As you move through your career, the experience you’ve gained along the way becomes a valuable asset. But your experience can only help you if it is used properly during the hiring process. You need to cover key pieces of information in your resume while being prepared to cover the details during the interview.
To help you make the most of your experience and increase your odds of getting the job you want, here are some tips to get you started.
Highlight Accomplishments
When you create your resume, it is important to draw attention to your accomplishments on the job. Focus on achievements that match the needs of the company you are applying to if you want to make the biggest impact.
Typically, accomplishments provide a starting point to show and discuss your experiences and how they’ve made you an ideal candidate. Being able to list metrics about successful projects or initiatives demonstrate your ability to take your knowledge and effectively apply it in the workplace.
While you can’t go into detail on a resume, a list of applicable accomplishments gives you talking points that can be expanded during the interview.
Plan for Stories
Before you go into an interview, take the time to practice relaying details that demonstrate your experience, especially in relationship to the accomplishments you included on your resume. Review the information to create a narrative, and make sure to include information about how you completed the task, including skills you used and new ones you learned along the way.
This approach lets you give context to your achievements, showing what you have to offer during various work-related situations.
Also, prepare responses to some of the more common interview questions you may encounter. This includes prompts focused on how you handle conflict, deal with failure, find answers when you hit an impasse and your preferred management style. That way you have a solid base to pull from when some of the inevitable questions arise.
When crafting your responses, be concise and focused. While you want to include details that complete the picture, make sure you don’t wander into unrelated territory along the way.
Include Soft Skills
Often, your experiences show your soft skills better than your education. Teamwork, leadership and communication skills are easier to relay to hiring managers as part of a story, so include verbiage about these when you craft your interview responses. This helps show you developed more than technical aptitude while on the job, which can make a positive impression on an interviewer who is looking for more than a list of hard skills for their employees.
Are you looking for a new opportunity in the IT field?
The further you progress in your career, the more your experiences will matter when looking for new positions. If you are looking for more information regarding how your experience can help you land your ideal job or are interested in finding new opportunities, Resolution Technologies can help. Contact us to discuss your career goals today.
