What is a tech resume?
A tech resume is a formal application document hiring managers may require a candidate to submit while applying for a tech role. These resumes list relevant experience, skills, and job history to outline your ability to succeed in the field. With this type of resume, you can apply for positions in a variety of fields, including computer science, programming, software engineering, and web development.
1. Include contact information and objective statement
In the first section of your resume, include your full name, phone number, city and province, email address, and links to any website portfolios or social media networking profiles. You may add a professional summary or objective statement as well. An objective statement can highlight your career goals and relevant experience as it aligns with the position, while a summary can briefly explain your experiences, career achievements, and skills. For example, a resume summary may say, “Software developer with over nine years of experience developing high-quality web applications in the technology industry,” while a resume objective may say, “Eager young professional looking to develop my excellent computer programming skills with a reputable information technology company.”
2. List your job experience
The work experience section in a technical resume can demonstrate the qualifications and skills you possess that may help you succeed in the role to which you are applying. Begin this section with your most recent job experience, listing the job title, company title, and your start date and end date. Next, include a brief list of your responsibilities in each role.
3. Add your education history
If you have a degree, certifications, or specialized training, you can incorporate this information into your educational history section. List each degree you have along with the institution, major or field of study, graduation date, and any awards or club involvement. It is helpful to include your grade point average if it’s above 3.4. If you received a degree from an institution that is well known for its technology development, computer programming, or other related programs, emphasize this on your resume.
4. Describe certifications
You can create a separate section for any relevant certifications in the technical field. While writing your technical resume, it’s important to refer to the job listing to check for specific certification requirements for the role. Awards, accolades, special skills, and certifications can show your professional abilities, along with your willingness to work hard and progress in your career. Including these details can help your resume be more memorable among a crowd of applicants.
5. Add relevant skills
It is beneficial to include technical skills relevant to the position. You can list technical skills like computer programming, familiarity with database management, and coding languages in this section. Here are examples of technical skills you may refer to while writing your resume:
- Expert skills: TFS, HTML, JDBC, C/C++, Hudson, CSS, SOAP, J2EE, Eclipse
- Intermediate skills: C#, SQL, Visual Studio, Java, Ruby on Rails, Hibernate
- Entry-level skills: Jenkins, Python, REST, Spring
6. Customize your resume for each company
Customize your resume to fit the job description of the role you’re applying for and the company listing the job opening. Adjust the skills you list depending on the responsibilities of the job and the hiring manager’s goals. Customization can include adding experiences with specific computer programs or certifications in computer languages.
7. Highlight your most impressive accomplishments
Your experience section of a technical resume can allow you to highlight your most impressive accomplishments in the industry. You can list these at the end of your experience section or incorporate them within your job duties. Here are some examples of accomplishments you may include:
- Spearheaded the development of a new user interface that increased customer satisfaction by 20%
- Mentored a team of 15 web developers
- Developed and implemented a feedback system for customers to report bugs and concerns
- Re-engineered account software systems for customers that reduced bugs by 15%
- Collaborated on the development of new software interfaces for banks
CREATING AN ATS RESUME
ATS is an acronym for Applicant tracking system: computer software designed to screen your resume, application, and more, during the hiring process. Common ATS software names include Taleo, BambooHR, Tribehr, Kronos, Vibe, and many more.
Here’s an example of a technical resume you may refer to while preparing your document:
ATS allows employers to:
- Receive and review resumes and job applications
- Screen and test potential candidates
- Schedule interviews
- Send follow-up emails
- Check references
- Facilitate the hiring process
- Onboard new hires
- Track and maintain regulatory compliance
Employers program each job description into their ATS software and tag specific keywords required for each position. By using the same keywords, accurately and honestly, you help yourself move through the hiring process. Yes, that means you will need to customize your resume for each intended recipient. Don’t let that overwhelm you; once you have created a master document it is easy to target it to potential employers.
How to win the Applicant Tracking System (ATS)
- Typically, you should always submit your resume in PDF format to ensure your layout stays consistent and fonts don’t get misrepresented. When you open your resume in PDF format, ensure your text is selectable/highlightable in Adobe Acrobat or Preview
- Some newer fonts convert letters to special characters, which ATS often scans incorrectly. Stick to a standard font (Garamond, Arial, Calibri).
- Applicant Tracking Systems do not process images so you won’t to avoid including them. Also avoid using diagrams, pie charts, and graphs too!
- Tables rarely get parsed correctly so avoid using them. Use tabs and right/left aligns to structure your resume instead.
- Label your work experience and education sections with conventional section titles. For example, use “Experience” instead of “My career in a nutshell.” ATS looks for core sections, and you want to make sure they’re easy to find.
- To evaluate if your resume is a good fit for the job, the ATS will check if your resume contains the key skills that the job requires.
- You don’t want to just keyword’ stuff’ your resume with every skill/keyword you can think of—while this may get you past an Applicant Tracking System initial filter, it’ll not work in your favor when you get to a recruiter or hiring manager.
- Refrain from creating your resume in Photoshop or online resume builders. While you can download/export the PDF from these tools, the text appears as an image and is often not highlightable/selectable as above.
FIRST AND LAST NAME
Address: Rumuagholu Port Harcourt Nigeria | Tel+2348167656064
Email: johnwilliams@outlook.com | linkedin: xyz.com | Portfolio link: xyz.com
EDUCATION & TRAINING (This can go on the 1st or 2nd page depending on requirements of the job)
Institution name, Location (Spell the name in full followed by the acronym) 20XX – 20XX
Certificate of completion,
Area of Study
RELEVANT WORK EXPERIENCE (Use generic headings for education and work experience)
Company name, Location (Name changed? Use new name (old name)) Month 20XX – Month 20XX
Position or job title (Make the job title stand out by bolding, all caps or larger font)
Responsibilities:
- Your text should include info taken directly from the job posting, this is important for the ATS
- The job posting is only one source of information, also look at occupational profiles
- When you are creating your content points, be sure to start with an action verb (e.g. designed)
Company name, Location Month 20XX – Month 20XX
Position or job title (Multiple titles with one company? List them separately with start and end dates)
Responsibilities:
- If the job posting does not have many action verbs that you can use, search “action verbs” on Google and look for websites that have lists of verbs organized by category
- Use different action verbs throughout your resume in order to demonstrate a varied skillset
- Keep information relevant by considering what the reader needs to know
Company Name, Location Month 20XX – Month 20XX
Position or job title (If the position was short term or contract state this to justify the short timeline)
- When crafting your points, you must qualify your facts by adding specific information and/or examples. Add $, #, or % amounts to quantify your accomplishments
- The phrase “demonstrated strong teamwork skills” is an empty claim and needs to be qualified
- Create accomplishment statements from your S-T-A-R-S stories by using the Action/Result information from your story
RELEVANT SKILLS (Only include skills that are relevant to the employer – could go on 1st or 2nd page)
- Computer Programs: Be sure to list the technical skills as listed and described in the job posting. Don’t stuff your resume with skills that are not needed in the job.
- Software Skills: Notice how skills are listed on the job posting. Spelling information out and using abbreviations will ensure that the ATS will pick up the information as a match to the job requirements.
- Languages: Languages may be considered technical skills – include on the resume if relevant to the position. You may need to do some investigative work to see whether having multiple language would be an added value.
- Organize your skills so that the human reader will see them easily – you are writing for two audiences!