IT Resumes: Getting Past the HR Gatekeeper

Editor’s note: IvyExec.com is a content partner of this blog who offers a guest article each month. This article is reprinted with Ivy Exec’s permission as part of an ongoing partnership as a contributor on The Voice of Jobseekers.

Basic and IT resumes at least in writing guidelines do not apply to Information Technology professionals; you have an audience, not a single reader, to keep in mind. To top it off, this audience does not speak your language.

Since a member of the IT team probably won’t even see your resume until it’s passed through a few rounds with HR, focus should be on your soft skills, ability to impact the bottom line, and how well-rounded you are.

To emphasize your team leadership and people skills, broaden your thinking about your work experience and tell us about any management experience (people, projects, etc.) and about any client interactions you might have had. Doing so will really take IT resumes up a level from an individual contributor level to a team player and leader.

Limit the use of technical jargon and acronyms that might not be related to your career goals; the “alphabet soup” will be a huge barrier for the resume and will turn off the reader. Use a detailed but tailored ‘Technical Skills’ section, this way your resume won’t require listing the technology used on each project. Leave out any technologies no longer in use which would make you seem outdated.

Expanding your soft skills demonstrates how your technical abilities have improved business in a language that speaks both HR and IT.