How to write a CV for the IT sector (bit by bit)

It’s often a common problem we techies have in the technology sector. Whether you are working in IT, developing the next generation of software, or exploring the new realms of AI, we spend so much time in an echo chamber of computer whizzes. It’s hard to then switch to a format that will allow hiring manager technology-luddites to push your IT CV to the top of the pile.

When you talk to those outside of your department, it may seem like you are talking a different language (Python, Elvish, C++, and Klingon). Luckily for you, we have access to leading experts in technology, who have hired an endless number of people, from graduates to leading experts, as well as IT recruiters, who do not know the difference between HDMI and USB-C, yet still place people like you regularly.

Master CV: May time be with you

Unfortunately, you do not have the luxury of creating a one-size-fits-all CV. Every job you apply for will have different needs. One position requires knowledge in PHP, whilst another demands deep expertise in networking.

Is it wise to make a fresh CV for every job application? Absolutely not. There are better ways to spend your time.

Instead of starting fresh for every application, why not create one comprehensive master CV? This document will contain everything in your professional career:

• All jobs and responsibilities held.

• Every skill: programming languages, software, hardware, soft skills

• All educational courses and qualifications

Once complete, this can be duplicated, cut, and optimised to match the required skills and requirements of future applications. Whilst this will initially take more time, you’ll reap the rewards in the future.

In your best interest, Scriberly has a handy duplication feature just for this use case. You’re welcome.

Personal Statement

This industry is becoming unbearably competitive. The change in global direction towards everything being digitised, and the governmental push for IT literacy in schools, has meant everyone and their dog has some form of computing qualification.

Up to 205 applicants per job means that the poor hiring managers have a mountain of technology CVs to look through. With each CV taking up to 3 minutes to read, that means hiring managers would take 10 hours and 25 minutes to go through everything.

So, in case you haven’t figured it out, they are not reading every CV all the way through. That’s why your personal statement is so important! You need to grab their attention and portray that you mean business.

A personal statement can be boiled down to two questions:

1. Who are you and what do you do?

2. What are you looking to do in your career?

Work Experience: to the point

As mentioned previously, hiring managers have a limited time to conclude that you’re worthy of more attention from your IT CV. Your experience should be uncluttered and less waffly.

For senior-level job seekers, detail is paramount. Working at a higher level, it is more likely that you will be dealing with tasks that span multiple departments, as well as working externally with customers and other businesses. Do not forget to include your commercial experience.

For junior-level seekers, a breadth of knowledge is important to portray. At this level, you will likely be jumping on a variety of projects requiring different needs, so telling your potential employer that you are willing and able to meet this challenge is vital.

Education

How you tackle your education section depends on your career stage:

• Senior level: As your experience is paramount and will take up most of your IT CV, this can be as detailed as you see fit. Your university, course, and grade are often all you need. Include a description if it provides missing experience required for the role, if your experience can’t cover it.

• Junior level: As you are likely fresh out of school, include every course and a to-the-point description of each course. When you are ready to turn this master CV into an application-ready doc, you can whittle this down to what’s required in the position.

Skills are Power

Now that you have grabbed the hiring manager's attention with your personal statement and shown your experience in previous jobs and education, it’s time to plainly show that you fit the job at hand. Hard skills are the most important.

For your master IT CV, include every skill you have that fits your industry. When it comes to homing in a copy ready for application, you can trim to match the requirements of the job description. Junior-level applicants may deem it fit to include extra skills to showcase relevant skills for the industry, and to showcase a breadth of knowledge.

Warning: Are you tempted to include skills you do not possess? Be careful. Hiring managers often ask applicants to do a technical test to prove they have the ability to work in the role.

Outside of work: Set yourself apart

What you do outside of work is arguably just as important as your experience. It’s an opportunity to show your potential employer that you are more than a 9-to-5.

For junior-level job seekers who are fresh out of education or starting early in their career, this is especially important, as you will have less experience but still want to demonstrate your drive. Employers are seeking individuals with a genuine interest in the field.

Share that you dabble in extra tech projects out of work, include a portfolio, and you will set yourself apart from the rest. If you haven’t done any projects outside of work, we recommend that you do!

Design and Formatting: Keep it simple

Your technology-focused CV should be simple and professional, with less razzle-dazzle. Show you are serious. Scriberly have a variety of CV templates that are perfect for this industry.

Keyword search

With your master CV to hand, now it’s time to personalise (yay). What does this entail? Read through the job description and highlight every skill and experience the employer is asking for. You can then go through and make edits to your duplicated master CV:

• Personal summary: Change your “What are you looking to do in your career?” to line up with the position.

• Experience: Keep the experience points that are most relevant to the job description, reorder each point so that the experience with the most relevance is at the top of the list, and remove anything irrelevant.

• Education: Keep your most relevant educational qualifications and courses. If you need to bulk out your CV, or you feel it is necessary to show that you’re a well-rounded individual, include education history that you deem fit.

• Skills: Reorder your skills so that the most required skill of the job is at the top of the list.

Your Next Step with Scriberly

You are ready to tackle your IT CV, so why not use Scriberly? Make a master CV, use our question-answer-system to draw out your experience, rearrange your skills to match the job description, and use our professional templates.