mcanlas / resume-review

resume-review

The tips below are targeted towards individuals applying for software engineering jobs. If this doesn't describe you, then these tips may not apply!

Resume evolution

Earlier in your career, you will probably have to list classes in lieu of professional experience. And you may also have work experience that doesn't relate to your career or the job you're applying to. Over time as you accumulate work experience, you want the focus of your resume to shift to your work experience.

Example undergraduate resume by section

1. Expected degree
2. Relevant classes and course work or projects
3. Out-of-field work experience

Example steady state resume by section

1. Work experience (should be the largest section)
2. Technical skills
3. Degree (should be a one-liner)

General tips

• Avoid relying on hyperlinks. Hyperlinks don't work if your resume is printed. Don't assume your interviewers are reading your resume digitally. Spell out the URLs (but you can still link them to make the digital copies more accessible)
• Limit your resume to one printed page.
  • If you're dead set on providing more information, make sure your resume is still functional as a single page (as if everything else got lost). Anything after the page should be specified as an addendum and avoid containing critical information (which should have been on the first page)
  • Repeat your name and contact information on all subsequent pages
• Use a professional e-mail address.
  • Should be something very close to your initial and/or name at a common e-mail provider.
  • Stay away from handles like "ninja" or "hacker"
• Use the same verb tense (past tense) for each of your line items
• Start with strong action verbs
  • E.g. led, upgraded, analyzed, developed, migrated
• Streamline the education section.
  • Remove dates. Interviewers shouldn't and don't want to know anything about your age.
  • The only exception is a future date, indicating a degree you are expected to receive (i.e. you are currently a student)
  • Don't list classes.
    • Exception: You are applying for further academic work.
    • Exception: You lack industry experience. Only list classes for as long as you don't have work experience to replace it with.
• Group related skills together.
  • E.g. keep programming languages together, industry-specific software together
• Avoid jargon.
  • Unless you can guarantee that your audience knows all of your terms.
  • Avoid phrases or acronyms that require explanation
• Avoid fluff words.
  • E.g. don't say "utilized" instead of just "used"
• Avoid "introductions" or "goals".
  • The wordier or aspirational parts of your resume should go into a cover letter.
• Mention the technologies you used in your line items.
  • Compare "Migrated to databases" to "Migrated from CSV records to AWS RDS"
• Your stated role should match the role you are applying to.
  • If your resume title says "Machine Learning engineer", the job you are applying for should be "Machine Learning engineer" or something very similar

Advanced tips

• Version control your resume. So that rapidly adding and deleting things doesn't become a burden.
• Have multiple copies of your resume. E.g. if you are a full-stack developer applying for a position that is not full stack, tailor to highlight your relevant skills.
  • Also have multiple cover letters ready for the same reason.
• Include your full name, position, and date on the file name of your resume.
  • Helps with sorting in case your resume gets lost.

Interview tips

• Have multiple print copies of your resume ready to give.
• Don't assume your interviewers have read your resume.
  • This one is awful. But life happens. Interviewers get switched at the last second or just aren't doing their due diligence. Help them out by being flexible and approachable.
• Keep a database of positions you've applied for.
  • Including screenshots or offline copies of the job listing. Sometimes they get removed for whatever reason, but you always want to have a copy just in case

About me

I'm a software engineer specializing in Scala.

Colophon

Created in July 2020 as a part of a crowd-sourced resume review process for Out in Tech.