Unconventional Titles on IT Resumes
IT recruiters come across plenty of candidates who have odd job titles in IT. IT staffing companies find that especially in the tech field (and particularly startup companies) titles can include words like ‘ninja’ or ‘rockstar’. If you have one of these creative titles, here’s how to handle it on your resume so you attract IT staffing firms and hiring managers.
Firstly, try to figure out what your title would be at a more conventional company. If you’re having a hard time coming up with this, IT recruiting agencies would suggest you check out the titles other people use on LinkedIn, reach out to people in your network, or consult with your technical recruiters. Next, list your official title on your resume. Then in parentheses, list the conventional title next to it.
The last thing IT recruiting firms would suggest you do if you have an unconventional title is to make sure the bullets below that job represent your duties and accomplishments clearly. Good bullets will work with that conventional title to clear up any lingering confusion about your title and role. As your write your bullets (under this and all other IT jobs on your resume) keep in mind that sometimes IT staffing agencies might be sharing your resume with less technical hiring managers. Try to write your bullets so they can be understood by a variety of readers.
Will an Online Degree Help Your IT Job Search?
IT recruiters are sometimes asked by candidates if an online degree will increase their prospects for IT jobs. On one hand, online degrees used to have a certain stigma to hiring managers and IT staffing agencies. On the other, these programs are becoming more and more popular, rigorous, and respected by IT recruiting firms and hiring managers in the tech field. So are they worth the money, time, and effort now?
If you’re considering an online degree, it may be far more useful in helping you land and be considered for more IT jobs now than 10 years ago. You just have to be careful about how you choose your program. Start by researching the reputation of the online degree program. There are plenty of programs that are widely known by IT staffing firms and employers as reputable, strong programs. There are also plenty of programs that are so worthless, IT recruiting companies would just tell you to take them off your resume. Make sure you find out exactly where the program you’re thinking about stands before you invest and time, money, etc in it.
The second thing to consider is how much interaction with clients, end-users, managers, etc your ideal roles require. When you’re getting a degree to increase your options for roles with a lot of communication, you probably want to avoid an online degree program. Doing real classes that help you practice working with others will be far more useful to you. (This will also be something you can bring up in interviews. You can demonstrate that you’ve not only studied certain technologies or skills, but you’ve also gotten to hone valuable communication skills.) For certain positions, IT staffing companies have the easiest time placing candidates who can boast both a strong arsenal of technical skills and communication skills. Why not pick a degree program that helps you develop both? When you’re not seeking roles that require a lot of communication and interaction with various people, an online degree may be just as valuable to your job search as a more traditional one.
