When you're specifically applying for an IT job or simply a job that requires technical skills, creating a resume that proves why you're the best candidate for the position is vital for proving yourself enough to land an interview.

If you're struggling to make it to the next stage of the job application process, the problem may be that you don't fully understand how to highlight your skills on your resume. In this quick guide, we'll show you three ways you can emphasize your IT skills to make yourself stand out from other applicants.

3 WAYS TECH PROFESSIONALS CAN HIGHLIGHT SKILLS ON THEIR RESUME

Work Experience Section

Work experience tends to take up the bulk of your resume’s space. That's why it's critical to use this space to showcase your technical skills. So for each job you've held, consider how you’ve leveraged these abilities as a professional. It's also crucial to pinpoint the skills that are similar to those you'll need at your next job. You can review the job posting to find out some of the major skills required for the role.

For instance, consider someone applying for a job as a YouTube video editor who previously worked in public relations. To the untrained eye, these two roles may seem unconnected. However, if they showcase specific video editing skills they mastered in the bullets beneath their public relations position, suddenly that experience becomes relevant to the job they're applying for.

The best way to demonstrate your skills is to ensure that they are specific, measurable, and relevant. Often, this means editing your resume depending on the job you're applying for to keep it relevant and illustrate your best skills for the role.

It's also vital to highlight both soft skills and hard skills in your resume. Hard skills, like coding or video editing, are things that can be taught and tested. By contrast, soft skills, like teamwork and dependability, are personality traits that employers use to decide whether you'll be a good fit. Even when describing your soft skills, it's possible to be specific and measurable. For example, “strong leadership skills” is not as impressive on a resume as “led a team of 6 employees and was recognized as manager of the month.”

Resume Introduction

Too often, the resume introduction is a neglected aspect of modern resumes. However, this short introductory blurb is a great way to show off your greatest technical achievements.

Some recruiters only look at a resume for a few seconds before deciding whether to look deeper or toss it aside. A compelling resume introduction — such as an attention-grabbing resume objective — allows you to put your show-stopping skills at the top of your resume so that whoever is reading it takes the rest of your resume seriously.

To make the most of your resume objective, think through your achievements and come up with 1–2 of the most impressive successes of your career. Again, highlighting measurable successes — ones you can put numbers and percentages next to — is the best way to showcase your technical skills.

Skills Section

At the very bottom of your resume is a section specifically for showcasing your skills. This is where you should list your technical skills that go above and beyond what you’ve already displayed in your resume introduction and work experience section.

If you know that you have IT skills in high demand, this is the place to list them. You can also use this section to showcase your knowledge of particular software or certifications (e.g., cybersecurity).

CONCLUSION

Now that you've learned how to highlight your IT skills, we hope that you realize that crafting a resume packed with skills is simple, yet necessary.

The IT market continues to evolve, creating more roles and more competition. To sell yourself to future employers, you need to showcase your skills and expertise. Throughout your resume, there are ample opportunities to show off both your hard and soft skills to prove you're the best person for the job.

About the Author: Samuel Johns is a career adviser and in-house resume expert on the RG team. He has helped countless job seekers craft high-quality resumes and cover letters, ace interviews, and land dream jobs.