How to Write the Best Tech Resume
Looking to land a new gig at a top-rated technical company? Interested in taking the reins as a tech guru at a smaller startup business? No matter where you envision yourself next, having a stellar resume can be all you need to get your foot in the door and impress the hiring manager.
Before you hit “send” on your application, make sure your resume is in tip-top shape to beat out fellow coders, web designers, and other up-and-coming tech pros who are eager to apply for the same position. The following tech resume tips are tried and true – so don’t wait to put them to the test!
1. Leverage Your LinkedIn Profile With Your Resume
To land your dream technical job, you need to think beyond your resume. More specifically, consider your LinkedIn profile as well and whether it’s optimized for potential employers to review.
If after looking things over you feel there’s room for improvement, remind yourself that investing time into rounding out your profile is proven to be well worth your while. Research by ResumeGo, a resume help service shows that comprehensive LinkedIn profiles led to a 71% higher interview callback rate than those who did not leverage their profiles.
In short, you’re leaving money on the table if you’ve neglected your LinkedIn profile for a few months. Spend the time to ensure your skills are current and employment history is accurate and complete. Once you’re confident your profile is updated and shows off your skills, include a link to your profile on your resume to send your application to new heights.
Source: resumesdoneright
2. Write a Short Summary
Hiring managers often have stacks of applications to sort through when looking for the best candidate to fill a role. With such a heavy workload, you realistically only have a few seconds to impress a recruiter enough to set your application aside from the masses.
One way to liven up your tech resume and increase your chances of getting a call back is to include a brief personal summary. Place your summary at the very top of your resume and quickly explain your background and goals for a future position. While it may be tempting to pour all your best qualities into the summary, do your best to limit yourself to a maximum of one or two sentences.
Remember – you want to write just enough to pique the interest of the hiring staff; the rest of your resume can do the heavy lifting.
3. Customize Your Application
Writing the perfect resume is hard, and it’s understandable to want to copy and paste the same resume for each job application. However tempting that tactic may be, do your best to spend sufficient time customizing your resume for each job posting.
Pretend that you’re the hiring manager for each job you’re applying for. What would make you notice a particular candidate? Are there certain skills that are an immediate home run? Do you prefer someone who already knows how to use your company’s programs?
These are great questions to get your mind jogging on how you can best tailor your resume to the job. From adjusting your skills to match the job posting to echoing the company’s forward-thinking brand, the possibilities are endless when it comes to reworking your resume.
Source: iStock
4. Include Soft Skills
Of course, hiring managers are going to zero-in on your hard skills – after all, they need to know you’re qualified to do the job! But don’t leave out your soft skills entirely.
Soft skills speak more to your personality in the workplace and give recruiters a better idea of how you’ll get the job done as opposed to your ability to cross off tasks. Your skills are unique to you, but a few common soft skills you might find that apply are:
- Communication
- Time management
- Leadership
- Collaboration
- Innovation
- Quick learning
- Problem-solving
Once you’ve narrowed down several soft skills you’d like to highlight, include them in your work experience. Choose statements that tie your soft skills into your past work or that directly relate to the job posting to take your soft skills up a notch.
5. Highlight Tech-Related Awards and Certifications
Are you particularly tech-savvy? If you have any awards or certifications to prove it, don’t hesitate to include them in your resume.
Technical jobs are extremely complex and if you’ve got the know-how to master a skill, you should always flaunt your knowledge. However, be mindful of including only your current certifications. Several designations expire after earning them due to fast-paced changes in the industry.
Source: Shutterstock
6. List Current Courses
Alternatively, if you’re just getting started in the field, don’t sweat your lack of certifications. Take advantage of free courses online or consider investing in structured learning opportunities to fine-tune a particular skill. As you enroll in courses, add them to your resume, too.
With frequent new developments, updates, and software changes, any potential employer will be impressed to see you’re staying on the ball to keep up with the industry and master key skills. Additionally, these courses make for excellent talking points should you get an interview. Don’t shy away from discussing your soon-to-be skills!
7. Show Off Relevant Hobbies or Side Hustles
While some technical jobs can feel robotic or monotonous, don’t be scared to spice up your resume with relevant hobbies or your current side hustle.
From an online portfolio to your side business’ website, there are boundless opportunities to further showcase your skills and personality to hiring managers. Even better, potential employers will appreciate your drive outside of the office and get a better idea of your capabilities.
Source: Pinterest
8. Use Keywords
To further increase your chances of receiving an interview request, be sure to use appropriate keywords throughout your resume. Recruiters typically scan resumes for a few specific words, so be sure to spend the extra time to include ones you feel apply to you.
To help you identify the keywords you should include, do some research on your own. Revisit the job posting and take note of exactly how they write their desired skills.
For example, does the job posting list, “mobile developer,” or, ”iOS and Android application?” In the tech sector, there are often several different ways to refer to the same skill, so make sure you’re using the same lingo as the company.
9. Keep it Brief
Whether your employment history spans over 10 years or you’re just entering the workforce, make sure to only include the most relevant information. Keep your resume brief and refrain from getting carried away.
Narrow down your skills to best match the job description and consider leaving out past employment that no longer applies to your field or where your time was particularly short. Your resume should show off the absolute best attributes about you, so do your best to keep it brief.
Landing Jobs with Your Tech Resume
Source: Shutterstock
Writing the perfect resume to land a highly-coveted tech job can seem overwhelming even for the most experienced professionals. With all that’s involved in performing the job, it can be hard to know what to include and even what to leave out. But, with the above tips and tricks, you can skip the guesswork and be confident your resume will outshine the rest.
Put your best foot forward with our tech resume writing guide and start gaining traction on your job applications today! With your new and improved technical resume in hand, you’ll be one step closer to beginning the career you’ve been hoping for.
