What is an Applicant Tracking System (ATS)?
An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is software used by companies to organize and filter job applications. When you apply for a job, the ATS scans your resume for specific keywords, skills, and qualifications that match the employer’s requirements. It then ranks candidates, pushing the best matches to the top. However, over 70% of resumes don’t make it past this stage, so optimizing your resume for ATS is essential to increase your chances of landing an interview.
Why companies use ATS?
Many companies use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to handle the large number of job applications they receive. Manually reviewing hundreds of resumes is time-consuming, so ATS helps by filtering candidates based on skills and experience, saving hiring managers time. It also ensures a fair, standardized hiring process by evaluating all applicants using the same criteria, reducing bias. Additionally, ATS provides useful hiring data, helping companies improve their recruitment strategies over time.
How does the ATS Work?
Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) work in a few simple steps. First, a company creates a job posting and uploads it to the ATS, which then publishes it on job boards and career sites. When you apply, the ATS scans your resume, breaking it into sections and searching for specific keywords and qualifications that match the job requirements. This helps employers quickly identify the best candidates.
What is an ATS Resume?
An ATS resume is a resume designed to pass through an Applicant Tracking System easily. It uses a simple, clean format with standard headings and includes relevant keywords from the job description. This ensures the ATS can accurately read and match your skills to the job requirements, making it easier for both the system and recruiters to review your application.
How to write an ATS friendly Resume?
Few Tips in brief before we drill down on step-by-step guide for making best resume.
Choose the Right Format – Use a reverse-chronological format in most cases, as it highlights your most recent experience first. Add the Right Contact Details – Include your job title, professional email, and relevant links (LinkedIn, portfolio, website), but leave out a headshot. Write a Strong Resume Summary – If you have experience, use a summary to grab attention and encourage the hiring manager to keep reading. Optimize Your Work Experience – Tailor this section to the job by highlighting achievements with numbers and using strong action verbs. Include Relevant Skills – List only the hard and soft skills that match the job requirements. Keep Education Brief – Mention your highest degree; add details only if you’re a recent graduate with little experience. Use Optional Sections Wisely – Extra sections like languages, certifications, and projects can help you stand out. Always Include a Cover Letter – In 2025, cover letters still matter! Pair your resume with a well-crafted one to boost your chances.
Step by Step Guide to make best ATS Friendly Resume
Choose the right format:
Format : Best format is reverse chronological where you put the recent work at the top and so on.
Layout Best Practices -
Keep It to One Page - Only use two pages if you have decades of experience and need the extra space.
Use Clear Section Headings - Keep all section titles consistent to make navigation easy for hiring managers.
Adjust Margins - Set 1-inch margins on all sides to maintain a clean and organized look.
Choose a Professional Font - Use fonts like Ubuntu, Roboto, or Overpass; avoid Times New Roman and never use Comic Sans.
Set the Right Font Size - Use 11-12 pt for body text and 14-16 pt for section titles.
Save as a PDF - Always submit your resume as a PDF unless the job posting asks for a different format to avoid formatting issues.
Modern or Old School - Choose how your resume would look like.
Adding Your Contact Information
Your contact details should be at the top of your resume so hiring managers can easily find them. Even a small typo in your email or phone number could cost you an opportunity, so double-check everything.
Must-Have Information:
✅ Full Name – Clearly displayed at the top.
✅ Email Address – Use a professional format (e.g., ).
✅ Phone Number – Provide a reliable number.
✅ Location – Mention your city and state/country, and specify if you're open to relocation or remote work.
Optional Information:
🔹 Job Title – Use your actual title (e.g., "Product Manager," not "Marketing Wizard").
🔹 LinkedIn Profile – 77% of hiring managers check LinkedIn, so include a link.
🔹 Relevant Links – Portfolio, GitHub, Behance, etc., depending on your profession.
What to Avoid:
❌ Date of Birth – Unnecessary and could lead to bias.
❌ Unprofessional Email – No quirky or outdated addresses (e.g., ).
❌ Headshot – In countries like the U.S., U.K., and Ireland, including a photo is discouraged or even illegal. Always check local norms. Also it might to lead to age discrimination or bias - so this is subjective.
Resume Headline: Summary vs. Objective
Since recruiters skim resumes in less than 7 seconds, your headline needs to grab attention immediately. It’s placed right under your contact information and can be either a resume summary or a resume objective, depending on your experience level.
A. Resume Summary (For Experienced Professionals)
A resume summary is a 2-3 sentence snapshot of your career, showcasing:
✅ Your job title & years of experience
✅ Key professional achievements
✅ Most relevant skills for the job
Example:
🚀 Experienced Product Manager with 6+ years in FinTech, specializing in credit and lending products. Led cross-functional teams to optimize user onboarding, increasing loan disbursals by 30%. Strong background in data-driven decision-making, stakeholder management, and product-led growth. Seeking to drive impactful solutions at [Target Company].
B. Resume Objective (For Career Changers or Recent Grads)
A resume objective focuses on:
🔹 Your career goals & aspirations
🔹 Your academic background (if applicable)
🔹 Relevant transferable skills
Example (Recent Graduate):
🎓 Recent MBA graduate with a passion for product management and data-driven decision-making. Experience in market research and user behavior analysis. Seeking to leverage analytical and problem-solving skills to build impactful products at [Target Company].
Example (Career Change):
🔄Software engineer transitioning into product management, bringing 5+ years of experience in SaaS development and agile methodologies. Successfully led feature rollouts impacting 100K+ users. Excited to apply a tech-first mindset to drive user-centric innovation at [Target Company].
Pro Tip: Stick to a resume summary unless you’re a recent graduate or making a career switch. Work Experience
How to List Work Experience on a Product Manager Resume
The most important section of your product management resume is your Work Experience. This is where you showcase your impact, leadership, and ability to drive successful products.
Recruiters and hiring managers want to quickly assess if you have the right experience for the role. So, instead of just listing job responsibilities, focus on achievements, impact, and measurable outcomes.
Standard Work Experience Format for a PM Resume
Each entry should follow this structure:
✅ Job Title & Level – Clearly state your role (e.g., Senior Product Manager, Associate Product Manager). Hiring managers scan for relevant experience, so make sure this stands out.
✅ Company Name & Location – Mention the organization and its primary industry if it’s not widely known.
✅ Dates of Employment – Use the mm/yyyy format to indicate the timeline of your role.
✅ Achievements & Impact – Use bullet points to describe your key accomplishments.
Focus on:
Product Outcomes: How did your work improve the product or user experience?
Business Impact: Did you drive revenue, improve retention, or reduce costs?
Metrics & Data: Show measurable improvements in KPIs (e.g., conversion rate, engagement, NPS).
Leadership & Collaboration: Highlight cross-functional teamwork with engineering, design, marketing, and sales.
Strategic Initiatives: Did you launch a new feature, expand into a new market, or improve an internal process?
Product Manager Resume Work Experience Example
✅ Senior Product Manager | FinTech Inc. | New York, NY | Jan 2021 – Present
Launched a personalized lending feature, increasing loan application conversion by 30%.
Led a team of 5 engineers, 2 designers, and 1 data scientist to improve the loan approval algorithm, reducing processing time from 24 hours to 2 minutes.
Implemented A/B testing to optimize the onboarding flow, improving user retention by 15%.
Developed the product roadmap, aligning stakeholders across growth, marketing, and engineering teams.
✅ Associate Product Manager | XYZ Tech | San Francisco, CA | Aug 2019 – Dec 2020
Spearheaded a pricing model update, leading to a 12% increase in revenue.
Conducted user research & competitive analysis to refine product-market fit, contributing to a 20% boost in customer engagement.
Worked closely with UX/UI designers to enhance the checkout experience, decreasing cart abandonment by 10%.
Tips for a Standout Product Manager Resume
✅ Use Metrics to Show Impact
Instead of: "Worked on improving user onboarding"
Write: "Optimized user onboarding, reducing drop-off rate by 20% and increasing activation by 25%."
✅ Tailor Your Resume to the Job Description
If the job requires growth experience, highlight your work on retention, activation, and acquisition.
If it’s a technical PM role, emphasize your collaboration with engineers and data-driven decision-making.
✅ Make It ATS-Friendly
Use relevant keywords from the job description, like roadmap planning, A/B testing, stakeholder management, OKRs, Agile, KPIs.
How to List Your Education on a Product Manager Resume
The education section of your Product Manager resume should be clear and concise. While experience matters more in PM roles, your academic background still plays a role—especially if you have a business, tech, or data-focused degree or if you're an entry-level candidate.
What to Include in Your Resume’s Education Section.
Must-Have Information:
✅ Degree & Major – Clearly state your degree and field of study. (E.g., "B.S. in Computer Science" or "MBA in Product Management")
✅ University Name – List the name of your institution. (E.g., "Stanford University")
✅ Dates Attended – Use the mm/yyyy format. (E.g., "08/2015 - 05/2019")
Optional Information:
✔ Location – Helpful if the university is lesser-known. (E.g., "Mumbai, India")
✔ GPA – Only include if it’s above 3.5 or relevant to your application. (E.g., "GPA: 3.9/4.0")
✔ Honors & Distinctions – (E.g., "Summa Cum Laude, Dean’s List")
✔ Relevant Coursework – Useful if you’re entry-level. (E.g., "Courses: Data Analytics, Agile Development, UX Design")
✔ Thesis/Research Projects – Mention product-related projects. (E.g., "Capstone: AI-powered Product Recommendations")
✔ Certifications – If you have relevant PM certifications (E.g., "Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO)"), consider listing them in a separate Certifications section.
Example: Education Section on a Product Manager Resume
✅ For Experienced PMs:
Master of Business Administration (MBA), Product Management
Harvard Business School | Cambridge, MA | 2018 - 2020
Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Computer Science
University of California, Berkeley | Berkeley, CA | 2013 - 2017
✅ For Entry-Level PMs:
Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), Marketing & Data Analytics
New York University (NYU) | New York, NY | 2018 - 2022
Relevant Coursework: Market Research, UX Design, Agile Methodologies, A/B Testing
Capstone Project: Led a team to develop a fintech product prototype, winning Best Startup Idea in the university’s innovation challenge
✅ If You Have Certifications:
Certifications:
Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO) – Scrum Alliance
Google Data Analytics Certificate – Coursera
Resume Education Tips for Product Managers
🔹 For Senior PMs: Keep this section brief—your experience matters more. Only list your highest relevant degree.
🔹 For Aspiring/Junior PMs: Highlight coursework, projects, and certifications that align with product management.
🔹 For Career Switchers: If your degree is in an unrelated field, you can supplement it with PM certifications, bootcamps, or relevant courses.
🔹 Don’t Include High School if you have a university degree.
Showcase Your Product Management Skills
After your work experience, your skills are one of the most critical sections on your resume. Product management requires a blend of hard skills (technical expertise) and soft skills (leadership, communication, and strategic thinking).
Your skills section should highlight both:
What to Include in Your Resume’s Skills Section:
Must-Have Hard Skills for Product Managers
These are the technical and functional skills that demonstrate your proficiency in product management methodologies, tools, and data analysis.
✅ Product Management Frameworks
Agile Methodology
Scrum Framework
Lean Product Development
Kanban
Waterfall Project Management
✅ Product Roadmap & Prioritization
Roadmap Planning
OKRs (Objectives & Key Results)
RICE Prioritization
MoSCoW Method
Kano Model
✅ User & Market Research
User Interviews
Surveys & Feedback Analysis
Competitive Analysis
Jobs-to-Be-Done (JTBD)
Market Sizing (TAM, SAM, SOM)
✅ Product Metrics & Analytics
AARRR (Pirate Metrics)
DAU/WAU/MAU Analysis
Retention & Churn Analysis
Cohort Analysis
SQL for Data Analysis
Google Analytics, Amplitude, Mixpanel
✅ Product Design & UX
User Story Mapping
Wireframing (Figma, Balsamiq, Sketch)
Prototyping & Usability Testing
A/B Testing & Experimentation
✅ Go-To-Market & Growth
Product-Led Growth (PLG)
Growth Hacking
Pricing Strategies
Customer Journey Mapping
Acquisition & Retention Strategies
✅ Product & Project Management Tools
JIRA, Confluence
Trello, Asana
Notion
Slack & Miro
Essential Soft Skills for Product Managers
These are the personal and interpersonal skills that make you an effective leader and decision-maker.
✅ Leadership & Stakeholder Management
Cross-functional Team Leadership
Influencing Without Authority
Negotiation & Conflict Resolution
✅ Strategic Thinking & Problem-Solving
Product Vision & Strategy
First-Principles Thinking
Critical Thinking & Decision Making
✅ Communication & Collaboration
Storytelling & Presentation Skills
Writing PRDs & User Stories
Active Listening & Customer Empathy
✅ Time & Project Management
Prioritization Under Constraints
Managing Multiple Roadmaps
Adaptability & Agile Execution
Resume Skills Section Tips for Product Managers
💡 Tailor Your Skills to the Job
Carefully review the job description and highlight skills that match the role’s requirements.
💡 Categorize Hard and Soft Skills Separately
This makes it easier for recruiters to scan your resume.
💡 Indicate Your Proficiency Level for Hard Skills
Example: SQL (Intermediate), A/B Testing (Advanced), Wireframing (Beginner).
💡 Include Transferable Skills
If transitioning into product management, highlight skills like problem-solving, data analysis, and leadership.
Leverage Optional Resume Sections
The core sections—work experience, skills, and education—are the foundation of your resume. However, if you have additional space, including optional sections can further strengthen your application and help you stand out.
Here are some optional resume sections that can add value to your Product Manager (PM) resume:
Languages
Product Management often involves working with cross-functional teams, international stakeholders, and diverse user bases. If you are bilingual or multilingual, mentioning your language skills can be a significant advantage.
When listing languages, use proficiency levels:
Native – You grew up speaking the language.
Fluent – You can speak, write, and understand the language at a professional level.
Proficient – You have strong command but may lack native-level fluency.
Intermediate – You can communicate but have limitations.
Basic – You have a foundational understanding.
💡 Example:
English – Native
Spanish – Fluent
French – Intermediate
Hobbies and Interests
While this section isn’t mandatory, it can add personality to your resume. It’s especially useful if your hobbies align with your role as a Product Manager.
💡 Example of relevant hobbies for a PM:
Behavioral Psychology – Understanding user behavior helps with product design.
Public Speaking – Demonstrates strong communication and leadership skills.
Blogging or Writing – Shows thought leadership and an ability to articulate ideas.
Entrepreneurship – Highlights a passion for building products.
Volunteering Experience
Volunteering can showcase your leadership, initiative, and problem-solving skills—key attributes of a great PM.
💡 Example:
Product Mentor at [PM Mentorship Program]
Guided aspiring product managers in understanding roadmapping, prioritization, and product strategy.
Conducted monthly case study reviews and resume workshops.
Certifications
Certifications help validate your expertise in various PM-related domains. If you’ve completed relevant courses or certifications, list them here.
💡 Examples:
Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO) – Scrum Alliance
Google Data Analytics Certificate – Coursera
A/B Testing by Google – Udacity
Growth Product Manager Nanodegree – Udacity
Awards and Recognitions
If you’ve received awards for your work, product launches, or contributions to the PM community, this is the place to highlight them.
💡 Example:
Winner of Product Innovation Challenge 2023 – Recognized for developing a feature that increased user retention by 25%.
Top 50 Product Managers to Follow in 2024 – Featured by [Product Community/Blog Name].
Publications
Have you written articles on product management, growth strategies, or user experience? If yes, mention them here. Publications can showcase your expertise and thought leadership.
💡 Example:
"The Role of Data in Product Decision-Making” – Published on [Medium/LinkedIn/Tech Blog].
"How to Conduct Effective User Research" – Published in [Product School Blog].
Projects
Projects are a great way to demonstrate your ability to ship products, even if they weren’t part of your full-time job.
💡 Example:
Built a FinTech MVP
Created a mobile lending app prototype and conducted user interviews with 100+ users.
Defined key product metrics and ran an A/B test to optimize conversions.
Extracurricular Activities
If you’ve been involved in PM-related activities outside work, list them here.
💡 Example:
Co-host of PM Podcast – Interviewed industry leaders on product strategy.
Member of ProductTank Community – Engaged in discussions on PM best practices.
Hackathon Participant – Won 2nd place in a startup ideation challenge.
Resume Checklist
Does your Contact Information section have all the must-have information? Is your contact email professional?
E.g., Are you using the right resume format?
Hint: In most cases, it should be reverse-chronological. Does your resume fit the one-page standard? Did you include all the must-have sections in your resume? Did you include a Resume Summary/Objective?
While it’s not mandatory, it can really help! Did you list only the most relevant work experiences?
(I.e., Applying for a job in finance? Your experience should be about finance.) Did you list achievements instead of responsibilities? Did you tailor your resume to the job ad you’re applying for?
Did you mention all the essential keywords? Did you mention the right amount of work experience in your resume?
(I.e., 10–15 years of experience max.) Did you list all the right skills for the position you’re applying for? Did you add any of the optional sections to your resume? And finally, did you proofread your resume?
We’d recommend asking a friend or using software like Grammarly.
Expert Resume Tips to Stand Out
Take your resume to the next level with these expert strategies:
Match Your Title – Align the professional title under your name with the job title you’re applying for to help hiring managers quickly identify your intent. Highlight Promotions – Showcase career growth by emphasizing achievements that led to promotions in your work experience. Use the X-Y-Z Formula – Structure achievements as: Accomplished X as measured by Y by doing Z for maximum impact. Keep It Concise – Use bullet points to make accomplishments easy to scan. Avoid Personal Pronouns – Stick to a professional third-person tone (e.g., Managed data integrity at XYZ Inc.). Use Standard Section Names – Stick to “Work Experience” and “Skills” instead of creative alternatives to ensure ATS compatibility. Prioritize Keywords – Focus on relevant skills and qualifications rather than stuffing keywords. Leverage Transferable Skills – Highlight extracurriculars and personal projects if you lack direct experience. Use Strategic Color – Add subtle color to headings or bullet points to enhance readability without distraction. Skip References – Omit "References available upon request" to save space—it's understood. Optimize for Mobile – Save as a PDF to ensure proper formatting across all devices. Rename the File – Include your name and job title in the file name for clarity. Read It Aloud – Catch awkward phrasing and typos by reading your resume out loud. Track Engagement – Use tools like DocSend to monitor when and how long your resume is viewed. A polished resume makes all the difference—apply these tips to stand out! 🚀
Good Finds
Check you resume score on Resumeworded - you only get 6 free checks in a lifetime for free. So use wisely. Even Naukri would give you free ATS score but you will have to upload and create your profile for that.
