If you want a new top-level IT job, follow this advice to make sure your CV passes muster.
Building a CV that targets an upper-level IT position, such as architect or consultant, requires a different approach than creating a CV to land an entry-level tech job. Although many of the standard rules still apply, you need to follow some more specialised guidelines. In fact, a few of these tips may actually contradict your previous notions of what your CV should include (and exclude).
1: Keep your list of "core skills" short and sweet
When
you've worked with a lot of technologies, you want to show the world
all you've done. However, having a long list of core skills actually
gives the impression that you know only a little bit about most of
those things and that you're a generalist, not the specialist that the
potential client/employer needs. Keep this list to a handful of key
skills or possibly eliminate the list altogether.
2: Don't list certification exams
At the very least,
minimise the impact of this list. The average IT pro might want to list
exams passed to build up a CV, but for the IT veteran, this actually
marginalises real-world experience and accomplishments.
3: Quantify projects and results
For example, if you have
managed an Active Directory implementation, specify how many sites,
domains, and servers were involved. If you have designed an e-commerce
system, specify the increased percentage of sales that resulted from
the project. Tell the potential client/employer exactly how you helped
a previous company that you worked for.
4: Bullets, bullets, bullets
Don't use paragraph style
writing to describe your projects, tasks, and duties. Bullet-point
every major accomplishment or project and leave out the minor things.
(Your CV is already going to be too big anyway.)
5: Include examples of work, if possible
For instance,
maybe you've written articles for an online magazine or built an
e-commerce site. Include links to pertinent examples so potential
clients/employers can see firsthand what you do.
6: Highlight major accomplishments
If you're a high-tech
consultant, you may have a lot of smaller projects and clients. Maybe
you were hired as a "grunt" for a couple of short-term assignments but
had a major project last year. You can't exclude the small stuff or
potential clients/employers will question what you've been doing. But
you can minimise the impact by focusing attention on the bigger things.
Some ways of doing this include using a slightly larger font, boldface,
or italics, or even drawing a thin border around the major
accomplishments. But don't go overboard -- subtlety is still key.
7: Seek advice from actual managers
Recruiters, agents,
brokers, and human resource personnel are all different from managers.
Managers want to see results, and they usually know how to spot a weak
candidate. If managers think your CV reflects someone who can't do the
job, you'll never get anywhere. Run your CV by some managers you know
and have them critique it for you.
8: Know when to stop
If you list all your experience from
all the jobs, contracts, or projects you've handled, your CV will be
more like a book. Find a place to stop listing your experience. If you
feel you must at least acknowledge previous experience, try making a
separate section and just bullet-point where you worked and what your
title/function was. Of course, you'll usually want to do this only for
the less-accomplished jobs that you don't want to highlight on your CV.
9: Make sure your design is simple, attractive, and readable
As
with any CV, you should use a clean font such as Times New Roman or
Arial. Be consistent in your use of boldface, underline, or italics to
help lead the reader through the document and avoid contrived graphical
elements.
10: Edit, revise, and proofread
Experts suggest that a CV
should go through three to seven drafts before it begins to reflect the
multidimensional individual on a piece of paper. Be grammatically
correct, spell check the document, and have someone else proofread your
CV carefully.
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