Recession-Proof Your Resume

Written by Brian Skory, Tech Talent Specialist at Stout Systems

As much as we're seeing doomsday reports about the massive tech layoffs and approaching recession, one would assume the demand for technical talent has halted. But the jobs data doesn't seem to support this. This month, online job posting site Indeed.com released a database report for the 25 best jobs in the US -- would you be surprised to discover the top position went to full stack developer? In fact, eight tech jobs were listed among the top 10 positions compared to just two tech jobs on last year's list.

There is Always a Bright Side

Contrary to any gloomy economic news that implies shrinking IT budgets and aggressive layoff announcements, the agreement among recruitment and placement companies seems to be unanimous that the IT sector has weathered the current financial situation fairly well. Yes, there are positions no longer being filled and sackings at large corporations, but this has been more than offset by those positions that historically have demonstrated themselves to be quite recession proof. Relative to the entire industry, big tech accounts for a relatively small share of the vast tech workforce. Small and mid-size companies make up the bulk of the industry and current reports indicate that those businesses are doing okay for now.

What Exactly Does "Recession-Proof" Mean?

“Recession-proof” describes a job that is economically resistant to the effects of a recession. Think of the sectors that are safe from the hazards of a bad economy--like healthcare, law, education, government, finance, and utilities. Regardless of the economic situation, people will always need goods and services from these industries. But you must keep in mind that no job is 100% recession-proof.

What's Still Hot?

Some of the most recession-proof IT positions according to industry experts: software design and development, network and systems administration, software implementation analysis, cyber and information security, data engineering, full stack development, QA, and database administration. A highly successful international placement agency listed significant activity in these areas: cyber security, data science, and software development.

Recession-Proof your Resume

Employers no longer want to see just technical skills. In addition, they want to see the soft skills that will contribute to the business side of the equation.

• Have you taken any writing courses, or done any acting or public speaking training? Be sure to put those in your resume. It reflects a desire to improve your communication and presentation skills.
• Do you regularly attend local user group meetings? Put that down. It reflects a desire to keep one's skills fine tuned.
• Do you attend national conferences? Put that down, too. It reflects your desire to go the extra mile to stay up to date in your industry.
• Do you answer questions on any Tech Forums? Add that to your resume. It shows that you have a desire to help others.

Yes, employers will still emphasize your technical skills as a top priority, but it's often the communication skills and presentation skills that tip the balance in your favor in an interview.

If you're looking for a job in the tech industry, visit our job board to see if you qualify for some of our positions. If you're looking to hire technical talent for your company, please contact us.

Stout Systems is the software consulting and staffing company Fueled by the Most Powerful Technology Available: Human Intelligence®. We were founded in 1993 and are based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. We have clients across the U.S. in domains including engineering, scientific, manufacturing, education, marketing, entertainment, small business and robotics. We provide expert level software, Web and embedded systems development consulting and staffing services along with direct-hire technical recruiting and placements.