Are you changing careers into tech? Heard of Skills-based CVs?
When you’re changing jobs into a new industry you want to leverage off existing skills & experience.
Ask yourself what are the transferable skills I can bring to this new role?
A skills-based CV, also known as a functional CV, focuses on highlighting your skills and qualifications rather than your work history. To write a skills-based CV:
Make a list of your skills, including both hard skills (such as technical abilities) and soft skills (such as communication and leadership)
Organise your skills into relevant categories, such as "Technical Skills" or "Leadership Skills"
Create a summary or objective statement that highlights your most relevant skills and qualifications
In the body of the CV, include a section for each skill category. For each section, list your skills and provide specific examples of how you have used them in the past
In the education and experience sections, include information that is relevant to the skills you are highlighting
Use action verbs to describe your skills and accomplishments
Proofread your CV for errors and ensure that it is easy to read and understand
It's also important to tailor your CV to the specific job you are applying for, highlighting the skills and qualifications that are most relevant to the position. This makes it easier for people like me to introduce you to the right people in the best light.
But what kind of things would you highlight for software development jobs?
When writing a CV for a software development job, you should highlight your technical skills, programming languages, and software development methodologies. These are a few specific things you may want to include:
Programming languages: List the programming languages you are proficient in and highlight any specific projects you have worked on using those languages
Software development methodologies: Mention any experience you have with Agile, Scrum, or other development methodologies
Technical skills: Highlight any specific technical skills you have, such as experience with databases, version control systems (e.g. Git), or cloud-based services (e.g. AWS, Azure)
Experience with specific tools: If you have experience with specific tools or frameworks, such as React or Docker, be sure to mention them
Project experience: Provide examples of software development projects you have worked on, including a brief description of the project and your role in it
Relevant education: If you have a degree in computer science or a related field, or a recent online course be sure to include it
Other relevant experiences: If you have any other experiences that demonstrate your ability to work in a software development team, such as open-source contributions or hackathon participation, mention them
You should also include any relevant certificates, awards and training you've had for software development.
Remember, tailoring your CV to the specific job you are applying for, highlighting the skills and qualifications that are most relevant to the position will make it stand out.
Also think about going to talk to someone in technology and ask them all about it. Join the local networking group ie Canterbury Tech who have a mentoring programme.
I hope this helps and get amongst it - technology is a fantastic industry than can never stop evolving so you’ll always have a job!
I'm Paul, I’m a Dad who loves coffee, dogs, biking, surfing & skiing, technology and getting people IT jobs. Founder & Principal Consultant of Sunstone, an IT Recruitment and People & Culture company specialising in recruiting IT roles within software, web, mobile, blockchain, big data, cloud infrastructure, security & networks in Christchurch, South Island & WFH New Zealand