant and meeting ever-changing customer needs while enabling the organization to reach its goals. 

2. If you’re looking for your dream product management job, you need to highlight your hard-earned product management experience and your ability to deliver results.

3. Target your resume by including keywords in each section, like portfolio management, user research, or product lifecycle management.

4. Make your life easier by using our online resume builder to create your product manager resume with adaptable templates and AI powered content.