ACE the IT Resume

A no-brainer, yet effective, way to make sure you get at least your five seconds of fame is to use the job title being recruited for as the title of your résumé. Remember, many job titles are interchangeable. So if you’re a network engineer, don’t hesitate to answer ads for system engineers, network administrators, systems administrators, LAN managers, or MCSE, and use the title the company uses. Simple and effective—and it gives the impression that you understand the company’s way of thinking.

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It’s crucial that the hiring manager see the exact phrase he’s looking for if your résumé is going to make the cut.

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In other words, employers use the title “network engineer” more often than all the others, so that’s how you should title your résumé.

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At least one of your previous positions should have the same title as the position you want. That way, you match the hiring requirements at a glance.

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Your goal is this: to increase the likely match between what the employer is looking for and the

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Before you list anyone as a reference, give them a recent copy of your résumé and tell them you are currently exploring employment opportunities. Never offer a person as a reference who hasn’t agreed beforehand. Remember, HR recruiters contact previous employers for employment verification, not to gather details on previous job responsibilities. It is highly

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But beauty is only skin deep—if your résumé lacks substance, it’ll be out of fashion faster than a failed dot-com.

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“Why would an employer care?”

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And, remember, the biggest benefit for employers of IT professionals is reducing technical ramp-up time and quick assimilation into the corporate culture.

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Problem-solving abilities Because such employees are extremely efficient

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The top IT positions go to candidates with great customer service, stellar project management, and effective teamwork-skills, which are classic soft skills.

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Project management Project management goes beyond learning Microsoft Project. Success as a project manager depends on your ability to define, plan, organize, control, and complete a variety of complex and interdependent tasks.

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Communication Whether answering the phone, writing an e-mail, or putting together a proposal, how well you put your point across affects others’ perceptions of your abilities.

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Running meetings Learning how to facilitate meetings and manage group interactions is an important first step to becoming a team leader. Leadership Successful projects have many keys, including organizational buy-in, good project management, and proper resourcing. A strong leader understands these dynamics, harnesses the diverse energies within an organization, and pulls everyone together. Problem-solving This is the skill you are probably most familiar with. To some, problem-solving comes instinctively. To others, it’s not so natural. The key is to find a process that works and apply it. Customer service Yes, people are difficult. But, when they’re customers, they come first and they’re always right. They need to feel valued and important. Just remember: if you don’t treat them right, someone else will. Self-direction This is the ability to do your job without having to be told how to do your job. It’s extremely important, because by the time your manager gets through telling you how to do it, she could have probably done it herself. Teamwork No man is an island, certainly not in IT where there isn’t room for egos. With so many different operating systems (OSs), servers, networks, databases, and other things that need to be coordinated, no one can do it alone. Here’s where those skills you learned in kindergarten come in: sharing, saying “please,” and—more importantly—saying “thank you.” Play nicely with others or take a time-out.

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Unfortunately, as any five-year-old can tell you, knowing how to share isn’t the same as doing it. You can’t learn soft skills unless you practice them.

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The trick here is to make it so easy for them to pick you as a natural choice that not choosing you won’t even be an option.

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Reading between the Lines: Tailoring Your Résumé to the Job Ad

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The job ad can tell you a lot about what the hiring manager is looking for from candidates. Depending on where the ad is posted, you can get the details you need to target your résumé. Ads posted on job boards usually provide more information than newspaper ads, and they allow you to do a better job of targeting your résumé. When you read a job ad, look for the following information about the position: Job title Responsibilities Industry Years of experience required Software/hardware experience required Education required Obviously, you need to review this information to determine whether you meet the company’s criteria. If you do, the information they’ve given you should tell you exactly how you should target your résumé to the specific skills the company needs. The process is simple. Through the power of using interchangeable words, you turn yourself into a highly desirable candidate. Here’s a quick summary of the steps: 1. Print the original job listing. 2. Underline the job title. Rephrase your career objective, so it includes the job title

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Underline the industry. If you have experience in this industry, make sure you call out experience in this industry (and, possibly, in other industries) in the description of your past positions.

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4. Underline the particular job skills and responsibilities.

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Review your own résumé to see whether a direct match occurs.

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If the employer calls for particular tasks that you may have rolled up into more general descriptors, break these tasks out again in your résumé.

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Also, note when the employer is looking for additional experience that you may already possess, but have not specifically listed on your résumé. Add it to your résumé.

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The goal is to have as many matches as possible with what is included in the job posting because job search engines are keyed off the original job description. The more exact matches, the better.

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6. Reread your résumé to ensure it has not lost some of its power as a result of the edits. Chapter 4 includes examples of how to perfect the art of tailoring your résumé.

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Clearly, IT managers favor candidates who bring with them industry experience, as well as advanced systems and software skills.

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Your résumé should include a list of all the networking technology, OSs, database systems, applications, processes, and procedures you can support.

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One of these clues is training history. It’s evident that you’re willing to invest in your own self-improvement.

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Your résumé should include a list of all the certifications you have achieved.

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In addition, you should also include a list of well-respected seminars, workshops, and full-length courses you have taken.

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TIP One caveat: If you’re a recent grad with a lot of experience, you may want to leave dates off your résumé because most companies try to offer lower salaries to college hires.

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The more advanced training you include on your résumé, the higher the hiring manager’s comfort level in selecting you as their ideal candidate.

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Be sure to keep your résumé updated as you recertify your skills and take additional professional development courses. Résumés should always be works in progress, even if you’re not actively looking for a job.

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To build an immediate rapport with a hiring manager, all you need to learn is how to read his mind. Relax, there’s a trick here: empathy. Understand the challenges the manager faces. How does it work? Like this.

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To truly stand out from the crowd, you need to master the fine art of translating your understanding of and experience with these issues into result-oriented entries on your résumé.

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Consulted with Fortune 100 companies on network design, implementation, and management using Novell and other vendor products.

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You have to be confident. You have to know how to read the job ads, adapt your skills to what employers are looking for, and truly be able to present yourself in a way that makes employers sit up and take notice.

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The Anatomy of a Technical

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Your résumé is the showcase for your skills and, if your showcase is not attractive, it will not get the attention it deserves. Fortunately, understanding how to best present your information is not that complicated.

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The sections of your résumé Writing a powerful objective statement Saying you are a “people person” Using honest terminology Presenting your education and experience

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The differences between chronological and skill-based résumés Laying out your résumé Other information you think you want to include Choosing paper type, font size, and all the technicalities Presenting your references

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e-mail address. If possible, use an e-mail that reflects your name. Now is not the time to flaunt personal attributes or nicknames like sexybeast78@yahoo.com or bigguy@gmail.com. For more tips on résumé faux pas, check out Chapter 9.

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Key Qualifications and Profile Statement This is the new name for what many folks would consider the objective statement. It’s the first section of your résumé right below your header. This section is key. This is one of the first things an employer reads, and it’s your best opportunity to grab their attention and announce you are perfect for this job. Unfortunately, many people do not use this opportunity.

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Somehow, the standard was set that the objective statement is used to explain the job you would like. What a waste of time and space! When you are applying for a job, you usually state the position in the cover letter. Why waste the prime location on your résumé to repeat it?

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Infrastructure Specialist with experience in design, implementation, and support for WAN/LANs, wireless networks, DNS, DHCP, and Active Directory. Additional experience includes disaster recovery, capacity planning, and business continuity. Excellent problem-solving skills and interpersonal skills.

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High school education This should only appear if you did not attend college, do not have certifications, and recently graduated from high school. With these exceptions, most individuals seeking an IT position do not place their high school education on their résumé. If you do, use the same format as when presenting college education.

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your work history go back? As a rule of thumb, only include experience relevant to the job you are applying for. Don’t go back more than ten years unless a position from that time is directly relevant to the desired job.

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One résumé myth is that experience needs to be listed in chronological order, beginning with the most recent. This is not true. If you are in the industry, have a stable work history, and are searching for a similar job, this layout is ideal for you. But, if you are changing careers or changing industries, you don’t need to adhere to that hierarchy.

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If the non-IT-related job was not a management position, leaving it off is usually best. Focus on your skills more than your experience.

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Job Titles and Locations If your job titles are more powerful than the companies you worked for, present your title first. Then, remember to keep it consistent and format the rest of your experience the same way. TIP Don’t make your résumé more difficult to read by switching the format from one listing to another. This is an excellent place to make judicious use of bold, italics, and regular fonts, as shown here: Systems Engineer, Competitive Enterprises, January 2002–Present Or, reverse the layout if you want to highlight your job title: IBM, Systems Engineer, January 2002–Present If you held several positions within the same company, list the company as a heading and the various positions below it, with bulleted points about each one. If you held many positions, don’t list them all. This could appear as if you were unable to do any of the positions successfully and needed to be replaced. Instead, choose the most significant positions and only include them. Listing the location of your past employment is optional, but it does not add anything to your employment history. This takes up space and makes your eye search more for the relevant information. If you moved around a lot, listing locations may hurt you. You do not want to give the employer the idea that you are a flight risk and will only be with their company until you are ready to move on. As part of an interview, you may need to fill out an application where you list your complete history and you would disclose that information then. Dates and Gaps in Employment When should you include dates? With employment and education history, include dates if they are profiling you appropriately for the job you are applying for. If you fear an employer may think you are too old or too young, omit dates all

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How does this relate to the job? Before you add any additional information, ask yourself how this relates to the job you are trying to get. Does an IT manager care that you are CPR-certified?

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Probably not. But, if you are fluent in Japanese and applying to an international company, this is a definite asset. You not only need to look at the job, but also at the company.

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So, when should you take these items off? As your work experience becomes greater, this section becomes smaller and you will probably drop all references to being the chess club president.

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Some appropriate extra topics to include in your résumé are: Foreign languages Memberships in technical associations Recent leadership positions IT-related volunteer work, such as providing networking support for a charity organization Publications, if you have worked on any books, articles, or journals Recent awards and recognition for work related to the desired job

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A two-page résumé may be appropriate for someone with more experience and expertise. If you go to two pages, make sure you mention your strongest points on the first page (or at least highlight them). If you don’t, employers may not be motivated to turn the page. Going beyond two pages almost ensures your résumé won’t get read.

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References should never be included in or attached to your résumé. Another great résumé myth is that the bottom of your résumé should contain the phrase “References available upon request.” There is no reason for this—it does nothing for you except take up space. All employers assume you can provide them with references when it’s appropriate. In addition, you cannot be sure who will get a copy of your résumé, and you don’t want just anyone calling your references.

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As important as what you include in your résumé is what you should not include. Here are the highlights: Elaborate fonts, pictures, or outlandish paper stock Too much or not enough information; give enough, but not irrelevant, information Misspellings, typographical errors, or poor grammar Outdated information Unrelated experience or accomplishments References Names of past supervisors Past compensation Personal information, such as health, sex, marital status, weight, height, Social Security number, citizenship, date of birth, or race Unprofessional e-mail addresses or personal web sites Salary history Reasons for leaving past employment By keeping these technical details of the anatomy of your résumé in mind, you can create one that is more likely to get noticed and get you results.

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outlandish paper stock Too much or not enough information; give enough, but not irrelevant, information Misspellings, typographical errors, or poor grammar Outdated information Unrelated experience or accomplishments References Names of past supervisors Past compensation Personal information, such as health, sex, marital status, weight, height, Social Security number, citizenship, date of birth, or race Unprofessional e-mail addresses or personal web sites Salary history Reasons for leaving past employment By keeping these technical

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Reasons for leaving past employment

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Keywords and buzzwords Optimizing your online résumé Online résumé forms Creating your PDF résumé Scannable résumés The biggest mistake of electronic résumés Example of an electronic résumé

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This means cleaning up special characters, adding line spacing, and creating white space, so people can read it.

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Keywords and Buzzwords

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In today’s Google age, keywords are king! When it comes to online résumés, your goal is to include as many keywords as possible to increase the odds that your résumé ends up at the top of the search-results screen.

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When employers search their online databases, they enter keywords to narrow the search of qualified candidates. Keywords are used as search terms to narrow the field of candidates for a position. Imagine receiving 100 résumés a day for IT positions! By the end of the month, that’s about 3,000 résumés. Employers can’t possibly scan each individual résumé, so they search through their database for applicants that match exactly what they’re looking for—like the specific technology the company uses. This means, the more detail you put into your online résumé, the more hits you’ll receive.

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For online résumés, maximize the use of industry jargon and abbreviations. You can logically assume recruiters will instruct the search-engine dictionary to look for all the buzzwords in your field. You may want to both write out terms and abbreviate because you do not know what search will be done—for example: MCSE (Microsoft Certified System Engineer). The clearer you can be with your qualifications, the more often your résumé will be hit in searches. One way to identify keywords is to underline all skills listed in the job description, and then incorporate those words into your résumé.

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Spell check it There’s no excuse for typos in today’s wired world. It’s sloppy and inexcusable when job boards have spell checkers right on the site. But don’t be too trustful of spell checkers when it comes to technical abbreviations. Make sure you go back and triple-check all those certification abbreviations.

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For IT folks, your skills or technology section provides plenty of opportunities to quadruple your key-word score.

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spelled correctly. Don’t: Abbreviate it. It’s all about increasing those search hits and some software only allow searching on job titles.

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your résumé isn’t more than 30 days old. Employers see new résumés first. This means updating every few weeks. Keep refining how you present yourself. Post multiple versions of your résumé targeted to different jobs.

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spacing, the use of special characters and capitalization, and the inclusion of keywords. The information is basically the same in these two examples, but by modifying the format and layout, your qualifications and skills are more easily noticed.

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Identifying your technical skills and accomplishments Plugging information you’ve gathered about yourself into your résumé in three sections: summary, technical skills, and work experience Tailoring your résumé to any job posting—including the one for the job of your dreams

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1. Identify technical skills and operational abilities.

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Our goal is to end up with a concise list of operating systems (OSs), applications, hardware systems, and other technical capabilities.

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3. Work the magic. This is the crucial step that sets you apart from every other candidate. We show you how to turn run-of-the-mill IT skills into highly sought-after performance-impacting skills. The result? You stand out as the leading candidate for any position.

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But, do put in the necessary time if you want to have a résumé that stands out from the crowd.

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Your résumé should start with an overview of your technical skills. A bulleted list is an effective way to present this information. It lets recruiters and hiring managers quickly scan your skills, and then match them with the position they need to

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