Tech Resume Example

After reading this article, you'll feel confident creating a tech resume that effectively showcases your relevant skills and experience. You'll learn how to show employers you've got the relevant qualities, skills and experience for the job, all presented in a format that employers prefer to see. The article also includes tips for formatting your resume according to your experience and strengths. Continue reading to find the best tech resume tips from careers experts at Jobseeker.

Main sections of a tech specialist resume

The key sections to include in a tech resume are similar to those for any role or profession.

While the content and format of your resume may vary depending on your experience levels, it's important to always include the following sections:

Resume Header with Contact Details

A tech resume header contains your name and contact information. Add your first and last name, your phone number and your email address. Include your address or location, but avoid adding any other personal information. If you have a LinkedIn profile, you can add the URL to your header so the hiring manager can get a better understanding of your work history and experience. Make your resume header clear, concise and as brief and compact as possible. Consider different layouts that spread the information horizontally across the page rather than using a different line for each piece of information.

Make sure your email address appears as professional as possible, and doesn't include anything like nicknames, inappropriate language or personal information. If it does, set up a new email account with an address based on your name or initials, and use that for your job applications. Always double-check your contact details are up-to-date before sending your resume.

Resume Objective

In your resume summary, write a short paragraph that highlights two or three of your key achievements and skills for tech specialist roles. You could also call this section 'resume objective' or 'personal profile'. A resume summary covers your career experience to date, while a resume objective focuses more on your ambitions for the future. Additionally, make sure your resume summary reflects the job description and focuses on qualities that are relevant to working as a tech specialist.

Alternatively, write a paragraph that concentrates on your career objectives and how this role fits with your wider ambitions and progression.

A strong resume summary focuses on two or three key skills and achievements that showcase your suitability for tech specialist roles in a clear, quantifiable way. It also gives an insight into your personal qualities, to help the reader understand why you're a suitable candidate. The graphic below showcases some good examples of what to include in your tech resume summary.

On the other hand, a resume summary can be ineffective if it lacks specific information about how your skills align with the job description, or fails to paint a picture of your unique qualities and talents. In the graphic above you can find some negative examples of how to write a resume summary.

Work Experience

In the next section, list your employment history focusing on the most relevant previous roles and achievements that showcase your tech specialist skills. List each relevant role in reverse-chronological order starting with your current or most recent role. Add your job title, the organization name, its location and the dates you worked there.

Under each job entry, add several bullet points highlighting your responsibilities and achievements. Consult the job description for a list of the key requirements for the role and make sure your work experience section showcases how you meet these requirements.

A good work experience section pulls the reader in with clear examples of where you've put the skills necessary for the job into good use in your career to date. This typically includes evidence of how your skills and activities contributed to positive outcomes for the organization. See the examples below for some ideas of what a great resume work experience looks like.

In the graphic above you can see a great example of what to avoid when writing your resume work experience section. Ineffective work experience sections tend to focus too much on everyday responsibilities over skills and achievements. If you use vague descriptions of activities and fail to back up your achievements with evidence, you're likely to fail to make an impact on the reader.

Education

Under education, add details of any degrees or professional qualifications relevant to tech specialist roles.

A tech specialist role tends to require candidates to have a university or college degree, so make sure you list yours in your resume. A Bachelor of Science in Computer Science degree or similar is the most suitable for this job, but you could also include any other relevant qualifications that show your SQL database management or network security protocols.

List every relevant qualification, including the name and level of the course, the name of the school, college or university, its location and your graduation date. You could also add one or two bullet points to draw attention to your grades if they were particularly good, as well as any specialist subjects you studied. This will help the hiring manager understand your knowledge and special skills better.

If you took part in any volunteering or you were a leader or member of any university societies, you could also mention these in your education section.

Skills

Listing your key skills can help to prove your suitability for tech specialist jobs. These could be network security protocols, continuous learning mindset or various other relevant skills. Additionally, read the job description to make sure your skills match those required for tech specialist positions. You could also include some unique skills that help you stand out as a candidate.

How to list hard skills on your tech resume

In your hard skills list, include any specific abilities related to the role you're applying for. These could be technical skills or industry knowledge that showcases your expertise in your chosen profession. Furthermore, these skills are essential for a tech resume as they showcase your expertise in the field. Add up to five key hard skills that show you're an ideal candidate for the role. It can also be beneficial to add context to each skill, showing how you've used it to positive effect in your career to date.

Your resume hard skills list should reflect your unique and specific industry expertise and experience, while also fulfilling the requirements listed in the job description. See the examples below for an idea of what an effective tech resume hard skills list looks like.

Soft skills on your tech resume

Soft skills are your transferable skills and personal qualities that make you a good match for a tech specialist position and the organization. Soft skills tend to be more universal than hard skills, and can often apply to multiple jobs and industries. Indeed, as the nature of work changes, soft skills are growing in importance, so make sure you include them in your resume. In this section, add four of five transferable skills that match the job description.

Your soft skills section should make the most of your unique personal qualities and strengths, while also reflecting the requirements laid out in the job description. See below for some examples of useful soft skills for a tech specialist resume.

Relevant Certifications and Licenses

Under this section, list any relevant certifications or licenses that are relevant to tech specialist jobs. Add any official certifications or accreditations that increase your level of qualification and suitability for working as a tech specialist. Therefore, make sure you list the dates of your certifications and licenses so employers can see they're up-to-date and valid.

Take a look at some example certifications for a tech resume below:

Optional Information

As well as the main sections of a tech specialist resume, optional sections can help you prove your credentials to employers. Choose optional sections from the list below, if they help to showcase your relevant skills and experience.

Personal Interests

Add any hobbies and interests that reinforce your credentials for the position. Consider listing hobbies and interests to help your resume stand out, or to provide the employer with some insight into your personality and wider interests. They're perfect for candidates who might lack genuine work experience as a tech specialist. Just make sure any hobbies and interests you include in your resume add genuine insight into your personality, in ways other sections of the resume can't.

Voluntary Work

This section can be valuable for a tech specialist resume, if you've done any voluntary work that showcases your relevant skills. List your volunteer job title, the organization you volunteered for, its location and the dates of your involvement, alongside a brief explanation of your responsibilities in the role.

References

References aren't a standard tech resume section, but employers do sometimes ask for them. Check the job advert and only include them if requested. Be sure to prepare your referees in advance, so they've agreed to provide a reference and are ready to be contacted.

Best action words for your tech resume

Using strong action words to make your resume resonate with the employer. Choose verbs from the suggestions below that highlight your key skills or those mentioned in the job description.

Jobseeker's resume templates were created by careers experts to help you produce a professional resume in minutes. You can also find cover letter templates to complete an eye-catching job application that gets you noticed.

Example of a tech resume

Now that you know everything that needs to go into your tech resume, let's review an example resume that you can use as a guide when creating your own:

Making an ATS-friendly resume

Applicant tracking systems (ATS) are increasingly taking responsibility for the management and processing of job applications, helping hiring practices to become more efficient. This can include screening resumes by scanning and ranking each application according to how closely it matches the job description. When writing your tech resume, a few simple tips can help you pass the ATS stage with a higher-ranking resume, giving you a better chance of success with your applications.

Follow these guidelines to create the best ATS-friendly resume:

• Use a traditional resume layout, such as a reverse-chronological or functional format. This will mean your resume includes all the necessary sections, in the expected order.
• Add keywords that match the job description throughout your resume, as ATS applications scan for these and well-placed, considered use can help your resume rank more highly.
• Add each section with clear headings that match the established resume conventions, so ATS software can easily identify each part of your resume.
• Use a resume design that includes clean, professional design elements to give your content space to breathe. This might include clear, readable fonts, subtle color accents and simple design elements.
• Adopt simple, professional language to keep your resume as concise as possible. This tends to make your document more readable, and easier for ATS software to scan.

Takeaways for a winning tech resume

If you want to catch the eye of employers and recruiters, you need a professional resume that showcases your best skills and career achievements. Pick a resume format that matches your experience levels, and tailor the content of your resume to reflect the details of the job description.

Remember, Jobseeker resume templates and other tools make it easy to create a resume and cover letter that leaves a positive impression on hiring managers. Sign up now to start building your perfect resume. Whether you're a junior or senior candidate, a professional cover letter can help to grab the attention of the employer. Jobseeker's cover letter examples were created by careers experts to provide useful tips and ideas for your cover letter.

Sources:

(1) Tips for Writing a Federal Resume, U.S. Department of Labor: https://www.dol.gov/general/jobs/tips-for-writing-a-federal-resume

(2) Resume Tips, Duke University: https://careerhub.students.duke.edu/resources/resume-tips/