Software Information On Your Resume

In one of my previous blog articles, Superman’s Resume, and Job Application Template, and Resume Aid, I promised to divide the resume into sections and explain how to write each section. My last three articles dealt with the subject of contact information, educational information, honors, association, and equipment information. I would like to move on to the SOFTWARE heading. It is very straight forward, but there are a few things you should consider when you choose this information such as your level of expertise, the job description, and job expectations.

Even Superman, aka. Clark Kent has to learn computer software to keep up! Image used by permission from www.istockphoto.com/peskymonkey.

I didn’t list Superman’s software on his resume, because well, he was born into a different era. Well, so was I, the Personal Computer or PC didn’t come around to the marketplace until the 1980’s. But nowadays for all those interested in a white collar, (office or professional) position software experience is a must.

I left a place for it on the Job Application Template also, as you can see by the heading below.

Word, Spreadsheets, Databases, and other Computer Software you Can Operate:

Under the above heading I would list all the software that you have experience with. This includes software you used on the job, in a volunteer capacity, and at home such as MS Word for writing personal letters, or even a book manuscript, etc.

Now if you are only familiar with the software because of a course you completed, than I wouldn’t list it under SOFTWARE but under the heading COURSES.

Now you don’t want to list every software program on your resume because of the length issue, just the ones that you are familiar with that match up with the job description.

Here’s an example, with the small town government of Gilbert, Arizona. Click on the link below and read the job description for an Administrative Assistant.

Administrative Assistant

Notice it reads: “Operates a personal computer, telephones, copiers and other general office equipment as necessary to complete essential functions, to include the use of word processing, spreadsheet, database, or other system software.”

It doesn’t list specific word processing, spreadsheets, or database, so list all of the word processing, spreadsheets, and database programs that you know such as MS Word 2007, and WordPerfect 2007, MS Excel 2007, and Lotus 123 2007 , etc.

Let’s look at another example for a Purchasing Agent with Beazer Homes. Here’s the link to the job description.

Purchasing Agent

Notice it reads:

“Bachelor’s degree preferred. Proficient computer skills (especially Excel, Word and Access). Minimum of 2 years field experience (Service/Superintendent). General construction knowledge. 2 years minimum single family/multifamily purchasing agent experience.”

So your resume will look like this. Be sure to list the most up to date version of the software that you have experience with. Employers will assume that you will know any older version if that’s what they use.

SOFTWARE

MS Access 2007, MS Excel 2007, MS Word 2007

If you don’t have any experience in software, but have completed courses than don’t list the heading SOFTWARE. Just present the information below.

COURSES

MS Access 2007, MS Excel 2007, MS Word 2007

I like to list software, and courses alphabetically so there is a pattern that is easy for a recruiter to scan quickly since studies show that recruiters only spend an average of 30 seconds to scan a resume in order to make a decision.

Let’s say you don’t have experience in Word, or Excel or Access because you have used Macs all your life and not PC’s. What should you do? List the software that you do know because this will show that you can pick up software quickly, and hopefully a recruiter will consider you anyway.

Some of you are reentering the job market after being a work at home Mom, or you are entering the job market after being a student or you are leaving the military. Perhaps some of my readers are entering an office job after working in construction and you just don’t have that many computer software skills, or have taken any courses. What should you do?

You are going to have to work on that because of the stiff competition for jobs out there in the labor market. Most employers, although not all are not willing to train someone when they can hire someone already trained. Remember the labor market is like any other market and it is driven by supply, and demand.

However, I realize that you don’t have a lot of money to learn software, but guess what? There are free courses out there. Yes, that’s true! Absolutely free!

Did you know that the federal government has even put money into their budget to train you for free? Well, nothing is ever completely free your tax dollars pay for it, so you might as well use it. You’ve already paid for it.

The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 under the direction of the US Department of Labor Employment and Training division has partnered with state, city, and county governments in providing training to get you back to work. They have set up in all 50 states One Stop Centers designed to get you back to work. They offer a variety of services from job networking clubs, resume instruction, interview techniques, and guess what else Basic Computer Classes, and Internet Search classes!To find one in your area visit the link below and then follow the appropriate links.


Department of Labor-Employment and Training

Or visit your state, city or county’s website to find the One Stop location nearest you.

Besides the One Stop Centers local libraries are now offering basic computer classes, and Internet search classes. Visit your local library for more information. Another free service!

Besides government services the software companies themselves often offer free tutorials that you can take on-line. Of course this requires a computer and an Internet connection. If you don’t have one there again you may need to use your local libraries computer and internet connection.
So to find a tutorial for MS Word you would look on the Microsoft website or you can always google, i.e. search on Google using the following words, “Free Word Tutorial,” etc. Be sure that the tutorial is indeed free, that you don’t need to purchase the software, or something else in order to use the tutorial. Usually you can perform any function on the tutorial that you could do with live software but print. This is to prevent you from never buying the software.

Another way you can avail yourself of a free service is to search for computer schools in your area. Sometimes they will give away one free course to try to entice you to purchase more courses. Or maybe not a whole course, but just one free introductory class to the course.

And still one more way to learn a skill is to purchase the software program, and then go to your local bookstore or computer store and order a book that you can utilize in training. This is not free of course, but might cost less than taking a class at a community college. Also sometimes the book has a tutorial CD in it for the price of the book. There again you can do everything that the live program does but print.

Fry’s Electronics and their helpful staff helped me pick up a book on the publishing software called Quark, complete with a tutorial disk which I used to educate myself. The $30 book cost less than the $3,000 program would, and it cost less than the class at my local community college.

Unfortunately, by the time I learned Quark it was out of favor with employers. Go figure! So that’s another problem be sure that you really need to learn the program before you do. Programs like MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, and MS Access won’t go out of style too soon, but the other ones, well peruse the job descriptions in your field to see if you really should be learning this program.

Another thing you could do instead of taking a class is to pay your 20 year old whiz kid out of work neighbor to tutor you in a program. Just a thought? Or maybe you could work out a trade where you paid him or her in homemade brownies, cupcakes, grapefruit from your tree etc. Hey, I live in Arizona we have an over abundance of grapefruit growing in our yard. Anyway, you get the picture.

Another way you can learn software, and gain work experience is in volunteering. Does your favorite charity need office help? Are they willing to train you how to use their software? If so, then take advantage of this, and put the experience on your resume.

Like I said when I graduated from college, I had taken the basic software packages that were out at the time, but they kept changing quickly. I couldn’t afford to keep taking classes to keep up so I used the methods above to stay current.

That’s what I did and it turned out all right. If I can do it so can you. And I imagine that’s what Superman is doing right now if he wants to stay current in his field of journalism, as Clark Kent.

Besides if I knew everything about the job before I went into it, I would be totally bored, and would stop learning and growing. So my rule of thumb is if I know at least 80% of the software listed in the job description I apply. I figure I can learn the other 20% quickly, and that’s what I tell the employer in my cover letter, and in the interview.

On the converse side if I know less than 80%, I decide I need to learn more, and I do. I also don’t apply until I do because I know it is a waste of time and the employer won’t even look at me. Now of course these guidelines apply to most of the white collar work force out there but not to computer engineers. They not only have to know how to operate the programs but to program them as well. I’ll leave it to engineers to write their own specialized resumes, and obtain their own specialized training.

But for the rest of us, remember nothing ventured, nothing gained. Remember to put what you know on your resume, and if you have absolutely no software skills whatsoever, you might have to take more classes. Utilize free software tutorials on-line, or volunteer somewhere to gain experience in operating that personal computer.