Product Owner Resume Hacks: How to Write a Resume That Gets Noticed

As a product owner, you’re accountable for the return on investment of the product development effort. In short, you must ensure your developers build the greatest value in the least amount of time—all with the highest quality.

Your resume is your ticket to your dream job. It's the first chance to show potential employers that you're the right person for the role. However, writing a resume that stands out from the competition can be tricky.

Below, we'll share the top product owner resume hacks to help you write a resume that gets noticed and lands you the job you want. We'll cover everything from resume format and content to common resume mistakes to avoid.

So whether you're a seasoned product owner or just starting, we've got you covered. Read on to learn how to write a product owner resume that will make hiring managers want to interview you.

Writing a Product Owner Resume

Your resume is your first opportunity to make a good impression on potential employers. Your resume should highlight your skills and experience and convince hiring managers that you are the right person for the job.

In this blog post, you'll learn:

• How to format a product owner resume
• What to include in each section of your resume
• How to write clear and concise resume bullet points
• How to quantify your accomplishments
• Tips for tailoring your resume to each job you apply for
• How to use keywords throughout your resume
• Common resume mistakes to avoid

We will also provide a sample resume template so you can get started.

Formatting

The first step to writing a great product owner resume is to choose the proper format. The most common resume format is reverse chronological, in which your most recent job is listed first. This format is easy for hiring managers to read and scan and is also the most widely accepted format by applicant tracking systems (ATS).

Here is a breakdown of the reverse chronological resume format:

• Name and contact information: This section should include your name, email address, phone number, and mailing address. You can also include a link to your LinkedIn profile.
• Summary or objective: This is a succinct overview of your skills and experience and what responsibilities you seek in a new role.
• Work experience: This section should list your previous jobs in reverse chronological order. For each job, include the company name, job title, and the dates you worked there. Then, list your key responsibilities and accomplishments.
• Skills: This section should list your skills and abilities, both hard skills (e.g., proficiency in specific software programs) and soft skills (e.g., communication and collaboration).
• Education: This section should list your educational background, including the schools you attended, the degrees you earned, and your major(s).

Here are some tips for formatting your resume:

• Use Arial, Times New Roman, or another clear and concise font
• Use a font size of 11 or 12 points
• Use white space to make your resume easy to read and scan
• Use bold and italics to highlight important information
• Use consistent formatting throughout your resume

Consider including a portfolio section in your resume. This section can showcase your work and skills to potential employers. For example, you could include links to product demos, blog posts, or case studies.

Content

The content of your resume is just as important as the format. You want to ensure your resume is clear, concise, and informative. You also want to make sure that it highlights your skills and experience in a way that is relevant to the jobs you are applying for.

Here is a breakdown of the different sections of your resume and what to include in each section:

Resume Summary or Objective Statement

A resume summary or objective statement is a brief overview of your skills and experience and what you seek in a new role. Your resume summary or objective statement should be a maximum of a few sentences long and tailored to each job you apply for.

For example, if you are applying for a product owner job at a tech startup, your resume summary or objective statement might look like this:

Product owner with 5+ years of experience in the tech industry. A proven record of developing and launching successful products. Expertise in agile methodologies, user-centered design, and product management. Passionate about building products that meet users' needs and deliver value to businesses.

Work Experience

List previous roles in reverse chronological order. For each job, include the company name, job title, and the dates you worked there. Then, list your key responsibilities and accomplishments.

Be sure to use specific and action-oriented verbs to describe your accomplishments. For example, instead of saying "responsible for developing new products," say "developed and launched three new products that generated over $1 million in revenue in the first year."

Excellent experiences for a product owner to speak about on their resumes include:

• Experience with agile frameworks, such as scrum and kanban
• Experience with user-centered design
• Experience with product management tools, such as Jira or Azure 
• Experience with data analysis tools, such as SQL and Tableau
• Experience with technical writing
• Strong communication and collaboration skills
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills

Finally, always remember to quantify your accomplishments whenever possible. For example, instead of "improved customer satisfaction," say, "increased customer satisfaction by 15% by implementing new customer support features."

Skills

This section should list your hard skills (e.g., proficiency in specific software programs) and soft skills (e.g., communication and collaboration). The "Skills in the New World of Work" report found that soft skills are in high demand, with 62% of organizations looking for communication skills and 39% looking for teamwork and collaboration experience.

Be sure to list the skills that are most relevant to the job. You can also include a link to your LinkedIn profile in this section, where potential employers can learn more about your skills and experience.

Good skills for a product owner to mention on their resume (and remember to provide specific examples):

• Product backlog management: The product owner is accountable for the product backlog, an ordered list of all the work that needs to be done on the product. The product owner should be able to order the backlog based on value, customer needs, business goals, and technical feasibility.
• Collaborate with stakeholders: The product owner must collaborate effectively with various stakeholders, including engineers, designers, marketing professionals, and sales representatives. The product owner must be able to communicate the product vision to stakeholders and get their buy-in on the product roadmap.
• Track and measure progress: The product owner is accountable for the product's return on investment and should be able to use data to make informed decisions about the product backlog and product roadmap.

Education

This section should list your educational background, including the schools you attended, the degrees you earned, and your major(s). List any relevant coursework or extracurricular activities in this section.

Here are some additional tips for writing excellent resume content:

• Be clear and concise. Avoid using jargon or technical language that hiring managers may not understand.
• Be specific and action-oriented. Use specific verbs and examples to describe your skills and experience.
• Be honest and truthful. Refrain from exaggerating your skills or experience.
• Proofread your resume carefully before submitting it. Make sure there are no errors in grammar or spelling.

Tips for Writing a Great Product Owner Resume

Here are some tips for writing a great product owner resume:

• Tailor your resume to the specific job. Emphasize experience that is the most relevant to the role. For example, if you are applying for a product owner job at a tech startup, you should highlight your experience with agile methodologies and user-centered design. If you are applying for a product owner job at a large enterprise company, highlight your experience with waterfall development and project management.
• Use keywords throughout your resume. This will increase the chances of the resume getting noticed by applicant tracking systems. When choosing keywords, think about the skills and experience that are most important for the job you are applying for. You can also use a keyword research tool to find popular keywords related to product owners. Effective keywords for product owners include:
• Product management
• Scrum
• Agile
• User stories
• Maximizing value
• Backlog management
• Requirements gathering
• Stakeholder relationships
• Data analysis
• Technical writing
• Communication
• Collaboration
• Highlight your soft skills. Soft skills (e.g., communication, collaboration, and problem-solving) are just as critical as hard skills for product owners. Be sure to highlight your soft skills throughout your resume and provide specific examples of how you have used these skills to be successful in your previous roles.
• Get feedback from others. Once you have a draft of your resume, ask a friend, family member, or colleague to review it. Their feedback may identify areas needing improvement.

Here are some additional tips to keep in mind when writing your product owner resume:

• Use a clear and concise font. Use only a few different fonts or font sizes, as this will make your resume difficult to read.
• Use white space to make your resume easy to scan. Make sure to leave your resume with text. Be sure to leave plenty of white space between your resume sections and bullet points.
• Proofread your resume carefully before submitting it. Make sure there are no errors in grammar or spelling.

Avoid These Common Product Owner Resume Mistakes

Here are some common mistakes to avoid:

Focusing too much on your job duties

Instead of focusing on your job duties, focus on your accomplishments and the results that you achieved. For example, instead of saying "responsible for managing the product backlog," say "managed the product backlog for a team of 10 engineers, resulting in the successful launch of 3 new products." 

Using a generic resume summary or objective statement

Your resume summary or objective statement should be tailored to each job you apply for, highlighting your most relevant skills and experience.

Using clichés or buzzwords

Avoid using clichés or buzzwords in your resume. They don't tell hiring managers anything specific about your skills or experience. Be more specific about your skills and experience. Instead of using buzzwords, focus on specific examples of your accomplishments. 

For example, instead of saying "hard worker," say "increased sales by 15% by implementing a new marketing campaign." 

Instead of "team player," say "collaborated with a team of engineers to develop and launch a new product that generated over $1 million in revenue in its first year" or "facilitated weekly team meetings and helped to resolve conflicts and build consensus." 

Instead of "results-oriented," say "increased website traffic by 20% by implementing new SEO strategies" or "developed and managed a budget of $100,000 and completed all projects on time and within budget." 

Here are some examples of buzzwords or cliches to avoid:

• Hard worker
• Team player
• Results-oriented
• Motivated
• Passionate
• Creative
• Innovative
• Strategic
• Dynamic
• Experienced
• Proficient
• Skilled

Not quantifying your skills

Whenever possible, quantify your skills to show hiring managers your level of expertise. For example, instead of saying "proficient in SQL," say "proficient in SQL with 5+ years of experience."

Not including your contact information

Include your name, email address, phone number, and mailing address at the top of your resume.

Sample Product Owner Resume

Discover Your Career Potential: The Impact of Crafting an Outstanding Product Owner Resume

A great resume is essential for any product owner looking for a new job. By following the tips in this blog post, you can write a resume that will help you stand out from the competition and land your dream job.

To learn more about becoming a Certified Scrum Product Owner to stand apart from the competition, please see the CSPO certification options.