Don't Costume Your IT Résumé

Halloween began as a celebration of the western Christian feast of All Hallows’ Day. It was a time of year dedicated to the remembering of the dead, especially saints, martyrs and other departed faithful. Over the years, pagan influences built upon the religious foundation of All Hallows’ Day, leading to the modern-day Halloween celebration.

Modern Halloween traditions include pumpkin carving, trick-or-treating, haunted attractions and dressing up in costume. It’s become the perfect day to do something that would normally be frowned upon, pretend like you’re someone you’re not.

Wearing a costume on any day other than Halloween, however, will be looked at with much confusion, or even disdain. Stretching the truth on your résumé brings with it many of the same consequences. Sure, you could land a job by not telling the complete truth ... but just wait until your boss finds out you’re a bit of a fraud.

There are many who have decided against listing that they are Microsoft Office-proficient on their resumes. Everyone in the industry seems to claim that they are “proficient,” but how can an employer be sure? One way is by becoming certified in Microsoft Office.

There is no hiding behind a costume when you’ve completed a Microsoft Office certification. You can wear that cert like a badge of honor with great confidence, knowing that you are probably the most proficient Office user in your office.

You can become a Microsoft Office certified professional by taking TestOut’s hands-on Desktop Pro course. This course will train you to become an expert in Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Access and basic computing. The hands-on Lab Simulations will train you so well, your Office knowledge will be the envy of your workplace.

Having this certification will eliminate your need to prove Office proficiency to a potential employer. According to Microsoft, an employee holding an Office certification can make as much as $16,000 more annually than an uncertified peer. Even setting that statistic aside, you may be pleasantly surprised by how much you learn with Microsoft Office training.

Don’t try to be someone that you’re not. Take the time to actually become proficient in Microsoft Office and put yourself ahead of other potential job candidates that don’t hold the certification. It’s fun to put on a costume for a night, but pretending won’t get you anywhere if you make it a habit.

About the Author — Jake Slater is the social media manager for GoCertify and a graduate of Brigham Young University. Jake is currently in the process of installing a Harry Potter boggart in his office for Halloween. (Really.)