CV Tips for Software Developers? 88
drylight asks: "When writing a CV, what do people find to be an effective format that gets possible employer's attention and/or the desired job? Is Keeping things short, preferable or will two or more pages be acceptable? Is a complete work history desired, or would a list of applications and projects that you've been involved in a better idea? Any links to online examples of good CVs would be greatly appreciated. What are some other tips on how to get someone's attention when applying for a job?"
Re:Job (Score:1)
sounds recursive.
My tips- only one of which is a joke (Score:3, Funny)
2600 total job applications filed.
1475- 2 page resumes tuned to the job description in the advert, with cover letter.
200 1-page resumes tuned to the job description in the advert, with cover letter.
845 general purpose 6-page resumes with all experience and skills on them (3 pages worth of skillsets + 10 years of experience)
80 applications for fast food jobs.
Out of that, I recieved 15 interviews and one job offer- all on either the applications for fast food jobs, or on the 2 page resumes.
And now for the joke- decide now, do you want an exciting career or stability? And a hint if you decide on stability- student loans within the last 20 years in your credit report mean that you are no longer qualified to be a fry cook.
Re:My tips- only one of which is a joke (Score:3, Funny)
Sincerely,
Billy Gates
In other words (Score:2)
Just taking your example: 2,520 resumes = 1 job. That's a .03% (NOT 3%) success rate. I think I'd much rather spend my time using other techniques.
Posting a resume on major job sites can help!. (Score:2)
I still think that actively applying to various positions is better than not sending out resumes at all, since exposure is everything if you're trying to attract attention to yourself, but my own experience that doesn't result in very many positive respon
Re:Posting a resume on major job sites can help!. (Score:2)
Now, I've also started collecting resume's from friends for a new startup and I've found more interest in a 2 page resume that highlights your strong points then just lists your education and past job history. It makes anyone viewing the resume curious.
The biggest issue of applying to any major company is that the resumes generally are not looked at by a human at first. They are data mined to g
Re:In other words (Score:1)
When hiring, I find the *cover letter* is vastly more important than the resume. A personally written cover letter that quickly describes skills and experience (and attitude) that are applicable will get you an interview way faster than a "dear recruiter:" form letter.
Experience is one thing... (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Experience is one thing... (Score:2)
Re:My tips- only one of which is a joke (Score:3, Insightful)
In the UK almost everyone seems to say that a CV (UK terminology for resume) shouldn't be over two pages, and I was surprised to find that in Belgium anything over one page is deemed excessive for most people.
Of course, I took the advice I had received to heart, and tried to cram as much as possible into a two page document - this was used with little effect for the
Be more than a Fry cook! (Score:2)
True you are over qualified as a fry cook, but that isn't the only fast food job around. They need managers too. Truth is if I had stuck with fast food as a career, instead of gone to college, I would be making more money today, 7 years after I graduated with a CS degree! Sometimes I'm tempted to go back, I still have contacts there, and there is one fringe benefit over computer jobs: not only do you work with beautiful girls, but they have to talk to you! (They are often too young to date, but at le
Re:Be more than a Fry cook! (Score:2)
Must speak spanish- so that you can talk to all the illegal immigrants in the kitchen (the counter, of course, has English speakers, but the kitchen help is all Mexican).
Must not have any college background in credit check- skill means that you might leave if you find a job within what you really wanted to do, and so the company is not willing to train you to be a manager.
Re:My tips- only one of which is a joke (Score:2)
Re:My tips- only one of which is a joke (Score:2)
Re:My tips- only one of which is a joke (Score:2)
Not to be rude, but if your resume resembles either of the web pages listed in your header (seeberfamily.org or informationr.us) than I'm not surprised you had such a poor search. The latter site is at least readable, not something I could say for the former. My completly unsolicited advice, take it or leave it as you wish, get yourself to the local community college that offers career building courses and get your CV checked out by somebody with an objective view.
Focus on achievements not tools (Score:5, Insightful)
Damien
Some employers use tools as their main filter. (Score:2)
I found that a resume that didn't at least mention a list of tools obtained very few responses, and some of the best interviews I had were the result of a specific language or software package I had listed on my resume.
Re:Some employers use tools as their main filter. (Score:1)
I have those on my resume, even though it's been a while since I've used them. I'm not sure it will do any good, but it may show that I'm somewhat experienced, at least.
html (Score:1)
2)use lots of tags
3) ????
4 Job!
**Note blink tags do not work when CV is printed on paper.
Re:html (Score:2)
<style type="text/css">
</style>
<h1 class=blink>Blinking!</h1>
Re:html (Score:2)
Re:html (Score:2)
blink {text-decoration:none}
Re:html (Score:2)
Whether this was good or bad for getting a job, I don't know. But what I do know is that there always was a strong correlation between the preferred document format and the job function. Almost every time any technical people would have the plain text versions printed, while any non
Be creative (Score:3, Funny)
The first page can be a little cutout of you in a suit and tie with a smile on your face. Then another with you hunched over a keyboard with the moon in the background. Make a little tab that causes your arms to pound on a keyboard.
2.) Lifelike puppet - CEOs love these.
Fully posable so they can imagine how well you'll dance at their command.
3.) Lie like a dog
Going for an entry level coder position? Make sure you meet the requirement in the job ad. Like having an MBA, 10 years risk analysis experience, and another decade of experience in all the latest programming languages/frameworks. Say you have all that and you'll surely land that $20,000/yr job tweaking the color scheme on their website!
CV? (Score:1)
Re:CV? (Score:2)
Parent isn't a troll..... (Score:2)
Re:Parent isn't a troll..... (Score:2)
CV is, where I live, the commonly used term for it. We have a history in which language and culture is relevant
'Resume' on the other hand is what you do after you pause a task and want to 'un-pause'. You're looking for a "Résumé", which is french for summary.
If you asked for them, I bet a lot of people would send you a note saying
"Sacreblue! We are not in ze France, Hon Hon!!!"
I propose the use of 'Career Summary' as a valid American English alternative.
That, or 'My Stuff-
Re:CV? (Score:2)
Re:CV? (Score:1)
It is far more common in the legal and education fields where in addition to listing where you have worked, and what your specific tasks were, you also list papers and projects you authored were a part of. These papers and projects are often vetted in some way before publication or finalization, which means that their authenticity, proovability, and your efforts in those papers and projects are well documented, and ar
Re:CV? (Score:2)
Re:CV? (Score:3, Informative)
For the most part, it is... CV is the abbreviation for the latin phrase curricula vitae. The term is more commonly used in Europe (especially the UK), rather than the more pedestrian (and French) sounding resumé.
Re:CV? (Score:2, Informative)
Re:CV? (Score:2)
My mother (a professional careers advisor for many years) would despair. Twice in one subthread, people have not just spelt curriculum vitae incorrectly, but actually used the wrong words. Do be sure to get this right if you ever actually write one!
Re:CV? (Score:2)
Read their minds (Score:2)
one advice (Score:3, Informative)
"Is Keeping things short preferable, or will two or more pages be acceptable?"
Re:one advice (Score:2)
Re:one advice (Score:3, Funny)
Re:one advice (Score:2)
Optimize, optimize, optimize! (Score:5, Funny)
> Is Keeping things short preferable, or will two or more pages be acceptable?
The most obvious error is the extra capitalization of Keeping. After fixing that simple bug:
> Is keeping things short preferable, or will two or more pages be acceptable?
Know your API. The english language has a wonderful word for "two or more" that ensures you don't have too many "or"s. This also removes the need for a comma:
> Is keeping things short preferable or will several pages be acceptable?
Making it obvious that the advice is for "you" saves the reader a few brain cycles:
> Should I keep things short or in several pages?
If the first part is true, then the second part is necessarily false. This useful fact allows further contraction and removes a syntax ambiguity between "things" and "pages" that helps brain compiler writers keep their parser simple:
> Should I keep things short?
If you keep "things" short, some people may want to reuse the question for other "things":
> Should things be short?
There. Only 23 characters instead of the original 76. This 70% reduction in size will save brain space and processing power that could be used to write another resume.
Re:Optimize, optimize, optimize! (Score:2)
Obviously, he's asking if he should make them short, not if they ought to be, so:
> Should I shorten?
And possibly:
> Shorten?
8 characters, almost 1/10 the size of the original, and makes about 1/10 as much sense.
Re:Optimize, optimize, optimize! (Score:1)
24 characters, but gets the point across better than either previous optimizations, since it keeps the topic, resumes, in the sentence.
Re:Optimize, optimize, optimize! (Score:1)
Both (Score:2)
Not knowing exactly what skills particular employers are looking for, I have always had trouble finding a good size balance. So now I use both!
http://www.hubick.com/resume/HubickResume.html [hubick.com]
I use html title attributes you can click on for detail about a particular project I have done, or skill category. All the information is included in the single emailable html document. You can also print it out, though that will lose the popups, hence the encouragement at the start for people to view the online
Re:Both (Score:4, Informative)
The paperless office is a myth, and the paperless hiring process is just pure fantasy.
Re:Both (Score:3, Informative)
If I make it past the first screening, to the point where they are thinking about calling for an interview - they can slap my URL from the top of the page into their browser and find out all about me if they want. Will they? Who knows. My current employer did though, an
I just interviewed candidates for dev positions... (Score:2, Interesting)
Come to think of it the ones who smiled the most and expressed their limits got jobs. Some who said they were experts in everything weren't called back.
Sigh, now if I could just believe you. (Score:3, Insightful)
Most jobs won't look at you unless you claim 5 years of .net. That alone weeds out all the honest guys who don't exaggerate.
Have multiple versions (Score:1)
In general it all depends on where you apply. Different companies will have a different focus and preference. It also changes a lot from country to country.
I applied for and found jobs in Austria, Australia and Canada. I have a base resume (short version) and a detailed curriculum vitae (long version). Normally I submit a custom tailored version of the resume with the stuff that is interesting for the employer and a custom made letter accompnaying the resume.
This gets the attention. In the letter I me
The short version :-) (Score:2)
I've posted some fairly lengthy comments on this subject on Slashdot before; go ahead and search my old posts if you want.
Here are a few quick tips for now:
good article here (Score:2)
Obligatory Slashdot Editor Complaint (Score:3, Informative)
*EFFORT* (can I shout that loud enough?) (Score:2, Interesting)
You can get the job if:
a) you're enthusiastic,
b) it's the right job for you,
c) you're the right person for the job.
If any of these aren't satisfied, you're wasting your time. All your questions are irrelevant, once you figure out a, b & c. Looking for a job is to satisy b, then while applying for it is to tell the employer that c is satisfied.
Some specifics that helped m
Re:*EFFORT* (can I shout that loud enough?) (Score:1)
Also, I don't think hiring managers look down on yahoo, gmail, or hotmail accounts -- most people maintain those especially for resumes, or to have an address that will always work. As long as it isn't "bleedfucker666@gmail.com" or "k1lly0ur1md8f4mily6969@yahoo.com", a free email address is probably no big deal.
Re:*EFFORT* (can I shout that loud enough?) (Score:2)
Get a friend to review (Score:2)
For your specific questions, as a manager I'd usually expect a 2-3 page CV. Educational history needs to be in there, but the more important stuff varies with the type of job. If I'm hiring a programmer, I'm interested in specific technical skills (10 years .NOT etc.) more than what the skills have been used for.
If I'm hiring for a fuzzier job, e.g. project manager, I'm looking for explanations
On the Value (or Lack Thereof) of Resumes (Score:2)
Let them know what kind of guy you are right away. (Score:4, Funny)
Next up, when writing your resume, do NOT let the blood coagulate. One time, I only got halfway through the experience section when I found my pen gumming up! So, it's a good idea to wet your pen by jamming it in your NEXT victim while he's still alive. This also tends to lighten the mood a little; resumes are pretty stressful to write.
Once you're writing, it helps to throw in some playful alternative spellings like "CompUUTre" and "Jaaahhhva". It'll throw the recruiting H.R. person off balance slightly, and make them wonder about your state of mind. Excellent motivator! Remember, you want to put your best foot forward. Sometimes I put in a chart with a jagged line rising up and to the right; the y axis is marked "My foot" and the x axis is marked "your ass", after a charming video on the Red Vs. Blue site. That Sarge is such a card! I think he would agree that this is a good motivator for H.R.
Finally, make sure to include as much mayhem in your experience section as possible. If you've got entries involving going postal in a large organization, include them! High body counts are a plus, particularly if you started in the H.R. office.
Ah, I remember when I was young, and interviewing... I visited five companies, two of which still existed afterwards! Sigh. Oh, to be young again...
Write your resume in XML (Score:2)
As a bit of a side note, you can write your resume/CV in XML using the XML Resume Project [sf.net] and then easily generate PDF, HTML, or plain text from a single source document. You can even tag elements with keywords and then automatically generate targeted resumes for different audiences.
(Note: I'm a developer on the project.)
--Bruce
You're a whore, so focus on selling yourself (Score:2)
A resume or a CV is just one of many tools you'll employ in getting a job. It serves one and only one purpose, at least in American business: to get the attention of the hiring manager. Resumes won't get you jobs. If you're lucky, though, they'll get you interviews. And that's the goal at this stage.
To that end, it should be truthful, "impactful", and readable. It should say enough to convince the reader that you might be worth talking to. It shouldn't overwhelm them, and it needs to bot
Hear, Hear (Score:1)
Example. (Score:2)
Ok, I'll bite. Here's mine: HTML primary version [roughtrade.net] or PDF edition [roughtrade.net].
I get unsolicited mail from people impressed by it, and asking if they can use the same format. Feel free (I retain all rights to the text, of course).
I also just got a new job, so I'm doing something right (although it could be despite the CV, heh).
My CV guidelines:
Re:Example. (Score:2)
I don't really like with the style you use, but I loved this line:
:-)
I also noticed that despite claiming your education doesn't matter at your stage in your career, you still managed to mention which university you went to in passing...
Latex Stylesheet? (Score:2)
I'm using an old MS Word version that has been modified a gazzilion times and things are really getting messy.
Anybody?
Re:Latex Stylesheet? (Score:1)
2 page resume (Score:1)
2) One page for certifications
3)
4) Profit!!!
Depends where you are in your career (Score:2)
If you're coming straight out of school with a relatively vanilla degree (math, CS, etc) you should be able to do one page. Talk about your coursework and skills, but emphasize any research or work experience. You're trying to stand out from a stack of similarly vanilla right-out-of-school resumes. The goal of the resume isn't to get you the job - it is to convince someone that it is worth his or
A secret that worked for me (Score:1)
Then I saw some stupid deal that HotJobs had with a proffesional CV writers, ResumeEdge.com, and looked at the example work they had. I didn't pay them, just looked at their samples.
And just by moving my Award section - I only ever got one - and my publications section - only a mention in Wired Online and ACM Queue - to the top of the page I got a job offer the next day.
I have a nice job