In an age where every major metropolis has an equally sizable technology company, I.T. folks can be a dime a dozen, making the chance to interview much more rare. But before you can even begin to give someone the evil eye in the lobby as you wait for your turn to interview, you have to get in that lobby first by having a stunning resume.
In a widely cited study by TheLadders, the average time spent viewing a resume is 6.25 seconds. No pressure, but combine that with the masses of I.T. folks all applying to tech behemoths, such as Microsoft and Amazon, and it becomes a litter tougher. But, here’s something you might not know, many people make mistakes (shocker). Here are a few of the most common mess-ups that can at least help your resume get you into the interview.
- Speak my language. Chances are the person reading your resume might not have your computing prowess, so help them out a bit and break down the lingo. Too often are resumes flooded by acronyms and jargon only techies understand and the last thing you want is for a person reading your resume to think to Google things just to make sense of what you’re presenting.
- Show me the results. Show off your shining moments of computing glory by whipping out your most prized achievements and letting them glow on your resume. Seems like an obvious one, but people too often spend more time explaining their jobs rather than showing results. For example, you could write, “I worked daily to rebuild the company’s internal storage network,” or, “I increased the company’s productivity by 150 percent by rebuilding the internal storage network.”
- Well-kept and organized. You’re about to be entrusted in protecting and maintaining a company’s computer kingdom by making sure it runs like a high-velocity machine. Requests for your help will come in daily, and organizing your schedule will be imperative. Presenting a well-organized resume is both visually appealing and can speak terabytes about your organizational skills without even using a fraction of those 6 seconds.
- Short and sweet. Your resume isn’t an epic novel or a quirky one-liner from a Hallmark card. Remember those 6 seconds and make them count by dealing out info fast. In the same study by TheLadders, recruiters typically only read applicants’ names, current and previous jobs, how long they spent at both, and their education.
- Use your words. Don’t make a mistake, by making a mistake! Typos are an easy way to go from rockstar to washed-up has-been. Take an extra moment to read through your resume and check for any of these mistakes. Sloppy, lazy and a lack of attention are not good skills to present an employer, but is exactly what they’ll see.