Robin's Resumes (r)

Adding value to your Career Documentation | Career Coaching

Call or Text Today: 404-875-2688

technical resumes

Why Technical Resumes Are Different

Anyone who has job searched in a technical field—engineering, IT, software development and so on—knows about unrealistic expectations. Many job postings, advertisements and calls from recruiters involve a list of desired technical skills that could take two lifetimes to accomplish. Yet, you still need all the required skills for that exact job posting.

This level of unrealistic expectations is just one way that technical resumes often differ from nontechnical resumes. I have several ways of dealing with the problem at Robin’s Resumes®:

  • First, I work with you to ensure that you meet at least the minimum requirements for the job. If you don’t meet those requirements, I advise you on how to find more suitable announcements or consider looking for a job in a different field.
  • Second, if you are close to meeting the requirements for a technical position, I can advise you on how to network and see if the company will write a job announcement just for you so that you are the one who passes the screen.
  • Third, I make sure the resume lists the technical skills that you already have. Then I focus on the results of using those skills. The fact that you managed to go from Point A to Point C is much more important than how, exactly, you got there. So, for example, the resume might say “Automated builds and streamlined releases by migrating source code from X to Y,” where X and Y are tools you currently have.
  • Fourth, I make it clear on the resume that you are capable of learning other technologies or taking on additional responsibilities. Sometimes this is shown by describing soft skills, coursework, projects you undertook outside your normal responsibilities (perhaps while volunteering elsewhere), and papers you have written. Sometimes this is shown by an actual list of skills you plan to develop or are capable of learning.
  • Fifth, even if your resume passes the Applicant Tracking System and shows you are qualified for the job, those who network and are known by the company and/or hiring manager have an 80% better chance to be hired. So start now to develop professional relationships that may pay off with a job offer in the long term.
  • Sixth, technical resumes must relate complex information to hiring managers and recruiters who may not be as technically savvy. That is why I always stress achievements, as even the most nontechnical person can see the value in streamlining a process; capturing millions of dollars in savings by switching from one strategy to another; or leading teams across geographic or internal corporate boundaries.

It is important to include as many keywords as possible from those that a potential employer will expect because most resumes today travel through computerized Applicant Tracking Systems. Many of those systems are programmed to look for specific keywords and select only those resumes that contain the keywords. I want to make sure your resume is among them.

As a graduate of MIT with a long career in simulation and chemical engineering, including leadership positions, and as the holder of 2 patents, I understand the hurdles and triumphs of a technical career. Let Robin’s Resumes® help you create a technical resume that stands out from the crowd—and gives you full credit for all you have achieved.

Technical Resumes: Five Steps to a Better Resume

Many technical resumes suffer because engineers, developers, researchers, and other technical job applicants have trouble communicating what they do. Many of them are more at home drawing a diagram than writing; and many are used to communicating with their peers at a level where a hiring manager or recruiter is simply lost. Still, the hiring managers and recruiters are the ones who will ultimately examine a resume and decide whether a candidate should move forward to an interview. Here are five steps you can take to help ensure you are one of those candidates:

  1. Make sure you understand the type and level of technical knowledge the company is interested in hearing about. The company’s website is an excellent resource for clear, concise, and accurate descriptions of the company’s technology. The job posting will have been written to clearly describe the specific holes the company wants to fill in its technical knowledge and technical staff. Armed with those descriptions, you should write your resume with the same level of clarity.
  2. Go beyond listing your areas of technical expertise; explain how your knowledge helped the company you are working at now. By placing your technical skills in context, you are helping hiring managers and recruiters understand what you do and its potential value to the company. Or to put it another way, any programmer can learn C++ eventually; what you did with C++ is your unique achievement.
  3. Define your terms. Many technical acronyms have slid into the common language, such as SaaS, but others are still obscure. This is probably true of any terms created by your current company or division. Some common acronyms such as CBM have multiple meanings (coal bed methane; condition-based maintenance, etc.) depending on the industry. Make sure you define terms that can be misunderstood.
  4. Use standard grammar. Follow this rule: If a sentence does not make grammatical sense, it cannot make technical sense. Do not try to justify poor grammar (or spelling) because you are relaying complex technical information.
  5. Hand your resume to a technical peer and ask if he or she understands your resume and would hire you. It is easy to assume that your technical peers will understand everything you write. If your resume fails that basic test, then you definitely need to rewrite.

As a graduate of MIT and a long-time practicing chemical and production engineer, I know the challenges faced by candidates for technical positions. If you need help with your resume, contact me today.