Present related experiences to get your foot in the door

DEAR SAM:I am hoping you can help me by providing a little guidance. I have recently begun going back to school to obtain a Master’s Degree in Project Management. I began classes in May and expect to have the degree completed by next October. My problem is this. I am currently unemployed (out of work for the last 5 months) and I want to find a job that will get my foot in the door. I know I currently would not qualify for most "Project Manager" positions, but with the classes I have taken so far, I can provide valuable assistance as a project analyst or project assistant, just so that I can get some much needed experience.

What is the best way for me to present this in my résumé? I am having a hard time with even writing a clear and concise objective to get the point across. Any help you could provide would be appreciated. Thank you. — SARAH in Columbus

DEAR SARAH: Good question. Begin your résumé not with an objective statement, but with a qualifications summary presenting your related experiences and education / coursework. This section does not need to be brief just because your main qualifier is your education, instead present a combination of your past experiences, academic pursuits and the skills you possess that you feel are critical to the success of a project manager. You can open your summary with something like, "M.S. in Project Management candidate with solid organizational, communication and workflow management skills." Continue to present some of your past work experiences that support your current endeavors to further reinforce your ability to perform in any job, but particularly a PM role.

Continue your résumé with your education section, presenting your Bachelor’s degree and upcoming Master’s degree. I am assuming as you just started back to school in May that you do not have a lot of project work to present, but if you do have key projects you have led or participated in, be sure to explore the scope of each fully in your résumé. You can do this within the education section itself, or pull them out in their own section titled "Key Projects." By doing this you focus the hiring manager’s attention on the fact that you do have related and recent experiences in the field, regardless of whether they occurred within a classroom environment.

In your professional experience section you will only include years of employment, placing your last position ending in 2006 (as you said you have been unemployed for 5 months). Be sure to highlight achievements and anything related to project / task management, workflow coordination, internal / external communications and any other skills you feel are required of the PM roles you would like to eventually pursue.

Lastly, be sure to present your professional affiliations if you are a member of the Project Management Institute or other related associations. If you plan on pursuing the PMP credential, be sure to note that on your résumé also. By doing so you communicate that project management is your focus at this juncture in your career and that you will continue to develop yourself professionally after you obtain your degree. All the best!