4 Biggest Resume Mistakes Technology Professionals Make and How to Fix Them
When applying for a new job in IT/Tech, it is important for your resume to look good enough to get you an interview and ultimately the job. As I’ve applied for several jobs over the years, I have noticed a distinct difference in the response from recruiters based on the resume I submit. You may not know it, but there are some things on your technology resume that may be stopping you from getting a call back. In this article, I will share the 4 biggest resume mistakes technology professionals make and how to fix them.
Here is the list of the four biggest resume mistakes technology professionals make. These mistakes could be hurting your chances of getting a job if they are not addressed. You can continue reading below for the details of each mistake and how to fix them.
- Too much technical experience
- Lack of evidence of soft skills and teamwork experience
- Poor grammar and typos on the resume
- Not tailoring your resume to the position that you’re applying for
Mistake #1: Too much technical experience
What?! How can having too much technical experience be one of the biggest resume mistakes technology professionals make?
Thanks for asking. ?
The fact that you’re applying for a job in IT/Tech does not mean you have to throw all the technical terms and the kitchen sink in your resume. You need to only include the technical experience that is relevant to the job that you’re applying for. If you must include all of your technical experience, then you want to make sure you tailor it to fit the job description.
The main point here is that you want to show a diverse set of experience on your resume as related to the job description. Your experience should include both technical skills and soft skills (more on soft skills later in this article). In general, if you add too much technical jargon, it might prevent the hiring manager from seeing the technical skills that do matter.
How to fix it: It can be quite simple to fix this resume mistake. Review the job description and identify the skills that are required for the position. Then make sure that the technical experience you include on your resume is related to the job description. This will help the recruiter and hiring manager easily see how you can add value based on the role that you’re applying for.
Mistake #2: Lack of evidence of soft skills and teamwork experience
Soft skills and teamwork experience are often overlooked and not included in resumes by technology professionals. This is one of the biggest resume mistakes technology professionals make because soft skills are often critical to success on any professional job, even jobs in IT/Technology.
Regardless of your technical role, you will usually need to work with others on projects. In order to work well with others, it is important for you to have very good soft skills and teamwork experience. Hiring managers will want to know if you have these skills before making the decision to hire you. Unfortunately, most technology professionals leave them out of their resumes and are not able to show the recruiters and hiring managers their skills in this area.
How to fix the resume mistake: This resume mistake can also be easily fixed. Simply, think about all your soft skills and include them on your resume. Soft skills can include skills like communication, project management, and teamwork. This resume mistake technology professionals make should not longer be an issue for you if you add some of the basic soft skills that have been mentioned.
Mistake #3: Poor grammar and typos on the resume
Poor grammar and typos on the resume can make a candidate seem unprofessional. A poorly written resume shows that you have not taken the time to carefully craft your resume. In fact, a resume riddled with errors is likely to be passed over, and even if it makes it to the next step, your chances of interview success will also decrease significantly.
While the job you are applying for may be technical, you still need to have good written and verbal communication skills. A resume that is free of grammar errors and typos shows the hiring manager that you have good communication skills. So, don’t let poor grammar or typos ruin your chance of getting the job. The best way to avoid this problem is by ta care when writing your resume.
How to fix the resume mistake: If you have difficulties with spelling, word usage, or punctuation on your resume then there are plenty of free online resources that can help you brush up before submitting your application. This includes general writing tips, and specialist advice from professional copywriters. You should also make sure you run spellcheck on your resume and read over it several times before submission. In general, this resume mistake technology professionals make must be avoided at all cost to improve your chances of getting a job.
Mistake #4: Not tailoring your resume to the position you’re applying for
Your resume should always be tailored to the position you’re applying for. Tailoring your resume will show that you are willing to put in the effort for the position and will make a potential employer more interested in hiring you. This may seem simple enough but it is one of the most popular resume mistakes technology professionals make.
There is no one way of tailoring a resume, so it’s important to find out what the company values, the job responsibilities, and tailor your resume accordingly.
How to fix the resume mistakes: You can address this mistake by reviewing the job description and tailoring your resume to meet the requirement based on your skills. For example, if a company wants someone who can work in a team setting, then you might want to list your strengths in that area. You also want to list all the technologies you have experience with that have been requested in the job description.
Resume Review Sites
You can use one of the sites below to scan your resume (free) after you’ve made updates. Good luck!
So, there you have it. 4 of the biggest resume mistakes technology professionals make and tips on how to address them. Which of the mistakes are you currently making on your resume? Please share how you plan to address them below. You can also check out these other posts related to Tech careers jobs.