Every IT professional needs to have an up-to-date resume, and every job seeker must know how to draft a cover letter to get the attention of hiring managers. However, resumes and cover letters simply aren’t enough anymore. If you want to stand out from the crowd, you’ve got to go the extra mile to show hiring managers that you truly have the skills, expertise, and passion that they are looking for.
Online Branding Matters
Your resume might be visually stunning and eloquently written, but what do most hiring managers do with their short list of candidates? They Google them. What will hiring managers see when they find you? If you haven’t Googled yourself lately, stop what you’re doing and run a search right now. If you don’t like what you see, neither will hiring managers.
Be sure that you have a well-written, searchable and public LinkedIn profile. That way, when an employer Googles your name, your profile will appear on the first page. Conversely be sure that all of your personal social media profiles are set to private.
Put Your Expertise On Display
As an IT professional, you may also wish to consider creating an industry-related blog, and contributing regularly to LinkedIn groups and professional message boards. These activities show thought leadership, and they allow hiring managers to see your knowledge first-hand.
A website, blog, and active LinkedIn presence also gives you the opportunity to put your money where your mouth is, so to speak. Resumes can easily be fudged. You can say you understand certain IT concepts or you possess specific IT skills, but an active website and demonstrated thought leadership in IT topics proves it. Hiring managers can skim your blog topics for those relevant to their job openings, giving them a good idea of your true professional expertise and interests. It also gives them the opportunity to get to know you better as a candidate before they ever speak with you on the phone or meet you in person.
You should also consider working on personal IT projects that show your skills in action. Create your own apps, websites, or work with local nonprofits on technology projects that you can show to hiring managers that allow them to see firsthand just what you are capable of.
The IT job market is highly competitive, and in South Florida, that competition is continuing to rise. If you want to stand out and make a positive impression on hiring managers, you’ve got to think beyond the resume and cover letter and put your expertise on display.
If you are an IT professional in South Florida looking for new opportunities, the recruiters at CERS would love to talk to you. We work with some of the most innovative and forward-thinking companies in the area who are looking for experienced IT professionals. Contact us today to learn more about our hands-on approach to IT recruiting.
