With the Masters this weekend, you may not be thinking about your resume. But you should be. Golf is a great example of showcasing practiced and time-honored skills. Try writing your resume like you are in a game of golf and see if you take home a prized green jacket, or maybe a new job.
You are a Pro. Much like golfers are identified by the list tournaments they have won or brands that sponsor them, you’ll use your technical skills and technologies you have worked with on your resume to make it clear who you are and what you offer to an employer. Be sure to put that list near the top of your resume in clear bullet points so that it is visible quickly. Show the range of technologies you have worked with in order of which skills are most recent, but leave out the “in-progress” statement, staying on top of technologies is a necessity for IT pros and it is expected by IT hiring managers. Be aware of which technologies are outdated. The IT world is constantly changing and you want to let employers know that you can keep up.
Golf is a lengthy game; you’ve had a lengthy career. The Masters tournament has 72 holes played over four days. An IT resume is filled with your experience over the last 5-15 years (or more), plus your technical skills and abilities. Most fans expect the lengthy amount of time it takes to play through a golf tournament, and your resume being over one page long is expected by hiring managers. As long as the content in your resume reflects your experience, an eight-page resume will mean nothing more than your extensive experience and the fact that you are a suitable fit for the job. But don’t make it longer than it has to be, unlike in the Masters, there’s no sudden death playoff to make the extra time (it takes to read your resume) exciting.
Quiet, you need to find your focus. You wouldn’t yell during someone’s backswing, so don’t interrupt the focus of your resume with irrelevant information. Your summary section, previous job titles and job accomplishments should be tailored to each position you apply for. Use descriptive active bullet points to show what you contribute to a company. When reading your resume you want the hiring manager to see what a great fit for the role you are and that the technologies you use, and job history you have had align you to the company and the role.
Just remember that golfers don’t make every hole in one swing, and having a few interviews will still keep you under par for the job hunt. Stay focused, bend from your hips, rotate your torso on the backswing and be sure to proofread your resume a few more times before you send it out.
