The good news is that there is a growing need for tech jobs in a variety of sectors. These can range from helping create new technology to maintaining the needs of various companies. If you have the proper education for the proper fields, you can easily not just find work, but become an invaluable part of a company.

However, when you’re on the outside looking in, it’s not always that easy to find that position. Like any other field, you need to customize your resume to what tech companies are looking for, but this isn’t always easy to pinpoint. Here are some of the aspects of creating a recipe that tech companies won’t be able to turn away.

What’s Different About Tech?

The major thing that separates tech resumes from is the various different levels of expertise and skills that comprise a tech background. For many hiring managers, specific skills make the difference between hires. Consider adding a technical summary or technical expertise in your resume, broken down into subcategories to make it easier for people to pinpoint specific areas that they need. These can include:

  • Technical certifications
  • Hardware
  • Operating systems
  • Networking/protocols
  • Office productivity
  • Programming/languages
  • Web applications
  • Database applications

However, you also want to follow the universal rule of customizing a resume for each situation. For example, if you know that a position requires uses of certain software, be sure to position your expertise in a more prominent manner. In addition, try to put extra emphasis on certain companies you work for if they are major names in your field. In addition, you may want to consider skipping skills that are expected from many people. For example, Microsoft Word won’t likely mean much when it comes to making a difference in your resume, but being skilled in WordPress or Drupal? Include it by all means, especially if web design may leak into your job.

What Can You Do?

On top of the unique requirements of tech, there are also many different things that you can do to help with your resume. For one, you need to keep in mind that things are constantly shifting. As a result, a job that is relevant a short time ago may not be now. Brevity is an important asset here, so try to avoid keep your resume short. A good rule of thumb is that your resume should be one-page for every ten years of professional experience you have. The maximum length should be three pages, total.

Once you’ve found the jobs, skills, and experience that put you in the best light, the time has come for you to make sure that you are presenting it the right way. Try to avoid simply rattling off your roles. Instead, give a demonstration of your daily duties in those roles, and if possible, add metrics that show how your contributions directly benefitted the company. Put yourself in a hiring manager’s shoes. Your ultimate desire is to benefit the company with a new hire, and if a resume manages to show this off, then it’s practically doing a portion of their job for them. This mentality will make you a far superior candidate.

An ongoing theme here, if you haven’t noticed, is standing apart and targeting the job specifically. One of your best assets in this regard is a cover letter, which is often a better fit than a basic “Objective” section in your essay itself. For those who aren’t necessarily writing-oriented, a cover letter can be a bit daunting. For this reason, finding a cover letter template page can be a great asset when it comes to getting started. The template can be a great resource when it comes to helping you find the structure and important points that you’ll want to hit. However, you still want to put a personal spin on it.

Consider a cover letter a chance to demonstrate that you:

A: Have taken the time to demonstrate the areas of the company that your job position would help you fulfill.

B: Convince the employer that your skills/experience make you the perfect fit.

There are other elements to a successful cover letter, but they generally fall back on these two points. If the application doesn’t allow for a cover letter, take a moment to add a short summary at the end of your resume to cover some similar topics. With opportunity comes competition, but by putting these tips into practice, you can showcase what hiring managers are looking for and set the stage for the next part of your career.