The CV is the first link between you and your potential future employer. In the information technology field it is an indispensable tool. For Anne-Marie Deslauriers, recruiter and president of the Delan firm, it is unthinkable not to name your technology skills in your IT resume. And they must be presented clearly, in chronological order, and linked to the different positions occupied. Employers want to know exactly what you have done.
Simplicity above all
Forget the frills – a well-made resume must read like a well-written book, according to Anne-Marie Deslauriers. That is how it will be effective. “It has to be clear, and not lose readers in the information,” she says. “A CV has to be on the top of the pile and if it is difficult to find the information it will be put into pile B. Often, you don’t come back to it…”
An adapted CV
It is also important to know how to highlight the different achievements by intelligently arranging the information in the CV. For example, a recent graduate can begin by presenting their studies. On the other hand, someone with twenty years of experience will build on his career, as well as the projects completed in the positions held, beginning with the most recent.
The CV must also be tailored to the desired position. “I say all the time, you have to have two or three flavours of your CV,” says Anne-Marie Deslauriers. “It’s like a chocolate sundae, we highlight the chocolate on top in relation to the position we are applying for.” So if you are aiming for a job as a project manager, the CV should focus on the projects you have successfully completed.
Specific titles
In IT, recruiters are obviously working with the web, so the choice of keywords used to describe yourself is very important. “Technological titles are being sought. For example, a title such as a consultant says nothing about you,” Anne-Marie Deslauriers points out. “You still have to put in things that will jump out when recruiters do research.”
When you write your CV, it is also imperative to remain honest, because at the interview recruiters quickly unmask false information…