Tips for Technical Resume Writing

Writing a technical resume can confound even the most skilled engineer or IT professional. To make your resume stand out in the pile of resumes, learn how to write a killer technical resume. These tips for technical resume writing will make sure both you and your skills shine to future employers.

List Technical Skills First

Not only should you list your technical skills first on a technical resume, you should order them from most relevant to least relevant. Always list your technical skills first on any technical resume as this is what an employer is most interested in. If possible, try to organize your skill list based upon what the employer is looking for. For instance, if you apply for an IT position looking specifically for networking experience, list anything related to networking experience before web design or software skills. This only works if you customize your resume for each individual employer. If you want to create a general technical resume, group skills together by type.

Give Details

Give details whenever possible when you list past job experiences or specific skills on technical resumes. For instance, if you developed a certain type of software in your last job, list what development platform was used, how much money this saved the company and what the software accomplished.

Be Active

To keep a future employer's attention, use active voice throughout your technical resume. When explaining skills, start sentences or items in a list with an active verb. For instance, look at the two sentences below.

Sentence 1: Developed a software application to automate multiple IT tasks.

Sentence 2: Multiple IT tasks were automated with a software application I developed.

Sentence 1 is in active voice and fits perfectly in a technical resume list format. Sentence 2 is in passive voice and will cause a future employer to become bored with your resume.

Keep It Relevant

Though you might think your hobbies and interests are important, future employers are not interested unless it pertains to the job at hand. Only include items on technical resumes that are relevant to technical jobs. Some items not to include are social security numbers, secondary addresses, irrelevant memberships and awards, prior salaries and references. Only include references if the employer asks for them.

Keep It Short

Most people only read the first page of any resume. Condense your information to fit on one page. If your technical resume spills on to a second page, be sure all important information, such as skills and job history, fit on the first page.

Bragging Rights

Remember you are basically trying to sell yourself when you submit a technical resume. Highlight your strengths. This is not the time to list weaknesses. List experiences you are proud of that truly showcase your skills.

Technical resume writing isn't much different than other resumes, except you should list your technical experience and skills first. Always proofread your resume to be sure it showcases you in the best light possible. A great technical resume means the difference between getting the interview or not.