As a recent college graduate with a low repository of work experience in the field, you might be confused as to how you will make a one-page resume. With complex software like the Applicant Tracking System, the job-hunting process can seem intimidating.
However, with the ongoing changes in work cultures worldwide, there has been a slight shift from experience-centric quests to skill-centric recruitment. To put it simply, if you have the skill that they need, they will be more than obliged to accept you as an applicant.
Even though the IT job market is saturated, the rate at which new companies are moving onto technology is commendable. Such a rapid pace would mean ensuing job vacancies in the IT departments. In addition to IT resume examples, here is how you can elevate your entry-level IT resume for it to bear fruition.
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Choose the Right Resume Format
You can elevate the appeal of your career trajectory if you choose a format that complements it well. While the norm is the reverse chronological resume format, you can switch to other options depending on what your needs are.
If you have work experience in the form of internships and it’s fairly regular, go with the reverse chronological resume format. However, if you want to work in an industry separate from your degree or if you have minimal experience, a functional resume format will be the ideal choice.
If you strike somewhere in the middle, a combination format might be your go-to. It is a mix of both reverse chronological resume format and functional resume format, thereby giving you the best of both.
You can visit applicant tracking systems to shortlist candidates in one click and prevent duplicates.
Optimize Your Professional Experience
Do you have experience working as a Sales Associate or a Server but none in your industry?
That is fine! Most college graduates have similar experience in their resumes as well. Such work displays your soft skills to a great extent. While your knowledge is of relevance to any recruiter, your soft skills will also be considered while evaluating your profile.
Here are some tips you can follow while drafting your work experience section:
- Write your experiences in a bulleted list of one-liners
- Start your sentences with power verbs instead of pronouns like I or We
- Maintain a cause-effect relationship within your work functions
- Highlight important points and group similar functions
Based on the industry standards, these tips will add a touch of professionality to your entry-level resume, which will also aid your recruiter to have a better grasp of your abilities as a potential employee.
Include Relevant Certifications
In the case of the IT field, there is always more to learn. Having a good list of certifications to build your knowledge base will be a gold spot on your resume while applying for a job.
Take coding certifications or learn a new skill, your zeal to learn more will also act as a selling point to hiring managers. If you have a considerable amount of certifications, make a point to leave out the irrelevant ones and hone in on the industry-specific certifications.
While listing your certifications, make sure that you follow this format to keep it organized:
- Certifications | Certifying Authority | Date
Add Your Academic Details
As an entry-level applicant, your best bet to show your skills would be from your academic syllabus. In your education section, note these details to take full advantage of your degree:
- Degree name
- University name
- Graduation date
- Location
- GPA
- Course modules
You can stick to just the relevant course modules as the idea is to inform the recruiters of your areas of expertise. Keep in mind that you align the font to elevate the professionality of your resume.
Mention Your Skills
As an enterprising IT professional, you may have more than one technical skill that you are well-versed in. In such a case, you can split your IT skills into Key Skills and Technical Skills.
While hard skills such as Application Development or Troubleshooting go into key skills, programming languages or software you are acquainted with can go into Technical Skills. However, while writing your technical skills, make sure that you group the tools into relevant groups to organize them further.
Within the 6 seconds that recruiters review your resume, having an updated skills section will make it easier for recruiters to assess your expertise.
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Write a Resume Objective
You might not have enough to exhibit as industry-specific skills from your set of work experience as a college graduate. In this case, a resume objective would be most complementary to your career objective, that is to explain how you can benefit their organization more than focusing on your skills.
While writing your objective, keep these tips in mind:
- Start your sentences with power verbs
- Maintain a cause-effect relationship for work functions
- Mention how your skills will benefit their organization
- Wrap it up within 3-4 lines
If you catch yourself going on and on with your skills, stop immediately! Keep your resume objective concise and to the point. If it comes under three lines, it is perfectly fine as long as you refrain from overexplaining or including irrelevant information.
Include Additional sections
If you were an active student with membership at a considerable number of clubs, you can include those in your entry-level IT resume. Not only will it be a testament to your soft skills, but will show your expertise in other areas.
Any IT-related clubs will particularly shine on your resume along with volunteering experiences. Along with that, you can add your membership with any honor societies or other accomplishments like awards or academic scholarships.
Key Takeaways
If you think you cannot upgrade your resume to fit one page, we have news for you! Even as a recent graduate, there are several ways in which you can maximize your experiences and potential to showcase in your resume. Here is what you can take away from this blog:
- Opt for the most appropriate resume format that fits your skillset and career history
- Give your work experience section a facelift by writing your work functions in a bulleted list of one-liners and ensuring that you maintain a cause-effect relationship
- Dedicate a section to all the IT-related certifications that you have to exhibit your expertise to hiring managers
- Provide details such as your GPA and course modules from your syllabus to give as many details as possible about your degree
- Split your skills section into Key Skills and Technical Skills to shine a light on all of your abilities as an enterprising IT professional
- Draft a resume objective stating an equal portion of your skills and how you will utilize your skills to benefit the company
- Make additional sections for volunteer experience, campus activities, and other non-curricular achievements to include a fair variety of soft skills in your resume
If you have the skills to become an IT professional, a killer resume is all that you need!
