3 Ways to Make Your IT Resume Stand Out

Even in our sluggish economy, the IT industry has remained comparatively robust. Technology is an integral part of our lives, and innovations are always being made. There are always opportunities for new jobs, but the competition is still pretty high.

Your resume is the first thing that potential employers will see — and it may be the last thing they see. You have to find ways to set your resume apart so that you can get noticed and get beyond the initial screening phase.

Here are three ways that you make your IT resume stand out:

Highlight Your Skills Right Away

Don’t waste time with your education or your previous job experience at the top of your resume. Instead, right after your summary of qualifications or your statement of purpose, list your relevant skills. These can include programming languages that you know, software that you can use, or operating systems or platforms with which you’re familiar.

IT employers want to know that you know the proprietary systems or programs that they use. Don’t make prospective employers search for this information. Put it right at the top of your resume, then follow up in more detail in your list of employment and experience.

Include Hyperlinks

Very few people send in a resume through snail mail these days. Most resumes are submitted online, either through an employment database or by e-mail. Take advantage of this by including hyperlinks in relevant sections of your resume to online examples of your work.

For example, if your resume notes that you were the lead designer on the company’s new website, you can link the word “website” to the URL for the site that you designed. If you note that you developed a new software system that streamlined your company’s accounting procedures, you can link to a portfolio site or e-commerce site that has information about the program.

You can link to live examples of your work or to an online portfolio that you have created.

Create an Inforgraphic

Infographics are a hot marketing tool for bloggers and company websites. They are visually appealing and help make information easy to understand. Why not create an infographic out of your resume? You’ll highlight your skills, experience, and education, creating a visual argument for why employers should hire you. You’ll also show that you’re relevant and are on top of current trends.

An infographic resume is a sure way to get employers to notice and remember you. Check out these examples (http://www.informationweek.com/news/galleries/hardware/reviews/232301330?pgno=24) for ideas to create your own.

A good resume with all the information about your education and experience isn’t enough to get you noticed in today’s market. You have to highlight the most important aspects of your skills and experience right away, make it easy for employers to find samples of your work, and find creative ways to showcase your skills. The key is to grab an employer’s attention and then make it easy to find the most pertinent information about why you are the best candidate for the job.

Carlina Yepinski is the primary researcher and writer for networkmonitoring.org. Her most recent accomplishments includes graduating from Kentucky State with a degree in communications and computer science. Her current focus for the site involves network analysis and network tools.