The Tech Resume Writing Guide (Experis Perspective: The global leader in accelerating careers in the ICT industry)
IT professions can be very competitive to secure and each opportunity will probably receive a wide range of applications so, standing out is important in this field. All you need is a TECHNICAL RESUME when seeking employment in IT, computer science, coding, software engineering, web development or design, DevOps or network or system administration.
Each role will have their own unique requirements, so personalizing your tech resume depending on those needs can help you stand out.
Now, the question is, how to best write a technical resume to secure a job in the IT ground?
Keep it straight forward
Many people believe that a good CV is all about squeezing dozens of details with heaps of pages, making it as competitive as possible. In actual fact, it’s best to keep it clear, precise, and straightforward. Say exactly what YOU CAN DO. The best CVs are the ones that you can stare at in 5 seconds to see what someone is really about instantly.
A good CV should provide context
Demonstrate your significant role, what& how you built projects; whether you were part of a global team or working alone.
Be specific about what you have exactly done, what systems you have worked on, what technologies you have used in order for them to see your mix of skills and experience.
Outline your most impressive achievements instead of tasks and responsibilities in the work experience section. Examples include:
Led the development of a new user interface that increased customer satisfaction by 25%.
Mentored a team of 10web developers.
Developed and implemented a feedback system for customers to report bugs and concerns.
Re-engineered account software systems for customers that reduced bugs by20%.
Collaborated on the development of new software interfaces for banks.
How to best show case your technical skills?
Your resume should also include your relevant technical skills to the job you’re applying. These skills may include computer programs, databases, coding tools and platforms which you have been used in the previous/current working place.
Stay relevant by:
Deleting obsolete skill sets that are not relevant to the job you are applying.
Separating technical skills into familiar categories such as operating systems, networks and programming tools.
Listing skills in the order of their relevance to your objective.
Recruiters also like to see how much technical experience you have, so either add how many years of experience you have with each technology or list your level of competence.
Programming: C# (2 years), Java (5 years), Python (6 years)
Operating systems: Ubuntu (1 year), OSX (5 years), Linux (7 years)
Testing: Mercury Quality Centre (1 year), Test Director (1 year)
Or
Expert: TFS, HTML, JDBC, C/C++, Hudson, CSS, SOAP, J2EE, Eclipse
Intermediate: C#, ASP.NET, SQL, Visual Studio, Java, Ruby on Rails, VB.NET, Hibernate
Learning: Jenkins, Python, REST, spring
Sample Software Engineer Resume Writing Format
Personal & contact information
Now, this section doesn’t need any creativity, but it must be factually correct because in the end you want an impressed recruiter to be able to contact you for an interview.
Full name
Current title: Software Engineer (align to the job description)
Contact number: +6017*******
Email address: [email protected](use a professional email)
Link to your LinkedIn profile
Summary
The best way recruiters simply glance over your resume looking for the most important information is via a resume summary, which are snappy paragraphs that go on top of your resume.
"Experienced software engineer with a strong background in developing award-winning strategies for a diverse clientele. 12+ years of industry experience includes leading large engineering teams to achieve concrete goals on a strict deadline. Strong skills include Database management and MySQL, .NET and Java".
Experience
It's meant to present you as a wholesome candidate by showcasing your relevant accomplishments and that you can do the job well.
Here’s how we recommend you structure your work experience section:
Position name
Company Name
Dates
Responsibilities & Achievements
E.g.:
Software Engineer
ElectronicsX
03/2017 - 07/2020
Built an ecommerce site integrated with multiple payment APIs for a45% in company revenue
Completed eight major projects, working closely with agile development team to develop, test and maintain Web- and desktop-based software applications
Goal-surpassing 9.2 NPS (customer satisfaction) scores, up from 8.5 last fiscal year
Consistently achieved 100% compliance with industry best practices
Reduced security breaches by75%
Education
Include your highest degree and feel free to list a key (relevant) certification too. Here's how to format your educational achievements:
Program Name: Bachelor's Degree in Science/Information Technology
University Name: APIIT/UCTI – Asia Pacific University| Aug2012–Aug 2014
Years Attended: 08/2008 - 06/2012
Major: Software Engineering
GPA (OPTIONAL): 3.75
Certifications
Oracle Certified Professional (OCP): Java ME Mobile Application Developer
Oracle Certified Professional (OCP): Java SE Programmer
Technical Skills
Put all relevant skills on your resume. Here are the most commonly used skills for a software engineer resume:
PHP
Debugging
Web Development
Global Project Management
Mobile & Cloud Solutions
SaaS & IaaS Technologies (e.g., AWS, OpenStack)
Solutions Engineering, Testing & Optimization
When listing your technical proficiencies, remember always to be honest about your level of ability. E.g.:
Expert: Multithreading MS Windows Server, MS SQL Server, IIS, TFS, SSIS, OLAP
Intermediate: Java, .NET, C#, C++, T-SQL, ASP.NET, MVC, WCF, REST, AJAX, TCP/IP
Link to LinkedIn
LinkedIn is the perfect add-on to your tech CV. Your LinkedIn profile is your chance to put your best self out there whether you use it to demonstrate your career choices in context, highlight your biggest achievements, or show off your personality. It strengthens your first impression in a way no other profile section can.
Ask for Help
Don’t be afraid to ask the professionals to proofread it for grammatical errors, jargon, and repetition. IT companies look for smart, professional people who can develop high-quality technical solutions, and you don’t want a typo to distract from your skills.
And, we would be more than happy to offer some advice & guidance on your technical CV, so fill in the form below for us to reach out to you.
Posted by:
Yogakumari Sankar- Prospect & Content Development Executive