Technology today changes rapidly, and every company realizes—or should realize—that they might as well wish on a star if their list of technical skills is long and complicated. Finding one person to fulfill every technical need is unlikely.
Smart companies are recognizing that soft skills are as important as specific technical skills. If a high-tech applicant has shown the ability to learn new technology, apply it in different circumstances, work with or lead a technical team—that job applicant is extremely valuable.
If you have the technology skills companies are looking for, but not receiving the job offers you expect, it may be time to:
- Refocus your resume on how your tech skills benefited past employers. Your work should have produced some sort of effect, regardless of whether you were an intern, part of team or a team leader. Make sure that effect is clearly stated up front in your resume.
- Show your enthusiasm for technology. Maybe you have developed a website for a friend, participated in a hackathon, developed an app or volunteered for an organization that used your tech skills. Your involvement with technology outside of work demonstrates your passion.
- Talk to people. The broader your network, the more likely you are to find a job—or at least to practice talking about yourself for that all-important interview. Tech people who are able to communicate clearly are valuable; practice explaining what you do and what you know in clear, everyday language.
- Work with a professional resume writer who understands technology. Few things are more frustrating for a high tech job seeker than working with a resume writer—or recruiter—who does not understand technology. In the past, I experienced that frustration myself as a chemical engineer newly graduated from MIT, and later as I moved from a senior chemical engineer to a simulation engineer and on to a quality engineer.
For help in bringing your soft skills to the fore in your technical resume, please contact me at Robin’s Resumes® today.