How to List Projects on Resumes in Six Steps

The main reason for listing projects on resumes is to show employers your skills, experiences, and professional achievements that fit into their role. It provides hiring managers with examples of actual projects where you used your knowledge and expertise to achieve results and move the organization towards its goals. Describing your projects can also show employers whether your personality traits are compatible with their company culture.

Project highlights also help you demonstrate leadership skills, ability to take initiative, and project management expertise. It shows you have a proven track record of success and allows employers to picture you in a position that requires the skill set used in past projects.

You can include a variety of projects on your resume so long as they apply to the job and will increase your chances of getting the position. Here are examples of projects you can list on your resume:

Work projects

You can include projects from your previous place of work in your resume. However, it is essential to highlight only accomplishments that showcase the skills relevant to the potential employer’s role.

Personal projects

You can also list personal projects that emphasize skills and personality traits potential employers are looking for in the ideal candidate for a role in their organization. The project can be through volunteering, community service, or a personal endeavor such as a blog. Personal projects provide a way to make a powerful impression on employers when you have little or no work experience, which makes them ideal for entry-level positions.

Academic projects

You can also list academic projects that highlight skills and competencies relevant to an employer’s role. The project may help showcase technical expertise or demonstrate soft skills such as leadership or teamwork.

Here are steps for highlighting projects on resumes:

Identify job-specific selling points you want to highlight

Identify your unique selling points relevant to the role. Study the job description carefully to identify the specific skills, experience, and personality traits the employer is looking for in the ideal candidate. Then note your skills that match the employer’s requirements and the previous projects where you used them to achieve results.

Highlight projects where you used job-specific skills

Now that you have a list of skills relevant to the employer’s requirements, highlight the projects that required you to use those competencies. It is important to choose only the projects that provide adequate verifiable proof of your achievements. This makes it easier for hiring managers to envision you using similar skills to achieve desired outcomes in their roles.

Include specific details of the project

It is important to focus on the unique details of each project that showcases your skills and experience. Mention data related to the project, including details like the dollar value, length, scope, number of team members you managed, and the amount of revenue generated at the end of the project. Highlighting facts and figures about past projects helps employers to better visualize how you can use your skills to achieve results for their company.

List projects under a separate section if you have extensive experience

If you have several projects relevant to the job you are applying for, create a separate section for the projects to make them more attention grabbing. If you have only a few projects, you can highlight each of them under a job description for previous employments. If you are adding academic projects, include them under your education section after listing your academic qualifications.

If you have a lengthy project list, which could be the case for positions as a freelancer or independent contractor, consider presenting your projects separately. Highlighting projects on a separate page from your resume can help keep the document tidy and increase the chances of recruiters seeing them.

Keep project descriptions brief

Keep your project descriptions concise but substantial. Provide just enough details to demonstrate your skills, experience, and successes relevant to the employer’s requirements for the role you want. That way, you can sell yourself and keep the resume length short while also providing hiring managers an in-depth access to your experience and knowledge.

Keep it professional

Make your project list presentable and professional. It is important to be consistent with your formatting to keep the document clean and appealing. Use bullet points, appropriate font sizes and margins, and columns to organize the information effectively.

Here are two examples you can use to list projects on your resume:

Example 1: Under a separate project section

Project Highlights

Project 1: Supervising a team of software developers creating an ecommerce API

MultiFit Systems|September, 2017

• Managed a team of 12 software developers, two quality control analysts, and one pen tester to create a four million-dollar ecommerce platform.
• Created and managed the budget and set deadlines and project milestones for the teams.
• Wrote reports and had meetings with the management and client to provide updates on project progress.
• Ensured the quality of the work met client and management specifications.

Example 2: In the job duties

Experience

Marketing Manager |Dynamo Organic Cosmetics

September 2015-December 2019

• Developed, implemented, and improved marketing strategies for seven beauty products.
• Hired, trained and orientated over 100 marketing and sales staff.
• Managed marketing budgets of over 10 million dollars and monitored the performance of marketing and promotion campaigns.
• Designed campaigns that improved audience engagement by 85 percent across seven major social media platforms.