Project Managers Reveal 8 Tips for Getting Hired in a Competitive Job Market
Let me guess—your boss sucks. No, wait—you’re overworked and underpaid.
Okay, I’ll stop guessing. But if you’re reading this, one thing’s for sure: you’re looking for a new project management role.
First, some good news. Project management jobs in the U.S. are on the rise, with employment projected to grow 7% from 2023 to 2033—faster than the average for all occupations. That translates to roughly 77,000 openings per year over the next decade. And globally? That number is even higher, with an estimated 2.3 million people needing to enter the field annually to keep up with demand.
“2024 was a hard year,” says Brian Abrams, Founder & President at PMO Partners, a project management staffing firm. “There were layoffs… The market was bad at big companies. There was a lot of concern. But one of the things I’m seeing in 2025 is that people who have been out of work for a while…they’re finally getting hired.”
But here’s the catch: competition for PM roles is still fierce.
“The market is super, super competitive right now,” says Violeta Hryhorian, a project management career coach and a PM at BizDevLabs. “It's a serious problem for every PM—it doesn't matter if you have one year of experience or 20 years.”
According to Glassdoor, the average corporate job posting gets 250 applications. Of those, only four to six people land an interview. And, of course, only one gets hired.
“You need to understand that the job market is not the same as it was even three years ago,” shares Hryhorian. “The competition is so high. The bar is so high. You need to stand out.”
So what does it actually take to stand out as a project manager in this job market? How can you make sure you’re one of the few that gets an interview and lands a role? I asked project managers and experts for their advice—here’s what they had to say.
1. Don’t throw your hat into the ring for everything
You’ve probably heard the advice that job hunting is a numbers game—apply to as many jobs as you can and hope for the best.
But these days, that’s not the best use of your time. And it can actually make the job search harder for everyone—recruiters, hiring managers, and even other project managers.
“It's really best to be realistic with yourself,” says Abrams. “One of the things that I see as a recruiter is that a lot of candidates put their hat in the ring for jobs that they're just not a fit for. … What's happening is folks are flooding the market with resumes and it makes it hard on recruiters to manage that process and read through resumes to get to the best ones.”
Ogaga Johnson—Founder & CEO at Verisult, a training and consulting company that helps people break into in-demand fields like project management—shares a similar frustration. She’s especially wary of the “quick apply” button on job boards. She suggests avoiding it at all costs. Instead, invest your time in tailoring your resume for the roles you know would be a great fit for you and your skills.
“I see these posts on social media platforms—‘I applied to 1,000 jobs, landed five interviews, got one job offer,’” says Johnson. “Getting 900+ rejections—that is bad for your mental health. That is bad for your self-esteem. That is not a good way to job search.”
So, what should you do differently? Take your time. Read through every job description before applying and ask yourself: Am I really the right candidate for this role? Or should I be spending my time on a different application?
One thing to keep in mind: research shows that women are less likely to apply for roles unless they meet 100% of the qualifications listed. So remember that the goal isn’t to hold yourself back—it’s to be strategic and stop wasting your time on roles that aren’t the right fit.
“Not having a job search strategy and just applying doesn't make sense,” says Johnson. “Every business has a strategy. Your career is your business—you're selling your skills.”
2. Consider contract and freelance roles
If you’re striking out again and again when applying for full-time PM roles, consider going for a contract or freelance gig.
“Within the last six months, we've seen a big uptick in contract positions from our clients,” says Abrams. “I think that's going to really be the future. Over time, we're going to see more organizations hiring project managers on consulting engagements versus permanent hire.”
The demand for contract workers has been on the rise since 2020, when economic uncertainty pushed companies to hire more flexible talent. And this trend isn’t slowing down—by 2027, freelancers are expected to make up 50.9 percent of the total U.S. workforce.
“There will always be a need for permanent hires, especially in larger organizations,” Abrams shares. “But for other organizations—think small and mid-size companies—contract hiring is the future. It's a good way to utilize a project manager's expertise for as long as they need it.”
So if you’re hitting a wall with full-time applications, a freelance project management role could be a good alternative. You might even prefer the flexibility, the ability to set your own rates, and the opportunity to take your career in a new direction.
Of course, freelancing has its downsides too—less stability, additional expenses, and the constant need to network and find your next gig. But if full-time roles aren’t coming through, it’s worth considering.
3. Put effort into your LinkedIn
Is LinkedIn still important for landing PM roles in 2025? Unfortunately, yes (for now). Love it or hate it, LinkedIn continues to be a powerful tool for making connections, showing off your skills, and getting noticed by hiring managers.
“LinkedIn is a really good way to get attention from potential employers outside of your actual resume and cover letter,” says Abrams. “Putting yourself out there, putting content out there—it can help you get discovered in a different way.”
But it’s not just about having a profile. You need to show it as much love as your resume, cover letter, and other job application materials.
Melissa Khan-Blackmore, a LinkedIn strategist and personal branding expert, recently joined DPM for a webinar where she highlighted the two most important things to focus on with your LinkedIn profile:
- You need to know what your personal brand is, and you need to make sure your profile shows it off. “When your LinkedIn profile truly reflects who you are and what you bring to the table, this helps you feel really proud of it,” says Melissa. “That pride translates into more confidence in networking and applying for roles.”
- You need to optimize your profile. At its core, LinkedIn is a search engine. The better optimized your profile, the easier it is for recruiters, clients, and networking connections to find you. So that means using the right keywords, filling out every available section, and posting regularly.
4. Consider other industries
Some industries will always have more job openings than others, and the skills in demand will vary based on the field.
According to Abrams, some of the industries he’s seeing the most movement in right now for PMs include construction, IT, healthcare, and finance. And within those fields, project managers with AI and data analysis skills are in particularly high demand.
“Folks that understand analytics and data, they're getting very far ahead,” says Abrams. “We get a lot of requests for project managers with strong data skills from our clients. And of course, along with that, goes AI.”
But does that mean you should pivot to an industry you’re not passionate about just to land a job?
“Some people say, ‘Don't just follow trends. Follow your heart,’” says Hryhorian. “I only half agree with that. Things change fast, so we need to combine the things we love with the things that are in trend.”
The good news? Every industry has projects. And while having industry-specific experience can help, it’s not a requirement. If you’re interested in exploring new fields, start by making a list of five industries that you’re excited to learn more about. Look at a few job descriptions for project managers in those industries and match them against your skills. What fits? What gaps can you fill?
“You don't need to select this industry for the rest of your life,” Hryhorian reminds us. “You just need to try it out.”
5. Hone your storytelling skills
Storytelling is one of the most valuable skills a project manager can have. Of course, it’s important for the role itself—communicating with stakeholders, simplifying complex information, and driving alignment.
But it’s also a skill that’s essential for landing project management roles.
“You need to learn how to sell yourself correctly—how to sell not just your skills, not just your experience, but also your impact,” says Hryhorian.
Mike Clayton, CEO & Founder of OnlinePMCourses.com, shares a great example of why storytelling matters for job-seeking PMs.
Imagine for a moment that you’re on the other side of the table—you’re the one hiring a project manager to join your team. You ask them: "Tell me about a crisis you faced on a project and how you handled it."
The candidate answers: “I’ve actually never had to deal with a crisis on a project…”
What’s your initial reaction? Probably that they lack crisis management experience. You might wonder: Can I trust them to handle project challenges?
In reality, a project without a crisis can be the mark of an excellent project manager—someone who identified risks early and prevented problems before they escalated. It’s all about storytelling.
“Project managers need to be really smart with telling stories about what they’re good at,” says Clayton. “If you have a story that shows, ‘I sensed that something was going to happen, I took action, I averted a crisis, and I didn't need to bother my sponsor with it’—that's a good story. That's a compelling story.”
So take some time to rethink the stories you’re telling (or not telling) in your job interviews. Are there moments from your experience that showcase your skills that you may be missing? A couple of questions to spark some ideas:
- What challenges have I quietly solved before they became major problems?
- How have my actions directly improved project outcomes, even in ways that aren’t obvious?
6. Be prepared for any opportunity
“In times of uncertainty, you need to be flexible, adaptable, and dare I say, agile,” says Clayton. “That means being prepared for multiple scenarios. You have to take a portfolio approach to your preparedness.”
Clayton describes this through the concept of a T-shaped project manager—someone with deep expertise in a specific area but a broad understanding of other important disciplines. But he takes it a step further.
“I actually talk about J-shaped people rather than T-shaped people, where you've got that little twist of creativity and a little something special about you,” he says. “Find your distinctiveness. Find where your passion is. Always keep learning.”
Why is continuous learning so important? Because you don’t know which opportunities will come your way.
“When you sense there's something new coming down the line, make it your business to learn about it,” says Clayton. “If you’re able to do that, then should an opportunity come along, you will be ready. You don't know which opportunities are going to come along. So the more things you learn about, the better.”
Of course, learning takes time, which we’re all strapped for these days. So start small. Make a list of the trends, skills, and topics that interest you. What’s one thing you can do today to learn more about them?
7. Don’t get hung up on a layoff
Layoffs are once again on the rise, with government agencies and major tech companies in the United States experiencing some of the biggest hits.
If you’re back on the job hunt because of a layoff, don’t let it discourage you.
“There's no stigma to it nowadays,” says Abrams. “There are so many layoffs going on. So don't ever feel like this is like some sort of mark on you. It's really a business decision.”
His biggest piece of advice? Shake it off as quickly as you can.
“You need to hop right back in the game because it might take a little bit longer than you expected, even for the best people, to land a role,” he says. “Talk to recruiters. Talk to colleagues and find out where they're going. If you were in a group that was laid off, stay in touch with each other and support each other.”
If you’re looking for inspiration from project managers who have rebounded from layoffs and rebuilt their careers, join us for our next event on March 26, 2025!
8. Get the “easy” stuff right
You’ve heard this all before, but it’s worth repeating: you absolutely cannot mess up the easy stuff. As a project manager, your job is to be detail-oriented and organized—your job search needs to reflect that.
“Your resume is your first formal presentation to an employer,” says Abrams. “You need to make sure that it’s in pristine condition. Everything is very accurate. Everything is very easy to read. There are no misspellings, no typos, and no false information.”
That last point is especially important in the age of AI-assisted resumes. Gen AI tools can help catch errors, optimize for keywords, and tailor your resume for each role. In fact, one study found that candidates who used AI for their resumes were actually 8% more likely to get hired. But AI also has a habit of making things up—so you need to be extra careful when using it that it’s not embellishing your skills or inserting errors.
Then there’s the cover letter—another area where details and personalization matter.
“Everything in the project management space is very specialized, so the cover letters that get my attention are the ones that are very targeted to the job they're applying for,” says Abrams. “It spells out very clearly how this person matches the job description and why we should talk to them instead of the other 200 to 500 candidates that applied for this job.”
And when it comes to the interview? You need to be just as polished.
“If you're going to show up five minutes late for an interview, you're probably going to show up five minutes late for a meeting, right?” Abrams explains. “Make sure you have notes, make sure you've researched the organization you're interviewing with, and make sure you've researched the person you're talking to.”
“Easy” is in quotes because while this advice seems obvious, plenty of candidates still get it wrong. So take your time, double-check everything, and treat your job search like the project that it is.
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