Project management skills: what they are and how to show them
Project management is planning work, setting who does what by when, tracking progress and handling changes until it is delivered. O*NET lists active listening, critical thinking, monitoring, writing and active learning as top skills for project management specialists, with tools such as Jira, Microsoft Teams and Microsoft Excel.
At a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Skill | Project management |
| Source of the occupation data | O*NET OnLine (US Department of Labor), accessed 31 October 2026 |
| Occupations in this guide that list it | 4 |
| Where to learn more | Our career guides and the O*NET pages linked below |
What is Project management?
A project has a goal, a time frame and a team. Skills include scheduling, communicating status, managing risk and keeping people informed. You can show them from work, school or volunteering without a formal title.
Which jobs use it?
The occupation pages on O*NET OnLine list technology skills and top essential skills. These occupations from our career guides include this skill or closely related ones:
- Project Management Specialists (O*NET 13-1082.00): project management tools (Atlassian Confluence, Microsoft Teams, Oracle Primavera), Atlassian JIRA issue tracking, Asana and Microsoft Excel.
- Logisticians (O*NET 13-1081.00): project management (Microsoft Project, Oracle Primavera).
- Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive (O*NET 43-6014.00): project management tools (Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Project, Atlassian Confluence).
- Management Analysts (ONET 13-1111.00): a wide range of technology categories (ONET shows 59).
O*NET examples are illustrative, not a requirement for every employer. Read the postings for the role you want.
How do I show it on a resume?
- Describe the project: goal, your role, the team size if you know it and the outcome.
- Name the tools: Jira, Microsoft Project, Asana and so on, only if you used them.
- Show how you handled a change or delay in one line.
- Name a certification by its exact name only if you hold it.
See the project manager resume example and administrative assistant resume example for layout, and our guide to an ATS-friendly resume.
On LiveRec, employers who find candidates for a job see up to five of your skills on your card, with the ones that match the job first. Use the exact name of the skill, as in which skills to put on a profile.
Where can I learn it?
We link only official sources we could verify. The O*NET Skills Search shows skills and examples, and each career guide above explains typical education from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Ask your employer or school what training it offers, then add what you complete to your profile.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a title of project manager? No. Coordinating an event, a launch or a team task can show project skills if you describe scope, tasks and results.
Which tools should I list? List those you used. O*NET names Jira, Microsoft Project, Oracle Primavera, Asana and Microsoft Teams for related occupations.
What are the top skills for project management specialists? O*NET lists active listening, critical thinking, monitoring, writing and active learning.
Related guides
When you are ready, search jobs on LiveRec.
Sources
- O*NET OnLine, Project Management Specialists, 13-1082.00: https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/13-1082.00 (accessed 31 October 2026)
- O*NET OnLine, Logisticians, 13-1081.00: https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/13-1081.00 (accessed 31 October 2026)
- O*NET OnLine, Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive, 43-6014.00: https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/43-6014.00 (accessed 31 October 2026)
- O*NET OnLine, Management Analysts, 13-1111.00: https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/13-1111.00 (accessed 31 October 2026)
- O*NET OnLine, Skills Search: https://www.onetonline.org/skills/ (accessed 31 October 2026)