Ask HN: How does a great resume look like? What are the best tools to make one?
100 comments
One bit of friendly advice, and that's to ensure that it's been proofread by a native English speaker. "How does it look like" is not a phrase that would be used normally, although the rule is certainly confusing and easy to get wrong.
"What does it look like" and "how does it look" are both correct, yet for whatever reason, using both the words "how" and "like" in that construction ends up sounding awkward.
I hope that doesn't sound critical, I'm just trying to be helpful. When it comes to resumes, every little detail matters, even the ones that shouldn't. Good luck!
"What does it look like" and "how does it look" are both correct, yet for whatever reason, using both the words "how" and "like" in that construction ends up sounding awkward.
I hope that doesn't sound critical, I'm just trying to be helpful. When it comes to resumes, every little detail matters, even the ones that shouldn't. Good luck!
There are many proof-reading services online and, from my experience, they are pretty good and deal pretty well with technical language
Recommendations?
I really like these free options:
- http://www.polishmywriting.com/
- http://www.hemingwayapp.com/
Use these if the above don't cut it:
- https://readable.io/
- https://www.kibin.com/
- http://www.polishmywriting.com/
- http://www.hemingwayapp.com/
Use these if the above don't cut it:
- https://readable.io/
- https://www.kibin.com/
I think "How does it look like" is actually wrong though I lack the grammatical education to explain why. "How does it look like" would be asking "How does it accomplish looking like <other thing>".
I think, in "What does it look like?" "What" is the object, the subject is "it." "How does it look like" has no object, so it's not a complete sentence because "look like" is a transitive verb (it requires a direct object when used in this context.)
[deleted]
Do this:
1. Write a list of 5-10 places you'd love to work and the role you'd want to have
2. Research the people who work there, the company's mission, and the company's marketing materials
3. Spend a few hours writing a job description from the employers perspective, to get you in their mindset and see the importance of certain attributes and skills over others
---
After you do the above steps, you'll be able to see the parts of your resume/cover letter/portfolio that are important and the ones that can be left out.
All you need to do is learn how to shift your perspective... which is a hard thing to do. By doing the above steps, you should be able to achieve it, however.
In my experience, the insights you'll get from doing so are invaluable.
---
Also, use a professional paid-for resume generating service, subscribe for a month, and then cancel. I'd recommend: https://resume.io/?ref=producthunt (I left the parameter on the url so you'll get the 80% discount)
1. Write a list of 5-10 places you'd love to work and the role you'd want to have
2. Research the people who work there, the company's mission, and the company's marketing materials
3. Spend a few hours writing a job description from the employers perspective, to get you in their mindset and see the importance of certain attributes and skills over others
---
After you do the above steps, you'll be able to see the parts of your resume/cover letter/portfolio that are important and the ones that can be left out.
All you need to do is learn how to shift your perspective... which is a hard thing to do. By doing the above steps, you should be able to achieve it, however.
In my experience, the insights you'll get from doing so are invaluable.
---
Also, use a professional paid-for resume generating service, subscribe for a month, and then cancel. I'd recommend: https://resume.io/?ref=producthunt (I left the parameter on the url so you'll get the 80% discount)
If you're targeting a mid-sized company or bigger, your resume will most likely first be parsed[1], with key skills, education, years of experience (etc) extracted and stored in some kind of applicant tracking system, and then loosely searched against. Your resume will likely not be looked at by human eyes until it passes through this filter, so it's important to consider making your resume as machine-readable as possible: Minimal formatting, key technical terms should be abundant, standard date formats, etc. Only after this should consider how it reads naturally, and make any appropriate adjustments for subindustry (e.g. academically-focused jobs generally want to see education first, etc.) and company.
[1]: https://www.sovren.com/resume-job-parser/
[1]: https://www.sovren.com/resume-job-parser/
Details are important. For example, my eyes immediately jumped to "how does / look like" in your very first sentence. I just interviewed a guy who Capitalized random Words on his resume, used (TM) after every product name (half of which were spelled wrong), etc. It's a bad first impression, but it doesn't make me round file the resume.
So definitely, proofread it yourself, have a grammar nazi proofread it, etc. Your eyes will completely miss mistakes you made -- and not because you don't KNOW they're mistakes, but because you know the content you wrote, and what you MEANT to say, so your eyes won't even see the error, even if they'd easily spot it on someone else's.
Unfortunately, this works against non-native English speakers, but that's all the more reason to seek out help if you need it, to put a non-native speaker on the same footing, to begin with, as a native.
Interestingly, the guy was a 180 degree opposite from what I expected based on the carelessness on his resume and the person who referred him. In the end, he still wasn't anywhere near up to my expectations, but, again, details.
So definitely, proofread it yourself, have a grammar nazi proofread it, etc. Your eyes will completely miss mistakes you made -- and not because you don't KNOW they're mistakes, but because you know the content you wrote, and what you MEANT to say, so your eyes won't even see the error, even if they'd easily spot it on someone else's.
Unfortunately, this works against non-native English speakers, but that's all the more reason to seek out help if you need it, to put a non-native speaker on the same footing, to begin with, as a native.
Interestingly, the guy was a 180 degree opposite from what I expected based on the carelessness on his resume and the person who referred him. In the end, he still wasn't anywhere near up to my expectations, but, again, details.
I must suggest my own company Rezi, https://rezi.io
Everything we do is centered around passing applicant tracking systems which is something no other resume company can say.
We also power South Korea's top university, Seoul National University, with all English resume needs, so we are doing cool things.
Please let me know if you have any questions, I'm happy to personally help you with yours.
Here are some examples: http://blog.rezi.io/5-kick-a-rezi-ats-optimized-resume-examp...
Here is what one really awesome resume looks like: https://rezi.io/ats-resume-example/
Everything we do is centered around passing applicant tracking systems which is something no other resume company can say.
We also power South Korea's top university, Seoul National University, with all English resume needs, so we are doing cool things.
Please let me know if you have any questions, I'm happy to personally help you with yours.
Here are some examples: http://blog.rezi.io/5-kick-a-rezi-ats-optimized-resume-examp...
Here is what one really awesome resume looks like: https://rezi.io/ats-resume-example/
This service looks pretty amazing. I'm currently in the process of writing my resume and it's a process I'm not very fond of (guessing not many people are).
Thanks a lot! We try to make it as easy and enjoyable as possible.
(Sorry for throwaway, I don't usually comment)
I've been very happy with limecv, check out https://olivierpieters.be/projects/limecv and https://github.com/opieters/limecv
When hiring devs, or anyone really, but this seems particularly problematic in tech: I always look for people who aren't completely full of themselves. If you think you're infallible or arrogant, I don't care what you've done. You're likely awful to work with. Be a person and remember you work with people.
I've been very happy with limecv, check out https://olivierpieters.be/projects/limecv and https://github.com/opieters/limecv
When hiring devs, or anyone really, but this seems particularly problematic in tech: I always look for people who aren't completely full of themselves. If you think you're infallible or arrogant, I don't care what you've done. You're likely awful to work with. Be a person and remember you work with people.
How can I reflect not being arrogant in a resume, though?
Just objectively and briefly describe yourself. Don't try to "market" yourself, or talk too much about your personality and other abstract stuff. An example would be: saying "I'm a CS grad, looking to do ..." and then listing in your education details that you've graduated from MIT vs. saying upfront "I've completed a CS course in MIT, one of the best universities worldwide in this area; and I strive to change the world..."
A good resume won't get you consulting clients. You need marketing - see e.g. https://doubleyourfreelancing.com/ which has lots of free content.
You are also not likely to get a remote job without some relevant work experience that demonstrates you can work independently. So your resume should heavily focus on that - show you can learn on your own, manage yourself, etc.. Lacking any programing job experience, though, it's going to be somewhat difficult.
If you don't have relevant job experience, can you get a non-remote job to begin with?
You are also not likely to get a remote job without some relevant work experience that demonstrates you can work independently. So your resume should heavily focus on that - show you can learn on your own, manage yourself, etc.. Lacking any programing job experience, though, it's going to be somewhat difficult.
If you don't have relevant job experience, can you get a non-remote job to begin with?
The mistakes I see made most are:
(1) Not concretely listing the candidate's contribution (vs the team or project description), and
(2) Not focused on the most impressive and relevant items, but instead a laundry list of things unrelated to the opportunity at hand
Some tips and a resume template: https://www.careercup.com/resume
(1) Not concretely listing the candidate's contribution (vs the team or project description), and
(2) Not focused on the most impressive and relevant items, but instead a laundry list of things unrelated to the opportunity at hand
Some tips and a resume template: https://www.careercup.com/resume
This template follows where mine has ended up. I forget where I sourced the material from but it suggested listing the worthy contributions to the company with action verbs like "integrated large payments system responsible for millions in revenue". It's a very concise sentence that clearly explains the value you brought to a previous company. I used to have a resume like 'proficient in MS Word' which some companies do care for but they can usually suss out important things during a phone screen. We're also the types that largely self learn though so the "what you know" becomes more irrelevant than "what value you brought to the company based on what you know or have learned along the way". It's a subtle change that seems to have much greater impact.
My resume is ultimately more than one page, not much more, but it reads very quickly. In the source material I vaguely recall you have seconds, like maybe 30-90 to really hook the reader. Long paragraphs read much more slowly than concise yet robust bullet points. If you want to pack absolutely everything on your resume, keep the unimportant stuff towards the end. I list time travel as one of my interests at almost the very end of my resume. Getting comments on it let me know someone was either skimming for an interesting phrase or really read all of it.
My resume is ultimately more than one page, not much more, but it reads very quickly. In the source material I vaguely recall you have seconds, like maybe 30-90 to really hook the reader. Long paragraphs read much more slowly than concise yet robust bullet points. If you want to pack absolutely everything on your resume, keep the unimportant stuff towards the end. I list time travel as one of my interests at almost the very end of my resume. Getting comments on it let me know someone was either skimming for an interesting phrase or really read all of it.
If you tailor your resume you are wasting your time, period.
I disagree completely. I've worn several hats at every job I've worked at, each one demonstrating a different skill set. I will reword, change the order of, or even completely delete or swap out bullet points under jobs to highlight the skills that a particular req is looking for.
If you're "just another developer" applying to a "just a developer" req, then yes there's probably no reason to tweak. For anything else, you should absolutely be reconfiguring your resume to highlight your relevant skills.
If you're "just another developer" applying to a "just a developer" req, then yes there's probably no reason to tweak. For anything else, you should absolutely be reconfiguring your resume to highlight your relevant skills.
Isn't that what a cover letter is for?
Cover letters are not really in style right now. But, even then, it still helps to align your resume to what you write in the cover letter. It wouldn't look good to talk about all this good stuff in the cover letter, and it has no visibility in your resume.
I disagree with that assertion. When looking for my current position, I had a much higher response rate when each resume was tailored to the position.
Tailoring, in this case, meant relatively minor tweaks - if it was a more engineering role I'd highlight those skills and contributions whereas with the more data science-y roles I'd highlight more relevant aspects. I think it's very arrogant to think that a single resume is appropriate for every job application.
Tailoring, in this case, meant relatively minor tweaks - if it was a more engineering role I'd highlight those skills and contributions whereas with the more data science-y roles I'd highlight more relevant aspects. I think it's very arrogant to think that a single resume is appropriate for every job application.
I've had the "opportunity" to read several 4+ page resumes like this. (Current record is 9 pages!) Candidates are definitely not doing themselves any favors. I expect that you used source control at your software engineering job. Listing it as a bullet point on your resume is just wasting your space and my time.
Another favorite is people who don't trim down previous experience. Every time I add a position to my resume, I go back over every other position and remove or compress bullet points based on what I think is important from that job now. And, of course, I've completely removed things like irrelevant college summer jobs. This is the main mechanism that allows my resume to still fit on a single (!) page.
Another favorite is people who don't trim down previous experience. Every time I add a position to my resume, I go back over every other position and remove or compress bullet points based on what I think is important from that job now. And, of course, I've completely removed things like irrelevant college summer jobs. This is the main mechanism that allows my resume to still fit on a single (!) page.
On several occasions I would have ended up writing a multi-page resume as well if recruiters/job ad websites hadn't told me explicitly not to do so. One easily ends up worrying that you need to show off a tower off knowledge.
For my next job hunt I definitely concentrate on the things relevant for the kind of thing I'm looking for. Especially adding bullets about things one dislikes backfires eventually after taking a position. At some point one will get asked to work with exactly that stuff because nobody likes doing it
For my next job hunt I definitely concentrate on the things relevant for the kind of thing I'm looking for. Especially adding bullets about things one dislikes backfires eventually after taking a position. At some point one will get asked to work with exactly that stuff because nobody likes doing it
The problem is that, to use your example, if a job requires Git there might be an automated filter looking for the keyword Git. A good rule of thumb is that if it's in the job description it should be in your resume somewhere.
Individual technologies should just be listed somewhere. There's not enough space to waste an entire line for a single technology. Your bullet points should be talking about how you used technology to deliver business value. Not how you used a technology to do the thing that everyone does with that technology.
You can just list them as a list of keywords somewhere.
Here is what works for me. Took me so many iterations to polish it. I use Inkscape.
https://github.com/evinr/Graphic_Design/blob/master/Resumes/...
https://github.com/evinr/Graphic_Design/blob/master/Resumes/...
I have trouble parsing your resume.
The bars require me to tilt my neck to read. If I don't, it's still challenging. The graph isn't very intuitive either.
What I care most about is the description of your role at your previous employment, but it seems to have the smallest font which makes it difficult to read when everything else is so large.
Testimonials also take up a lot of space and doesn't provide much.
The bars require me to tilt my neck to read. If I don't, it's still challenging. The graph isn't very intuitive either.
What I care most about is the description of your role at your previous employment, but it seems to have the smallest font which makes it difficult to read when everything else is so large.
Testimonials also take up a lot of space and doesn't provide much.
I don't want to sound dismissive, but if I was hiring, I woudn't even read this one. Not because it's ugly, but because you're supposed to produce sth. I'll read but not helping even a little bit about that.
Could you share more about the toolchain for producing the PDF, e.g. D3 to create SVG, then manual placement of SVG in an Inkscape file?
Were you trying to block machine readers by using an image for skills?
Were you trying to block machine readers by using an image for skills?
You should be an expert in Computer Science Basics. If I were a hiring manager, (and I have been in the past) I would probably push yours to the side for that reason alone.
This is one of the best resume designs I have seen.
Yes, there are spelling mistakes, but for me, these show a human being behind the words and design.
Excellent work.
Yes, there are spelling mistakes, but for me, these show a human being behind the words and design.
Excellent work.
Anyone applying for an engineer position that lists MS Office as a skill won't be getting a call back.
I would recommend removing your skill level graph, it doesn't provide meaningful information to recruiting or hiring managers, and takes away due to using an unorthodox visual in a professional document.
this one is awesome.
The best advise i've been given is : don't use a text processor software to make it. Use a drawing software.
I myself use inkscape. The result is neat, pixel perfect resume and i can adjust the size and content aesthetically to make it fit on one page.
Of course it supposes that you got the content already figured out.
I myself use inkscape. The result is neat, pixel perfect resume and i can adjust the size and content aesthetically to make it fit on one page.
Of course it supposes that you got the content already figured out.
I'm a big fan of one page resumes and the minimum amount of text needed to put across your points. This means your strengths will stand out (i.e. not being diluted by unnecessary text)
Be achievement focused. i.e. don't water down what you write with a job description.
Be achievement focused. i.e. don't water down what you write with a job description.
Start with getting to know your audience.
You're basically selling yourself and your skills. Length, design, content, formatting, etc. all will depend on who is actually reading your resume.
For a fantastic example of how your writing changes based on audience, check out https://getcoleman.com/.
You're basically selling yourself and your skills. Length, design, content, formatting, etc. all will depend on who is actually reading your resume.
For a fantastic example of how your writing changes based on audience, check out https://getcoleman.com/.
In my opinion, a good resume is one that is easy to read and isn't flamboyant (unless you're a designer).
As someone who used to interview at least three candidates a week, I tend to look at their resumes right before going into the interview. I want to be able to easily understand their backgrounds, what sort of responsibilities they've had in the past, and maybe what technologies they're proficient in.
Here's a checklist of things that I think should be included (in this order): - Name, number, email - Relevant work experience - Technologies that they're proficient in - Education
You can also choose to include personal projects if you have space for it. For new grads, I like to see personal projects that weren't class projects. That definitely makes them stand out from every other new grad.
For my own resume, I used Apple Pages and one of their standard templates. No need to get crazy and choose something wildly unique.
As someone who used to interview at least three candidates a week, I tend to look at their resumes right before going into the interview. I want to be able to easily understand their backgrounds, what sort of responsibilities they've had in the past, and maybe what technologies they're proficient in.
Here's a checklist of things that I think should be included (in this order): - Name, number, email - Relevant work experience - Technologies that they're proficient in - Education
You can also choose to include personal projects if you have space for it. For new grads, I like to see personal projects that weren't class projects. That definitely makes them stand out from every other new grad.
For my own resume, I used Apple Pages and one of their standard templates. No need to get crazy and choose something wildly unique.
When I first started my career I used something I spent days building in LaTeX. After a few years I realised that none of that really mattered, and now just have a Word document (mainly so I don’t have to fumble around installing LaTeX every few years when I want to update it).
Yes, you should have something that stands out, but unless you are applying for a job as a designer, it should be your skills and experience that stand out, not how (subjectively) pretty you can make your CV. Additionally larger companies and recruitment agencies will parse your CV and strip all your formatting, before a human even sees it. Sending it over as a PDF (with the text embedded) probably helps with that.
Yes, you should have something that stands out, but unless you are applying for a job as a designer, it should be your skills and experience that stand out, not how (subjectively) pretty you can make your CV. Additionally larger companies and recruitment agencies will parse your CV and strip all your formatting, before a human even sees it. Sending it over as a PDF (with the text embedded) probably helps with that.
I have my resume stored in sharelatex.com. The formatting issues of Word were driving me crazy. The only thing that concerns me about Latex is that is not as machine-readable.
I have been using LaTeX for past 2 years and updating the resume starts taking a toll as I am not well versed with. Recently had my hard drive fail and ended up reinstalling and updating my very first draft which took a lot of time. Even after all this the point that gets me is the recruiter asking you to fill all the details one by one on their online job application portal while the resume has the very same details. I wonder why.
there are some online latex editor services, maybe u can try https://www.sharelatex.com
For tools, check out:
https://cvmkr.com and https://visualcv.com
https://cvmkr.com and https://visualcv.com
These are pretty bad, to be honest. Hard to parse, cluttered and too much emphasis on looking 'unique'
Regarding what you should put on a resume, check out this checklist we put together:
https://breakoutlist.com/engineer-resume-checklist
Regarding examples of a great resume, see the one in the photo above.
Also see the following template regarding this and your question about the best tools for making one.
Example resume on ShareLaTeX: https://www.sharelatex.com/project/55db6ac384d1be370a7d4b9a
> Can you share some advice that would help me increase my chances of finding a good job?
Treat it like an engineering problem. Analyze your funnel - what companies/opportunities are you starting with? What's your conversion rate between funnel steps? How can you increase that?
And, vitally, how can you put yourself in the shoes of the person on the other side? How can you simulate their perspective? At every point of interaction with you, if you were them, what would you think? And given that knowledge, how can you improve what you're doing?
Other things: check out @sehurlburt on Twitter, Stephanie gives great advice on this topic. Also search around and read threads like the following: https://www.reddit.com/r/engineering/comments/23e4df/entry_l...
https://breakoutlist.com/engineer-resume-checklist
Regarding examples of a great resume, see the one in the photo above.
Also see the following template regarding this and your question about the best tools for making one.
Example resume on ShareLaTeX: https://www.sharelatex.com/project/55db6ac384d1be370a7d4b9a
> Can you share some advice that would help me increase my chances of finding a good job?
Treat it like an engineering problem. Analyze your funnel - what companies/opportunities are you starting with? What's your conversion rate between funnel steps? How can you increase that?
And, vitally, how can you put yourself in the shoes of the person on the other side? How can you simulate their perspective? At every point of interaction with you, if you were them, what would you think? And given that knowledge, how can you improve what you're doing?
Other things: check out @sehurlburt on Twitter, Stephanie gives great advice on this topic. Also search around and read threads like the following: https://www.reddit.com/r/engineering/comments/23e4df/entry_l...
I think your time is probably best spent sprucing up your linkedin first. It seems like most recruiters just search through linkedin for keywords.
Go through every job you've had and be sure to list your contributions, the impact to the business (if possible), and lots of keywords for every little language, library, technology, pattern, field, etc. that you're interested in working with again.
Then in the Summary section at the top write up some of your interests and experiences, this way you can include your side projects, and even name things that you'd like to work on but have no current experience with.
Set your Headline to the role you want.
Next, flip the switch at https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/career-interests/
Now, to answer your actual questions:
- What should I put on my resume? - Basically the same stuff as above, but shorter: contributions, impact, keywords, but limit it to the most impressive / interesting parts. Please try keep it down to one page.
- Can you share some examples of how a great resume should look like?
I don't know if I'd call mine great, but it helped me land my last few jobs. I think I was a lot more impressed with myself when I came up with the design 10 years ago. http://www.nfriedly.com/Nathan-Friedly-Resume.pdf
- What are some of the best tools for making one?
Microsoft Word. Or maybe Google Docs.
HTML might also be a sensible option for someone targeting a web role, but make sure it prints well, and that you can provide a .pdf version of it easily.
- What do you look for when deciding to hire a developer?
Intelligence, experience, and skill. The resume helps you get the interview, but it doesn't have much effect after that point.
- Can you share some advice that would help me increase my chances of finding a good job?
Besides the linkedin point, network. Talk to everyone you know and let them know what you're looking for.
Lastly, nice looking website!
Go through every job you've had and be sure to list your contributions, the impact to the business (if possible), and lots of keywords for every little language, library, technology, pattern, field, etc. that you're interested in working with again.
Then in the Summary section at the top write up some of your interests and experiences, this way you can include your side projects, and even name things that you'd like to work on but have no current experience with.
Set your Headline to the role you want.
Next, flip the switch at https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/career-interests/
Now, to answer your actual questions:
- What should I put on my resume? - Basically the same stuff as above, but shorter: contributions, impact, keywords, but limit it to the most impressive / interesting parts. Please try keep it down to one page.
- Can you share some examples of how a great resume should look like?
I don't know if I'd call mine great, but it helped me land my last few jobs. I think I was a lot more impressed with myself when I came up with the design 10 years ago. http://www.nfriedly.com/Nathan-Friedly-Resume.pdf
- What are some of the best tools for making one?
Microsoft Word. Or maybe Google Docs.
HTML might also be a sensible option for someone targeting a web role, but make sure it prints well, and that you can provide a .pdf version of it easily.
- What do you look for when deciding to hire a developer?
Intelligence, experience, and skill. The resume helps you get the interview, but it doesn't have much effect after that point.
- Can you share some advice that would help me increase my chances of finding a good job?
Besides the linkedin point, network. Talk to everyone you know and let them know what you're looking for.
Lastly, nice looking website!
Hey! Going to share my product which is really relevant here:
1) Resume Worded - it has handpicked resume copy/lines that you can use for inspiration (http://resumeworded.com).
2) Wherever possible, you should quantify each of your accomplishments by using numbers/metrics. Here's an example of a good resume line:
Managed a process re-engineering project to improve and consolidate end-to-end service processes; restructured communication flow among 10 departments, and cut down paperwork by 75%
Notice how the applicant has quantified the result of his work by using ‘cut down paperwork by 75%’ and '10 departments'. Other ways to quantify your lines include “reduced cost by 15%”, “reduced the need for 3 FTEs”, “reduced process time by 20 hours/week”, “increased revenue by $5,000”….
We've got a list of metrics you can use to quantify your accomplishments here: https://resumeworded.com/metrics
3) We also have a checklist: https://resumeworded.com/checklist
Get in touch if I can help further! Rohan
1) Resume Worded - it has handpicked resume copy/lines that you can use for inspiration (http://resumeworded.com).
2) Wherever possible, you should quantify each of your accomplishments by using numbers/metrics. Here's an example of a good resume line:
Managed a process re-engineering project to improve and consolidate end-to-end service processes; restructured communication flow among 10 departments, and cut down paperwork by 75%
Notice how the applicant has quantified the result of his work by using ‘cut down paperwork by 75%’ and '10 departments'. Other ways to quantify your lines include “reduced cost by 15%”, “reduced the need for 3 FTEs”, “reduced process time by 20 hours/week”, “increased revenue by $5,000”….
We've got a list of metrics you can use to quantify your accomplishments here: https://resumeworded.com/metrics
3) We also have a checklist: https://resumeworded.com/checklist
Get in touch if I can help further! Rohan
After switching to a plain text resume a couple years ago, I have found it to elicit high response rates from the kind of companies I would like to work for.
If anyone's interested, I'm launching a resume side project called https://htmlresume.com/ soon, and if anyone would like one for free, shoot me a message at hello[at]htmlresume.com with HN in the subject line or tweet me at @mosstache.
you can have one for free as long as you promise to upload it on your website and make it live :)
you can have one for free as long as you promise to upload it on your website and make it live :)
The "moderncv" LaTeX package is pretty good. I use this template on Overleaf, with the "banking" theme: https://www.overleaf.com/latex/templates/modern-cv-and-cover...
My first (and only) programming job I got it with a plain text resume appended to my application e-mail. All I had to list was a couple links to my github and my blog. Was a uni drop-out (from a history course...).
I wouldn't advice you do that, I myself am maintaining a resume that I write with Org-mode and some TeX, not because that's how it should be done but because I make most of my documents that way, but still, a resume is about content, above all. A nice and short bio, and then some lists. Due care to details like nice typography and accurate ortography. And no needless ornaments or details that make it too complicated or long to read.
I wouldn't think too much about what recruiters specifically look at really. They probably behave like everybody anyways: skim a document to see if worth reading, check the abstract if available, then read if looks like worth reading.
I wouldn't advice you do that, I myself am maintaining a resume that I write with Org-mode and some TeX, not because that's how it should be done but because I make most of my documents that way, but still, a resume is about content, above all. A nice and short bio, and then some lists. Due care to details like nice typography and accurate ortography. And no needless ornaments or details that make it too complicated or long to read.
I wouldn't think too much about what recruiters specifically look at really. They probably behave like everybody anyways: skim a document to see if worth reading, check the abstract if available, then read if looks like worth reading.
This template is very good, you can edit it in a good pdf reader: https://github.com/mnjul/html-resume/blob/master/firefox_res...
"Looks" aren't a consideration for a resume; most people don't mind if it's ugly or not. What people care about is content. Does this resume tell me what you learned and accomplished at your position? Does it show responsibility and experience? Can I see a career path? Can I see any patterns I might not like, like very little time spent at each job, or re-using the same technology?
In terms of getting a job, that's a completely different story. That involves the steps necessary to get a resume on top of a desk, and to inspire the person reading it that this person has more value than the others. Those are not easy things to do, but they often do more to determine whether you will get hired than the content of your resume.
In terms of getting a job, that's a completely different story. That involves the steps necessary to get a resume on top of a desk, and to inspire the person reading it that this person has more value than the others. Those are not easy things to do, but they often do more to determine whether you will get hired than the content of your resume.
[deleted]
Of course looks matter.
But not necessarily in a "you should try to make it pretty" sort of way. Looks should be more about readability and making it easy to scan and easy to find the pertinent information. It should look good in an engineering sort of way, not an art sort of way, if that makes sense.
But not necessarily in a "you should try to make it pretty" sort of way. Looks should be more about readability and making it easy to scan and easy to find the pertinent information. It should look good in an engineering sort of way, not an art sort of way, if that makes sense.
Here check out my projekt to build awesome resumes with vuejs https://github.com/salomonelli/best-resume-ever
I really like Gayle's suggested format:
https://www.careercup.com/resume
It condenses information to one page.
It condenses information to one page.
I think you're already ahead of the curve with the portfolio. Though I'd recommend some changes to it.
- Drop the tech stacks from the top portion
- Reorder it so for each project you state what it was you did, what technology you used and what impact it had
Then when applying to jobs put the portfolio link in your cover letter. From personal experience, almost everyone you send it to will click that link.
Another thought: you could pretty easily setup custom project/portfolio landing pages per company you were applying to.
- Drop the tech stacks from the top portion
- Reorder it so for each project you state what it was you did, what technology you used and what impact it had
Then when applying to jobs put the portfolio link in your cover letter. From personal experience, almost everyone you send it to will click that link.
Another thought: you could pretty easily setup custom project/portfolio landing pages per company you were applying to.
The only notable format I can remember was the guy that applied for a Unix Ops role, and along with his PDF resume he included the troff source for the resume.
He got the job (though not only because of the troff).
Unix Ops resumes submitted as MS Word files are less impressive.
He got the job (though not only because of the troff).
Unix Ops resumes submitted as MS Word files are less impressive.
A related question to the community, if you have ~5 years of experience, is it okay to have a resume that is more than one page? This includes other sections besides experience (i.e. skills).
What are the communities' thoughts on length of resume?
Edit: clarified question.
What are the communities' thoughts on length of resume?
Edit: clarified question.
One thing a great resume has is information that is relevant to the job you are applying, not all of your experience.
Keep a master resume with everything you have accomplished so you don't forget something in the future, and edit it accordingly.
Keep a master resume with everything you have accomplished so you don't forget something in the future, and edit it accordingly.
I build mine in LaTeX. Here is the source for it: https://jedberg.net/Jeremy_Edberg_Resume.tex
This chain might be helpful too: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16479922
As an employee that sometimes screens resumes, LaTeX is a plus.
My resume has been in LaTeX for years. In fact, it's the only thing I use LaTeX for these days.
Sometimes I get a recruiter who demands I send them my resume as an editable Word document rather than a PDF, so not having one at the ready makes it easier to just say no :)
Sometimes I get a recruiter who demands I send them my resume as an editable Word document rather than a PDF, so not having one at the ready makes it easier to just say no :)
Not sure about what can help, but I just started using your Helix (habit tracking web app), so please don't kill it in the next months! :)
Good luck!
Good luck!
oooh! I can respond to this one!
What should you put on your resume?
A resume is ultimately a marketing doc (selling you). What you should put is things that sell you well for the specific job you are looking for.
1 - Really clear name, email and phone at the top. Also get a professional email instead of [email protected]. Something like [email protected]
2 - A clear bio/subtitle. It can be simple as Back End Developer. But so many people leave out and as resume reader I have to parse your entire resume to "get" what you do.
3. Experience in the following format Job Title (sell you, not the company first) Company Dates Location (highly optional)
3-5 Well written bullets of your impact for each job. In Metric + Time format.
* Increased sales by 40% in 6 months by redesigning sign up flow.
Don't use a lot of buzz words. Keep it short, scannable and positive.
I would list at least 3 jobs if possible.
Education Your Degree (Bachelor of Arts) School Dates Any specific wins at school.
Skills A list of skills in order of your strongest. This is an easy one because the job you are interested probably has some if not all of these listed. Avoid putting too many skills (10 is good) and don't put obvious ones like Microsoft Office.
I run HireClub where we do resume reviews (I've done 1000+ reviews in my time) and have made a simple resume builder with a beautiful design. You can see my resume at https://hireclub.com/resumes/Kz2Nsrhp
In hiring a developer, the best thing I would want to see is launched projects I can actually use. Don't have one? Make one. I don't care if it's simple as todo list but I want to see and use something you actually coded. The other thing is sample code in your preferred language. This should be a single class that is clear enough in its purpose but complex enough to see your coding style.
The best way to find a job is through referrals. 75% of hires happen through referrals. Only 15% happen through job sites. Your goal is to network and connect to folks that can vouch for you.
https://hireclub.com
(shameless plug and we are applying to YC tomorrow)
1 - Really clear name, email and phone at the top. Also get a professional email instead of [email protected]. Something like [email protected]
2 - A clear bio/subtitle. It can be simple as Back End Developer. But so many people leave out and as resume reader I have to parse your entire resume to "get" what you do.
3. Experience in the following format Job Title (sell you, not the company first) Company Dates Location (highly optional)
3-5 Well written bullets of your impact for each job. In Metric + Time format.
* Increased sales by 40% in 6 months by redesigning sign up flow.
Don't use a lot of buzz words. Keep it short, scannable and positive.
I would list at least 3 jobs if possible.
Education Your Degree (Bachelor of Arts) School Dates Any specific wins at school.
Skills A list of skills in order of your strongest. This is an easy one because the job you are interested probably has some if not all of these listed. Avoid putting too many skills (10 is good) and don't put obvious ones like Microsoft Office.
I run HireClub where we do resume reviews (I've done 1000+ reviews in my time) and have made a simple resume builder with a beautiful design. You can see my resume at https://hireclub.com/resumes/Kz2Nsrhp
In hiring a developer, the best thing I would want to see is launched projects I can actually use. Don't have one? Make one. I don't care if it's simple as todo list but I want to see and use something you actually coded. The other thing is sample code in your preferred language. This should be a single class that is clear enough in its purpose but complex enough to see your coding style.
The best way to find a job is through referrals. 75% of hires happen through referrals. Only 15% happen through job sites. Your goal is to network and connect to folks that can vouch for you.
https://hireclub.com
(shameless plug and we are applying to YC tomorrow)
I approach the job search as a lengthy process of apply, reflect, refine, repeat.
I won’t get into the resume writing aspect, since there are countless resources out there, so I’ll just say this: identify jobs you’d like to have, aggregate the required skills and qualifications, then write your resume that highlights and frames everything that fits those requirements.
I usually apply to hundreds of jobs. Some I may want. Some I may not want. When I get an interview, I try to learn everything I can about the position and the company, and I sell myself to the best of my ability. I always ask a lot of questions: what are the challenges of the job? What is the ideal candidate? What do you like about my skills and experiences? What don’t you like? Etc. I then fill in the gaps in my resume and cover letter.
In the beginning of a new job search, i usually don’t get many interview requests. My resume may need work, and I’m usually not great at selling myself.
But due to the sheer volume of applications, I do get interviews which in turn allow me to collect data on companies and positions so I can refine my resume and my approach to the interview process,and become acquainted with the questions and how to pitch myself, etc.
I always try to get a final interview, even if I’m not sold on the job. Recruiters and hiring managers probably dislike people like me who go the distance only to decline the offer. But it’s invaluable experience, and you’re interviewing companies as much as they are interviewing you. Remember that.
After a few weeks of getting warmed up, I apply to my choice companies/ positions.
By this time I am polished, confident, and know the interview process inside and out, and am familiar with the positions and responsibilities that I’m aiming for.
This method is highly effective, but lengthy, and time consuming.
The exposure to all the recruiters, going through the interview process, asking tons of questions and collecting information about how the business works, how the departments work, the responsibilities of the role, the processes, the culture, advancement, etc is invaluable experience that you can leverage when interviewing for the companies/ positions you’d really like.
As an example, I applied to about 10 companies a day for about 8 weeks before I landed my ideal job. Starting out I received maybe 1-3 interview requests the first week or two, and rarely getting past the first and second interview.
After refining the resume and polishing my interview skills, I was receiving 5-6 interviews a week, had to turn down many offers and final interviews requiring travel that I knew I wouldn’t take.
This really gave me confidence. It allowed me to negotiate salary. And I knew if I walked away there were other offers waiting.
Starting out, the job search can be daunting. But just dive in. Apply, reflect, refine, repeat. You’ll know your worth, and learn to sell yourself.
Best of luck!
I won’t get into the resume writing aspect, since there are countless resources out there, so I’ll just say this: identify jobs you’d like to have, aggregate the required skills and qualifications, then write your resume that highlights and frames everything that fits those requirements.
I usually apply to hundreds of jobs. Some I may want. Some I may not want. When I get an interview, I try to learn everything I can about the position and the company, and I sell myself to the best of my ability. I always ask a lot of questions: what are the challenges of the job? What is the ideal candidate? What do you like about my skills and experiences? What don’t you like? Etc. I then fill in the gaps in my resume and cover letter.
In the beginning of a new job search, i usually don’t get many interview requests. My resume may need work, and I’m usually not great at selling myself.
But due to the sheer volume of applications, I do get interviews which in turn allow me to collect data on companies and positions so I can refine my resume and my approach to the interview process,and become acquainted with the questions and how to pitch myself, etc.
I always try to get a final interview, even if I’m not sold on the job. Recruiters and hiring managers probably dislike people like me who go the distance only to decline the offer. But it’s invaluable experience, and you’re interviewing companies as much as they are interviewing you. Remember that.
After a few weeks of getting warmed up, I apply to my choice companies/ positions.
By this time I am polished, confident, and know the interview process inside and out, and am familiar with the positions and responsibilities that I’m aiming for.
This method is highly effective, but lengthy, and time consuming.
The exposure to all the recruiters, going through the interview process, asking tons of questions and collecting information about how the business works, how the departments work, the responsibilities of the role, the processes, the culture, advancement, etc is invaluable experience that you can leverage when interviewing for the companies/ positions you’d really like.
As an example, I applied to about 10 companies a day for about 8 weeks before I landed my ideal job. Starting out I received maybe 1-3 interview requests the first week or two, and rarely getting past the first and second interview.
After refining the resume and polishing my interview skills, I was receiving 5-6 interviews a week, had to turn down many offers and final interviews requiring travel that I knew I wouldn’t take.
This really gave me confidence. It allowed me to negotiate salary. And I knew if I walked away there were other offers waiting.
Starting out, the job search can be daunting. But just dive in. Apply, reflect, refine, repeat. You’ll know your worth, and learn to sell yourself.
Best of luck!
Other day, i was reading resume of Michał Zalewski. It is just 1 page and awesome.
To be fair when you have a resume like that the resume part is less important.
Sometimes its real hard going talking to recruiters, you routinely get eliminated because of job description to C.V. skills match, e.g. i would get told either i didn't get a job or wouldn't get put forward to a job because i'm not "an Agile" or "an Node.js" despite doing JavaScript for around 8 years or so now. Sometimes the non technical recruiters are infront of some really lucrative clients who don't have a good grasp on hiring either.
A technical recruiter i like is aline lerner she has a blog http://blog.alinelerner.com/posts/ and founded interviewing.io some really good data driven insights there e.g. spelling on a C.V. matters more than what school you went too believe it or not.
I also have my C.V. online and found its worked well for me using that as a portfolio http://leepenkman.appspot.com its open source can be forked on Github/self hosted.
When deciding to hire a developer, what i personally look for is passion (something that stands out e.g. personal projects, good grades, good sounding application/well researched) and a depth/breadth of experience rather than a specific industry/exact match skill set which id say you demonstrate, you didnt go to a CS uni so its good you have some things about algorithms on your blog.
For depth id ask more specific questions around some of that e.g. i noticed the recursion post fairly light so id perhaps check for depth and ask more about caching, stack overflow, removing recursion with stacks/memoizing, traversals
many interviewers also ask compsci questions like how to write factorial recursively/non recursively which makes the interviews skew toward formal education.
for breadth id check for experiences: where/what/how/when/why (five whys) into experiences building things at a high level and what your experiences are of things relevant to this position.
breadth can be very high level and you may be asked abstract things like how do you think one of googles products works or how would you trouble shoot if say a large system like that went down.
Id say some advice would be to leverage your personal network, tell everyone your looking (already done here i suppose).
How have you been finding clients currently? you seem to be doing well, i run a SaaS cryptocurrrency prediction system https://BitBank.nz and basically everyone is from reddit/HN. Most jobs i've had either through knowing someone or applying, remote jobs have proved difficult even when i have done lots of open source work in and around the company without knowing anyone it seems a bit super hard, i settled on doing my own thing with BitBank.nz and contracting in person
A technical recruiter i like is aline lerner she has a blog http://blog.alinelerner.com/posts/ and founded interviewing.io some really good data driven insights there e.g. spelling on a C.V. matters more than what school you went too believe it or not.
I also have my C.V. online and found its worked well for me using that as a portfolio http://leepenkman.appspot.com its open source can be forked on Github/self hosted.
When deciding to hire a developer, what i personally look for is passion (something that stands out e.g. personal projects, good grades, good sounding application/well researched) and a depth/breadth of experience rather than a specific industry/exact match skill set which id say you demonstrate, you didnt go to a CS uni so its good you have some things about algorithms on your blog.
For depth id ask more specific questions around some of that e.g. i noticed the recursion post fairly light so id perhaps check for depth and ask more about caching, stack overflow, removing recursion with stacks/memoizing, traversals
many interviewers also ask compsci questions like how to write factorial recursively/non recursively which makes the interviews skew toward formal education.
for breadth id check for experiences: where/what/how/when/why (five whys) into experiences building things at a high level and what your experiences are of things relevant to this position.
breadth can be very high level and you may be asked abstract things like how do you think one of googles products works or how would you trouble shoot if say a large system like that went down.
Id say some advice would be to leverage your personal network, tell everyone your looking (already done here i suppose).
How have you been finding clients currently? you seem to be doing well, i run a SaaS cryptocurrrency prediction system https://BitBank.nz and basically everyone is from reddit/HN. Most jobs i've had either through knowing someone or applying, remote jobs have proved difficult even when i have done lots of open source work in and around the company without knowing anyone it seems a bit super hard, i settled on doing my own thing with BitBank.nz and contracting in person
Speak briefly and concisely.
I would not claim to have a great resume, but I have been employed. Here is an example of mine. http://www.andrewmcwatters.com/resume.pdf
Use Microsoft Word, export to .docx and .pdf.
If I were hiring a developer, I would look for the technical skills I'm looking for, relevant and extended experience, and a proven track record with references. Formal education is nice, but not necessary. Open source projects or a design portfolio they can show is a plus.
A personal and technical interview helps me determine intent and company fit.
I would not claim to have a great resume, but I have been employed. Here is an example of mine. http://www.andrewmcwatters.com/resume.pdf
Use Microsoft Word, export to .docx and .pdf.
If I were hiring a developer, I would look for the technical skills I'm looking for, relevant and extended experience, and a proven track record with references. Formal education is nice, but not necessary. Open source projects or a design portfolio they can show is a plus.
A personal and technical interview helps me determine intent and company fit.
I have a resume styled with simple CSS and HTML, and it prints to a single page pdf.
If it is not a fact you can back up with a story that might show a benefit it is fluff.
If it is not a benefit your future employer might like, it is fluff.
Minimise fluff.
Tailor your cv for each role.
If it is not a benefit your future employer might like, it is fluff.
Minimise fluff.
Tailor your cv for each role.
Now I want to find good clients, or work remotely for a startup, and to do that I need to make a resume(or CV?).
So I wanted to ask a few questions:
- What should I put on my resume?
- Can you share some examples of how a great resume should look like?
- What are some of the best tools for making one?
- What do you look for when deciding to hire a developer?
- Can you share some advice that would help me increase my chances of finding a good job?