How to Write an IT Resume
CHAPTER 4: CREATE AN OUTLINE
Now we're going to create the structure for the resume. But we don't want to think - or be tempted to think - about formatting yet. So open up a new text doc in Notepad or a similar text editor, and follow these steps:
1. Choose the right resume structure (5 min)As mentioned earlier, there are two basic ways to structure a resume. Chronological resumes group your work experience by job, in reverse order. Functional resumes group your work experience by skill. Since chronological is the default approach and is strongly preferred by recruiters and hiring managers, the rest of this guide adopts this approach.
2. Insert section headings (1 min)Use all caps so these will stand out when you start adding content. Start with "PROFILE", "PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE", and "EDUCATION". For most people these will be sufficient.
3. Insert building blocks (5 min)Under "PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE", copy and paste all of the companies and positions you listed in Chapter 3 (Steps 1 and 2) on your other text doc. Stop there - don't worry about duties or achievements yet. Under "EDUCATION", copy and paste everything you listed in Step 7.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
ABC CORP NORTH AMERICA, San Jose, CA, 2006 – Present
Senior Technology Manager
XYZ TECHNOLOGIES, INC., Santa Cruz, CA, 2003 – 2006
Lead Developer
SOLAR TECH, INC., Sunnyvale, CA, 2001 – 2003
Web Developer
EDUCATION
University of California at Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA
MS, Computer Science, 2001
Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA
BA, Literature, 1999
Microsoft Certified Professional Developer (MCPD)
Certified MySQL 5.1 Developer (CMDEV)
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