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Project Manager CV example

Project manager ads ask for the same proof: the size of what you've run, how it landed against time and budget, and the method you use. This example leads with budgets, teams and outcomes, so a hiring manager can see the scale in seconds.

Written for New Zealand, with notes for Australia · Checked

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The example

A Project Manager CV, start to finish.

Mei Lin Zhang is made up, and so are the employers. The layout and the wording are what New Zealand employers expect: no photo or date of birth, the most recent job first, and every bullet showing what was done and what came of it.

Mei Lin Zhang

Project Manager, business change and technology

Wellington · 021 555 0147 · meilin.zhang@email.com

Profile

Project manager with nine years delivering business change and technology projects in insurance and energy, with budgets up to $4 million. Comfortable with both waterfall and agile delivery, clear with senior stakeholders, and steady when a project needs to be reset.

Skills

Project planning and scheduling · Budget and financial tracking · Risk and issue management · Stakeholder engagement · Agile and waterfall delivery · Vendor management · Business change and training · Steering committee reporting

Experience

Project Manager, Kōtuku Insurance

Wellington · 2021 to now

  • Led the replacement of the claims system for 300 staff, a $4 million project delivered on budget and three weeks ahead of the revised date
  • Run a team of 12 across business analysts, developers, testers and an external vendor
  • Report monthly to a steering committee on progress, risks and spend, with clear decisions asked for
  • Reset a stalled online quotes project, agreeing a smaller first release that went live in four months
  • Planned training and support for the go-live so call waiting times stayed steady in the first month

Project Coordinator, then Project Manager, Moana Energy

Wellington · 2017 to 2021

  • Managed six smaller projects a year, from office moves to billing system upgrades, each under $500,000
  • Kept project schedules, risk registers and budgets up to date for a portfolio of 20 projects
  • Coordinated the move of 180 staff to a new building over one weekend with no lost working days

Education

Bachelor of Commerce, Management, University of Otago

2016

Other details

Certifications
Project Management Professional (PMP), PRINCE2 Practitioner
Work rights
New Zealand citizen

Referees

Available on request

Mei wrote a cover letter to go with it. Read the project manager cover letter

Skills and keywords

What project manager job ads look for.

Use the ad's own words where they're true of you. An ATS, and a recruiter skimming, both look for them.

  • Delivered on time and budgetBack it with numbers: the budget, the timeline and how it landed.
  • Stakeholder managementName who: executives, vendors, unions, customers. It shows the level you work at.
  • AgileMany ads ask for it. Say what you actually ran, such as sprints or a hybrid approach.
  • PRINCE2 or PMPGovernment and large employers often screen for one. Put it where it's seen.
  • Risk managementGive an example of a risk you spotted and what you did about it.
  • Business changeShows you care about adoption, not just go-live.
  • Vendor managementCommon in technology projects where a supplier does the build.

Bullet points

9 strong lines to borrow from.

Each says what was done, how, and what came of it. Swap in your own facts: a line is only strong if it's true.

  1. 1Led a $4 million claims system replacement for 300 staff, delivered on budget
  2. 2Reset a stalled project by agreeing a smaller first release that went live in four months
  3. 3Ran a team of 12 across business analysts, developers, testers and an external vendor
  4. 4Reported monthly to a steering committee, framing each paper around the decision needed
  5. 5Negotiated a change to a vendor contract that saved $180,000 without cutting scope
  6. 6Planned training and support for go-live so customer service held steady
  7. 7Kept schedules, risk registers and budgets current for a portfolio of 20 projects
  8. 8Moved 180 staff to a new building over one weekend with no lost working days
  9. 9Introduced a simple weekly status report that the portfolio office adopted for every project

Common mistakes

What costs project manager CVs interviews.

  • Describing the project, not your part in it.

    Say what you led, decided or fixed. "The team delivered" hides the thing the employer is hiring for.

  • Leaving out size and outcome.

    Give the budget, team size and timeline, and how it ended. "On budget" or "two weeks late after a scope change" are both useful.

  • Listing every methodology you've heard of.

    Name the ones you've used on real projects, and your certifications. Hiring managers will ask how you applied them.

  • Hiding a project that went wrong.

    A reset handled well is strong evidence. Say what you changed and what came of it.

New Zealand and Australia

What changes across the Tasman.

New Zealand

There's no licence to work as a project manager in New Zealand, so certifications do the work: many government and corporate roles ask for PRINCE2 or the Project Management Institute's PMP. PMP must be renewed every three years, so say yours is current.

New Zealand CV format

Australia

Some Australian employers ask for the Australian Institute of Project Management's certifications, such as Certified Practising Project Manager (CPPM). Australian employers usually say resume rather than CV, and expect about two pages.

Australian CV format

Sources: Project Management Institute: maintaining your certification, Australian Institute of Project Management: CPPM.

FAQ

Questions, answered.

Something else on your mind? Email support@smartcvs.ai and a person will reply.

Do I need a certification to get a project manager job?

Not always, but it helps in large organisations and government, where ads often list PRINCE2 or PMP. A strong track record with clear numbers matters most.

How many projects should I list?

Pick the three or four that show the biggest scale or the hardest problems. A long list of small projects is better summarised in one line.

Should my CV be longer because I've run many projects?

No. Two pages is plenty in New Zealand. Keep older roles short and let your recent, larger projects carry the detail.

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