IT Resume Advice and Tips

Remember that your resume demonstrates your communication and organizational skills. Before placing it in front of those potential employers, be certain that you've spent sufficient time preparing it for view, then go over it again. After you're satisfied with its perfection have a friend or colleague, whose analytical skills you trust, review it for you. Only after all of this preparation will your resume be capable of separating you from the masses and attracting the attention of high tech employers.

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• The Three Major Resume Formats
• Resume Writing Tips
• Creating a Web Resume
• Common Resume Mistakes
• Scanable Resumes
• Three Master Resume Secrets
• Cover Letter Guidelines
• Action Word for your Resume
• Resume help links

The Three Major Resume Formats

Three major resume formats exist for you to choose from. Each possesses benefits and drawbacks. Your personal situation should determine which format you select. The Chronological format is the most common resume style, and the one that most employers prefer. If there are no valid reasons for not using it, then select the Chronological format.

The Chronological Resume
This traditional style resume lists your professional experience chronologically, with your most recent position listed first. In the Chronological format, the emphasis is on employment experience. Most employers are familiar with and prefer this format. BUT if you recently graduated, have held jobs with no relevance to the technical positions you're currently looking for, or you're re-entering the workforce after a long absence, then the Chronological resume will emphasize your lack of experience. In these cases you should consider the Functional resume format.

The Functional Resume
This format emphasizes your skills and achievements instead of your work history. If your work history is minimal, has gaps, you're a self taught programmer or web designer, or you're changing fields then the functional format will focus attention on your skills and any relevant experience, including your educational experiences. Your job history is avoided completely or very briefly summarized at the beginning of the resume.

The Combination Resume
This format is primarily a Functional resume with a short chronological order job history. Relevant skills and accomplishments are provided first; then followed by your employment history. This format has been gaining in popularity, but the chronological resume still ranks as the employer's favorite.

Republished with permission from www.ResumePublishers.com

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Resume Writing Tips

Web Resume Keywords are how employers find you in our database. For example if an employer is looking for a computer science programmer with COBOL and Oracle experience, then the terms computer science, programmer, COBOL and Oracle must be in your resume for you to appear in their search results. If you're particularly interested in a job as a Systems Engineer or a Graphic Designer, then these terms must be in your resume for employers in those specific fields to easily locate you.

Resume search keywords are usually nouns but may also include skill and experience verbs such as software testing or web programming. Acronyms and industry terminology are also important resume keywords. Some examples are IT, SAS, C++, CAD, HTML and TCP/IP.

Keep it brief and concise. Avoid large paragraphs. If possible resumes should be on one page. Two pages are acceptable if you have extensive relevant work experience to describe. Never print on the backside of the paper.

Emphasize specific skills and achievements when describing your previous work responsibilities. Employers are particularly interested in candidates that exhibit self-confidence, written and verbal communication skills, initiative and motivation, analytical abilities, flexibility, and strong team working skills.

Use standard page margins and fonts. The standard page margins are 1" on the top and bottom with 1.25" on the sides. (This does NOT apply to web based resumes! See the Electronic Resumes article for specific directions on formatting a web based resume like the one used in the Computerwork.com database.) Fonts such as Arial and Times New Roman are the most widely used and therefore will appear as you intended when an employer opens your emailed resume attachment. Keep all of your font sizes between 10 and 14. Stick with the same font throughout the resume.

Eliminate unnecessary resume details. Hobbies and other personal interests should only be included if they relate to the positions you're interested in.

Check your resume for proper grammar and correct spelling! This cannot be emphasized enough. Poor grammar and misspelled words cause a potential employer to question your attention to detail and the quality of your work. With a sea of applicants to select from why should they bother with an individual with a poor resume? Remember the resume is your personal promotional brochure. After checking your resume for grammar and spelling, have some friends or colleagues look it over, the more the better.

With each viewing and edit your resume becomes more polished and becomes more successful at its purpose- bringing you to employers' attention.

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Creating a Web Resume

Web, or electronic, resumes are made using a plain text format called ASCII. These types of resumes are used in all job board databases.

Open your Word formatted resume document and follow the steps below to convert your resume to ASCII format.

CREATING AN ASCII WEB RESUME:

Replace all bullets with an asterisk (*)

Replace bold text with capital (upper case) letters. Save for the main headings to avoid excessive use.

Remove all Word formatting tabs and graphics. Move all text to the left margin.

Do all spell and grammar checks before converting your document from Word. Spell check does not work in ASCII text format.

Convert an existing resume document to ASCII:

Go to File, Save As, Save as Type, and select "text only". This will remove all bullets, bold or italicized text, underlining, tabs, other standard document formatting, and graphics.

When you open the new file, a plain text editor such as Notepad or Simple Text will open it. You'll see your resume, as it will appear in an email program or an Online Resume Bank.

Proofread your ASCII resume. Sometimes the text runs together after the conversion. Look for any question marks, square blocks, or other strange characters that don't belong. Non-ASCII characters, such as bullets, are converted into unexpected characters.

Email your ASCII resume to yourself and to a friend who uses a different email program and computer system. Be certain the resume appears as you intended when viewed on different systems.

After completing the above you're ready to submit your resume to the computerwork.com online database!

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Common Resume Mistakes

Being too creative in an attempt to stand out.
Keep it simple; don't produce a complicated resume full of multiple tables or columns. Avoid fancy graphics and colors. The typical employer spends less than 30 seconds in their first review of a resume. Stay with one font size and style throughout the resume.

Including an inappropriate personal website url. Personal websites can be a valuable resume tool. Your website can display work samples, references etc. But before placing the url on your resume make certain the website content is appropriate. It should not contain overly personal information, unusual hobbies or any data that might portray the wrong image to a potential employer.

Wide margins that squeeze content down the middle.
Your resume margins should be less than one inch. Appropriate spacing for key information is done by leaving a small amount of space between key sections. Do not force employers to read a narrow column of text.

Using fonts that are too small.
Employers typically sift through many resumes and appreciate well laid out, concise, easy to read documents. Do not use tiny fonts in an attempt to squeeze more information onto the page. Small fonts are difficult to read and do not photocopy well. (That applies to your address block as well.) Any font below a 10 point is too small.

Being too verbose.
Throughout your resume, avoid using excessive words. You're not trying to come across as a politician. You are a concise, to the point tech job candidate! Complete sentences are not necessary. Bulleted lists are often more appropriate.

Typographical errors.
With possibly hundreds of competing resumes, it only takes one misspelled word or use of incorrect grammar (as in "there" versus "their") to place your resume in the trash bin. Your resume and cover letter must make an outstanding first impression. Mistakes on a resume can be interpreted as a potential for mistakes on the job. Spell check will catch misspelled words, but only careful human proofreading picks up all grammar mistakes or misused words.

Not using the correct name for a university
Do not be creative in naming the universities from which you obtained degrees. Use the institution's full name for example: Washington State University, not a shortened name such as Washington University or the abbreviation WSU. If the name will be used more than once in your resume, you can 1st list the full name with the abbreviated name in parentheses. Then the abbreviation could be used further down in the resume.

Listing full street address for Universities and employers.
It is not necessary to list the full street addresses of Universities or employers. This data only serves to clutter the resume and take up valuable space best used for details that capture a potential employer's attention.

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Scanable Resumes

Many large IT employers now scan resumes into databases using scanning technology. Resumes that match selected keywords can be automatically sorted, ranked, and retrieved from the database. Resumes that do not fit the scan search criteria may "never" be viewed by the prospective employer.

A scannable resume must be compatible with the computer eye and contain the keyword components employers have selected. Relevant keywords can be utilized in many areas on your resume: job title, skills, IT experience, training and higher education. Employers may scan based on the particular skills, experience or education they are searching for. More companies are using this technology to streamline resume reviews, especially high tech companies.

• Visit employer websites to see if the employer prefers, or requires, a scannable resume. If the information is not posted, email or call before preparing and sending in your resume.
• Unless you are applying to a small organization, you can assume most high tech companies will need two resumes, a plain text scannable and one designed for "human" viewing. Your cover letter should indicate that you are providing both formats.

Scanned databases efficiently match the best qualified resumes with job openings. Some systems also rank and score the selected resumes based on their number of desirable key words and phrases. It is critical to use IT terms and technology industry acronyms when submitting resumes to high tech companies, but do not include a section entitled "keywords." The scan search will locate words in all parts of the resume.

• Be very specific. For example, list the names of all programming expertise such as Cobol programmer, Java programmer, ASP programmer, instead of just saying Cobol, Java, ASP.
• When using acronyms also spell them out, for instance use ASP and Active Server Pages.
• Spell check is critical. Misspelled words won't be found in a computer scan keyword search.

Formatting

Convert your resume into an ASCII file, or plain text format with line breaks. This will remove all formatting such as bold, center, and bullets, not very attractive, but this is why you are sending two resume formats.

• Maximum number of characters per line: 65.
• Do not have letters touching. Scan systems have problems reading characters that run together.
• Do not use columns, the system reads text from left to right.
• Round, hollow bullets may be interpreted as the letter O.
• Use space between any slashes. The slash should not touch the letters (Ex: programmer / engineer)
• Print with a laser printer, not a dot matrix or lower quality printer, on white or very light papers. Heavy textured paper may interfere with print clarity.

If given the option of submitting a scannable resume by mail or by email, choose a "plain text" email. Email resumes are an electronic, plain text format that the scannable database systems can easily read with no errors. If you must mail a scannable resume, remember to also include an attractive formatted resume.

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Three Master Resume Secrets

The Job Objective: The first most important job secret is writing a superior resume with a succinct, specific job objective. The job objective quickly tells the employer to read your resume or pass it aside.

The Objective Tailored Resume: Your resume should be tailored to support the specific job you are applying for; there are situations where omitting some of your past experiences will make you more marketable for a job!

Power-Packed Action Words: Always use strong and ultra-specific action words to describe your accomplishments.

Republished with permission from www.ResumePublishers.com

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Cover Letter Guidelines

Cover letters, should always be provided as an introduction to your resume, but are not the only letters you'll need. While job hunting you may also need to write letters that precede, follow-up or confirm verbal conversations with potential IT employers. These letters are a record of interactions and provide the employer with additional evidence of your communication skills.

Never send a resume without a cover letter. Your cover letter should explain "why" you are sending a resume and "why" the employer should take the time to read it. Be specific and indicate exactly what you are interested in: a specific position, internship, possible future openings. Entice the employer to look at your resume by providing a well written cover letter that is targeted specifically to that employer.

A cover letter should:

• Call attention to key components of your background. Education, on the job training, IT experience, include all information relevant to the position you're applying for.
• Let your writing reflect your personality, motivation, and communication skills. Tedious cover letters often result in resume packages going to the trash receptacle.
• Provide information specifically requested as requirements for that position. Indicate if more details are present on your resume.
• Indicate what you will do to follow-up. Tell the employer whether you will be calling or writing and when as a follow up to sending your cover letter and resume. Do not say "I look forward to hearing from you soon".

Target all correspondence to a specific employer. You may write one letter to use as a template for all correspondence, but each letter should be tailor written and targeted to the potential employer.

Make certain your purpose is clear. At the beginning clearly indicate whether a letter is a follow up, job application, future job enquiry etc. Don't make the employer guess why you're writing or have to read the entire letter to find out.

Edit and Proof Read more than once. Grammar, spelling and punctuation should be perfect, not a single error. Your words should be clear, to the point, and reflect a business attitude. Avoid excessive wordiness and slang language.

Be business like, but be yourself. Remain formal, but allow your personality to show through. Are you a perfectionist, great people person, full of creative ideas, let these traits show through in your writing.

Keep record of all correspondence. For each employer keep records of phone calls, face to face interviews, emails and written letters. Retain hard copies of every letter and email sent. Record who you spoke with, the date and details of conversations. Each time you communicate first review your records of past correspondence.

Hard copy correspondence
Use 8 ½ x 11, premium quality paper. Use the same paper for all correspondence letters and your resume. Be certain your paper produces clean photocopies. Avoid flecked, brightly colored or decorative paper. Send laser quality prints with a proportionally spaced font in Arial or Times New Roman font. Make it easy to read, avoid excessively small fonts.

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Action Word for your Resume

A sampling of action words to describe skills and responsibilities within a resume.

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Resume help links

• 1st Advantage Careers
  We specialize in IT resumes. Nationally published Professional Resume Writer and former recruiter.
• Common Resume Mistakes
• IT Resume Tips
• ResumeWriters.com
  Specializes in creating professional resumes for all experience levels.
• Writing a web resume

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