WELCOME TO MODULE 7 

Well, well, well! Here you are [memb_contact fields="FirstName"] in module 7 of the RWMP. This is part of the program where momentum, time management, and personal care are important.

Resume writing is technical writing, which can be draining for those who aren't accustomed to it. My advice is to block off time to examine and consider all the tools, resources, and downloads you've been provided thus far. Avoid any temptation to skim the RWMP content and skate through the assignments. Do this, and you could miss vital information that'll make future assignments more difficult and possibly put your success as a resume writer at risk.

Remember, your goal for completing the RWMP is to become an AWESOME RESUME WRITER. Not a mediocre one. Not a commodity. You aim to become a rockstar resume writer who works with the elite and gets paid appropriately.

IN THE PREVIOUS MODULE, you wrote a complete resume for a sales professional. This was your FIRST COMPLETE WRITING ASSIGNMENT. Part of your task for that project was to write optimal job descriptions, leverage relevant keywords, and showcase achievements as much as possible. You finally got to see what you've learned and your resume writing skills in action! 🙂

IN THIS MODULE, we're throwing you into the "deep end of career fields." Technical resumes are perceived to be the most difficult to write. A limited understanding of the various job roles creates an obstacle where there shouldn't be one. I'm here to tell you that IT careers are EASY to write about once you learn a few details about them. In the years I've written for technical professionals, I've found that tech professionals intentionally (or maybe, unknowingly) describe their job roles in complex ways, which puts resume writers (especially newbies) at a disadvantage.

Though, here's a bit of perspective: you're NOT DOING THEIR JOB, you're WRITING ABOUT THEIR JOB. Therefore, you don't need to know all the little nuances. You need some broad understanding that you can leverage - that's all!

Regards,

 

BREAKDOWN OF THIS MODULE

1. Intro to Common Technical Job Titles, Terms & Roles
2. In-Depth Look at Applicant Tracking Software (ATS)
3. Strategies for Keeping Your Resumes ATS Friendly
4. Answer to Member's Question About Gaming ATS
5. Intro to ATS-Friendly Designs for Resumes
6. Downloads & Tools
7. Your Module Assignment

 

1. INTRO TO COMMON TECHNICAL JOB TITLES, TERMS & ROLES

Writing resumes for IT careers can be intimidating for some writers.

The terminology used in the industry makes things unnecessarily complicated, IMHO.

For example, cloud computing sounds like this big far-off, magical place. Yet, cloud computing is a fancy way of saying networked resources, which are servers, software, databases, etc.

MOST IT technical job roles come down to 3 areas:

• Software (software-as-a-service, mobile/computer apps)
• Hardware (servers, routers, modems)
• Peopleware (tech staff supporting software and hardware roles)

Some of the most common IT job roles include:

1. NETWORK ADMINISTRATORS
Manage networked hardware installation, maintenance, integrity, and security (servers, modems, routers, power supplies, and cooling systems). Network admins are continuously focused on hardening (reducing vulnerabilities of) networked devices. Depending on the employer's size, a network administrator may focus on software too.

2. SOFTWARE ENGINEERS (AKA ADMINISTRATORS)
Software engineers/admins support and manage different software's connectivity, integration, migration, and overall integrity. In the past, when we referred to software, this most often meant computer or network-based software. Today, most software is known as software-as-a-service (SaaS), which means users access the software online after logging in to the service provider's portal or via an app on a device; e.g., mobile phone or desktop computer. Some of the best examples of SaaS software include file sharing (Google Docs), video production (Zoom), cloud storage (OneDrive), and applicant tracking systems (Workday).

3. IT MANAGERS/DIRECTORS
This job title is liberally used and can be a catch-all job title for IT professionals who do it all because they have zero direct reports. We see this often with those employed by small-to-mid employers. IT Managers & Directors can do much the same work, despite the job title variation. Individuals who perform much the same job tasks at larger companies but on a much larger scale could have a Chief Technology Officer (CTO) or Chief Information Officer (CIO) title.

4. IT SECURITY MANAGER
A professional who audits and strengthens an employer's overall IT security. These roles often involve multi-layered measures and best practices for internet, network, and device-specific security. Individuals in these roles work collaboratively with department managers, IT teams, and human resources.

Those in IT security often:

• Initiate Security Awareness Training
• Police Network Access
• Monitor Network Logs
• Prevent/Respond to Security Breaches
• Eliminate Vulnerabilities
• Update & Educate Staff on Security Policies & Procedures

5. IT PROJECT MANAGER
As you might suspect, employers often have many ongoing technical projects. These technical projects could involve software integrations, product development, or service integrations designed to improve customer and/or employee experience. Think of the IT project manager as the point of contact and "ship captain" for said projects. The project manager wears many hats, including setting and monitoring project milestones, working with internal clients (the department that initiated the project), overseeing project spending/budgeting, and allocating resources.

The above 5 job titles don't encompass ALL technical careers, but will give you a great starting point for writing IT resumes.

2. IN-DEPTH LOOK AT APPLICANT TRACKING SOFTWARE (ATS)

Before I get any further into writing technical resumes, let's talk about ATS because this will be important to you as a resume writer.

You might not know much about ATS. And if your knowledge of ATS is limited, this section is perfect for you.

With all the chatter about applicant tracking software (ATS), it comes off as some magical beast that needs slaying.

Yet, ATS is nothing more than human-created software.

In the early days, ATS was more of a resume database. HR managers would input a job title or set of keywords into the software, and it would present results of potential job candidates with matching resumes.

After just a decade or so, ATS has become more sophisticated, and its functionality has also transformed. No longer is applicant tracking software limited to a simple resume database.

Modern ATS offers add-ons that manage employee onboarding, communications, training, and data tracking. There are also some artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities (AI/ML).

There are an estimated 600 applicant tracking software on the market globally. With this many, there are bound to be rockstars and duds.

Some are proprietary, meaning they were developed internally (Google's ATS is an example), while others are known as software as a service (SaaS).

A few of the most common SaaS ATS solutions include Taleo, Workday, and iCIMS.

Specific ATS solutions, such as those provided by Oracle, integrate with other programs, such as workforce management, payroll, and legal/HR compliance.

ATS, in general, provides hiring staff with the ability to:

• Schedule Interviews
• Initiate Assessments
• Communicate With Candidates

As you'll notice from the above list, most of what ATS does is unimportant to what resume writers do with the resume itself.

So, what do resume writers need to concern themselves with?

Resume writers must ensure their resumes "behave" well when input into these systems. And they need to optimize each document's content to match what employers want to see in ideal candidates.

That doesn't sound so tough, right? It's not, as long you know a few ground rules from the onset.

3. 7 STRATEGIES FOR KEEPING YOUR RESUMES ATS FRIENDLY

First, ensure that ATS can read and process the content you write for each resume.

This means using standard header titles and refraining from using ALL CAPS for select content - because ATS "presumes" at times that ALL CAPS indicates a section header.

The goal of the ATS is to take the content from a resume (preferably a .doc or .docx file) and parse that content into their matching text fields. Doing this makes the content searchable.

Second, use keyword-rich content, but avoid being too stuffy. 😉

Although ATS seems very mysterious and powerful, they are still very keyword-driven.

This means optimizing the content you write to include relevant and recent job tasks that introduce ideal keywords and key phrases.

However, the latest advice we hear from the hiring community is to avoid "keyword (skills) stuffing" because when a candidate is too much of a match, that's looked upon negatively.

Employers don't like when candidates try to game their ATS.

Third, use synonyms and other varying descriptors to describe the same/similar job skills.

For example, instead of PPEs, you could write “safety gear” or “protective clothing.”

You could use alternative descriptors for OEMs, such as contract manufacturers or industrial parts makers.

Strategies like these will deepen the relevance of the content you write.

Fourth, avoid graphics, pie charts, tables, and text boxes.

Actually, this isn't 100% accurate.

There is a workaround for this that I'll talk about later in this writing program that you won't want to miss!

Fifth, use whole phrases with acronyms (and appropriate slang) to cater to those HR managers who conduct more refined resume/candidate searches.

Here are a few examples:

• Personal protective equipment (PPE)
• Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs)
• Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML)
• Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
• Request For Quote/Request For Information (RFQ/RFI)

Avoid putting both forms in more than one or two places in the same resume. Doing so will make the resume content look excessively repetitive.

In conclusion, ATS isn't complicated and is more like common sense.

Sixth, ATS reads content from top to bottom and left to right. Columns can make ATS struggle with "understanding" the flow of content and thereby cause content parsing issues when uploading a resume into an employer's online application. Avoid using columns in your resume designs unless you have a solid understanding of how to get around ATS restrictions.

Seventh, familiarize yourself with various ATS systems by visiting and creating candidate accounts at various employer websites. The best EDUCATION that resume writers can get to familiarize themselves with how ATS reads content is to visit several employer websites and play around with their systems. And avoid the temptation of applying for positions, of course. 😉

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ATS STRATEGIES IN REVIEW

Do's

• • Use keyword-rich content to help candidate (resume) searchability
  • Use synonyms to further enrich content; e.g., talent acquisition system vs. ATS
  • Use month-year employment dates when possible; e.g., 05/2021 - 08/2022
  • Use abbreviations for certifications; e.g., Project Management Professional (PMP)
  • Include degree with college, city, and state - here's an example:

Master’s Degree (M.B.A.), Business Administration
Wellesley College in Massachusetts, Wellesley, MA

Bachelor’s degree (B.S.) Information Technology (IT)
Wellesley College in Massachusetts, Wellesley, MA

Don'ts

• • Use CAPS for headers - can use in other areas, though it could signal ATS of a new category/section when one is not intended
  • Avoid graphics, pictures, tables, and text boxes* (ATS tends to ignore those)
  • Avoid using columns and multi-column resume templates you find online
  • Avoid using Microsoft wingdings for bullet points; use standard ASCII characters

* All of these can be used in your resumes because they are visually attractive; however, to counter ATS deleting them, ensure to list important content contained in those design elements in other text areas of the resume.

4. ANSWER TO MEMBER'S QUESTION ABOUT GAMING ATS