And most IT people will say, “So?  What we are supposed to do is technical stuff, relationships shouldn’t matter.”

Maybe relationships shouldn’t matter, but they do.  Unfortunately, I have seen superb technical organizations which are perceived by their internal customers as incompetent.  They are doing all of the right “technical stuff” — they have 99.99% system availability, clean databases, virus-free LANs, capable help-desks and a responsive network — but they are still perceived as incompetent because they have failed to build and maintain good relationships.

Some IT execs have also noticed this and as a result there is a great deal of IT executive coaching focused on improving relationship skills.  Many executive search consultants and their clients have also started evaluating an IT exec’s “soft skills” and fit with the corporate culture during the selection process.

But having a relationship-savvy exec heading IT is not enough to change the perception of IT as an un-caring bunch of propeller-heads.  To change the entire IT organization requires three things:

1. One person in the organization accountable for IT’s relationships, both internal and external, reporting directly to the CIO
2. Measurement and reward focused on relationship building and maintenance
3. Training, coaching and mentoring focused on building “soft skills” across the entire IT organization so that every IT person is doing “relationship management” as part of his/her job

Being an IT leader has become more complex.  Not only do you need to know technology and stay on top of trends and advances, you also need to know the industry your IT organization is part of and how you can best align IT with  business needs.  Now some consultant is telling you that you also need to have relationship building and management skills.  And not only do you need to have these skills, but everyone in your organization needs them and you need a direct report to manage all of your organization’s relationships.

It would be human nature to shrug this off.  It is just too much to cope with and you need to stay focused on technology and business.  But the truth is if you want to take your organization to that next level of achievement, if you want them to be viewed as intelligent, capable, business-savvy and focused on customer-service, then relationships have to matter. You and your entire organization have to build and maintain good relationships with your counterparts in the business and contacts at the vendors.  All great IT organizations have figured this out.  It is what distinguishes them from the merely good IT organizations.

Yes, I understand, relationships shouldn’t matter, but they do.

This is a short post just to highlight the Top 10 on JDR’s list of resume mistakes.  The resume will not get you a job…however, it is a powerful tool that should be carefully put together

Top 10 Technical Resume mistakes:

1.     lacks clearly demonstrated experience with required skills

2.     objective does not match the position you apply for- better to leave it off if it doesn’t match

3.     complete dates and type of experience per position are not clearly defined- chronological is usually best & clearly show what you’ve done, where & when

4.     failure to show how your technology skills affected business and the impact of your roles

5.     spelling mistakes

6.     lack of good organization, consistent font size or flow

7.     use of too many old skills no longer pertinent to today’s technologies

8.     acronyms that are endless and meaningless- if you use an acronym, make sure you explain it and don’t assume everyone knows what it means

9.     incorrect use of buzzwords and industry jargon- if you’re unsure, Google it, but be sure before you put it on your resume

10.  vague statements- make sure you always explain yourself clearly