It’s your number one most important piece of self-marketing!

Don’t skimp. Really. If you haven’t been hired yet, you shouldn’t stop writing.

Write it. Read it. Send it. Change it. Read it. Print it. Read it... Am I boring you yet?

Above all, have someone else read it! Many someone elses for that matter. It can never be good enough! But don’t sit on it. Send it out. Hand deliver it to potential managers. Heck, bring them coffee with it. Get noticed. But don’t stop modifying it in the process.

Resume bits.
Say you have a lot of different technologies under your belt, and a few certifications to go with them. Pick one that stands out. What is a big deal in today’s market? You should decide on what your current employment goal is. Do you want to be a converged networking guru, a topnotch server admin, or a virtualization expert? Tailor your resume to fit that goal. Make it VERY clear in your objectives sentence.

Yes, you should have an objectives sentence. It should be your first sentence on your resume. A reader should be able to tell where you want to go by reading just a few lines of your resume.

Try reformatting your resume to make it very easy to read. A technical resume is often long. Make your most important points on the first page. Your number one most important point in the first two sentences. Hiring managers know what they want to see, and they have a very short attention span when skimming resumes.

You should be working on your resume constantly, tweaking here and there to make it the best it can be. Don’t stop working on it until you find a job. You should be able to recite your experience on demand. (I know this hasn’t been mentioned yet.)

Be a star in your own commercial! Sell yourself! Your resume is based on what you know, and what you know is the value you bring to your new employer.

Remember, your number one piece of self marketing, is your resume. Always keep a copy on hand!

-Jeremy R. Meier Published 2008/11/12 Copyright
Jeremy is a business systems architect with THE SYSTEM ARCHITECT. He can be reached by email at Jeremy@TheSystemArchitect.com.