How to make sure an IT recruiter spots your IT resume?
When an IT recruiter does a search for a resume using an online job site like Dice, Monster, CareerBuilder, etc or their companies resume database; they search for qualified IT professionals using keywords.
Generally, the IT recruiter will first do a search based on a specific skill set that their client is looking for, such as ASP.net, CCNA, etc. Let me example:
A client needs 3 software developers who know ASP.net, VB.net, SQL Server, IIS, C#. My client really needs someone who knows ASP.net and SQL Server.
Using this example, I;m going to show you how to guarantee an IT recruiter will I’m going put in the keywords of ASP.net and SQL Server. Now, why is this bloody important? This is important because if you resume was written highlighting your skills using ASP.net and SQL Server, your resume will appear at the top of my search list
Key Point: If your IT resume is keyword rich for a specific skill set, 9 times out of 10, it will land at the top of an IT recruiters search results when they are looking to fill that open position.
Whatever you do, DON’T WRITE KEYWORD THROUGHOUT YOUR RESUME JUST TO MAKE IT KEYWORD RICH.
The easiest way to make your IT resume keyword rich is to use specific IT skill sets throughout your resume. For instance, I would put SQL Server and ASP.net in my summary and throughout my experience sections of my resume to make it keyword rich.
I will let you in on another little secret, generally IT recruiters pay attention to when the last time your IT resume was updated. So, it is best to go online and change something on your IT resume every couple of days. This way the IT recruiter will think that is was recently updated.
Key Point: If you change the word “the” to “a” just once a week on your online resume, an IT recruiter will think that it was updated recently because you made a change. It doesn’t have to be a big change to your online resume, any change will make your online IT resume look like it was updated recently.
Make any change to your online IT resume to make it appear as if it was recently updated to stay at the top of IT recruiter’s search results.
Follow these tips and you will be on your way to attracting IT recruiters to your IT resume like bees to honey.
To your IT career success,
Ivan Hurt
Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and Ex-IT Hiring Manager
CompTIA reverses course…old certifications are still good for life
If you don’t remember at the beginning of the year, CompTIA did some slimy stuff to anybody CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+, or CompTIA Security+ certified.
Not would you the new A+, Network+, and Security+ certifications have to certified every 3 years, but anyone with the old certifications would lose their lifetime certification.
But don’t get pissed off, because CompTIA did right by anyone holding the old certifications.
Here’s a quote from their updated renewal policy:
CompTIA will not require recertification for any current holders of CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+ or CompTIA Security+ certification. You are not required to retest to maintain your valid CompTIA certification. Regardless of when you became certified in CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+ or CompTIA Security+, you are certified for life.
For candidates currently preparing to sit for a CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+ or CompTIA Security+ exam, if you pass an exam and become certified by December 31, 2010, you too will have a lifetime certification with no requirements for recertification or retesting.
Effective January 1, 2011, all new CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+ or CompTIA Security+ certifications will be valid for three years from the date the candidate is certified. After three years, the certification must be renewed. This can be done by passing the most current exam for a respective certification or by participating in CompTIA’s upcoming new continuing education program, which will allow individuals to keep their skills current and their certification up to date without retesting.
In a nutshell, anyone A+, Network+, or Security+ certified by December 31, 2010 will have a lifetime certification. If you get certified January 1, 2011 or later, be prepared to be re-certified every 3 years.
All I can say is hurray for CompTIA and all the IT professionals who wrote nasty letters to CompTIA.
To your IT career success,
Ivan Hurt
Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and Ex-IT Hiring Manager
Changes to CompTIA A+, Network+, Security+
If you hold a CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+, or CompTIA Security+ certification for a number of years as I have be prepared for some major changes. If you hold these certifications, you know they had no end date, which was on its main appeals of the certification, however, all of that has ended.
The CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+, or CompTIA Security+ now have a valid through date which last for three years. In addition, if you do not hold the most up to date certification, you will be required update your certification. For more details, click the links below:
January 11th Press Release: CompTIA Announces Plan to Help IT Professionals Keep Skills Up-To-Date
CompTIA Certification Renewal Policy
I encourage all CompTIA A+, Network+, and Security+ IT professionals to raise hell and remind CompTIA that a “LIFETIME CERTIFICATION” means “FOR LIFE” and not until they decide otherwise.
To your IT career success,
Ivan Hurt
Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and Former IT Hiring Manager
Microsoft’s Second Shot Is Back
With the economy in such a mess, now is the perfect time to take a Microsoft certification exam. Microsoft and Prometric are once again offering the second shot program. The program allows you to retake a Microsoft exam if you failed the first time. The offer goes from January 13, 2010 to June 31, 2010.
One little detail, you must register first and obtain a voucher code so you can enter it when you register for the exam. Use the link below to get more information about the second shot program.
http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/offers/Career.aspx#certification
To your IT career success,
Ivan Hurt
Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and Former IT Hiring Manager
Merry Christmas
On behalf of the staff of AdvanceYourITCareer.com, I wanted to thank all of our clients for making this a very prosperous year for our company.
No matter, what holiday you celebrate this year, I hope you and your family have a blessed one.
Ivan Hurt, CPRW
Ex-IT Hiring Manager and Certified Professional Resume Writer
AdvanceYourITCareer.com
Give Your IT Resume Some Added Punch
The cover letter is the most overlooked item in the job search package, but in this lesson, you will discover why you should always send a cover letter with your IT resume…
Do you already have a cover letter developed? If you do not, this is one of the first things that you will want to do. Unfortunately, many job seekers do not realize the importance of cover letters and the impact they may have them.
For more information on why cover letters are so important, you will want to continue reading on.
As for the importance of cover letters, you will find that there are a number of different reasons why they are needed. Cover letters are most commonly used with an IT resumes that will be mailed in.
When you submit a job application in person, you are able to introduce yourself to the individual who is collecting them. This introduction is not possible when you simply mail in an IT resume. That is what cover letters are used for. They give you the opportunity to quickly introduce yourself before your IT resume is read.
Cover letters are also important because they serve as a backup plan. Cover letters often
- Introduce yourself
- Outline how you learned about the job
- Why you would like to have it
- Why you are qualified for it
If properly written, a cover letter can support a weak IT resume. If your IT resume is difficult to read, employers should be able to use your cover letter to determine whether or not you should be contacted for a job interview.
A good cover letter pre-sells you as the perfect candidate for the job and makes the employer want to read your IT resume with excitement.
As previously stated, you are advised to submit your resume with a cover letter. This is particularly important if you will be mailing your IT resume in, instead of submitting it in person. In fact, you will see that many employers are now starting to require cover letters for mailed in IT resumes and job applications.
To your IT career success,
Ivan Hurt
Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and Former IT Hiring Manager
Stop Learning and Stop Earning
Before, I begin; I just to want to let all of my readers know that I am getting married tomorrow, October 17th to the loveliest woman in the world, Yanni.
So, I this will be my last post until November 1, 2009.
I’m going on my honeymoon and leaving AdvanceYourITCareer.com in the wonderful hands of my assistant, Thomas Murray, who will be holding down the fort until I come back.
Since this is going to be my last post for a bit, I wanted to leave IT and technology professionals with something they could ponder over the next two weeks.
This took me a while, but I came up with answer after a few career coaching sessions with some of IT professionals needing to re-evaluate their IT career.
Many IT professionals can not answer these 2 simple questions when it comes to their IT career.
- What skills are companies looking in desperate need for?
- Are you developing these IT skills?
You see once an IT professional learns a skill, such as
- Programming Visual Basic.NET applications
- Administrating a Red Hat Linux server
- Managing Windows 2008 Server
They stop learning.
Information Technology is an ever growing and changing field, you need to grow and change with it.
You need to always be on the lookout for the next IT skills that companies need and start developing these skills.
This is the secret to keeping and maintaining a successful IT career.
Companies always want to get ahead of the competition and rely heavily on technology to do it.
So as an IT professional, your responsibility is to be on the look out for IT skills that companies need and start developing them.
By doing this, you will always stay employed.
Here’s an example:
You are a PC technician who is A+ certified. You are currently working as a desktop support specialist whose company runs Windows XP client operating system. In addition, you know how to support Windows Vista because some workstations have it installed.
Let’s say it’s about 1 year before Windows 7 rolls out and you are this PC technician:
- You read IT magazines and find out that Windows 7 rolls out
- You read that companies will migrate to Windows 7 once its released
- Microsoft announced Windows 7 beta
Do start to learn about Windows 7 or not?
Let’s day you are do what many IT professionals do and skip the Windows 7 beta.
Let’s fast forward to today and you are still that PC technician, except now you want to find a new job. Do you think using the Windows 7 beta would have give you an advantage over other PC technicians?
The answer is YES because it gives you an edge during the interview.
An IT recruiter or IT manager wants IT professionals who stay ahead of the curve and are willing to pay top dollar for those types of professionals.
Companies pay top dollar for those continually learn because these types of IT professionals are hard to find.
During my career as an IT hiring manager, I would give more money to the IT professional who stayed ahead of the curve by learning new technology because they generally performed better.
When it came time to lay people off, the IT professionals who did not learn new IT skills were laid off first because I knew I could easily replace them.
However, the IT professional who keeps on learning is hard to find and even harder to replace.
My advice to you is over the next two weeks, take stock of your IT career and see if you are developing new IT skills that companies are looking for.
Remember, if you stop learning, you stop earning and it will destroy your IT career.
To your IT career success,
Ivan Hurt
IT Career Strategist
P.S. See everybody in November after I come back from my honeymoon.
IT Resume Sale Ends October 16th
If you are an information technology professional who is …
- looking for a new IT job
- IT resume not work
- don’t want to update your IT resume
You are in luck.
Since, I am getting married on October 17, I decided to lower the prices of my IT resumes. Instead of paying $167 and up for an IT resume, I created a special IT resume package called the
Wedding Day IT Resume Package
This package includes:
- Free telephone consultation with a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and Former Information Technology Hiring Manager skilled in writing interview generating resumes.
- Customized IT Resume written in 3 different formats: MS Word, PDF, and ASCII.
- Cover Letter ($77.77 Value)
- Thank-you letter ($77.77 Value)
- 60-Day Money Back Guarantee
ALL THIS FOR $157.77
However it ends Friday, October 16, 2009, so take advantage of it now because at midnight on Friday, I am removing the page and you’ll have missed it.
To your IT career success,
Ivan Hurt
Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and Former IT Hiring Manager
P.S. Don’t procrastinate because October 16th will be here before you know it.
DHS to hire up to 1,000 Cyber-Security Pros
With the unemployment rate at 9.8% nationally and higher in a lot of other cities, it’s good to be an information technology professional, especially if you have network security, information assurance, or cyber-security experience. The DHS wants to hire you.
October 1, Department of Homeland Security Secretary, Janet Napolitano announces the start of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. However, that is not the biggest news to information technology professionals with expertise in information assurance and network security.
The DHS Office of Personnel Management and the Office of Management and Budge announced that it will recruit up to 1,000 new IT professional over the next 3 years. The DHS is in dire need of cyber-security professionals to protect country’s network and cyber infrastructure.
Some of the key areas the DHS needs are IT pros with experience in:
• Risk and strategic analysis
• Incident response
• Vulnerability detection
• Investigation
• Network and systems engineering
Now DHS says it will not fill all 1,000 positions, but with unemployment at 9.8%, this is still a bright spot for information technology professionals. In addition, the government has a good benefit package, job security, and an excellent retirement benefits.
Another bright spot with this announcement is that if the government is in desperate need of security pros, then the private sector is also in need of security pros, creating a win-win situation for IT professionals with a cyber-security background.
Here’s the downside of this announcement, I personally don’t believe the hiring is going to begin today. In fact, I believe the hiring will start over the next few months, possibly once a national cyber-coordinator is hired and on the job for a few months. This is one of the reasons; I believe the DHS is giving a 3-year hiring timeline.
If you are a cyber-security professional, the government wants to hire you, so get your IT resume ready.
To your IT career success,
Ivan Hurt
Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and Former IT Hiring Manager
2 Way to Impress IT Recruiters After the Interview
What to do after the interview? The follow-up is crucial to landing your next IT gig. Many believe that as soon as they finish up an IT job interview, the rest is in the hands of the management staff. While this may be true, there are still steps that you can take to improve your chances of getting the IT job, even after the interview has ended?
Here’s a great tip to use on the way out. When you leave the interview room, chances are, you will walk through the rest of the establishment and come into contact with other employees. Be sure to acknowledge them with a quick hello as you pass, especially if the interviewer introduces you to people.
You will be surprised how many IT professionals do not say hello or greet people, I’ve introduce them to. By doing this, it let’s me know if you will be a good fit for the department and a great team player.
One of the many steps that you can take, after your job interview has ended, is by going out of your way to thank the IT recruiter or hiring manger. In all my years of being an IT hiring manager, few IT professionals sent me a thank you letter. Most of the time, if they were a half decent candidate, they got the job because they were considerate enough to say thank-you. But that’s was just me.
If you follow these steps, I assure you will be heads above the competition because many IT job seekers do not do this.
To your IT career success,
Ivan Hurt
Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and Former IT Hiring Manager
