Product Manager Resume

Product manager resumes need to reflect the skills required by this cross functional, strategic position. Your product manager resume must be designed with this role in mind, as it can make or break your chances for landing your desired product manager position. Are you an aspiring product manager, or a product manager who’s looking to take your career to the next level? If so, then it’s time to start thinking about creating a killer product manager resume. Just like any other type of resume, your product manager resume should highlight relevant skills and accomplishments in a way that displays your ability to drive impact. But what, exactly, should you include on your resume? And what format should you use?

Don’t worry – we’re here to help. Keep reading for some tips for creating a product manager resume that will impress employers and help you land the job you want. We’ll also provide a few examples of product manager resumes that you can use as inspiration for your own resume. And, as always, you can also work with our expert editing team if you’re looking for tailored help. So, read on and get ready to take your product manager resume to the next level!

Product Manager Resume

Table of Contents

  1. Product Manager Resume Objective
  2. How To Write a Resume for Product Manager
  3. Product Manager Resume Skills & Keywords to Focus On
  4. Product Manager Resume Examples
  5. Product Manager Cover Letter
  6. Product Manager Resume Service

Product Manager Resume Objective

Ultimately, you are trying to land a job. This seems obvious, but you’d be surprised at how many candidates think that the job of a resume is to tell their entire life story or try to convince a reviewer of all their competencies. No, you must remain focused on the goal. The product resume objective is always, first and foremost, to draw attention and land an interview.

This means spinning your experience in a way that highlights transferable skills, while remaining honest. Of course, keep in mind that the product manager role is very cross functional. If you are dealing with a new product, then creativity, new product development, and innovation is important. But product managers also must understand how to set long term product strategy, manufacture the product, market it, price it, and manage updates and improvements to it over time.

How To Write a Resume for Product Manager

Let’s dive into our 7-step process of how to write a resume for product manager positions:

  1. Make tweaks for each role: You only need one best practice product manager resume. Still, even though you don’t need 11 different product manager resumes to apply for 11 different roles, there will most likely be tweaks required on that resume for each role you are applying for. One role or company may care more about your cross-functional collaboration experience, while another may want to see more of your business sense. Product manager careers are all about finding the perfect product-market fit, and your resume is no different. Take some time to research the company’s product offerings, their target market, and their unique brand voice. This will give you a better sense of what they’re looking for in a product manager, and you can tweak your resume accordingly.
  2. Layout & Formatting Considerations: A product manager resume should be clear, concise, and easy to read. After all, as a product manager, one of your key responsibilities will be to communicate complex concepts in a way that everyone can understand. So, when it comes to formatting your resume, less is more. Stick to a simple layout with clear headings and bullet points and use non-technical language. For most of you, the only acceptable resume length is 1 page!
  3. Personal Section: The personal section of your resume is the only part of the document that humanizes you. This is your chance to show your personality and potential fit – an especially important consideration for companies like Google, for example. The personal section is a great place to showcase language skills, technical skills, additional certifications, and, of course, personal interests.
  4. Education Section: In the education section of your product manager resume, include any relevant degrees that you have earned. If you’re just starting out in your career, then this is also an opportunity to highlight any relevant coursework or projects that you have completed. For example, if you specialized in marketing during your MBA, or worked on a consulting project during undergrad, mention those experiences here.
  5. Professional Experience Section: In the professional experience section of your product manager resume, include positions you’ve held that are relevant to the role you’re applying for. If you don’t have any direct experience working in product management, then highlight the skills that you know product managers must possess – project management, product marketing, cross-functional collaboration and leadership, presentation ability, budget management, quantitative analysis, etc. In addition, be sure to include the impact (quantified if possible!) that came from your application of those skills. Your goal is for a reviewer to think – “Even if she hasn’t been a product manager before, she utilizes the same skills we do every day, just in a different context.”
  6. Leadership Experience Section: The leadership experience section of your product manager resume is where you can showcase experience that you have not been paid or graded for. Here, you can mention volunteer work or side projects that have helped expand your perspective or given you new skills. For example, if you worked on launching a small startup by building a product or developing a go-to-market strategy, be sure to mention it here.
  7. Proofreading and feedback: Finally, don’t forget to proofread your product manager resume before sending it off! And if possible, get feedback from an expert before hitting “send.” A second pair of eyes can help catch any typos or errors that you may have missed.

Product Manager Resume Skills & Keywords to Focus On

There are a few key product resume manager skills and product manager resume keywords to be aware of. First and foremost, as a product manager you will need to be able to effectively manage and prioritize product development. You should also have strong communication skills, as you will be working closely with cross-functional teams to develop new products. Additionally, it is important to have a good understanding of data analysis, as you will need to be able to make decisions around pricing the product or investing in various marketing tactics based on data points.

Finally, some other important keywords to focus on include product strategy, product life cycle management, and product marketing. By including these skills and keywords on your resume, you will be sure to catch the eye of potential employers.

Product Manager Resume Examples

Here are two product manager resume examples:

Product Manager Cover Letter

When you’re applying for a product manager position, your resume and cover letter are key components of your application. Your product manager resume should highlight your skills and experience, while your cover letter should go in-depth on a couple of your most impressive accomplishments. We often like to say that the resume covers the breadth of your experience while the cover letter covers its depth. Showcase your skills in story form on the cover letter, sharing details of specific challenges you’ve overcome and impact you’ve driven in a way you can’t on the resume.

In addition, a product manager cover letter acts as a writing sample. Your future employer won’t teach you how to write effectively when you’re on the job, so this is their way of testing you for this skill.

When writing a product manager cover letter, keep the following tips in mind:

  • Tell specific stories! This is not meant to be a rehash of your resume.
  • Showcase that you’re a cultural fit. The best way to do this? Reference folks you’ve spoken to inside the company, what you learned from those conversations, and why that gives you the confidence you’ll fit right in.
  • Keep it concise – your cover letter should be no more than one page.
  • Proofread carefully before sending – you want to make sure there are no typos or grammatical errors.

By following these tips, you can write a strong product manager cover letter that will help augment your application.

Product Manager Resume Service

Management Consulted offers a premiere product manager resume service. Work with us today – we’ll help you craft the strongest resume possible to land your dream PM position.

Conclusion

Now that you know how to craft a product manager resume that will stand out to employers, it’s time to update your own resume! With these tips in mind, you’ll be well on your way to landing the product manager interview you’ve been dreaming of. So, what are you waiting for? Get started today!

Additional Resources

 

Filed Under: Consulting Resume