How to write a better resume

John Clegg - Summer of Tech

Ruth McDavitt - Summer of Tech

1) Why do you need a resume?

2) What are companies looking for?

3) What does a good resume look like ?

4) How to write a resume

Today

When I was in India,An ad for a Java programmer got >1500 responses in the first day

Disclaimer

Why am I doing this ?

The process of getting a job sucks

Your CV is the first contact with a company

I’m here to help you get to the top of the pile

Quick thoughts...

1. Jobs are connected to people

2. What are you good at?

3. Participate and create a track record

4. Take opportunities to learn

5. Your career has already started!

6. Find a mentor

How long do does a recruiter read a

resume ?

You’ve got 20 seconds to impressYou have 20 seconds to impress

(Study 2005)

You’ve got 20 seconds to impressX

(Research 2012)

Eye Tracking shows CV Format matters

Why do you need a good resume?

Recruiters: Friend or foe?

Bots - Resume terminated

HR Dept - The gatekeepers

Networking....

Who do you know ?

What is the purposeof a resume ?

To get you an interview !

What does a typical resume tell me about

you ?

Example: Bad CV :-(

Example: Bad CV :-(

1. What your role was2. Where you have worked 3. What you have done in that role ...

A normal resume tells me...

...

Job –> Role -> Results

A typical resume tells me...

Houston, we have a problem!

This type of resume doesn’t show what you’re good at !?!?

Analogy...

What if you looked for a date the same way you wrote

your resume ?

So what do companies really

want to knowabout you ?

What you are going to do for me?

Why do you want to work for us?

What are you good at ?

What are your core skills?

How do you learn?

So what does a good resume look like ?

Example: Good CV :-)

Example: Good CV :-)

Example: Good CV :-)

Example: Good CV :-)

Example: Good CV :-)

Example: Good Long CV :-)

Example: Good Long CV :-)

Example: Good Long CV :-)

The resume told me ...1) Who they were2) What core skills they has3) Where / How they has performed those skills repeatedly

Why was it good?

OK Now what ?

What’s in a good resume ?

1. 1-2 page resume2. Technical summary3. Experience Resume4. Qualifications summary5. References

Your “resume” should have...

1. Your personal promise2. 4-5 core competences / skills with proof3. 1-2 Key career achievements 4. Career and Education History

Your 1 page resume should have...

How do we find out what we are good

at ?

For each project / work look at Objectives - What were the goals?

Analysis - What did analysis did you make?

Actions - What action did you take ?

Results - What were the results?

OAAR approach

behaviours which lead to

core competencies

OAAR approach highlights

Example - Summer of Tech Project

Determined, Problem Solver, Challenges convention,

Consistent, Lateral Thinker, Passionate, Results driven, Finds Patterns, Fast learner, Analytical

Examples of behaviours

For each skill:

ie:What did you learn (SKILL)By what actions (PROOF)to achieve what result (RESULT)

Example 1:

Learning

Gained competency in Java, Python and C++ by completing several course projects in OO design and concurrency over the last 6 months. Implemented Disrupter and Reactor patterns in Java.

Example 2:

Leadership

Led a 5 person project team to build an Android app - the Bubble game. The team developed a multi-level game which required cross function specialisation across graphics, level development within a 2 month time frame. The game was submitted to Google Play store and has been downloaded 3000 times.

Key Achievements

● Across all your roles○ List 2 or 3 key achievements○ Make sure you explicitly state your

role and outcomes

Career & Education summary

Education● 1 line per qualification○ Timeframe, Degree , University ,

country○ Add awards you received

Career● 1 line per role at each company○ Timeframe, Role , company , country

Takeaways for Resume

4-5 Skills2-3 Technical skills1-2 Soft / Communication / Team skills

Skill order is important

Provide one page about your technical skills:–Skill–Examples–Level of Experience–Is experience current

Drop anything that isn’t relevant- “Should I include word and excel ???”

Technical Skills Resume

Technical Skills Example

Experience resume

● Role● Company● Key Skills● Actions

Experience resume

● Explain what you did● Bullet points are OK● Look for at most 5-6 things○ prioritise ○ If your role changed break out into

another component● If the company does “secret” stuff,

then abstract to generic tasks

Previous career experience

● Understand the context of your skills● Personal / Soft skills matter a lot

Experience resume tips

● Be explicit - if you don’t tell me what you did - “you swept” the floor.

● Don’t “name” drop, don’t “budget” drop unless you ran the project

● Think in terms of outcomes

5 resume tips

Tip #1

Format is EVERYTHING

Tip #2 Adapt your resume to EVERY job

Tip #3

Tip #3 Put non-important stuff in the back

Tip #3 Tip #4 Write it with

an employer in mind

Tip #5 Only use PDF

• Put the important stuff first

• Resume only 1-2 pages and PDF

• Resume contains

○ Your Goals / Aspirations

○ 5 core skills / attributes

○ Education Summary

• 1 page technical skills summary

• 1 page qualifications

Summary...

What should the employer see in your Resume ?

- Who you are - What you want to do- What you can do for them - Why you are interested in them

Summary...

Bonus tips

How do I beat the myths ?

Recruiters: Call them

Always ask where you’re being represented

Recruiters Tips

● Be polite● Ask how you are being represented

○ What number in the you in the Queue? ● Recruiters are terrible at responding

○ CALL CALL CALL○ Keep looking for good ones○ There may be tests...

● Talk to them first● Ask for more information about roles● Get feedback on why you failed● Request that you can customise your CV for different

type of roles○ Developer vs BA vs Project Manager vs X

Bots Keyword match specific roles

HR Dept Call them, talk to the Team Lead

Networking....

Meetups

General Tips:

● NEVER Apply for a job “blind” - ALWAYS talk to someone first

● CUSTOMISE your CV for EVERY job○ NEVER blanket apply for every job out there

● CONFIDENCE is the MOST important thing○ Don’t try too hard - Saying you can do

everything won’t work - Employers will figure out you are lying

● You have plenty of skills from your “previous” life○ Put them in context and use them

International Student Tips

● Talk to the people● Get local referees● Have local projects● Go to meetups - show your passion● Don’t be too pushy - lots of companies are

super relaxed

Questions?

See you next time for part 2