A resume serves as the first impression to a potential employer. In the competitive field of IoT, it is often a deciding point of whether you are going to get invited to an interview or not. All of the skills, competencies, and achievements need to be presented in the best light.

So if you want to land a job as an IoT engineer, you need to put the effort into your resume. If you are not sure where to start, this guide is exactly what you need.

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Step 1. Decide on the Format

The format might not seem like something to worry about at first glance. But it has a huge impact on how your resume is perceived. It can make your application stand out. Or it can cram all the information so that recruiters won’t be inclined to read it through.

Recruiters claim that they usually spend from 8 seconds to 15 minutes on a document. This means that the resume has to be interesting from the first glance.

The format needs to be professional, easy to read, and logical. Three options suit IoT engineers best:

• Reverse chronological order (your latest job position and projects come first, the emphasis is on the work history);
• Hybrid format (puts equal emphasis on work history and skills);
• Functional format (focuses more on skills rather than work history and is more suitable for those who are changing industries or do not have a lot of experience).

The choice depends on your strongest qualities. If you have a lot of experience in IoT, it is worth focusing on that more. But if you are relatively new to the field, you might want to highlight skills and certifications more.

Other considerations regarding the format include:

• Consistent appearance in terms of fonts, colors, and punctuation;
• The consistent format that will present the same way on various devices or operational systems (a good idea is to convert it to PDF);
• Left-side alignment;
• Headings and clear sections;
• All contact information is on top of the file;
• The colors and fonts are professional-looking and readable.

Step 2. Add Summary or Objective

A summary is given right below your name and contact information. It is a short abstract that gives a potential employer a good idea of what professional you are and how eligible for the engineer position you might be. Objective serves the same purpose but it is used for beginners or those who lack professional experience in the field.

The summary highlights your biggest achievements and competencies. Usually the summary takes about 3-5 sentences. It is a great idea to include important keywords from the job listing as well.

Here is an example of a summary for the IoT Engineer position:

“Experienced IoT developer with 6+ in the development of data-intensive systems in the Automotive industry. Worked on project X for company A implementing custom IoT solution with constant improvement and enhanced performance of the application’s architecture”.

Step 3. Craft the Education Section

Often, engineers and IoT professionals tend to skip this section. The reason is understandable – it is a rapidly developing and new field, so there are not many educational opportunities focusing on IoT exclusively.

However, it is better to have the education section as it shows your general knowledge of technology and engineering. Also, it showcases dedication, and the ability to learn and grow as a professional. And for those, who do not have a lot of experience, this could be a great way to get a recruiter’s attention. If this is the case for you, it is useful to add more detail to education.

What can you include here:

• College education with relevant major and/or minor;
• GPAs;
• Dissertation title and focus;
• International or national certifications in the field;
• Additional training in the field.

If you have a lot of work experience, you might state only the essentials like a college degree and certifications.

Step 4. Formulate Work Experience and Key Achievements

This is the crucial section of a resume. That’s why it needs attention to detail. Here you need to establish your experience but also showcase key achievements.

It is useful to go in reverse chronological order so the most recent and relevant experience comes first. Start with the job position, company, and years of work. After that write a couple of sentences or a bullet list of the key achievements. Do not simply list your responsibilities as recruiters have an idea of what such a position entails. Formulate a sentence with responsibility plus your personal input.

When you are writing about them it is essential to use active voice – “designed”, “developed”, “produced”, “enhanced”, etc. Also, if you have some metrics or numbers to present – use them. This always looks more convincing and helps put things into perspective. But even if you do not have impressive numbers, put the accomplishments in. Those could be successfully released and completed projects or workflow advancements.

Step 5. Add Relevant and Valuable Skills

The next important section refers to skills and expertise. Overall, there are two categories of skills – hard ones and soft ones. Both are important for IoT engineers. Of course, hard skills might come first but it is essential to list soft ones as well.

Hard skills mean those specific to your job and field. They cover computer science, programming languages, specific tools, data management, etc. Soft skills cover interpersonal and social ones. They are not specific to a job but rather showcase your personality.

If you are not sure what skills to include you can look closely at job openings and search for what the potential employer is looking for. Also, you can view IoT engineer resume samples online.

Overall, some of the common and demanded skills for IoT engineers are:

• Programming languages (Python, Scala, Java, R, LUA, Swift, Rust, etc);
• Machine Learning;
• Deep learning and data management;
• Database management and related solutions (SQL, MySQL, or NoSQL);
• Cloud computing;
• Specific software tools like Apache Spark, Hadoop, or Hive;
• Network security;
• Sensors;
• Artificial Intelligence;
• Communication;
• Constant learning;
• Problem-solving;
• Leadership and determination;
• Analytical thinking.

Step 6. Add Keywords

Often the case, employers use ATS systems to manage a huge number of applications. Such systems scan and filter resumes before a human recruiter gets access to a selected list of suitable ones.

To pass through an ATS system, your application needs to feature relevant keywords, terms, and phrases for this specific position. The best place to find such keywords is the job posting. It gives a great idea of what things recruiters are looking for in a candidate.

But also it is reasonable to look through samples and use industry-related terms and phrases.

Some Other Tips on Crafting a Winning Resume

Here are some smaller tips to make sure your application stands out and portrays you in the best light.

1. Keep the audience in mind. Adjust the resume to each particular company you are applying to;
2. If you lack experience consider putting additional sections relevant to the job, such as interests, volunteer projects, or references;
3. Add links to professional profiles or portfolios;
4. Keep it reasonably brief and strict to the point;
5. Always take time to proofread the resume before sending it out;
6. Consider writing a cover letter.

In Summary

Follow this guide to craft a winning resume to land a job as an IoT engineer. Stay professional, highlight your strongest points, and include all valuable information a potential employer might need.

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