In a competitive technical job marketplace, you need to make an extra effort to ensure you are effectively demonstrating your technical skill set on your résumé and during a job interview. Sometimes just listing work experience doesn’t go far enough. Here are four steps to help put your best foot forward when embarking on a search for that top rank IT job.
Shine during the Technical Interview
The technical interview is the place to truly show the full range of your technical skills. If you are a developer, you may even get the chance to program a quick application. Be sure to prepare thoroughly for both your initial interview and any technical follow-up interviews.
Earn Relevant Technical Certifications
Earning an array of technical certifications (and keeping them up to date!) helps to show hiring managers that you are serious about your career and have taken the steps to enhance your knowledge. Additionally, many technical positions actually require certain certifications. While not as valuable as work experience, certifications give some legitimacy to your IT related knowledge.
Give Presentations at Local User Groups
Being active in your local technical user groups is great for networking and it is also a great way to show off your skills by giving a presentation. You never know, someone in the audience might be giving you a technical interview in the future. Be sure to list any relevant user group activity on your résumé.
Don’t Forget about Effective Résumé Authoring
Speaking of that résumé, create a section towards the top clearly detailing your current technical skills. In the employment history section, demonstrate how you used those skills to help your employer’s overall business goals. Again detail any technical user group activity that helps show off your technical acumen.
If you need some advice on putting together a comprehensive strategy for your IT job search, including tips for demonstrating your technical skills, talk to the experts at APN Consulting. As one of the top IT staffing firms in New Jersey, that have the recruiters on hand to ensure your job search is successful. Talk to them today!