Hiring a top-notch program coordinator is a major priority for program managers. These talented multi-taskers ensure that everyone is on track to deliver programs on time, within budget, and to exacting quality standards. Crafting a well-organized resume that showcases your skills, qualifications, and standout achievements is the best way to convince recruiters that you’re the perfect fit for their job opening.
This resume guide and example will cover the following topics:
What should a program coordinator 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 program coordinator
If you’re looking to create a job-winning resume, your program coordinator resume needs to showcase your experience in program development and workflow management, combined with your stellar analytical, communication, and leadership skills. Program coordinators juggle ever-changing demands, so highlighting your ability to balance adaptability and flexibility with a sharp attention to detail is the message you need to send via your resume.
Your program coordinator resume should contain the following elements:
The resume header with your contact information
The resume summary
The employment history section
The resume skills section
The education section
Your professional summary is your elevator pitch describing your key strengths, skills, and contributions. In three or four sentences, demonstrate the value you can add so recruiters are compelled to learn more about you. Align your professional summary with the job description so that the hiring manager can quickly see that you’re the perfect candidate. For example, if you’re applying for an academic role, highlight your expertise in education programming, strong knowledge of application processes, and talent for maintaining student records.
See our adaptable program coordinator resume summary below.
Results-oriented and quality-focused Program Coordinator with expertise in all facets of academic frameworks, operational leadership, and business development. Proficient in overseeing key logistics of programs, including budgets, educational value, learning opportunities, and qualification requirements. Strong working knowledge of application processes. Highly organized professional skilled in maintaining precise student records.
The all-important work experience section is your opportunity to show the breadth and scale of your experience as a program coordinator as well as any stand-out contributions. It’s important to be clear and concise in this section. If you go into too much detail, you risk the hiring manager experiencing information overload and potentially zoning out.
Start with your current or most recent job and work back to earlier roles, covering no more than 10 to 15 years of experience. This approach is a great way to showcase your progression in the workplace. Balance short paragraphs of core responsibilities, with bullet-pointed achievements, including details of your wins.
If you’re struggling to include any facts or figures on your accomplishments, don’t fret. Your achievements can be more focused on outcomes, such as optimizing systems and processes, boosting efficiency, improving communication, or delivering successful events.
For example:
Played an instrumental role in designing and planning events, including career evenings and orientations to boost engagement.
Take a look at the adaptable program coordinator resume employment history section below.
Program Coordinator, Academic Affairs at WEILL CORNELL MEDICAL COLLEGE, New York, NY 2020 - Present
Conceptualize and develop innovative curricula with compelling content to equip students with needed information on selection of medical specialty.
Launch effective student counseling programs and match students with counselor responsible for providing assistance with educational decisions and challenges.
Spearhead application processes, update databases, and request Dean recommendation letters.
Mitigated potential for students to fall behind by introducing a system that alerts low progress levels to students.
Advanced program value by collaborating with cross-functional teams and increasing overall organizational efficiency.
Executed performance reviews to measure student success across four years as an integral part of Academic Affairs.
Program Coordinator, Student Affairs at MOUNT SINAI SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, New York, NY 2015 - 2020
Analyzed and drove key decisions on 140 residency applications annually by wielding sharp knowledge of requirements and qualifications.
Managed ERAS database and obtained letters of recommendation from the Dean.
Provided value-added insights into new program offerings.
Played instrumental role in designing and planning events, including career evenings and orientations to boost engagement.
Systemized internal processes to drive efficiency in generating recommendation letters and decrease wait times for distribution.
Facilitated open lines of communication across the campus to keep students informed of strict deadlines.
Office Manager / Executive Assistant (Ministry of Health) for GOVERNMENT OF ONTARIO, Toronto, ON 2007 - 2015
Produced reports on earnings and expenses to develop feasible budgets, while overhauling financial management processes.
Supported ongoing growth and profitability by conceiving strategic business plans.
Conducted in-depth risk and ROI analysis before initiating new projects.
Served as trusted advisor to management regarding administrative efforts.
Strengthened healthcare policies by compiling information for government leaders to review and improve.
Gathered details on projected salaries and benefits enrollment for proactive planning and preparation.
Don’t make the mistake of including a resume objective
In today’s job market, resume objectives are viewed a bit like the Ghost of Christmas Past and may even win you an eye roll from the hiring manager. Although it’s a short statement about your career goals, an objective can make your resume look outdated, and hiring managers may think you are out of touch. Hiring managers want to see what you can do for the company, so demonstrating this via your professional summary is the best approach.
Highlighting your degrees, credentials, and certifications the right way is vital on your program coordinator resume as recruiters will want to see that you’re suitably qualified for the job. Here’s some key areas to focus on when crafting your education section:
List your education in reverse order with the highest qualification first. Program coordinators typically have a college-level qualification in business administration or a related field. Only list relevant information under the degree—qualification level, subject, and educational institution—to keep this section clear and concise.
List any certifications you’ve completed or are working towards—customer service, technical, communication, or leadership training—as they demonstrate your commitment to professional development.
Tag a technical skills section onto your education section. Displaying technical skills can give your resume a competitive edge. Check the job description for specific technical skills required for the job opening as well as including standard software, such as MS Office Suite.
Master of Arts (Merit), Consumer Psychology and Business at Bangor University, Bangor, UK
Bachelor of Arts (Honors), Communications and Management at University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
Other than experience, employers are keen to see if your program coordinator resume includes the key skills required to do the job. So, how do you make sure the skills you list line up with what they’re looking for?
Closely review the job description, as it will often provide keywords that you can directly add or find adjacent skills that align with ones you possess. Your resume will most likely be scanned by ATS systems that rank keywords by how closely they match the job description. (To learn more about mastering the ATS, check out our article Resume ATS optimization.)
Here’s some program coordinator keywords to give you some inspiration:
Administrative leadership
Project pipeline management
Budgeting and cost control
Event management
Data analysis and reporting
Process optimisation
Stakeholder engagement
Higher Education Programming
Academic Development
Student Services & Affairs
Administrative Leadership
Applications & Recommendations
Interviewing & Scheduling
Project Pipeline Management
The structure of your resume needs to be organized, polished, and professional—all qualities of a great program coordinator. Avoid any design-heavy resume formats as this can confuse application tracking systems and result in the information being parsed incorrectly. Stick to a clean and modern resume design with concise sections. This will ensure your resume is easy to read by both hiring managers and the robots!
In terms of length, a one- or two-page resume tends to be the norm for a program coordinator. If you find that your resume is just tipping over to three pages, then adjust margins, the header/footer, and any white space to achieve a two-page version.
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 100 available resume examples.
Summary
Results-oriented and quality-focused Program Coordinator with expertise in all facets of academic frameworks, operational leadership, and business development. Proficient in overseeing key logistics of programs, including budgets, educational value, learning opportunities, and qualification requirements. Strong working knowledge of application processes. Highly organized professional skilled in maintaining precise student records.
Employment history
Program Coordinator, Academic Affairs at WEILL CORNELL MEDICAL COLLEGE, New York, NY 2020 - Present
Conceptualize and develop innovative curricula with compelling content to equip students with needed information on selection of medical specialty.
Launch effective student counseling programs and match students with counselor responsible for providing assistance with educational decisions and challenges.
Spearhead application processes, update databases, and request Dean recommendation letters.
Mitigated potential for students to fall behind by introducing a system that alerts low progress levels to students.
Advanced program value by collaborating with cross-functional teams and increasing overall organizational efficiency.
Executed performance reviews to measure student success across four years as an integral part of Academic Affairs.
Program Coordinator, Student Affairs at MOUNT SINAI SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, New York, NY 2015 - 2020
Analyzed and drove key decisions on 140 residency applications annually by wielding sharp knowledge of requirements and qualifications.
Managed ERAS database and obtained letters of recommendation from the Dean.
Provided value-added insights into new program offerings.
Played instrumental role in designing and planning events, including career evenings and orientations to boost engagement.
Systemized internal processes to drive efficiency in generating recommendation letters and decrease wait times for distribution.
Facilitated open lines of communication across the campus to keep students informed of strict deadlines.
Office Manager / Executive Assistant (Ministry of Health) for GOVERNMENT OF ONTARIO, Toronto, ON 2007 - 2015
Produced reports on earnings and expenses to develop feasible budgets, while overhauling financial management processes.
Supported ongoing growth and profitability by conceiving strategic business plans.
Conducted in-depth risk and ROI analysis before initiating new projects.
Served as trusted advisor to management regarding administrative efforts.
Strengthened healthcare policies by compiling information for government leaders to review and improve.
Gathered details on projected salaries and benefits enrollment for proactive planning and preparation.
Education
Master of Arts (Merit), Consumer Psychology and Business at Bangor University, Bangor, UK
Bachelor of Arts (Honors), Communications and Management at University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
Skills
Higher Education Programming
Academic Development
Student Services & Affairs
Administrative Leadership
Applications & Recommendations
Interviewing & Scheduling
Project Pipeline Management
Employers are on the look-out for talented program coordinators who can ensure programs are delivered on time, within budget, and to exacting specifications.
In order to land the best program coordinator opportunities, your resume needs to showcase your program development and workflow management expertise, combined with your stellar analytical, communication, and leadership skills.
Target your resume by including keywords in each section, like administrative leadership, budgeting, event management, etc. Use the job description for keywords to match.
Make your life easier by using our online resume builder to create your program coordinator resume with adaptable templates and AI powered content.