In the past, the purpose of a resume was to get a job interview. Beyond that, it was up to the applicant to sell themselves during the interview by describing their role and responsibilities for each of the positions they’d held. For the IT professional, the process was straight-forward and easy to understand; you listed all the technologies you’d used, how you’d used them, and the types of projects in which you’d used them. In light of increased competition and staffing reductions, the whole process of getting interviews and receiving job offers has changed.
You’ve read any number of articles that tell you your resume is your marketing collateral and its purpose is to sell your achievements so you can get the interview. As a job seeker, you’ve been inundated with mandates to use power words such as leveraged, strategized, innovated, and spearheaded; words that are supposed to capture the interest of the reader and get you the interview you desire. What these resume writers have failed to tell you is that IT resumes are different for very practical reasons, and the generic rules regarding resume writing do not apply.
People typically select IT as a career because they are comfortable in the environment and prefer fact based activities over softer skills. They succeed in technology because they like working with like-minded individuals and want a clear understanding of the measures for success. Technology makes sense to them. IT hiring managers generally derive from this group and have worked their way up through the technical track. They like clear, concise language that is unambiguous and easy to understand. In brief, they have a low tolerance for fluff.
Describing your accomplishments using exaggerated statements and inaccurate power words will backfire; you will either not get the interview or you will fail during the interviewing process. IT hiring managers are familiar with job roles and can spot exaggerations that are not consistent with expected responsibilities. Even if you do get an interview, you will not be able to adequately respond to questions that dive into the details of your experience.
