For IT professionals looking to showcase their abilities and stand out in the job market, a well-crafted resume is a must. By emphasizing critical skills such as coding, design, security, architecture, networks and databases, you can highlight your technical abilities and set yourself apart from other applicants. Here are four tips for making your IT skills resume stand out.
Start with an Overview and Focus on Top Skills.
Start your resume with a professional summary that emphasizes your most important skills and allows potential employers to gain a quick understanding of how you could benefit the organization. Focus on key abilities such as databases, programming languages, coding / scripting, systems analysis and design, software development lifecycle management, and network security. These are the technologies that recruiters will be looking for when assessing applicants.
Make sure to highlight these skills in both the professional summary and in subsequent sections of your resume. Be sure to emphasize how you have utilized these abilities, such as developing and deploying software applications through an Agile process, or troubleshooting and maintaining servers on an ad-hoc basis. Include relevant projects, certifications, and testing scores that demonstrate your level of expertise in the technologies you possess. Taking the time to showcase your top IT skills will help you stand out from other resumes and increase the odds of being called for a job interview.
Highlight Relevant Certifications That Prove Your Technical Expertise.
Employers look for candidates who not only possess the requisite IT skills, but also those who have taken the time to demonstrate their mastery of particular technologies. Celebrate your certifications in the field by using bullet points to call out details such as vendor- and technology-specific certifications for databases, CAD tools, programming languages, coding / scripting, operating systems or network security protocols. Include any relevant acronyms alongside certification names to help clarify and amplify your qualifications.
Don’t forget to mention any “latest and greatest” certifications relevant to the skills you hope to showcase on your IT resume. For instance, if a certain technology such as cloud computing is desperately needed for an employer’s business goals, make sure to mention it – clouds are becoming ubiquitous, and their ongoing development continues to generate numerous certifications from vendors like Google, Microsoft and Amazon. Your technical recruiters will be impressed by this type of proactive attention to detail!
Highlight IT skills resume Keywords from the Job Description
An important step in showcasing your IT skills resume is to ensure that you include any keywords specified in the job listing. Look for words and phrases related to particular technologies and highlight them in your “Skills” or “Summary of Qualifications” section. This will enable employers to scan your document quickly, matching the capabilities you possess with the requirements for the position. Include synonyms that people who are not familiar with technology may use, such as “data analytics” instead of “data science.” Employers often use crawlers or other search engines to find candidates who possess the desired qualifications.
Include technical words such as “Git” and “SQL,” programming languages like Java and C++, operating systems such as iOS and Android, databases, software like Salesforce, or IT-specific tools like Docker for a comprehensive list of IT skills. Referring to best practices in terms of user experience, network security measures, data protection regulations and more can also help show your expertise. Additionally, relevant certifications from associations like CompTIA and Microsoft — as well as any courses related to the field you’ve taken — range from entry-level to advanced qualifications that are useful to potential employers. Staying up-to-date with the latest industry trends will demonstrate your knowledge of the field and make your IT skills resume stand out.
Focus on Achievements and Quantifiable Results
A great way to draw attention to your advanced IT skills is by featuring accomplishments and tangible results that you achieved with the use of technology. For example, if you designed a new system for managing customer data, mention the specific methods you used and any resulting improvements or efficiencies that could be measured. This will give prospective employers an understanding of your abilities and how they can help their organization.
Being able to articulate customer-facing IT solutions you’ve developed, explain how you reduced downtime in infrastructure, or explain how effective implementation of a certain computer language enabled a specific outcome will all make great additions to any IT resume. Make sure you clearly state the achievements and results related to your use of technology, but also include any noteworthy certifications or web development courses if appropriate. Showcasing strong IT skills on your CV as well as providing a clear story of successes can help you stand out and demonstrate your value to potential employers.
SOQALearn is the place to acquire in-demand IT skills and boost your resume
Getting in-demand IT skills is a great way to advance your career. In doing so, you’ll be able to broaden your network, raise your IT skills resume, and strengthen your professional position. Certifications earned in IT courses demonstrate to potential employers that you have the knowledge and abilities to perform in the role. In addition, you won’t be left in the dust as the industry evolves and develops because you’ll always be up-to-date.
SOQALearn is a great place to learn frontend development, AWS, and other IT skills to add to your resume. Book a 05-minute intro call with one of our enrollment specialists today!