10 Tips On Writing An IT Resume
by: Heather Eagar
The IT job market is still one of the hottest markets and commands the highest resume response from job seekers. Given the sheer volume of resumes that a hiring manager has to sift through for each position, only the strongest resumes actually get past the initial 30 second screening. The national average for resumes received for each IT position advertised is 300 and increasing.
1. Make Your Resume Searchable: Using the right keywords is the key for making your IT resume web searchable. It is not enough to mention the skill sets you have, but you must also use them effectively. For example, if ORACLE and VB.NET is your forte, then you should use phrases such as "database programming" and "testing". Another thing about keywords is that resumes these days are simply being scanned electronically for inclusion into company databases. If you are not using the right IT keywords for the position advertised, your resume may not even see a human being.
2. Choose The Right Format: Although different formats have pros and cons, for IT positions, the functional resume format is ideal for its effectiveness in highlighting your skills and experiences. This saves time for hiring managers and you stand a better chance of getting shortlisted.
3. Emphasize Your Skills: The key to cracking the IT job market is really your skills. Emphasize your skills with short sentences such as "programmer with 8 years experience in COBOL and Oracle, and last three yeas as team leader". Another example could be "eight projects in 6 years in C++, SAS, HTML, CAD, and TCP/IP". This also showcases your additional skills in areas such as leadership, management and interpersonal skills (which are sometimes lacking in IT candidates).
4. Avoid Mistakes In Terminology: There are job seekers that still write industry terminology incorrectly, which usually has disastrous consequences on their job search. Example, "data warehousing" is often written as "dataware housing" or worse, "data wearhousing". Proofread your resume thoroughly, then have a friend do the same.
5. Cut Down Lengthy Paragraphs: Summarizing your resume will definitely score points over writing long paragraphs. You don’t want your extraordinary skills to get lost in a maze of words. Certifications such as MCDBA, MCP+1, & MCSE should be listed in a stand-alone fashion.
6. Highlight Accomplishments. Mention your responsibilities and specific accomplishments in your current position, giving examples of the platforms used for both back-end and front-end operations.
7. Omit Personal Information. Avoid unnecessary personal details; they will only be distractions.
8. Summarize Your Resume At The Top: Summarizing key elements at the top makes more impact and encourages the employer to continue reading. An executive summary, well written, can do an excellent job at keeping the reader engaged.
9. Avoid The Temptation To Overdo: Treat your resume as your calling card. You must be able to substantiate everything that you have written. For example, if you are applying for an Oracle Financial position when your specialty is really database management, you will be exposed. Additionally, you will lose your chance to be considered for any other position that the employer may have available.
10. Proofread The Resume: Nix grammatical and spelling errors. There is no excuse for typos or misspellings in a resume. Because IT resumes have highly technical words, you have to proofread them more closely.
Getting your resume just right for the initial shortlisting is not hard if you stick to IT resume writing basics. By following these 10 tips, you will be able to write and market your IT resume successfully and land that job.
About The Author
Heather Eagar is a former professional resume writer who is now dedicated to providing job seekers with resources and products that promote job search success from beginning to end. Visit
http://www.ResumeLines.com to read reviews of resume writing services of the top companies in the industry.
