Women in tech should highlight technical certifications, projects, and leadership roles using a hybrid resume format. Quantify achievements, showcase soft skills, mentorship, and continuous learning. Tailor resumes to job descriptions and include portfolios to present a balanced profile of technical and managerial expertise.
How Can Women in Tech Showcase Both Technical Skills and Leadership on Their Resumes?
AdminWomen in tech should highlight technical certifications, projects, and leadership roles using a hybrid resume format. Quantify achievements, showcase soft skills, mentorship, and continuous learning. Tailor resumes to job descriptions and include portfolios to present a balanced profile of technical and managerial expertise.
Empowered by Artificial Intelligence and the women in tech community.
Like this article?
Crafting a Standout Tech Resume
Interested in sharing your knowledge ?
Learn more about how to contribute.
Sponsor this category.
Highlight Technical Certifications and Projects
Women in tech should include relevant technical certifications and detailed descriptions of projects they have led or contributed to. Clearly stating programming languages, tools, frameworks, and outcomes demonstrates technical expertise. Emphasize leadership by noting your role in guiding teams, managing timelines, or implementing innovative solutions.
Use a Hybrid Resume Format
A hybrid/resume format combines elements of both functional and chronological styles, allowing women to highlight technical skills upfront while also showcasing leadership experiences in professional roles. This format helps balance technical proficiency with managerial and soft skills effectively.
Quantify Achievements and Impact
Quantifying achievements with metrics (e.g., “Led a team of 5 engineers to deliver a product that increased efficiency by 30%”) illustrates leadership capabilities while demonstrating technical impact. Numbers provide concrete evidence of your contributions and managerial influence.
Include Leadership Roles in Technical Contexts
Mention leadership titles such as “Team Lead,” “Project Manager,” or “Technical Lead” alongside your engineering or development roles. Detail responsibilities like mentoring junior engineers, coordinating cross-functional teams, or spearheading critical technical initiatives.
Showcase Soft Skills Relevant to Leadership
In addition to hard skills, highlight soft skills like communication, conflict resolution, adaptability, and strategic thinking. These can be referenced in a summary or skills section and reinforced through examples in work experience, presenting a balanced profile.
Add a Strong Summary or Profile Section
Craft a compelling summary at the beginning of the resume that combines technical expertise and leadership qualities. For instance, “Experienced software engineer with 7+ years in full-stack development, excelling in leading diverse teams to deliver scalable solutions on tight deadlines.
Feature Mentorship and Advocacy Activities
Include any mentoring, coaching, or advocacy work for women in tech or diversity initiatives. This not only reflects leadership but also highlights commitment to community and organizational culture, traits valued by employers.
List Relevant Training and Leadership Development
If you have attended workshops, leadership training, or tech conferences, add these to your resume. It shows a commitment to continuous professional growth in both technical and managerial domains.
Create a Projects or Portfolio Section
Link to a personal portfolio, GitHub, or technical blogs where your coding skills and problem-solving abilities are demonstrated. Combining this with descriptions of your role managing or leading these projects emphasizes both skills sets.
Tailor Resume to Job Descriptions
Carefully review the job description and incorporate keywords that reflect both the technical skills and leadership qualities the employer seeks. Customizing your resume for each role ensures your combined expertise is clearly communicated and highly relevant.
What else to take into account
This section is for sharing any additional examples, stories, or insights that do not fit into previous sections. Is there anything else you'd like to add?