Resumes and job interviews are the hot topics on the web today as more and more people are searching for new positions and applying for new jobs.
There are a number of websites that offer resume writing services that promise to launch your resume into hyperdrive, but I would be wary of such services for two simple reasons.
People who write resumes for a living tend to turn out boring products that all look the same. They follow a standard set of rules and often fail to make you stand out. Another problem is that these services usually don’t take into consideration the unique needs of the organizations and positions that you’re applying for. They don’t know what the person hiring you expects to see on your resume since they usually don’t even take that into consideration.
A resume is nothing more than a sales brochure that you use to sell yourself at a premium price.
This brochure does quite a few things for you. It brings you to the interviewer’s desk and tries to make a first impression for you with the not-so-patient interviewers, who are generally bored of taking several hundred interviews every month. Interviewers often lose interest in the first twenty seconds of scanning through your work experience.
Lack of interview calls is good evidence of a weak resume.
Below I have put together some tips that will help you enhance your IT resume and get you the interview. These tips are aimed at IT resumes, but I can categorically state that they hold water across industries.
1. Organization
The placement of sections in a resume is extremely important. As I mentioned earlier, an interviewer’s patience runs for a few seconds, and your brochure needs to work diligently for you in the available period. This is possible only through smart organization; a well organized resume generates that extra few precious seconds.
Take a look at the job ad or description and determine what the company is looking for. For example, do they place a lot of focus on specific experience or certification? If this is the case, and you’re able to meet the qualifications, make sure to have this information at the top.
An objective or summary section is recommended, but not necessary. It’s a good way to show the direction you are heading in and provide the interviewer with a quick overview of who you are. The objective or summary section should go at the top fold below your name, where it is almost impossible for the interviewer to miss it.
Next in line are your experiences, with your latest one on the top and rest to follow chronologically. Remember that an interviewer would be most interested to know what you are doing currently. And don’t feel forced to list every single job you’ve ever had; focus on the important roles that showcase your expertise.
Follow experiences with your education qualifications and the certifications you hold. In the IT industry, education counts to peanuts while certifications are quite weighty so try to make your certifications stand out.
Recommendations should be a perfect climax for resumes. Get some from top dogs in the companies you have worked in earlier, the higher ranked your recommender, the better. If you are just out of college, get some from your professors ranting about what you are capable of.
2. Presentation
You need to dress your bride for the occasion, else it’s a wedding in bad taste. Same holds true for resumes. Presenting your resume in long paragraphs that are difficult to read, much less scan through for vital information, will do little good.
Your entire resume should be bullet based, and each bullet should never run for more than two lines. If you have more to write, split it up. I would not like to read a paragraph that explains what the DBA is doing in his present organization, but rather get a quick snapshot of only the vital activities. I will get to the details when he/she sits across the table from me.
3. Length
Many websites advise candidates to shorten resumes to the smallest possible length, and the justification is the impatience of the person reading it. I personally don’t agree with this popular belief as I don’t think that it holds true in the IT field.
Most IT interviewers like to see some weight, in the form of experience covering multiple projects and activities. We prefer exposure rather than a person who wears a blinder while doing what he/she has been asked to do of them. Interviewers in the IT field like to know what you are capable of, and what else you can do apart from your normal work. Coupling compactness and weightiness is an odd combination that rarely works.
Never water down your resume in order to keep it compact. List all of the important certifications, projects and experiences you have achieved in bullet points, especially if you think they’re what your interviewer is looking for.
4. Accuracy and Integrity
Make sure your resume includes what you have actually accomplished and not what your job description lists. This is a common misconception. I have seen candidates pick up lines from job descriptions and garner their resume with it. Your resume is a report of what you have done, and not what you wish to achieve. Delete anything that you haven’t been able to achieve in your current or past positions.
Integrity is your biggest strength and the mirror called resume should reflect back who you are and what you have been able to accomplish. Never, ever put down things that you haven’t done. Interviewers have ways to find out what you are capable of, and how truthful your resume is. I have humiliated a few candidates in person who fell in this category during interviews. Trust me, you don’t want to be in a similar situation.
5. Format, Spelling and Grammar
You might wonder what is the point in improving the appearance of your resume, it’s superficial. It’s everything! Would you notice an attractive girl a mile away from you or rather prefer to watch a not-so-attractive gal walk right in front of you? You know the answer!
Formatting, using the right font and spacing, presentation and media play a significant part in persuading the recruiter and an interviewer to read your resume for a little bit longer.
I generally ask people to put fonts that are pleasing to the eye. From what I have seen, Times New Roman at size 11 is not too hard on the eyes. Couple this with 1.5 pt spacing.
When you print your resume, do it on a milky white paper and avoid colored paper and other off-white media. They are everything but professional. If you are sending your resume in softcopy format, do so in PDF format. Once again, it’s all about professionalism.
Last but not the least, before you finalize your resume, ensure that there are zero typos and grammatically, your words make sense. There is nothing more annoying than typos and a misplaced modifier. If a fifth grader can do it, we implicitly expect you to be able to construct proper sentences.
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