Tricks and Traps for Effective IT Resumes

Donna Shannon

720-452-3400

Personal Touch Career Services

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WHY KEY WORDS MATTERSay the magic words…

Key words make the world go ‘round..

• Websites recommend jobs by key words

• Recruiters search passive candidates by key words

• HR departments screen on key words

• Hiring managers respond to targeted resumes

Unique problem for the IT industry…

• HR usually doesn’t fully understand the job

• They almost NEVER take off old programs or recognize similar terms

• Calls for lengthy technical competency areas

A Great Truth:

Your resume is not about YOU…

Your resume is about the EMPLOYER and how your skills, experience and education

meets their NEEDS.

Hiring managers want to know:

1. What you can do

2. Where you’ve done it

3. How it applies to their needs

Most job seekers fail at number 3

- especially those transitioning to a different career path

Where are they?

• Read through the sample job description

• Circle relevant key words

JOB SUMMARY - Manager IT Systems Administration

This position is responsible for the management of the Systems Administration team, processes and technology tools. It includes design, implementation, and operational support of a high performance, scalable, secure, cost-effective, and highly-available compute and storage infrastructure in support of Battelle Ecology Inc. and the NEON Project/Observatory.The Systems Administration Manager also participates in strategic planning activities, and other tactical activities related to the Battelle Ecology Inc. IT organization in collaboration with the Sr. Manager IT.

Where to use the key words

• Skills section

• Description of duties

• Guidance on achievements

• Identification of soft skills

Key word trap:

• The hidden key word blast in the Word document

– A listing of every possible key word and its variation inserted into the footer with white text

• THIS is why HR often strips information OUT of the header and footer sections

COMMON RESUME MYTHS

Common resume myths:

• Ideal resume length?

• Objectives?

• References?

• Perfect format?

• Other rules you’ve heard?

Overcoming the Overqualified Trap

• Only list 10-15 years experience unless the job descriptions consistently request more

• Don’t list college graduation date unless it is within 10 years

• Only include high school if no college AND it is listed as a requirement for the job

Overcoming the Underqualified Trap

• Capitalize on professional development

• Focus only on relevant transferrable skills and responsibilities

• Out-think the computer:

– Instead of “College courses, UCD, 2016-Present”

– Use “Coursework towards a Bachelors in Computer Science, UCD, pending graduation May 2018”

Get your cover letter to work for you

• Emphasize your story while researching the company

• Convince the manager you can do of 1 of 3 things:

– Make money

– Save money

– Solve problems

RESUME STYLES

Chronological vs. Functional

• Chronological:

– Lists work history and education in reverse chronological order

• Functional:

– Reduces impact of timeframe by emphasizing past skills or “functions” of jobs

Functional Resume• OK you were

doing the same thing in lots of jobs

• Individual jobs show the scope to highlight the differences

Page 62

Pure

Chronological

Resume

• Often does not

get enough key

words

Functional Resumes-A trap in and of themselves

• Frequently used by someone trying to hide something– their age, spotty work history or some other

issue.

– When HR people see a functional resume, they will not take the time to decipher the work history.

– 75% of hiring managers prefer chronological resumes

(Source: USA Today survey of hiring managers in the US, December 2009)

Successful Resumes

• Include a healthy skills section to load in key words

• Describe work history in a logical manner

• Often considered HYBRIDS

The Laundry List

• A simple list of duties, skills and other details

• Logical flow throughout

– Favored by heavy “duty” jobs: IT, Project Managers

Page 51

Eddie “The Eagle” Edwards 303-555-1234 Cell fake@fakeemail.com

Driven Sales Professional

Highly successful sales professional with talents and experience in regulated industries. A collaborative sales expert, with the ability to help customers determine the best products for their needs. A specialist in building long-term

customer relationships based on technical expertise, availability and pro-active customer service. As a former Olympic

Athlete, understands how discipline, creativity and attention to detail are crucial to a world-class performance.

Key Skills

• 15+ years of proven Sales results

• Revenue and profit growth above goals

• Proactive customer service and retention

• Accurate forecasting and pipeline management

• Prospecting, cold calling and networking

• Enterprise Software/ Capital Expense Sales

• Consultative sales/ solution selling

• CRM/account documentation through SalesForce, SalesTrak, SalesLogix and SAP

• Successful complex selling experience

Experience

Healthcare Software Solutions 2010 – Present

Business Development Manager

• Built account base through lead generation, prospecting, pipeline development, networking, targeting and qualification of new opportunities

• Developed and implemented complex sale strategies for selling solutions in the C-suite and at the department level to ensure internal buy-in

• Worked with clients to identify products that reduce operating costs, improve financial results and increase customer satisfaction

XYZ Corporation 2003 – 2010

Account Executive

• Won business at all buying stages from engineering prototypes to volume production.

• Identified new opportunities and develop business analysis and specifications for new products.

• Directed R&D and Production groups in Japan and USA on sales strategy, competitive environment, market acceptance of products, and other strategic issues.

Additional Experience

World-Level Competitive Ski Jumping Coach - Location, CO 1993 - 2001

Self-Employed

Teaches jumpers of all levels from ages 5 to 75 in the art and sport of ski jumping. As a former Olympic Athlete

for Great Britain, brings high level of professionalism and insight into the international competitive industry.

• Trained individuals, couples and teams, including athletes competing on a national level

• Represented Britain in the 1988 Winter Olympics.

Education

Travel Agent Certification - Bradenton, FL 2008

Manatee Technical Institute - Travel, Tourism and Hospitality Program

The Paragraph

• A detailed career history.

• Key points are written in paragraphs on the page.– Often favored by

mid- to upper-management candidates

Page 55

ELLEN RIPLEY 555 Stardust Way Olympia Base, Luna 303-555-1234 fake@yahoo.com

PROFILE

ersatile professional with record of enhancing clients’ efficiency and productivity through technology. Effective solutions developer and tester with experience in all phases of software development lifecycle.

Proficient in quality assurance practices, web applications and database management systems. Conscientious, analytical, and organized.

TECHNICAL SKILLS

Languages: SQL, C#.NET, JavaScript, HTML, XML, J2EE, Java and Visual Basic 6.0

Quality Assurance:

Functional testing, regression testing, user acceptance testing, test case development, test execution and defect tracking

Software Development: Web application development, database scripting/querying, object oriented programming, Client/Server and design patterns

Application Software: Microsoft Test Manager, Team Foundation Server 2012, Visual Studio 2008/2012, MS Office 2003/2012 and Visio

Databases: Oracle 11G Enterprise Edition, MS SQL Server 2008 R2/2012, Postgres 9.x and MySQL 5

HIGHLIGHTS

• Quality Assurance Lead, QSMI. Wrote plan to document company software development quality assurance policies through all phases of development lifecycle. Authored test plans and cases for user acceptance and functional testing, executed test cases for functional and regression testing, configured test environments for functional testing and tracked defects during testing phase prior to implementation and release at client site.

• Designed, Developed and tested web pages for a healthcare services system modernization. Purpose of Agile project was updating ASP.NET website and SQL Server database design. Automated unit testing of application objects using Microsoft Test Manager. Used agile methodology while participating in design meetings and scrums.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

LIEUTENANT 1ST CLASS / SPECIAL CIVILIAN ADVISOR, Colonial Marines (5/2125 – 12/2138) • System Modernization Designed, developed, and tested ASP.NET pages for a government client’s IT site

modernization effort. Collaborated with other team members in data migration of legacy SQL Server database to updated site. Created unit tests for class methods using Microsoft automated testing tool.

WARRANT OFFICER, assigned to Nostromo, Weyland-Yutani Corporation (03/2118 - 04/2122)

• Web Service Repository web site, U.S. Air Mobile Command Developed and tested data-driven functionality through PL/SQL views, procedures, and scripts which provided content for this web application. Tested database procedures and views with web pages and created database script packages to accompany web application. Maintained versions for configuration management.

EDUCATION

LUNAR UNIVERSITY OF OLYMPIA Bachelor of Arts: Navigation

V KEY SKILLS OFFERED: Class 2 Rating – Heavy Loaders Testing & Quality Assurance Agile Methodology Xenomorph Destruction

The Outline • Jobs start with a

summary

• Followed by aspects emphasized with indentions/ bullets.

– Bulleted points arranged into sub-sets or accomplishment.

– Favored for complex jobs

Page 58

TYLER DURDEN 123 Paper St, Denver, CO

800-555-1234 | fake@fakeemail.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/URL

MANAGER OF CUSTOMER CARE/SUPPORT SERVICES

Customer-centric, team focused manager with over 5 years of extensive technology experience, progressive career track, and broad achievements on behalf of Fortune 500 corporations. Expertise in developing and implementing strategic plans, reengineering internal systems, leading new continuous improvement initiatives, and managing all types of complex projects. Recognized as a visionary and influential leader with a talent for creating strong team dynamics that facilitate a collaborative, productive work environment and make a difference in customers’ lives.

CORE COMPETENCIES

• Team Leadership & Development

• Requirements/Solutions/Business Analysis

• Program/Project Management

• Technical Problem Solving

• Quality Assurance

• Strategic Business Planning & Analysis

• Operations & Organizational Development

• Business Continuance Techniques

• Employee & Client Training

• Continuous Process Improvement (CPI)

Technological Proficiencies: SQL Server 2000 | Oracle | IAS | Apache | UNIX | HTML | HL7 v. 2.2B Microsoft Operating Systems | Mac and PC Proficiency | Microsoft Office Suite

CAREER OVERVIEW

Large Corporation, General, CO 2010 - Present

Progressively promoted to new positions of increasing responsibility throughout tenure with Large Corporation. Recognized for demonstrating exceptional control during complex projects.

Technical Support Engineer Provided high-level support to technical support engineers and healthcare clients for Electronic Medical Record systems in a HIPAA-controlled environment. Responded to and effectively resolved a high-volume of complex, multi-layered software issues. Responded to complex technical support questions regarding application or server interfaces.

• Presented effective solutions or recommendations to streamline practices and optimize productivity.

– Improved engineers’ productivity and efficacy more than 15% by developing processes to track retention of accumulated knowledge.

• Rated a top case closer, averaging between 55 and 60 closed cases per month.

• Maintained an average 98% customer satisfaction score by delivering quality client service and assistance.

ALS, Some town, CO 2006 - 2010

Information Technology Team Leader Created and implemented mission statements for the newly developed production support team. workflow, delegated work assignments, created metrics to track team and individual performance, and fostered a team-based environment. Developed and mentored employees, including facilitation of training programs designed to maximize team potential.

• Recruited and retained top talent, including the coordination and leadership of orientation programs.

• Developed, implemented, and maintained technical processes in compliance with SOX standards and regulations.

• Led process and support improvements with application owners, including the creation of internal KPIs, which subsequently grew the number of systems and applications supported by the team from 4 to 12.

– Implemented Service Level Agreements (SLAs) that yielded a 60% productivity increase.

– Improved internal customer satisfaction scores from less than 30% to more than 90% within two quarters.

EDUCATION

Selected coursework in Information Technologies with an Emphasis on Management of Networks / Systems University of So, Some town, CO

INTELLIGENT RESUME DESIGN

The Good Stuff…

• Relevance and emphasis

• Resume order

• Concise statements

• Achievements vs. scope

• Volunteer experience

Relevance

• Only highlight parts of your resume that are the most relevant for the job...

• I don’t care about your speed typing award if you’re an IT Manager

Emphasis

• Emphasis is shown 2 ways:

– Placement:– What is listed first carries the most influence

– If your degree was obtained more than 2 years ago, it should be listed towards the end

– Volume:– The more you write, the more it means

Different levels of emphasis:Experienced – 2 pages

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT – SAMPLE RESUME Address, City, State ZIP – Phone - Email

SUMMARY:

High power Executive Assistant focused on making your priorities a reality. Proven ability to create top

quality work within strict deadlines. Previous support areas include Executive, Sales, Marketing and

Facility Management. A natural self-starter with the willingness to help wherever needed.

SKILL SYNOPSIS:

Expert in Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Visio & Excel

Skilled with SharePoint, SalesLogic, Adobe, ResX

Meeting & event coordination for up to 350 guests

International and domestic travel arrangements

Leadership for senior administrative staff

Expert document and report creation

Multi-level calendar management

PERSONAL ASSETS:

10+ Years of dedicated Executive Assistant experience

Able to anticipate needs in a variety of situations

Effective interaction with staff of all levels

Exceptional oral & written communication

Adaptable & intelligent problem solver

Office organization and management

Highly organized & detail-oriented

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT 2008- Present

In support of the Vice President

Xxxxx Company – Golden, CO

A diversified energy holding company with two major business groups – Utilities and Non-regulated

Energy. The utility companies serve 750,000 natural gas and electricity customers in a 7 state area.

▪ Provides information management support to the VP of Power Delivery.

▪ Assists with detailed report preparation by collecting and analyzing information.

▪ Conserves executive's time by reading, researching, and routing correspondence; drafting letters and

documents; and coordinating phone calls.

▪ Coordinated logistics for meetings and special events for more than 100 employees, including such

details as catering and/or venue selection.

▪ Served as the database administrator for the company-wide division electronic filing system.

▪ Created and maintained BHC Power Delivery internal website with department administrative

procedures and contracts.

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT 2007- 2008

In support of the Vice President

Xxxx Company – Golden, CO

An international $4 billion producer and supplier of aggregates, concrete products and construction services

to the building material industry.

▪ Assisted the VP with the development of the division’s business plan, including the roll-out of new

sales and marketing strategies, product development and operational improvements for 4

manufacturing plants and 3 distribution outlets.

▪ Created quarterly business review PowerPoint presentations with embedded graphs and tables for

the VP.

▪ Coordinate monthly Executive Board meetings, including both domestic and international travel and

entertainment planning.

▪ Developed numerous Excel tracking scorecards to assist General Managers to improve sales quotas,

financial ratios and manufacturing efficiencies.

▪ Served as an interim office manager for one of the locations; improvements to the work flow

process increased on-time customer service by 75%.

Entry level – 1 pageSample Entry Level Resume

Address

City, State ZIP

xxx-xxx-xxxx (Cell)

fakeemail@fake.com

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

SUMMARY:

Intelligent and resourceful, I enjoy the challenge of making a difference every day, whether that is through helping my co-

workers or by helping the customer. I am ready to dedicate my career to a professional level.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

SKILLS:

Superior Communication Skills, both oral and written

Proficient in Microsoft Office, including Word and Excel

Advanced Internet Research Skills

Dedicated Team Player and demonstrated Team Leader

Superior problem solving abilities

Answering multiple phone lines

Excellent Customer Service abilities

Over 1 year of office experience

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

EDUCATION:

Metropolitan State College of Denver, Denver, CO

English Major Attending Classes: 2008 - Present

XXXXX High School, xxxxx, CO

High School Diploma, Graduated: May 2006

Special Honors: Captain of Debate Team, 2006, Debate Team Member, 2002 – 2005

Recipient of Awards in English

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

WORK EXPERIENCE:

XXXXX, ARVADA, CO, MARCH 2009 — DECEMBER 2009

DELIVERY EXPERT

• Answering multi-lined phones and entering orders in a quick, efficient and timely manner

• Safely prepared and delivered pizzas, pasta, and deserts in a timely and accurate manner

• Responsible for Cashier duties and cash handling without use of register

• Provided excellent customer service, including helping displeased customers and helping to ensure everything was

done right the first time

XXXX, LAKEWOOD, CO, JANUARY 2009—JUNE 2009

CONTRACT EDITOR/ RESEARCH ASISTANT

• Provided grammatical and content editing for 50,000 word non-fiction book using Microsoft Word

• Researched various fiction and non-fiction publishers and magazines, both online and by traditional means

• Data entry and simple database construction using Microsoft Excel

XXXXX, LARKSPUR, CO, SUMMER SEASON 2006 — 2010

SEASONAL POSITION, GAMES AND RIDES

• Worked as a crew member on period-themed games and rides

• Provided customer service to children and adults, creating a fun atmosphere while increasing sales

• Responsible for the safe operation of human-powered rides

• Interacted with customers while maintaining character

• Handled cash and provided security/ theft protection without a register

Concise statements

• Resumes are understood better when the sentences are simple and to-the-point.

• Read your resume out loud. If you run out of breath before you finish a sentence, it’s too long!

• A bullet should be no more than 2 lines

• MANY IT professionals fall for

this trap

Achievements

• Achievements do matter

– Pick ones that relate to the target job

– If unrelated, distracts instead of enhance

Achievement vs. Scope

• Trouble thinking of achievements?

• Many IT roles are duty-centric

• Consider scope:

– Use quantifiable metrics:

• Size of job

• Numbers give the full story– How many clients, what volume of users, number of calls

per day, revenues of the company, size of territory, etc.…

Volunteer Experience

• Rising trend: 1 in 5 hiring managers consider volunteer experience in their hiring decision (source: LinkedIn, 2014)

• Helps when transitioning back into workforce

• Reflex format of work history with no duties, unless holding leadership roles

Junior League of Denver, 2012 - Present

– Events Chair, 2013. Vice President, 2015.

Action Verbs

• Never say “Responsible for” again!

• Use action verbs and variety to keep your writing interesting

Sample:

“Responsible for processing accounts payable on a weekly basis”

Rewrite:

“Accurately processed accounts payable worth over $100k on a weekly basis”

MASTER RESUMES AND MASTER APPLICATIONS

Do you know what you did where?

Let’s get one thing straight…

• Applications are legal documents

• Resumes are marketing tools

• Application requirements:– Complete employers’ address

– Employer phone numbers

– Supervisor’s name

– Salary history

– Signature/ authorizations

Customization

• Applications = easy to customize

– Pull in as many duties as possible from the job posting

• Resumes = difficult to customize

– Quick changes cause problems in formatting

– More likely to make mistakes

– Forget the changes made

Master Resumes

• The more rare jobs are in your industry….

– The more you need to customize

• A Master Resume lists everything you did…

• Select which accomplishments, duties and skills matter most

YOUR LINKEDIN PROFILE VS. YOUR RESUME

Profile is NOT Your Resume

• Key words work like SEO

• Use descriptive titles in the headline

Make Full Use of the Summary

• Allowed 2,000 characters

• Be key word rich

• Include recent achievements – IF relevant

• Point out top traits and talents

Make Full Use of the Summary

Experience

Additional Important Sections

• Skills and Endorsements: all searchable key words

• Recommendations: gather more than mouse clicks

Skills

Recommendations

Collect Recommendations from your 1st

degree connections

QUESTIONS?

Final Thoughts

• Resumes tell your story and history

• Use LinkedIn like SEO for your future

• Make EVERYTHING relevant to your target audience

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(c) Donna Shannon, 2010, 2013