Career Q&A: Keep that IT resume simple - Military Careers, Second Careers - Army Times

Career Q&A: Keep that IT resume simple

You know you're marketable. But how do you tell your story on one or two pieces of paper? Separating service members -- no matter how long they've served -- enter the civilian job market with a wealth of experience. But most have little to no experience looking for a civilian job. Those with IT skills and knowledge of state-of-the-art, high-tech equipment often find it particularly difficult to explain their skills on a resume, which also has to include assets like discipline, leadership, attention to detail and teamwork.

Bonnie Kurka knows what you're facing. The managing partner of Executive Career Suite, she's been working in the career industry for more than a decade. Along with managing her company and providing career services for clients, Kurka has also worked extensively with transitioning service members through the Army Career and Alumni Program.

Kurka holds certifications in a number of career fields. She's a professional resume writer, career management coach, federal job search trainer, and job and career- transition coach.

Q The majority of service members leaving the military, no matter how long they've served, are looking for jobs for the first time and using their first resume to land interviews. What do they need to know about how their resumes are written in order to maximize their chances of making a positive impression on hiring managers?

A First of all, resumes are most often screened by someone in the human resources department who makes the decisions about who should be cut and who should be seen. Human resources professionals aren't usually technical experts. So the resume must convey your achievements in terms that everyone can understand.

When writing your resume it's important that you show your value -- what you have to offer an employer. What differentiates you from others? What will be their return on investment? In order to do this you must list your accomplishments. A resume is much more than just a job description and a list of technical skills. A sentence or two giving a general overview of your job is fine, but then list several quantifiable achievements so they can see what you are capable of. Don't forget to emphasize your leadership and management experiences in addition to your technical expertise.

Q What's hot right now in the IT sector? For example, are there regional demands, are there particular industries and are there specific companies separating services members should be looking into?

A The good news is that the downward trend in IT employment has turned around. Companies are looking for people with core technology skills, such as developers, database administrators, systems analysts and network engineers. IT security continues to be strong, and, with the government regulations, IT auditors with [Certified Information Systems Auditor] certifications are in high demand.

Probably the hottest position in IT for 2006 is a technologist with a good sense of business processes. Industry recruiters say it's becoming a buyer's market for IT project managers. Defense and aerospace companies also are on the lookout for technologists with security clearances. Financial trading companies will be upgrading their trading and CRM systems and will be hiring technologists.

As for specific regions, New York and Washington, D.C., continue to be hot. There has also been significant job growth in Boston, Philadelphia and Los Angeles in the past six months, and this should continue in 2006.

Q As a resume expert, what would you recommend for transitioning service members with IT backgrounds when they're trying to convert their military skills and abilities into language that sells?

A Think in terms of results. Quantify your results with numbers, percentages, dollars saved, etc. Quantifiable terms speak a universal language. Did you save the government money or time? Were you able to cut costs or overhead? Did you finish a project ahead of schedule, and did it work the first time? Have you worked a project from cradle to grave? Are you known as the "go to" person for problems and glitches?

Q Do you see any particular challenges that service members face in articulating their abilities in the civilian sector -- beyond putting together a well developed resume?

A Most military members are uncomfortable talking about themselves. What they see as "just doing my job" is considered exceptional to employers. Once you have the resume developed, use some of the examples from your resume to practice talking about yourself. Learn your true value and don't be afraid to talk about it. Develop a one-minute pitch, sometimes called an elevator speech, in which you tell a potential employer who you are and what you can do for him. Practice it out loud until you are very comfortable with it. Develop five to six "stories" from your recent experiences that demonstrate your achievements.