The specific signals an experienced construction manager hiring panel grades on during the eight-second scan.

• Project type + value + schedule

  'PM on a $148M mixed-use ground-up; 28-month schedule' beats 'construction manager.'

• Safety record

  OSHA recordable + DART + TRIR + zero-LTI.

• Subcontractor + trades scope

  Trades + subs + tier-1 self-perform + procurement.

• Code + inspections

  IBC + local amendments + DOB + FDNY + special inspections.

• Delivery model

  GC vs CM-at-risk vs design-build vs owner's rep.

• LEED + sustainability + commissioning

  LEED accreditation + commissioning + energy code.

1. 1

   Open with project + value + schedule

   Project + $ + schedule + delivery + role.

2. 2

   Quantify safety + schedule + cost

   TRIR + DART + $ + CO % + on-time.

3. 3

   Surface trades + subs + procurement

   Self-perform + subs + bid + $ + CSI.

4. 4

   Name code + AHJ work

   IBC + local + special inspections + AHJ.

5. 5

   Close with credentials + firms

   OSHA + LEED + PMP + Turner / Suffolk / Skanska.

Each follows the [verb] [object] [number] structure hiring managers grade against. Copy them as a starting point, swap in your own numbers, and read the annotation to understand why each one works.

• Scope

  Project scope FY24: 22-story mixed-use ($148M GMP, 288k sqft, 200 residential + 8 retail + 4-level below-grade parking); 4 tier-1 self-perform trades + 38 subcontractors; Procore + Bluebeam + P6 primary.

  Why it works: $ + sqft + program + trades + tools.

• Schedule

  Schedule: 28-month baseline with 3-week float; currently 4 days ahead of critical path (P6 + 4-week lookahead); recovered 12 days after Q2 concrete supplier disruption via re-sequenced pour + parallel MEP rough-in.

  Why it works: Baseline + float + recovery detail.

• Cost

  Cost: $2.4M under $148M GMP; change-order log 1.4% of contract (industry benchmark 4-6%); 14 approved COs (all owner-directed + 0 subcontractor-back-charge).

  Why it works: $ + CO % + composition.

• Safety

  Safety: TRIR 0.6 (ENR industry avg 2.1) + DART 0.4 + zero-LTI 22 months + weekly toolbox talks + monthly OSHA-walk with 4 trade foremen; 148k combined labor hours without a recordable event.

  Why it works: TRIR + DART + labor-hours + cadence.

• Subs

  Subcontractor + procurement: bid + awarded 38 subcontracts across 24 CSI divisions ($112M combined); managed 4 self-perform trades in-house ($36M); weekly sub-progress meetings with 4 lead superintendents.

  Why it works: Bid count + $ + CSI + cadence.

• Code

  Code + AHJ: NYC DOB + FDNY coordination weekly; managed 22 special inspections per IBC 1704; TCO strategy for phased occupancy across 4 residential floors; passed 62 milestone inspections without re-inspection.

  Why it works: AHJ + IBC + phased TCO + inspection outcomes.

• LEED

  LEED + sustainability: pursuing LEED Gold BD+C v4; managed 4 commissioning agents + shipped Systems Manual + M&V plan; expected 22% energy-cost reduction vs ASHRAE 90.1 baseline.

  Why it works: LEED + commissioning + M&V + energy delta.

• Precon

  Preconstruction: led 6-month precon for the tower (estimating 3 iterations + value engineering saved $4.8M pre-award); coordinated with design team on 4 RFIs / week during CD phase.

  Why it works: Precon + VE $ + RFI cadence.

• Team

  Team + supervisory: 4 direct-report Assistant PMs + 2 project engineers + 8 field superintendents (across trades); mentored 2 APMs through PM promotion in 2024.

  Why it works: Direct reports + roles + promotions.

• Prior

  Prior projects: $84M hospital MOB (Suffolk, 2018-2020, LEED Silver); $62M mid-rise multifamily (Turner, 2016-2018); $28M interior fit-out for a Fortune 100 HQ (Turner, 2014-2016).

  Why it works: 3 projects + $ + firms + type.

• Credentials

  Credentials: OSHA 30 (renewed 2024) + STS-C + LEED AP BD+C + PMP + First Aid / CPR + Confined Space + Scaffold Competent Person; DBIA candidate.

  Why it works: 6 credentials + pursuit.

• Arc

  Career arc: Turner 2014-2018 (PE → APM) → Suffolk 2018-2022 (PM, 2 healthcare projects) → current firm 2022 (Sr PM, ground-up mixed-use).

  Why it works: Firms + roles + project types.

Same intent, two phrasings. Read why the right column lands on the keep-pile and the wrong column doesn't.

Patterns our writers see most often when reviewing construction manager resumes — each one disqualifies candidates faster than weak experience does.

• Mistake

  Generic 'construction management.'

  Fix

  Project + $ + schedule + safety + delivery.

• Mistake

  No TRIR / DART.

  Fix

  Named safety metrics vs industry benchmark.

• Mistake

  Schedule without recovery detail.

  Fix

  Baseline + float + recovery.

• Mistake

  CO log missing.

  Fix

  $ + CO % + composition.

• Mistake

  Subs vague.

  Fix

  Bid + CSI + $ + cadence.

• Mistake

  Two-page + fluff.

  Fix

  1-2 pages, project-dense.

• Mistake

  Missing LEED / commissioning.

  Fix

  LEED tier + commissioning + energy delta.

• Mistake

  Precon buried.

  Fix

  Estimating + VE + RFI.

Strong verbs lead strong bullets. Replace generic openers (worked on, helped with, was responsible for) with the specific verb that matches what you actually did.

ATS pipelines weight your Skills section as a structured list. Include 15-25 of the items below if they match your experience — not soft skills.