Must-See TV for IT

Computerworld - The Hollywood writers strike is in its eighth week and TV viewers are tiring of reruns, which opens up opportunities for reality shows to fill in the prime-time gaps. In light of that, here are my suggestions for an alternative Sunday night lineup aimed at both educating and entertaining IT job hunters.

7 p.m.: Flip My Resume

In just three episodes, Flip My Resume will show you how to craft an effective resume that clearly communicates your personality, skills and potential contributions.

Episode 1: Resume Rejuvenation. Know the skills and competencies of your target job, and use them to craft a summary statement. Provide specific examples of the challenges you faced, the solutions you devised and the results you achieved.

Document (in hard metrics, if available) how you made a difference in each position. List your relevant skills, certifications, training and roles. And keep the writing crisp, concise and free of personal pronouns or articles.

Episode 2: The "IT" Factor. Add a technical summary that outlines your expertise in categories such as hardware, operating systems, applications, servers, networking, programming/languages, application architecture, database design and administration, etc.

Balance your technical experience with glimpses of your personality. For example, provide a career summary that encapsulates your soft skills, such as strengths in areas like interpersonal communication, collaboration, leadership and alignment with corporate goals.

If you're a consultant, list your contract work by project type and client. Include the name of the company, why it hired you, project scope, your unique approach, tasks you were responsible for, challenges overcome, and client results/benefits.

Episode 3: Uncommon Wisdom. Even if you're not looking for a job, keep your resume up to date. The need to hunt for a new position can arrive without warning. Plus, it's easier to work on your resume in "chunks," gradually, rather than being forced to rush through it under pressure.

Above all, be thorough, accurate and honest. Fudging credentials can hurt you in the short and long runs. Lying on your resume can cause you to be passed over for a position or, worse, be cause for termination after you're hired. Ethical issues aside, you don't want to wind up in a job you're not capable of handling.

8 p.m.: Extreme Talent Makeover

In today's booming tech market, many experienced IT professionals don't understand why they're struggling to find a job. Having the right skills is just one factor in a successful job search. Extreme Talent Makeover takes you beyond resume writing and into applying and interviewing for a new position.