What top tech recruiters REALLY look for in Project Managers

Hi friend,

This week over a coffee chat, I sat down with Anna, a senior tech recruiter who's hired hundreds of PMs.

Here's what you're probably getting wrong:

1. Your certifications aren't special anymore

"PMP and Agile certifications are now baseline qualifications," Anna told me.

What separates winning candidates? Application over certification.

Her advice: "Don't just tell me you're Scrum-certified - show me how you've adapted Agile practices to overcome specific project challenges."

2. You're not ready for the new interview questions

Project management interviews have transformed.

Gone are the days of "Tell me about yourself" dominating the conversation.

Be ready for scenarios like:

• "Walk me through how you handled your most severe scope creep situation"

• "How do you prioritize when engineering, design, and business stakeholders disagree?"

• "Tell me about a project that was headed for failure and how you turned it around"

• "How do you communicate bad news to executives?"

3. Your "portfolio" is just a resume with different formatting

Resumes tell. Portfolios show.

Anna reviews hundreds of PM applications weekly. What stands out?

"A candidate who can show me their documentation - even sanitized versions - gives me confidence in their organizational abilities."

Are you sharing actual artifacts from your PM work?

4. Your job search strategy is too passive

Most PM candidates wait for job postings, then fire off applications into the void.

"The PMs who get hired fastest demonstrated their expertise publicly," Anna said.

Her advice: "Join PM communities, contribute to discussions, and build relationships before you need a job. Build your personal brand. The candidates I notice are already visible in the industry."

Are you actively building your network, or just refreshing job boards?

One action to take today:

Create a 1-page "project outcome sheet" for your most impressive recent project.

Include:

• Original timeline vs. actual delivery date

• Initial budget vs. final spend

• Top 3 obstacles you overcame

• Measurable business impact

• A visual (timeline, dashboard, or team structure)

This single document will immediately separate you from 90% of PM candidates.

P.S. I have 100+ people subscribed to this newsletter yesterday, welcome ❤️ I am happy to support you on your better, stronger, brighter career.

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Until next week,

Violeta