When you’ve worked within the same organization for a number of years, it can be a struggle to position yourself for a new job more at itresumeservice.com
Learn to quantify and qualify your achievements in your it resume
1. Learn To Quantify And Qualify Your Achievements In Your IT Resume
Whenyou’ve workedwithinthe same organizationforanumberof years,itcan be a struggle toposition
yourself foranewjoboutside the familiarityof yourcompany’sstructures, processes,andmethods.As
youbeginto explore new opportunities,youwill findthatworkingonyourresume willpresentyouwith
a numberof challenges.The purpose of thisarticle istoguide youthroughthisoftenfrustratingand
unsettlingprocessso thatyoucan create a resume thattrulydescribesyouraccomplishmentsandis
appealingtohiringmanagers.
Ratherthan lookingatthisas an arduousprocess,itshouldbe fun.It’sall about discoveryasyoulearn
to describe the capabilitiesandtoolsthatyou’ve acquired,the processimprovementsthatyou’ve made,
the value of the qualityassurance andtestingthatyou’ve done,andmuchmore.
Withtypical resume writingadvice,you’llencounterstatementssuchas“Quantifyyourresultsto
emphasize youraccomplishmentsandprovide proof of yourpotential value.”Itwouldbe greatif writing
your resume were reallythateasy.The realityisthatinmany large corporationsitcan be quite difficult
to linkIT projectsdirectlytothe bottomline.How then, doyoudemonstrate andquantifythe value
you’ve provided?
Let’sthinkaboutsome of the questionsyoucouldaskyourself totryto uncoveryourquantitative and
qualitative results:
• What specificdeliverableswere producedbyyourprojects?
• Whoutilizesthe productorservice andfor whatpurposes?
• What can the businessdonowthatit couldn’tdopriorto your project?
• If thisis a technical achievement:How doesthe technical teambenefit?
• Didyoumake the userorganizationmore efficientbysavingtime,money,orotherresources?Can
youestimate the savingsashours,days,dollars,orothertypesof units?
• Didyoumake the userorganizationmore effective byincreasingquality,throughput,or
productivity?Canyouestimate the improvementasapercentage of overall gain?
• Didyouhelpthe userorganizationtoavoidor mitigate the riskof noncompliance,processfailure,or
otherundesirableoutcomes?Canyouestimate the probabilityandseverityof the risks?
Understand that you’re notreallyseeking“proof”of value here.The goal istoprovide credibleand
supportable evidence of value creation.Youdon’tnecessarilyneedhardnumberswhenrealistic
estimatesserve the purpose.
2. Belowisan example of aBoeingachievementthatshouldhave beenfocusedonthe qualitative results
but,instead,itisall about the technology.Whenreadingthese statements,trytothinkaboutthe
achievementinitssimplesttermsandeliminate thosepartsof the statementsthatare justnoise.
• Designed,developed,anddeliveredsoftwareandhardware fora StringerDimensional
Measurement,using“C”andassemblylanguage ona68000 single-boardcomputerwithanA/Dboard
and a PC. Thissystemmeasuredthe dimensionsof empennagestringers for777s andcomparedthe
data withCATIA to produce an automatedaccept/rejectreport.
We can create a great achievementstatement,once we understandthe full story.The software
developerdesigned,developed,anddeliveredatool tomeasure the dimensionsonanaircraft stringer
so theycouldbe comparedto the data in a 3D CADsystem, usinganautomatedaccept/rejectreport.
• Designed,developed,anddeliveredatool to measure andautomaticallycompare the dimensionson
an aircraft stringertodata ina 3D CADsystem, usinganaccept/rejectreport.
Beloware examplesof quantitativestatements:
• Ledan international projectteamindevelopingInternalUpdate Center(IUC),awebinterface that
enabledproductaccesstosynchronizedFTPcollectionsdistributedin3countries.Completedprojecton
schedule and5%underbudget.
• Designedarigoroustestingmethodologythatwasadoptedasa “bestpractice” global standardfor
online applications.Increasedproductquality,while acceleratingupdate speedsby65%.
• Envisionedandimplementedmajorproductivityandefficiencyimprovementsthatsavedengineering
time anddecreasedproductturnaroundtime by50%.
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achievements-in-your-it-resume