Sandra Patel-Stewart
14th November 2016
Increasingly, IT candidates have the world at their feet, at least in terms of finding a rewarding career path.
As technical know-how becomes ever more vital for supporting a business, or creating entirely new ventures from scratch, the demand for computer skills is insatiable in today’s job market.
This glut of prospects, however, means your CV should hit the highest standard if you’re going to capitalise fully on what’s out there. We’ve come up with some tips for rounding off the perfect application, raising your chances of landing a job that’s everything you could hope for.
Don’t be generic
First and foremost, you must give the impression that every application is the one you’re squaring in on. Making a catch-all CV is designed to fail, because it doesn’t highlight why the position has inspired you. If an employer can see your passion for their company or brand, they’ll be energised and eager to know just what you can bring to the table.
Read carefully through the job description, highlighting the most important keywords. Then, after researching plenty about the company itself, tinker with your main CV, organising the most relevant points so they’re at the top of the list. Make sure your bio touches on priorities outlined by the employer, enticing them to read on…
Show your creativity
Technology stretches our creative muscles, and almost every employer craves workers who are brimming with ideas. A great candidate can’t help but demonstrate their knack for finding a solution where none were thought to be.
Have you developed an amateur game just for fun, or fixed your friends’ computers as a weekend hobby? Maybe you’ve worked on a particular website that made you proud of shaping code to your vision? By showing examples of how technology has formed your creative canvas, an employer will admire that your drive doesn’t just rely on flexible working hours and a high salary.
Clarity is essential
The IT sector is full of technical jargon and complicated procedures. To an outsider, this can all be a bit mind-boggling, particularly when employers and clients want a close perspective on the assignment they’re hiring you to do. Public-facing roles, such as support technicians, also require you to train end users about something they might not understand.
For this reason, you must be able to distil the language of technology down to its barest, most digestible form. Don’t get too embroiled in buzzwords and industry terminology; although the position will require some knowledge of them, it may rely on communicating to people who are intimidated by the nittier, grittier aspects of your skillset.
There’s plenty of good news to go around when it comes to IT career prospects. Nowadays, candidates have the pick of the litter for a brilliant role – providing, that is, their CVs are intelligent, focused and bursting with proven enthusiasm.