Maybe you are considering clicking on one of the ads for the hottest technical training institute in town just to get one more license or certification. Your goal is to get a job you will be challenged at and enjoy. Or you’ve taken the plunge and gotten a new degree or certificate in the latest IT or web design field. Even if you aren’t considering more education or training to move to your next job opportunity, your resume is going to be your calling card to introduce you to the hiring management. Each industry has certain hot buttons that will make or break your ability to catch the eye of the employer. Here are some ideas on the ‘must haves’ on a resume for technology based careers.
Technology jobs still require ‘soft skills’
Depending on the job you are applying for and the level of technical expertise, your balance of hard skills versus soft skills will be different. After reading the job description, job hunters in technical fields should include:
- Licensure recommended or required for the position with the date of expiration or receipt, whichever is relevant
- Details on training and education that is relevant to the position or generally accepted as valuable by that field – note the name of the institution, location of training, and date the education or training was finalized
- Certifications and training received on the job from current or previous employers
- Scope of work summaries for projects in work, volunteering, or outside organizations that show skills pertinent to the job description – don’t forget to include the results of the projects with improvement, productivity, and deadline information
Sometimes people in technical fields can forget the soft skills which can differentiate them from other candidates. In summaries of projects, provide data about how many members were on a team and what your responsibilities may have included, either in a supervisory or mentoring or training role. If you have used your technical skills in volunteer experiences, put those into a separate section to show your interest in contributing to your community. Being able to exhibit communication and leadership skills could give you a strategic advantage over candidates who only have the technical expertise.
Evaluate what matters and leave the rest off
Your last job as a computer systems analyst required certain technical skills to ensure compliance, security and compatibility for your company with their strategic partners. As you apply for positions as a web developer, you aren’t sure whether all of the certifications you received in your last job really matter. The most effective way to determine relevance is to think about what other behaviors could be evaluated by the reader based on that certification. For example, working on security or compliance for internal and external databases shows a certain level of integrity and trust your previous employer had for you and your work. As a web developer, confidentiality and intellectual property management require discretion and integrity. Showing you have that background from a prior position would be very valuable information for the hiring manager. Use the job description to select how your skills can add value to the company and include information in your resume that shows where you have provided benefit to past organizations with those skills.
Related articles
- Functional resume examples can be dysfunctional (helpyourcareer.org)
- Technical Hiring Made Easy with Real World Pre-Employment Tests (prweb.com)
- The Complete Presentation: Five Things Every Technology Professional Must Know Before Looking For A Job (prweb.com)
About Stacie Garlieb
