If you are at the beginning of your career, you should know that the average recruiter will spend a little more than 7 seconds scanning your resume, according to a study published in 2018 by Ladders, a United States-based company providing career news, advice, and tools for job search. That is why the first glance is very important if you want to catch the eye of a recruiter, even more so if you are just starting out. You will need to have a CV that can serve as a statement from the first lines. Does it sound like mission impossible?
It may require some work, but getting your CV to shine is not as hard as it may seem, once you know what to aim for. As you may already know, at Ropardo we are always in search of great talent and offer multiple shots to juniors to #crushIT. Based on our recruiting experience, but also on interactions during our internships or summer programs, we’ve compiled this list of actions that are guaranteed to get you a knockout resume at the beginning of your career.
Let’s get it started
So, should you want to pursue a career in a field you’re excited about, and also to go down a path that’s going to provide lucrative opportunities for decades to come, then IT is the right choice. This article will show you all you need to know and you’ll find a great opportunity right at the end! So, keep reading to see how you can polish your resume, and don’t miss a chance to start smart in your IT career.
You can go through these steps even though you’ve already compiled your resume and are confident about it, just to check it from the point of view of a recruiter. So, here is our advice:
Stick to relevant info
Of course, a resume should emphasize who you are, your past experience, your strong points and qualities. But it’s important to read the job description and customize your resume for it. It might take longer doing so, especially when applying for a large number of roles, but it will surely make your application more convincing! Remember you get a few seconds to make a good impression.
➡ So, try to stick to the point and don’t bulk information that is not necessary or doesn’t have relevance.
➡ If you are creating a resume for a particular position, see what experience is needed for it and if you have it, make sure to highlight that.
➡ If you don’t have the experience yet, you may have the character for it, and most times companies value this, as we do here at Ropardo (especially when it comes to entry positions). So don’t pass on the opportunity and take your shot!
Also, make a list of all of your work experiences, studies, and results. Tick off those that align with the job description.
In the end, write a resume that indicates you are the person for the job or at least that you have what it takes for it, as far as character goes.
Show industry insight
An awareness of the industry you are applying for, will show that you have the ability to stay on top of trends. But how can you gain industry insight if you are just starting out? Reading blog posts such as this, engaging on social media with the company you are interested in, and being present at both online and offline industry events such as meet-ups, webinars or contests, are sure ways to gain good insight.
When it comes to the IT industry in Sibiu you have multiple shots to expand your knowledge and build your name by competing in contests like HSE (“Hardware and Software Engineering”), Innovation Days, or taking part in conferences such as “Imagination, Creativity, Design, Development”. We’ve written about these competitions more in length here.
Bottom line, you will be a lot more attractive to employers if you are able to demonstrate knowledge of the industry, so make sure you are up to date with any news and industry changes.
Emphasize results rather than responsibilities
People aren’t impressed by responsibilities, but by results. So instead of just listing what were your past responsibilities, point out any relevant results.
“My responsibility was to translate designs and style guides provided by the design team into functional user interfaces, ensuring cross browser compatibility and performance”, use your past experience and talk about results:
“I translated designs and style guides provided by the design team into functional user interfaces, increasing user engagement by 38% for the Company X.”
Write a strong summary statement
If you already use Linkedin, you’ve probably seen that some of the profiles have a unique way of displaying information by highlighting strengths right in a summary statement. This enables you to feature top qualifications that the employer wants.
For example, if the job description asks for “Experience with JavaScript and TypeScript and its unit testing frameworks” and also “Good understanding of DevOps strategies”, you could use this to write an eye-catching summary statement right at the beginning of your resume. Here is an example of how to put that into words: “I am an enthusiastic junior with experience in JavaScript and TypeScript and demonstrated good understanding of DevOps strategies.”
All in all, remember that a resumé is a marketing document, not a historical record.
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Your current career goals should always determine which parts of your story to highlight. Also, use these career goals to actively seek opportunities to build up your CV. Trends show that more and more students begin to work during their student years either for financial reasons or to experience work life. And this is something that is also available to you if you want to crush IT, right here in Sibiu.
Take advantage of our short-term or long-term opportunities right now. Start by reading the rest of the articles in our series Start Smart in Your IT Career. Or explore the opportunities offered in our programs for students: