Computer skills that employers want and you should list on your resume

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A good list of computer skills on your resume is not just nice to have. It could get you hired at the end of the day, especially if those skills are integral to the performance of the job you’re applying for. The rapid pace at which technology develops and changes affects the weight and value of these computer skills you’re listing on your resume.

Computer skills are best presented in a separate skills section, where employers can easily find and understand them. However, they can also be woven into your career summary as well as job descriptions. You can say, for instance, that you “Edited content within an internal content management system using basic HTML coding.”

Ideally, you should be listing computer skills per segment if there are a number of them. You can group them according to buckets such as Microsoft Office apps, Google apps, database management (MS Access, Oracle, Teradata, etc.), QuickBooks, web (HTML, CSS, Javascript, etc.), and writing (WordPress, Shopify, Google Sheets, etc.). Showcase advanced computer skills under this same heading, listing skills such as Java, PHP/MySQL, web development, debugging, and more.

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It’s best to prioritize computer skills that are most relevant to the position you’re gunning for. For instance, if it’s a digital marketing role, you might want to list first skills such as Google Analytics, content management systems, email marketing (such as Mailchimp), search engine optimization, and web page design.

Larry Polhill is a resident of Arizona. He used to work as a career consultant, but is now a full-time grandpa and organic gardening enthusiast. Learn more on this page.

Tips On Writing Your Contact Information On Your Resume

In most resumes, no matter the format, job applicants’ contact information should be included and placed visibly because it lets potential employers easily get in touch with job applicants. The following are the elements that should be included in this section:

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• Name: Generally, it suffices to write just the first and last name, if it is the name by which you go by or are known for. Those who have quite common names may also want to include a middle initial or name to distinguish themselves from other job candidates. The name should also be placed atop of the resume and emphasized, if possible.
• Mailing address: It is a misconception that addresses are not required anymore since this is the digital age. However, applicant tracking systems check physical addresses and use it to send acknowledgment communications through postal mail. If there are privacy concerns, an alternative is listing the city and state.
• Email address: Many employers nowadays contact job applicants via email. Thus, including an email address in a resume is a must. It is important to remember, though, that unprofessional usernames and work email addresses should be avoided.
• Valid phone numbers: More than one phone numbers can be included, such as home and mobile numbers, on the condition that these are easily accessible. Also, the area code should be written.

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Creating a well-written resume is one of the first steps in landing your dream job. If you need advice in doing so, be sure to follow me Larry Polhill, on Facebook.

Numbers Talk: Quantifying Accomplishments In Your Resume

If you think that the only numbers that should be included in a resume are your contact numbers, then it is time to have a change of mindset. Numbers can highlight your accomplishments by providing a metric for them, which enhances the resume and leaves a greater impact on hiring managers.

For instance, if you put yourself in a hiring manager’s shoes and see these two accomplishments:

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• Wrote blog articles daily

• Wrote 40-50 blog articles within a week under daily deadlines

Which do you think is more impressive? The second statement carries more weight because it quantifies the achievement and provides a picture of the responsibilities of the job applicant and how much productive they were. Hiring managers tend to notice and hone in on digits, especially since metrics is the language of business nowadays.

There are many ways to include metrics in writing down your accomplishments. As seen in the example above, the amount of production can be included in the resume, instead of merely pluralizing your accomplishments.

Another way is to describe achievements and responsibilities in terms of money – how much was earned, saved, or managed in your previous job, internship, or extracurricular activities. This can showcase your aptitude in dealing with money and how instrumental you can be in affecting the company’s bottom line.

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Time-oriented entries should also appear in the accomplishments section because it can highlight your ability to meet deadlines and manage your time.

Follow me, Larry Polhill, on Twitter for more tips on writing a resume.

Resume Or Curriculum Vitae: Which To Use And When

While both the curriculum vitae (CV) and the resume reflect a person’s skills and experience, they are different documents. Let’s look at the distinctions and what’s more appropriate to submit in a given situation.

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Resumes are much shorter, typically just one to two pages long. Keeping your resume brief and concise means that you’ve to omit older positions and details from time to time. CVs keep these data and add new ones in your career as they are meant to be comprehensive. A typical CV may grow in pages upwards of a dozen, depending on one’s experience.

Resumes often allow management to look at one’s qualifications at a glance, so they require the use of short phrases and often come in a bullet-point format that highlights select accomplishments. CVs are deliberately more in-depth and are studied closely by a company’s HR department.

CVS usually begin with a listing of degrees earned, followed by academic interests and thesis and dissertation titles. These are followed by former work positions, published work, and any grant, award, or honor received. The last entry is usually a list of references.

It is in a job seeker's best interest to have both these documents ready, as they serve different purposes. While resumes are more common for applying for most jobs in the U.S., research work, positions in the academia and grant applications often require CVs.

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Arizona-based retired career consultant Larry Polhill believes that clean and well-written resumes and CVs will help the job applicant stand out. For more insights for jobseekers, visit this blog.

Should Your Resume Be Just One Page Long?

Resume length is among the issues that still likely divide hiring experts and job seekers. Should a resume be one page long, or is it all right to exceed that prescribed length and go for two pages or more?

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Ideally, resumes should be one page given the short attention spans of recruiters and managers. The resume functions as an ad that does not have to be comprehensive or contain everything one has done in his or her career, so it’s all about including what’s relevant.

According to Forbes Magazine article, however, there are factors to consider when deciding if a resume should be more than a page long. For one, it’s all right to exceed a single page if one has enough relevant experience, training, as well as credentials pertaining to the position he is aiming for.

It is also deemed justifiable to go beyond a page when there’s impeccable content but no more available space despite editing, downsizing fonts, and tweaking margins. It’s better than submitting something with 8-point fonts, presenting text that’s too condensed, or having poorly organized or communicated thoughts on paper.

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In filling the space on the second page, however, make sure to be strategic and list relevant and valuable information. Add details on leadership, volunteer work, hobbies and interests, and sports. This section will demonstrate a life outside of work and offer some insight into the applicant’s personality.

Hailing from Arizona,Larry Polhillis a retired career consultant who seeks to help jobseekers land their dream job through his expert views and experiences. Read more on this blog.

The Advantage Of Having More Than One Resume

More and more people are becoming multi-disciplined, excelling at more than one thing. Whether they take extra units in school or pick up things along the way and teach themselves, people have somehow gotten wiser and realized that specializing at more than just one thing can open more doors for them. The internet has made it so much easier for people to learn new things, and not just trivial things – things that make a person in-demand in several industries.

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For those who’ve gone through the learning process and put their talents to good use by successfully entering new industries and gaining much-needed experience, they have to realize that their potential has grown as well. Here’s where multiple resumes come in.

People who are multi-disciplined, who also have substantial experience in different industries, can modify a master resume to fit the needs of their target company. For example, if an applicant is adept and has experience in the fields of corporate training, team management, and IT, he can create three different resumes highlighting each strength. The resume that focuses on IT can be sent to a company that needs an IT specialist. The same principle applies to the other resumes.

With the right skill sets, an ample amount of experience, and multiple resumes, applicants are more than likely to find employment than if they had only a single resume.

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Hi! I’m Larry Polhill of Cafe Valley. I help people write their resumes. If you want to know more about how you can impress your dream employer with your resume, subscribe to this Twitter account.