Question:
I can't speak for any other parts of the country, but from my recent job
search in the Washington DC metro area, software skills are probably the
most important thing you can put on the resume. I sware it seems like
recruiters around here search your resume for the following elements:
1. years of experience
2. software skills
3. detailed experience
4. objective/cover letter
Whenever I spoke with a recruiter, the first thing they'd ask (well the
second - the first is if I'm willing to work in X part of the region) was
have you used...
Even before 'do you know how to write about RF design' or whatever.
I think if you want to play the game of 'how do i get the most hits for my
resume,' include the words framemaker, robohelp, and Office (or rather, list
ever Office component seperately) somewhere in the text. Tho' I do not
condone saying you know a skill that you don't.
Answer:
- Is there a current trend NOT to list software skills (Word, Frame, Power
Point, etc.) on your resume because so many writers know these tools? It
seems from the literature I have been reading that these skills are
becoming so commonplace that it would be better to save the space for
talking about your accomplishments on the job, rather than placing a
grocery list of tools on your resume.
Of course, if a job specifically required a software skill or you were
interested in becoming a tools expert, it may be helpful to note it either
on a cover letter or the resume.
But how about just for the general jobs ads that may not be all that
specific about what they are looking for in terms of the skills of their
writers?
Would they automatically turn you down if you didn't list these software
skills being that the entire universe (not just our field) is pushing
technical skills? Or would they be trend-savy enough to know that this is
the way things are going, if there indeed is a trend?
I would hope I wouldn't be turned down at least for an interview, if I
didn't slap "FrameMaker" somewhere in the resume. What are your thoughts?
- I currently do some interviewing and screening of applicant, and did
quite a bit at my former job with a consulting firm. While it may seem
archaic to list software skills, and can become cumbersome, I generally
think it is a good idea to do so, particularly if the requisition or ad
specifically request tool skills. Some tool skills are harder to come by
than others, so you might want to be selective.
On the other hand, I consider any good, experienced tech writer
trainable and wouldn't pass on a candidate because that person didn't have
experience specifically with Rational SoDA or Adobe FrameMaker (both of
which my shop uses). Previous experience with either could serve as a tie
breaker or help get the interview, however.
- Given that many recruiters search the web for resumes, if you don't put
FrameMaker in there somewhere, they may never see your resume.
I think the cover letter is far more important than the resume for getting
an interview, but you gotta put the software down to get found at all, in
many cases.
I've recently heard a suggestion to rate yourself on each of the
tools/technologies you list in your resume, on a scale of 1-5, or 1-10, or
somehow. Obviously, the authoring tools you use regularly, you would list at
the top of the scale. Other technologies, such as programming languages, web
production, graphics tools, you rank accordingly. For example, I give myself
a 3 out of 10 for C++, using the following rough key: 1: I've heard of it.
2: I understand the basic concepts. 3: I can read it and document it. 4: I
can write "Hello World" programs. 10: I can write an operating system.
You don't need to be an expert at a technology to be able to document it
effectively. But putting this sort of information down can give recruiters
an instant snapshot of your knowledge, and as long as you don't list every
skill a 10, give you some credibility, too. Plus, your resume pops up all
over the place.
