Position Description:
Strong ASP/.NET developer to create custom role-based, web portal for light-weight reporting application based upon centralized contracts database based upon data from structured (SQL, MS Access, Oracle, etc.) and unstructured (MS Word, .PDF, .XLS, etc.). Create custom reports and administrative functionality for the client. The candidate will be involved in an effort to support the DOD Business Transformation Agency (BTA) help the cause in Iraq and assist U.S. soldiers.

Preferred experience:
- Speaks/writes Arabic
- Contract Procurement Experience
- Experience on Commercial Client
- Masters in Computer Science, Information Systems, or related discipline.


Required:

- bachelor's degree or equivalent and seven to nine years of related experience.
- 'All Star' ASP/.NET developer well rounded technically with hands-on back-end development (SQL Server).
- Brings understanding of light-weight client side interface development (resolve low bandwidth issues for GUI).
- Effective oral and written communication skills in a hands-on working team environment.
- Demonstrated ability to meet firm commitments in a large scale IT project environment.
- Experience in business requirements analysis/definition.
- 5 or more years experience in a team IT environment with technical analysis, activity, system and development.

Must be US Citizen.

No Clearance required

Ok, in this particular example they are looking for someone who is really proficient with ASP/NET. ...you may be great with HTML but if you do not have experience with ASP/NET then you will not be competitive.

If you do have experience with ASP/NET and it is not reflected in your resume then you will probably not have a chance at landing this job.

Look at the other areas...you must make sure your resume reflects 5 or more years experience in a team IT environment.

The other areas listed under "Required" must be reflected as well...so in this case there are only a few key words...but if they are not reflected in your resume then you will not be competitive for this particular job.

It is very important you create a list of your skills and ensure you have a good generic resume written to land your ideal job you can hand out to your network contacts...but always submit a custom resume when you apply for a specific job.

I want to elaborate a little on how to use key words in order to ensure your resume has a better chance at being noticed by an employer who has their own career website or uses job search websites like "Monster Jobs, Career Builder, etc.

When you consider the key words in each job announcement you want to make sure those key words appear in your resume. I know it is a little subjective but you need to analyze the job announcement and make an educated guess on which key words are the most important. What is the employer looking for? Once you've identified the key words you feel are the most important you want to edit your resume to ensure they are included in your resume.

One word of caution here...don't lie or embellish just to make sure your resume is likely to be picked up by key word searches. If you don't have the skills for the job then move on to another job unless the job in question is an entry level job. You still do not want to lie or embellish on your resume; but entry level jobs are just that...a minimum skill level is needed...no more.

Key word searches are scored/compared against the job announcement and ranked based on the number of times each key word appears in your resume. The more often the key word appears in your resume the higher your resume is scored by the search engine. It would be next to impossible to know for sure how your resume is going to score because there are a lot of different programs being used by HR professionals to identify the best potential candidates out of a pool of hundreds or even thousands of applicants.

So...in short...do your research/analysis and try to determine the most important key words in the job announcement you're interested in; then edit your resume to give you an edge over your competition.

Until next time...good luck on your job search.