Just a few years ago, technology was the undisputable “it” field. Anybody with certification, an associate’s degree, or hands-on experience could land a job working with computers and make a comfortable living doing it. But the almost-mythological quality of the IT boom caused millions of workers and students to switch gears and pursue careers in technology, leaving the field as it is now: oversaturated and highly competitive.
This can be bad news for anybody just getting out of a four-year IT or CIS program. Recent grads may find that such degrees no longer hold the same clout they did four years ago when they began their education. Thankfully, there are a few simple ways to make yourself more attractive to prospective IT employers.
1) Get Certified
Some modern professionals argue that low-level certifications (such as CompTIA A+) have become obsolete. Many job hunters are forgoing formal certification, instead opting to pursue degrees or hands-on experience.
I tend to disagree with this line of thinking. Degrees and experience are obviously good to have, but acquiring and maintaining professional certifications shows employers that you are serious about being an IT professional. Even holding something as basic as A+ certification (which is often accused of being irrelevant and unnecessary in today’s marketplace) is a clear sign that you are willing to go out of your way to train independently and obtain professional-level credentials.
Higher-level certifications (Network+, Server+, Microsoft Certified Professional, etc.) will obviously make you an even more attractive candidate. And, much like a degree, a certification assures an employer that you already know what you’re doing; employers love knowing that they won’t have to waste resources providing new hires with extensive training.
2) Stay Current
A degree or certification can become obsolete almost as fast a computer can. You may have the paperwork that says you know what you’re talking about, but if you don’t keep up with the latest advancements in the IT world, employers and co-workers will be quick to figure it out. So even though you’re perfectly happy with your 800MHz clunker, you need to stay on top of the latest technologies and concepts if you expect to be taken seriously. Interviewers are likely to ask you for your take on current events in the computing/technology world. If you’re not up-to-date, you’re not up to par.
Thankfully, staying on the cutting edge is as simple as skimming through a magazine or website once or twice a week. PC World is a decent magazine for keeping up-to-date on a broad spectrum of topics. Slashdot.org-while sometimes over-the-top in its nerdiness and condescension-is a good web source for late-breaking technology news and commentary.
3) Tailor your Résumé
Many first-time résumé writers feel the urge to add anything and everything to their résumé. This problem is not exclusive to IT professionals. I once saw a peer include a list of “publications” in his résumé. This would be fine, had he actually published something. His entire “publication history” was a list of college-level essays he had written for classes. You can try to impress people with your résumé-that’s kind of the point-but it’s never a good idea to try fooling them. Hiring managers have seen a lot of crap, and most of them develop super-sensitive B.S. detectors.
Aside from keeping your résumé honest, you must also remember to keep it relevant. For example, if you used to work at a storeroom in a factory or plant, don’t spend valuable résumé space bragging about how you handed out screws and electrical tape to people. Instead, focus on the technical aspects of the job: did you have to master, or perhaps even implement, a new software system for keeping track of storeroom inventory? You’re applying for a specific job with specific qualifications, so stick to relevant specifics. Even though you think it’s awesome that your pen-and-ink drawing was featured in issue 13 of Death in the Night Horror ‘Zine, a hiring manager is unlikely to care, and will probably see it as an attempt to pad a weak résumé.
4) Have a Specialty
You have to assume that everybody applying for the job knows as much about the fundamentals of hardware, software, and networking as you do. You need to offer a unique perspective or a set of skills that other applicants might lack. Print servers, graphics, Macintosh, Linux/Unix, web development: if you can claim specialization in some useful-but-unique field, your chances of getting hired are going to improve drastically. At risk of beating a dead cliché: what do you bring to the table?
In my last interview, for example, I chatted with the manager for half an hour or so about the machine I had custom-built for audio editing purposes, and some of the audio production software and hardware I liked. Because this particular organization wasn’t currently employing anybody who was experienced in PC-based audio production, I had a leg up and was offered the job. It’s all about being able to fill a niche.
