Is "WinForms" a widely-known and acceptable substitute for "Windows Forms" on a résumé? [closed]

Question

I'm always trying to hone my résumé to the bare-bones essentials -- no fluff.

I want to keep as many points as possible to a single line, and to this end I have used the term WinForms in several places. I wanted to check my capitalization against other examples, but this term is not used on the official http://www.windowsclient.net site; it doesn't even appear in the Wikipedia entry.

Can I reasonably expect someone looking for a .NET developer to get that? Even if they're looking for web developers?

Would you write it as I have (WinForms)?

Answer 1

The person you will be working for will know what you mean, but HR may not.

Review the posted requirements for the job, and tweak your resume if necessary to fit their particular set of keywords (assuming you have the skills).

Answer 2

Ideally you should use the same phrasing as was used in the job posting you're replying to, but I think WinForms is acceptable in general. I'm pretty sure my resume says WinForms and WebForms on it, which I think has a nice bit of symmetry to it. If you're going to go that route, make sure you say "WinForms" everywhere else to remain consistent.

That said, there's a difference between trimming your resume down to essentials and obfuscating terms. Be careful that you don't end up doing the latter in the name of efficiency.

Answer 3

Find a way to use both phrases, so that in whatever full text search system that gets used, your resume will generate a hit for either WinForms or Windows Forms.

Answer 4

"Can I reasonably expect someone looking for a .NET developer to get that? Even if they're looking for web developers?"

I think clarity over brevity should win out here.

Why take the risk of a hiring person not getting that, and passing over your resume? Even according to Stack Overflow. WinForms is the 'informal term' given to Windows Forms. Your resume is probably the most appropriate place to be 'formal' about things.

I would bite the bullet and spell it out as Windows Forms.

Answer 5

I agree with Robert Harvey & GrandmasterB, the HR bod will not know, and if you are going through a recruitment agencyt they may not either (obv there are exceptions to every rule).

Recruiters often use keyword searches to match resumes. I know many people who have a hidden section on their resume which captures multiple forms of any technology they work with as a just in case safety blanket.