A Tech Resume Needs More

You may have heard the idea that a resume needs to fit on one page. That may have been true back in the day and for other industries, but the tech industry follows a different set of requirements. A technology resume should include as much information as needed to describe your skill sets. I’m not suggesting that you write a book about your qualifications, although that could be a best seller, but I am suggesting that you provide enough information to share your technology strengths. This information could include the highlights of projects that you’ve worked on or examples of solutions that you used to increase efficiency.

For example, maybe you worked as a consultant or as a volunteer donating your time to help a small business get off the ground. In your resume you could highlight the project that you worked on using three or four details (bullet points) that describe your contributions. These details could help to demonstrate your passion and commitment to technology advancement. Yes, it’s important to be concise when listing your bullet points in a resume, but it’s equally important to list examples of how you contributed to a project.

Consider the following example; yesterday I was searching for candidates who have experience with the build and release of software applications using XL Deploy. I was shifting through over 50 resumes that were sourced a short time earlier. The resumes were identified using a keyword search that matched the minimum requirements. Essentially, I was at the next stage of reviewing each resume for specifics that would highlight additional details and insight about each candidate’s knowledge with build and release. Specifically, I was looking for something related to how they used automation processes with past projects. In a matter of minutes I was able to identify 10 resumes that provided enough details that would require further inquiry (schedule an interview). This suggests that the other 40 resumes did not have enough details to move them forward to the next stage in the interview process.

When you share details in your resume about how you apply your tech knowledge in a given situation or project, you are providing insight about how you have the ability to identify opportunities and provide solutions. What might seem like a simple example to you could be a perfect illustration for a recruiter to read. There’s no need to include examples of code, but there is a need to share three or four details that highlight what you did on each of the projects that you worked on.

Author: Dr. Eduardo Diaz, helping you exceed expectations.