Here are the keywords and skills that appear most frequently on recent Information Technology (IT) job postings. In other words, these are the most sought after skills by recruiters and hiring managers. So try to include them on your resume where possible. Go to the Sample Templates ↓ below to see how to include them on your resume.
Remember that every job is different. Instead of including all these keywords on your resume, identify the keywords most relevant to the job you're applying to and include those. Use the free Targeted Resume tool to help with this.
Does your resume contain all the right skills? Paste in your resume in the AI Resume Scan ↓ section below and get an instant score.
Paste your resume below and our AI will identify which keywords are missing from your resume from the list above (and what you need to include). Including the right keywords will help you get past Applicant Tracking Systems (i.e. resume screeners) which may scan your resume for keywords to see if you're a match for the job.
Here are examples of proven resumes in related jobs and industries, approved by experienced hiring managers. Use them as inspiration when you're writing your own resume. You can even download and edit the resume template in Google Docs.
A CIO — sometimes referred to interchangeably as a Chief Technology Officer — is the executive in charge of a company’s technology and research and development departments. As a CIO, you’ll be charged with leading your company’s technology strategy, keeping up to date with new trends, making sure systems are running smoothly, and liaising with executives from other departments to ensure the technological needs of the entire company are being met.
CIOs need technological know-how, but as you progress along the corporate ladder, the importance of specific technical skills becomes balanced by the need for soft skills like leadership. Instead of listing these as you would normal hard skills, use your bullet points to illustrate how you’ve put these skills to use in a corporate environment.
When writing your bullet points, take a moment to consider whether adding a little more information would help them sound even more impressive. Managing a $200,000 annual budget for a small business is a very different accomplishment than managing a $15 million annual budget for a multinational corporation, so be specific about the context of your achievements.
As the most senior technology executive, a CIO needs to demonstrate skills in project management, finance, and strategy, as well as technical skills like coding, programming, and mapping. Your resume should balance showcasing executive-level leadership, communication, and management skills with hard skills in SQL, operating systems, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and software management.
When it comes to C-level positions, potential employers don’t just want to know what you’ve accomplished, they want to know the impact your actions had on the company’s bottom line. Including hard metrics — whether that’s 55% improved efficiency in a system you designed or a 300% increase in net profit — will explicitly highlight that.
If you’ve worked your way up to a C-level position, chances are you have a fairly extensive work history. You don’t need to include your entire background on your resume — focus on the most recent and most relevant positions (usually the past 10-15 years) and omit the rest.
The director of information technology is responsible for aligning the business goals with the IT department's operation. They determine the need for upgrades and gather the necessary equipment and tools to modernize and optimize operations. That’s why they will meet with internal and external vendors to procure those resources. As the director of information technology, you must monitor team members’ performance and the entire IT operations. Therefore, you should often report this information to the C-suite. That’s why it’s important to indicate your reporting skills on your resume.
A great way to validate your expertise as a director of information technology is by including relevant certifications on your resume. Some industry-leading certifications include CompTIA Network+, CAPM certification, and CompTIA Security+ certification.
It is crucial to demonstrate your experience with team management in your resume. Your potential employer might want to know that you are prepared to overcome the challenges of leading the information technology team. You can include projects that you managed or any leadership experience in the field.
As a Chief Information Officer (CIO), you'll be responsible for overseeing the technological infrastructure and strategies within a company. The tech landscape is constantly evolving and the demand for skilled, visionary CIOs is higher than ever. To stand out when applying for such a role, it's crucial that your resume demonstrates your ability to navigate these changes and deliver impactful results. Highlighting your experience with recent industry trends and showcasing tangible improvements in the companies you've worked for can make a significant difference. Remember, as a CIO, you'll be playing a vital role in shaping the technological future of a company. Your resume should not only showcase your technical skills, but also your leadership and strategic capabilities. Potential employers will be seeking a CIO who can balance big-picture thinking with attention to detail, leading teams to successfully implement new technologies and systems.
In your resume, emphasize your experience in steering IT planning and implementing technological strategies that align with overall business goals. This demonstrates your ability to work cross-functionally, which is essential for a CIO.
This resume template is suitable for experienced hires or mid-level hires. The education contains two examples of an education experiences, but only include one (your most recent one) if you're a senior level employee.
It strikes the right balance between white space and content, and doesn't waste space on unnecessary images and icons. Remember, recruiters aren't looking at how creative you are when it comes to your template. Your content is core and should be the focus.
This job seeker uses resume bullet points that uses strong action verbs, and most importantly, contain numbers that demonstrate the significance of their accomplishments.
This template is clean, readable by resume screeners, and is effective at calling out key accomplishments and projects from specific work experiences. This would be useful if you have been at a company for a while, or been in a consulting-type of role, and want to point hiring managers to your most impressive accomplishments.
Action verbs are important on your resume are vital. They evoke strong imagery to your reader, and this resume does an excellent job by using words such as “spearheaded,” “managed,” and “drove.” These words will help you to put your achievements in perspective, in conjunction with measurable results. Use action verbs relating to the skills you want to highlight.
Many of your accomplishments will involve your responsibilities in your employer's high-level projects. Recruiters want to see what you’ve completed in previous roles -- such as the Operations Improvement Project and new iPhone app launch highlighted in this resume. The numbers make your experience real, rather than a vague “oversaw several teams for a project.” What did you do specifically? Be specific.
The following word cloud highlights the most popular keywords that appear on Information Technology (IT) job descriptions. The bigger the word, the more frequently it shows up on employer's job postings. If you have experience with these keywords, include them on your resume.
On top Information Technology (IT) resumes, skills like IT Management, Windows Server, Network Administration, Active Directory, System Administration, SQL, ITIL and IT Service Management appear most often.
Depending on the exact role you're applying to, skills like Network Security, Domain Name System (DNS), Laptops, Pre-sales and IT Operations can also be effective keywords to include on your resume.
If you are writing an Information Technology Developer resume, try to emphasize skills like JavaScript, MySQL, Microsoft SQL Server, PHP, SQL, HTML, Java and Software Development.
Similarly, if you are writing an Information Technology Officer resume, emphasize skills like ITIL, Windows Server, Active Directory, Windows 10, Information Technology, TopDesk, IT Service Management and Windows 7.
Depending on the specific role you apply to, you may need to emphasize different skill sets. Here are a few examples:
While the keywords above are a good indication of what skills you need on your resume, you should try to find additional keywords that are specific to the job. To do this, use the free Targeted Resume tool. It analyzes the job you are applying to and finds the most important keywords you need on your resume.
It is personalized to your resume, and is the best way to ensure your resume will pass the automated resume filters.
Thank you for the checklist! I realized I was making so many mistakes on my resume that I've now fixed. I'm much more confident in my resume now.
