Program Manager Resume: Examples and Tips

Program managers are involved with all levels of film and video production, ensuring successful completion and delivery of projects, coordinating with clients and licensors, and supporting sales and marketing processes. To succeed in this position, you should be proficient at risk management, project management principles, and conflict resolution skills. This job requires a background in business management, as well as production experience.

To get ahead of other candidates for program manager jobs, make use of these writing tips and resume examples to effectively present your qualifications.

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Mid Level Program Manager Resume Example

Top 4 Characteristics of a Best-in-Class Program Manager Resume

  1. Summary Describe your top skills and work accomplishments in a few short sentences, presented in “elevator pitch” style. For example: “Experienced program manager skilled in managing ongoing film and television productions, sticking to budgets and deadlines.”
  2. Skills Analyze the requirements for the program manager job you’re applying to and include skills that target what the job requires. For example, if the job lists “pitching, and fostering client relationships” as a requirement, you could write “Client management and retention skills” here. Don’t forget to include other abilities that are paramount for the media and entertainment industry, such as team management, critical thinking and task management software.
  3. Work history Focus more on your accomplishments instead of daily routines. Use numbers to give your accomplishments more weight. For example: “Grew production partnerships with new clients, producing an average of 6-8 high-quality projects per year” is more impressive than “Expanded production partnerships to produce high-quality projects.”
  4. Education List your highest academic honors in fields such as business administration, accounting and management, as well as any credentials or certifications in related areas, such as a Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification.

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Do’s and Don’ts for Your Resume

  • Do fill out your education section with relevant credentials. Don’t just list your college degree in your education section; include achievements such as scholarships, awards and any activities you’ve taken part in that relate to program management. For example: “Received student award for program management study” or “Volunteered at city newspaper, assisting with video programming and special features projects.”
  • Do show off your expertise through projects and certifications. You should be able to prove that you’re both well-trained and experienced. In your education and skills sections, include certifications that can give you an edge on your peers, such as Certified Associate in Project Management, Certified Scrum Master or BVOP Certified Program Manager. You should also consider a separate “Credits” section where you feature your most successful projects to date (e.g., “Managed production budgeting and execution for short film that was recognized at the Telluride Film Festival”). Always tailor your certifications and work experience to best fit what the job requires.
  • Do include portfolio or job network links if you have them. As a general rule of thumb, you should note your most important projects and achievements on your resume, and point recruiters to your professional portfolio website for more extensive details on your work. You can also include a link to your profile on a site like LinkedIn. In both cases, include these links at the top of your page, with your contact information.
  • Don’t get too wordy. Avoid going overboard when explaining your job responsibilities, skills and accomplishments. Recruiters take approximately 7.4 seconds to analyze your resume, and a document stuffed with over-descriptive text can hurt your chances to make a good impression. Keep your phrases and sentences concise, sticking to bullet points, and cutting out any irrelevant information. Aim for a resume one page long.
  • Don’t forget to proofread your resume. No matter how qualified you may be, a simple grammatical error or misspelling is enough for many recruiters to toss your resume in the trash. Take the time to review your document, and make sure your punctuation is consistent, your information is accurate, and everything is mistake-free.
  • Don’t try to hide gaps in your work experience. Instead of fibbing or outright lying about gaps in your experience, focus on your skills and your positive work experiences. (A good way to do this is to use a combination resume format.) If an employer checks with you directly about your work gaps, be honest in explaining the reasons behind your unemployment, and why you’re prepared to tackle the new job opportunity.