What Does the Ideal IT Resume Look Like?

Last week I interviewed Shana Westerman, a recruiting manager with IT staffing firm Sapphire Technologies, for an article on IT resumes. She has a fresh perspective on how to write an IT resume based on her experience matching IT professionals for contract and permanent positions with her IT line manager and IT executive clients.

Westerman's thoughts on how to write an IT resume are informed by her need to know as much about a candidate as possible before presenting the candidate to a client. They're also informed by her clients' needs for detailed documentation on prospective employees. 

I found Westerman's underlying message (be careful who you take resume advice from; make sure it's tailored to IT jobs because not all resume writing advice is) refreshing, thought-provoking and sensible. But I knew some readers would consider her recommendation to write long, detailed resumes heresy, and indeed it stirred controversy (see the comments readers left.)

Who knew IT resumes could inspire as much debate and vitriol as President Barack Obama's citizenship or Sarah Palin's viability as a presidential candidate? Everyone, it seems, has an opinion on what an IT resume should look like, and often those opinions contradict each other.

For example, some professional resume writers and recruiters say the resume shouldn't be more than two pages while others (including Westerman) say a three or four page resume is fine, especially for a high-level IT executive with several decades of experience. Some job search experts and career counselors recommend including fancy graphics, images or charts to make one's resume stand out. Others say fancy formatting is unimpressive and irrelevant. 

Hoping to settle this debate over the ideal IT resume once and for all (and to vet Westerman's advice with actual IT hiring managers), I asked the members of the CIO Forum on LinkedIn what they like to see in a resume from a candidate who's applying for a job in their IT department. How long should a resume be? What specific information about the candidate do they want to see? Should the resume include an "executive summary" and/or a list of key technical skills at the top? Do graphics, images, charts or other fancy formatting make a candidate's resume pop?

Of the six CIO Forum members who responded to my query, three said a resume should not be more than two pages; one said the number of pages is irrelevant unless it exceeds four; and two said they weren't impressed by fancy formatting or graphics.

Now, Career Connection readers, I'd like you to weigh in. What do you want to see on an IT resume? (I realize your answers may vary depending on the position--a CIO resume vs. a software developer resume vs. a business analyst resume.) Is it a crime if a resume is four pages long? What can a candidate do to make his or her resume stand out? 

When you leave your answer in the comments section below, please note whether you're a recruiter, resume writer, or if you're in IT, please let us know what your position is. And thanks!