Project management skills are abilities that allow you to plan projects, manage people working on them, resolve any issues that arise, and complete all tasks before the deadline. Due to their versatility, they are in high demand regardless of the industry, so adding them to your CV is paramount.
However, doing so effectively may be tricky. So, in this article, we will examine some of the most useful project management skills and show you where to include them and how to maximise their impact on recruiters.
Key Takeaways
Project management skills are a combination of technical, organisational, and interpersonal abilities that allow you to execute and complete projects on time.
The most in-demand hard skills in project management include project scheduling, risk management, budgeting and cost control, knowledge of project methodologies, and technical writing.
The most in-demand soft skills in project management are leadership, critical thinking, decision-making, communication, time management, and conflict resolution.
To develop your project management skills, you should take a course to learn about methodologies, familiarise yourself with frequently used tools, and practise your skills in your personal life.
What Are Project Management Skills?
Project management skills encompass technical, organisational, and interpersonal skills that help you plan, execute, and complete projects. Thanks to them, you can lead teams, manage budgets, meet objectives, and effectively communicate with clients and stakeholders.
All this is of vital importance for project managers, whose main responsibilities include:
Core Responsibilities of Project Managers
Planning the deadlines, execution, resource allocation, and all other aspects of a project
Executing specific strategies that were defined during the planning stage
Monitoring progress and team performance, ensuring that everyone stays on track
Closing the project by preparing the necessary documentation and submitting reports to higher-ups
Technical vs. Interpersonal Skills in Project Management
As we’ve said, project management encompasses technical and interpersonal skills, both of which are equally important for a well-rounded professional. However, their exact relevance depends on the project manager’s field; for instance, PMs in finance might need additional hard skills compared to those working in marketing.
Let’s quickly illustrate the difference between technical and interpersonal skills:
| Technical skills | Interpersonal skills |
Definition | Industry-specific skills obtained through training and learning | General skills obtained throughout life that easily transfer from one industry to another |
Examples | Project life cycle skills (scheduling, closing, monitoring), technical writing, budgeting, PM tools | Leadership, decision-making, active listening, negotiation, conflict resolution, communication |
5 Most In-Demand Hard Skills in Project Management
The most in-demand hard skills in project management include project scheduling, risk management, budgeting and cost control, knowledge of project methodologies, and technical writing and documentation.
Let’s examine each of these technical skills required for the project manager position in more detail:
#1. Project Scheduling
Project scheduling involves defining tasks, setting deadlines, estimating the duration of each task, and allocating resources. It’s a crucial skill for a project manager, who needs to plan ahead to ensure everything is completed on time and without delays.
Here is how you can include project scheduling abilities on your CV:
Good Example
Created detailed project schedules using Asana, increasing the team’s efficiency by 20%.
#2. Risk Management
Risk management enables project managers to identify potential threats to the project, allowing them to effectively address them before they impact its completion. As a result, the project can continue without any hitches and be delivered on time.
To add risk management to your CV, you should write something along these lines:
Good Example
Identified potential project risks across the department and developed mitigation strategies, which reduced delays by 24%.
#3. Budgeting and Cost Control
Project managers should be able to estimate the costs required to complete a project and ensure that the allocated budget is used efficiently. Budgeting skills can also help them negotiate higher funding when necessary or make informed decisions about cutting costs and reducing financial risks.
On your CV, you can highlight your budgeting skills in the following way:
Good Example
Managed project budgets exceeding £400,000, ensuring efficient resource allocation and preventing cost overruns.
#4. Knowledge of Project Methodologies
Project methodologies are essentially strategies that can be applied to help the team plan, organise, and execute a project. They improve workflow, enhance communication, and manage risks, all with the goal of achieving specific objectives.
These are the most common project methodologies every project manager should master:
Waterfall methodology, which uses the traditional approach of completing tasks sequentially, but lacks flexibility
Agile methodology, which is adaptive, quick, collaborative, and relies on self-motivation
Scrum methodology, which is similar to Agile, but splits work into shorter cycles, and is ideal for small and dynamic teams
Kanban methodology, which encourages the use of a kanban board, where the projects can be represented as columns and visualised at different stages
Here is how you can mention your knowledge of project methodologies on your CV:
Good Example
Implemented kanban boards to optimise workflow, increasing the team’s overall efficiency by 24%.
#5. Technical Writing and Documentation
Project managers are expected to handle plenty of documentation related to outcome projections, risk assessments, and budget analyses. As a result, they must be skilled at both interpreting and writing these documents, so they can file accurate reports to stakeholders.
Consider including technical writing and documentation on your CV in the following way:
Good Example
Maintained detailed project documentation, including status reports, risk assessments, and project plans.
5 Most In-Demand Soft Skills in Project Management
The most in-demand soft skills in project management include leadership and motivation, communication and collaboration, critical thinking and decision-making, time management and organisation, and conflict resolution and stakeholder management.
Let’s take a closer look at each of these project management skills:
#1. Leadership and Motivation
All managers require excellent leadership skills, as they are the ones who must motivate and guide the team towards a specific goal. This is true for project management, as well; PMs set objectives, communicate expectations, ensure that everyone is on track, and encourage those who are lagging behind.
It’s worth noting that leadership is a complex skill that entails some of the others found on this list. For instance, good leaders must also be confident decision-makers and excellent communicators. Otherwise, their subordinates have no reason to follow them, except that they are required to by the company hierarchy.
This is how you can demonstrate your leadership skills on your CV:
Good Example
Led a team of 7 in completing a complex, cross-departmental project, boosting their productivity by 13%.
#2. Communication and Collaboration
Project managers communicate with many people, including their team members, clients, stakeholders, and other relevant parties. Thus, they must possess highly developed interpersonal skills that allow them to establish rapport quickly, express themselves clearly, and actively listen to the other side.
Here’s how to include communication and collaboration on your CV:
Good Example
Facilitated effective communication between cross-functional teams, stakeholders, and clients, accelerating project completion.
#3. Critical Thinking and Decision-Making
Critical thinking and decision-making are essential project management skills that are valuable when determining the best approach to take, assessing risk, or resolving problems.
Namely, critical thinkers can examine the situation carefully from multiple angles and determine the best courses of action. Then, they can make sound decisions that arise from their previous analyses and conclusions.
Include these soft skills on your CV as follows:
Good Example
Analysed project bottlenecks and restructured task flow to increase efficiency by 23%.
#4. Time Management and Organisation
It goes without saying that project managers need to be excellent at organising their and other people’s time. After all, their primary responsibility is to ensure that projects remain on schedule and consistently meet deadlines.
So, here’s how you can add this skill to your CV:
Good Example
Managed overlapping projects across three departments, consistently meeting deadlines.
#5. Conflict Resolution and Stakeholder Management
Finally, stakeholder communication is a crucial part of a project manager’s role, particularly when conflicts arise and must be resolved quickly. In these cases, project managers must approach the situation diplomatically, employ active listening, and try to find a compromise that satisfies both parties.
This method shouldn’t be used only on stakeholders; essentially, any conflict that arises can be resolved this way. That includes disagreements with clients and friction between team members, too.
To add these project management skills to your CV, consider saying the following:
Good Example
De-escalated client concerns using active listening, resulting in a 95% satisfaction rate.
Why Are Project Management Skills Important for Your CV
Project management skills are important for your CV because they are currently in high demand on the market. According to the Project Management Institute, the global economy will need 25 million new project managers by 2030 to keep pace with its growth in developing countries.
Moreover, project management skills are incredibly versatile and can be applied across numerous industries, be it technology, healthcare, marketing, business, or finance. As a result, your chances of employment drastically increase when you add them to your CV.
How to Showcase Project Management Skills on Your CV
To showcase project management skills on your CV, you can include them in your summary, work experience section, or skills section. Additionally, consider elaborating on them in your cover letter, since you won’t have too much space for this elsewhere.
Now, let’s take a look at how to include project manager skills on your resume:
Summary/Objective
Your CV summary is the first place where you can include your project management skills, and you shouldn’t miss this opportunity. After all, this section provides a brief overview of your application, so it’s the first thing most employers look at.
Generally, the best way to do it is to include soft skills as descriptors and weave hard skills into the sentence that highlights your greatest achievement. Remember, the CV summary should be only 4–5 lines long, so you won’t have much room for elaboration and should make sure every word counts.
Here’s an example of a CV summary with project management skills:
Example CV Summary with Project Management Skills
Highly organised project manager with 13 years of experience leading cross-functional teams, meeting deadlines, and managing project funds. Implemented an innovative Scrum methodology to boost my team’s efficiency by 23% and improve the client satisfaction rate. Known for my excellent time management, critical thinking, and a decisive approach.
Work Experience Section
The work experience section is an excellent opportunity to put your project management skills in context and illustrate them through specific achievements. That way, you can show you possess them rather than simply claiming you do.
You can demonstrate your skills in bullet points that elaborate on your accomplishments and responsibilities in your previous role. However, remember that these bullet points shouldn’t be longer than a sentence, so you need to make every word count.
Here’s how you can do that:
Project Management Skills in Your Work Experience
Work Experience
Project Manager
XYZ Company
October 2020–November 2024
Managed budgets for 10+ projects, many of which were valued at over £100,000.
Led a team of 10 developers and designers, streamlining their efforts, resolving conflicts, and facilitating communication.
Created detailed risk logs and stakeholder reports, improving transparency overall.
Skills Section
Obviously, your project management skills should be included in the skills section, which should contain a list of your most relevant competencies, ordered from hard to soft ones.
However, you can’t elaborate on your skills in this section; they are listed without further explanation. This allows recruiters to scan the section easily and determine whether your abilities align with their requirements.
This is what the section should look like:
Example of a Project Management Skills Section
Skills
Project scheduling
Budgeting
Risk management
Scrum, Agile
Technical writing
Leadership
Communication
Organisation
Conflict resolution
Cover Letter
Finally, your cover letter is a good opportunity to elaborate on your project management skills, since it offers more space for explanations than a CV. Even so, don’t go overboard; include the most important information and save the rest for your interview.
How to Develop Project Management Skills
To develop project management skills, you can do the following:
Take a course on project methodology. No project manager knows how to implement Agile or Scrum methodologies without guidance, so you shouldn’t expect to be an instant professional either. The best way to learn is how most PMs do: take a course that will clarify these concepts and teach you through practical examples.
Learn to use project management software. Project managers regularly use software like Trello, Asana, Jira, or ClickUp to streamline their tasks and keep track of their progress. Familiarise yourself with these tools and get more comfortable with their various functions.
Take responsibility for personal group projects. If you don’t have a professional opportunity to improve your project management skills, turn to your personal life. Are there any group trips or events that need to be organised? If so, take charge of communications, timelines, and finances.
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Final Thoughts
Project management skills are relevant across many industries, so they certainly deserve a spot on your CV. After all, your chances of getting hired drastically increase if you are organised, communicative, and excellent at managing yourself and others.
If you’re not sure how to effectively include them on your application, even after reading our guide, use our builder or explore some of our CV examples. You’ll learn how to impress your employers in no time!
Project Management Skills FAQ
#1. What are the top 5 project management skills?
The top 5 project management skills include communication, leadership, patience, time management, and organisation. As you can see, employers’ focus is more on soft skills, since they are crucial in a people-oriented job such as this.
#2. Do I need certification to get a PM job?
You don’t necessarily need certification to get a PM job, but some credentials for project managers can significantly boost your chances. For instance, many PMs get the internationally recognised Project Management Professional (PMP) certificate issued by the Project Management Institute (PMI). There are other options, too, especially if you look for project management training online.
#3. How long does it take to learn project management skills?
Learning project management skills can take anywhere between several weeks and a few years, depending on the path you choose. If you decide to obtain a certificate, you’ll likely need a few months. However, if you opt for a project management degree, you’ll only complete it upon graduation, which can take several years.
