5 Tweaks to Make to Your IT Resume Before the New Year
Posted December 2nd, 2014
How did your job search go last year? Did you get as many interviews as you had hoped? Are the companies you want to work for calling you back? Are you hopeful that a permanent position is coming? If you’d like the new year of your job search to be better than the last, consider making these five tweaks to your resume.
Add Value Propositions
The most important determination for most recruiters is whether or not a candidate can add more value than cost. Before you apply for any job, carefully read the description, and make a detailed list of everything they are looking for. Then tweak your resume to illustrate that you have the exact skills/experience they want, and that you are equipped to solve the problems they face.
Demonstrate Your Passion
Lots of candidates have impressive IT skills. But passion for the work is what separates the good candidates from the great ones. Revise your resume, and try to demonstrate the drive and commitment that you brought to past positions and how that directly benefited the company.
Use Better Headings
Headings are what recruiters use to quickly scan your resume and pull out the most relevant information. Unfortunately, most of the headings we use are bland and non-descriptive. Instead of saying “Skills,” switch to a phrase like “Professional Software Expertise.” This helps sell you as a candidate and makes it easier for the recruiter to glean essential information from your resume in a short amount of time.
Focus on Results
You are likely competing against candidates with similar backgrounds. You can stand out and prove your worth by making results the focus of your resume. Instead of saying that you have a specific technical skill, emphasize how you used that skill to save time, increase sales, or promote efficiency.
Write a Better Objective Statement
Too often, the objective statement is treated like an afterthought and does little to improve your resume. Think of it instead like an introduction to your resume that quickly summarizes your skills and experience and clearly demonstrates how they align with the needs of the company. Be sure to emphasize the skills that are most important to the employer, and consider finishing with a statement that makes it clear how committed and ambitious you are.
Creating the perfect resume is as much of an art as a science. The most important thing to keep in mind is that your resume should be honest and personalized. Sending the same document to every recruiter is never an effective strategy. Find more resources to help you land a great job in the new year by partnering with Bayside Solutions.
