
How a programmer reads your resume (comic) - zvikara
http://www.hanovsolutions.com/resume_comic.png
======
etal
For an easy +12, I recommend the "simplecv" LaTeX document class -- it's
included somewhere in the full TexLive distribution. That Computer Modern font
on a resume or CV, combined with judicious use of small caps, looks _deadly_
serious.

[http://tug.ctan.org/tex-
archive/macros/latex/contrib/simplec...](http://tug.ctan.org/tex-
archive/macros/latex/contrib/simplecv/)

~~~
ciscoriordan
You can get Computer Modern in OTF here:
<http://canopus.iacp.dvo.ru/~panov/cm-unicode/download.html>

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timr
-1 for a PhD? That's nonsense. Even ignoring the fact that Google _et al._ love to hire CS PhDs, I can guarantee that anyone who has had the persistence to make it through a PhD in an analytical discipline has skills a lot more valuable than the ability to make a resume in LaTeX. Yet another example of short-sighted anti-intellectualism by software nerds.

~~~
ggruschow
Hi, I'm a short-sighted anti-intellectual software nerd.. who has done a lot
of hiring and programming, management, and/or analysis work with the people
hired for years thereafter.

IME, a PhD in the closest related subject to the job is a negative, but not a
damning one. Some of these folks just seem to put their head down, ignore the
things around them, and tend to take overly complex approaches to problems
rather than tending to eliminating problems. I've guessed this comes from the
mentality you have to be in to complete a PhD. That said.. I've known some
pretty cool PhDs in the relevant subject too.

My favorite candidates are actually PhD /dropouts/. I've really enjoyed people
who were smart enough to get a PhD, but found going into one deep topic for
years in academia wasn't for them. Also, PhDs from a different area seem cool
too. They're smart, and the mere fact they're applying to something outside of
what they mastered proves they're not the sort I'm afraid of.

~~~
timr
_"Some of these folks just seem to put their head down, ignore the things
around them, and tend to take overly complex approaches to problems rather
than tending to eliminating problems."_

...which is a true statement for all coders, not just those people with a PhD.
In fact, I think you'd be hard-pressed to come up with a description that is
more generally applicable to the autistic world of the software nerd.

You can candy-coat it any way you like, but what you're doing here is making a
generalization about a group of people based on their choice to pursue an
advanced degree.

~~~
plinkplonk
"You can candy-coat it any way you like, but what you're doing here is making
a generalization about a group of people based on their choice to pursue an
advanced degree"

which is then one step away from generalizing about people on other
attributes, like race or sex.

~~~
DanielBMarkham
Which is a good thing: we make generalizations because we don't have the
cognitive ability to instantly assign a million variables to every stimulus.
Generalization keeps us sane.

When it becomes a bad thing is when we allow these mental shortcuts to take
the place of sound reasoning, as in when we are looking at job applicants.

Never think that stereotyping or generalizing is bad -- it's the way your
brain works, and for good reason.

~~~
plinkplonk
"Which is a good thing"

If this was a response to "generalizing about people on other attributes, like
race or sex.", I have to disagree with you, since the context of discussion
here is about selecting someone for a job. I have yet to see a valid
generalization about sex or race providing an indicator about programming
ability.

"Never think that stereotyping or generalizing is bad -- it's the way your
brain works,"

and unless overridden with logic, it is also the way prejudice (in this case
racism and sexism ) operate.

Just so we don't go round and round, my opinion on generalization from
examples: generalization is neither good nor bad by itself - it depends on the
quality of the data and the inference mechanism - it could lead to good or bad
depending on what it results in.

It is a facility of the brain certainly but being human means you are not
blindly subject to your generalizations. All imho. Feel free to disgaree.

------
Eliezer
I kept waiting for it to be funny, but it was merely true.

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asnyder
I've recently had to look over hundreds of resumes for recent job postings and
I must say this is spot on.

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lunchbox
I don't know whom this is actually making fun of -- if I were hiring, I'd
consider the presence of a cover letter with my name on it to be of far more
informational value than a resume typeset in LaTeX. The cover letter would
actually show me that the person made some modicum of effort to apply to my
company; the LaTeX wouldn't give me anything I wouldn't be able to tell from
the rest of the applicant's resume. And there's no way it's worth more than
"started own company".

~~~
sketerpot
The LaTeX says "this person is sincerely nerdy enough to actually become
comfortable with LaTeX."

~~~
endtime
Is it worth learning Latex just so that (some) people who see my resume will
recognize that I took the time to learn Latex?

~~~
eru
No. But it's worth to learn LaTeX.

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theschwa
Man, If it were a programmer who read my resume, then according to this it
would kick ass! Unfortunately, it must be some one in HR who thinks LaTex is
something they make gloves out of, because my job offers are not so hot.

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jlees
Surely for female coders 'topless in facebook picture' is a +12, not a minus?
;)

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rjprins
In my last application (I got hired) it was the programming guy who asked me
what Latex was.. (and not to test me!)

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mpk
I generally agree, but I'd like to point out that there are actually
technology certification courses out there that are impressive if you've
passed them. For example, having CCIE on your resume will certainly grab my
attention.

