Many resumes for technical positions tend to read like a list of all the tools a person knows how to use. I've already compared programmers to chefs. To illustrate what is so meaningless about this emphasis on tools, let's pretend that instead of a programming job, you're applying for a job building stuff in a workshop, and your resume looks like this:
2004 - 2006
Gilbert's Gadgets - Townville City, WA
Sr. Gadget Builder
Responsibilties included using hammers, wrenches, screwdrivers and pliers in a fast-paced environment.
- Used a hammer to drive several different types of nails.
- Participated in the use of a phillip's head screwdriver on the BigGadget project.
2001 - 2004
Wilbur's Widgets - Metropolis, WA
Gadget Builder
Responsibilities included investigating the use of saws, hammers, glue, sandpaper, and wood stain.
- Used glue on at least four different furniture projects.
- Cut wood for several projects using both power and manual saws. Responsible for keeping the saw sharp in between projects.
Skills:
- Hammers: ball peen and claw
- Wrenches: open and closed, familiar with both tightening and loosening
- Stanley-Certified Screwdriver Turner - 2007
Really, all the person reading the resume wants to see is what you actually built with your skills. Not how you used the tools.
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