

Ask HN: Please critique my resumé - BrandonM

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&#38;pid=explorer&#38;chrome=true&#38;srcid=0B_hyya_meyBYZGYzOTcyYzQtNTQ3Mi00ODk2LWFjYTItNzc0MTRhMGQ5NTgz&#38;hl=en&#38;authkey=CJO-psYM<p>I originally created this resumé last summer and wasn't able to land a new job. I recently edited it in the process of applying for another job; I'm curious if there's something more I should be saying or doing to try to get meaningful work.<p>I'm mainly interested in back-end development in Python or C. I'm really good at leveraging my Python and command line skills to quickly transform data in various ways. I enjoy being buried deep in the underbelly of code. I like defining, implementing, and working with clear APIs, which probably explains my general distaste for front-end work. I think I'm really good at iteratively writing code to do a specific job, and then generalizing that work to apply in other situations.<p>Perhaps surprisingly, I'm an extrovert. I feel comfortable in most social situations, and I consider myself a good writer and communicator.<p>Does this resumé do a good job of reflecting what I'm looking for? I think I'd be a valuable asset to a lot of companies, but I'm having a very hard time finding the right position and then convincing the company that I'm a good fit. I'm open to any advice, suggestions, or offers :)
======
khanm
Alright so here I go, within a total of 20 seconds of skimming though your
resume as any HR would:

1) I would update your career objective as it has a few limitations. the only
thing to keep should be "To become a Software Developer in an exciting
atmosphere"

Could need some TLC though, maybe: "Aspirations to become a "specific job
title" in order to propel myself in the professional career of software
development."

2) when writing points remember to answer the "what" the benefit was ex:
"Developed software for analyzing large sets of data"

\- developed what type of software? \- analyzed what type of data? \- what was
the benefit?

So your point could become: "Developed an algorithm for the CS department
which analyzed large sets of student record data in order to successfully
predict student behavior"

3) remove this part: "Various: Cashier, Stockboy, Waiter, Bartender, Valet"

You are telling HR that you like to work two jobs at once. They only want you
to be focused at one thing. Also this is not relevant to your profession thus
it works against you.

4) Join a few meetup groups too, there are many free ones around your city.
find them on meetup.com related to software development. Then include them in
your resume replacing your interests section with it.

5) This line should be removed: "I'm at home on the command line and regularly
write scripts or use crazy shell commands to automate work"

This whole section should be compiled into a chart consisting of languages,
platforms, and OS thats it. 3 rows and two columns. (no fancy talk)

6) It seems you have took a portion of your cover letter and squeezed it under
"Expertise" on your resume. This should be in your cover letter. (they are
cool)

7) I would not use points which don't relate to programming such as:
"Fulfilled student and staff needs by working at my dormitory's front desk"

Think of working at a programming job which also got you to mop floors and wax
shoes. Now when you apply for another job, you really wouldn't want to mention
the violent mopping and aggressive shoe waxing, right? same thing. If you need
points to replace those in your resume keep reading my points below.

8) I don't see any self management points such as estimations, work breakdown
structures, checklists, tech release notes or even mention of process or best
practices. Don't forget to mention these as you may have used some sort of
deliverables or even sat with a manager to talk about the best way to proceed.
Use it as best practice discussions and ongoing process improvement.

9) remove the work "Hacker". not every startup knows what this means.
especially the HR rep who works at these startups. I'm in IT and it still
pulls the word "criminal" in my mind.

10) also include some points on how you managed your career path within the
organizations along with educational paths. Leverage the names of thought
leaders in your specific industry.

other than that don't forget to expand on every related point as stated in #2.

Also don't forget to volunteer your programming efforts so that you can use
some of it on your resume. join Odesk or Elance and get paid for small gigs.
plus you can put these on your resume if your lacking experience.

good luck

PS. I'm awesome!

------
_corbett
A few scattered thoughts:

o I would divide into specific positions, and for each position mention
responsibilities and accomplishments

o Omit any irrelevant unless you have extra space on the single page (Cashier,
etc.).

o "Advisor: my advisor" seems off-guess that's part of the template.

o Why not do everything in latex, it looks more professional and you'll have
more control?

o I'm not surprised you are an extrovert. Hackers come in all personality
types, stereotypes otherwise.

o It's irrelevant that the person you tutored was on the swimming team.

o While it's true you may be fun to be around, better judged by interaction
than by a statement on a resume.

~~~
BrandonM
Thanks a lot for your thoughts.

> Omit any irrelevant unless you have extra space on the single page

I was mainly trying to highlight that I've worked several jobs that required
social interaction in a service capacity. Is there a better way to do this? Is
it even worthwhile?

> "Advisor: my advisor" seems off-guess that's part of the template.

That's simply a result of me editing out personal details.

> Why not do everything in latex, it looks more professional and you'll have
> more control?

Good question. I'll make sure my next iteration is in LaTeX.

> While it's true you may be fun to be around, better judged by interaction
> than by a statement on a resume.

Good point. My real point was to show that I value an enjoyable workplace and
interaction with my coworkers. Perhaps that would fit better in the objective?
Is it inappropriate to use a less formal tone for the resumé to try to convey
that point?

Again, I appreciate the effort you put into giving me honest feedback.

------
starpilot
Overall, too breezy and conversational. Objective should be more like "To
become a Python or C software developer in [field of interest or company]."
There's a lot of "I'm personable and a hard worker" fluff. They'll tell if
you're a social fit from the interview, not the resume, and work ethic should
be demonstrated by your experience and education. (If a person _says_ they're
smart, they're immediately doubted. They should _show_ it.)

Experience section could include much more detail and should tie-in with
Expertise. Take the first entry. "Performed major system upgrade," doing what?
Setup 30 servers, migrated from Windows to Linux, something else? "Developed
software tools," which did..? What languages did the projects use (should
support Expertise)? “large sets of data” how large? What kind of data?
Mentoring a new hire should also be much more prominent. Bullet points should
start with the most impressive bits first. Receiving a fellowship should be a
part of Education, not Work Experience.

Tightening is possible throughout: “Worked part-time through college to
maintain financial independence.”

Those are my random critiques. Hope they help.

~~~
BrandonM
> Overall, too breezy and conversational. Objective should be more like "To
> become a Python or C software developer in [field of interest or company]."
> There's a lot of "I'm personable and a hard worker" fluff.

Thanks a lot. This the kind of honest feedback that is really hard to get from
rereading it over and over again myself :).

Your second paragraph is very valuable as well, and it will receive heavy
consideration in the next iteration of my resumé.

The point about tightening is good. I was trying to fit in a bit more writing
since I consider that one of my skills, but in the process I forgot the most
important principle: "Omit needless words."

------
SHOwnsYou
1) This is a giant wall of text that I don't want to read.

2) First item under work experience "Summer Intern, Senior Technician"... This
sounds like you were interning as a senior technician. Not believable. It
wasn't until I saw you worked there for 4 years that I guessed you were
listing all jobs you had at that place.

3) There is so much boring/unrelated trash in this resume it is hard to get
through. I dont care that you were a paper grader unless it has some impact on
what you'll be doing for me. Tell me about what kind of projects you
spearheaded as a lead developer for your university. (As an aside, virtually
no employer will believe you were a lead developer for your university as a
student -- you sound like a liar and I'm not even half way through the page).

4) On your activities section, _REMOVE HACKING_! Your boss may know the
colloquial meaning of the the term, he may not. But I would bet the farm that
HR thinks you are spending your free time trying to steal people's passwords.

4-b) Remove your activities and interests entirely.

~~~
BrandonM
Thank you very much for your feedback. Would you mind looking at a
significantly-reworked version in a week or so?

I totally understand your point about hacking. I was sending out versions with
_hacking_ mainly to startups and without it to other places. Your advice makes
me realize that it's high risk with little reward, and that the entire section
basically adds nothing.

------
jasiek
I think you should point out more things that set you apart from other
candidates. While an interesting detail might not land you a job, it might get
you an interview.

Also, be more specific in what impact your work has had on the company. For
instance, when you mention that you've developed tools to aid in internal
operations - be more specific - say that "my tool has reduced the time to
prepare a monthly report from 2 days to three minutes".

~~~
BrandonM
_be more specific in what impact your work has had on the company_

This is a great piece of advice. I'll have to see how I can work this in.

------
staunch
I've looked at thousands of resumes over the years. All I care about is What
You Know and What You Did. I can see both pretty clearly from your resume. The
rest is just noise (to me).

If I was looking for guy to write primarily Python or C in a Unix environment
I would definitely follow up with a request for code samples and a phone
screen.

~~~
BrandonM
> What You Know and What You Did

I think this is my biggest problem. I was in school until the age of 24, then
I kind of drifted (read: took up online poker) for a year and a half, and I
finally started a real job at age 26. I don't get to program a lot in my
current job.

In other words, I have a good grounding in a lot of areas, I am an efficient
and hard worker, and I pick up new things very quickly.

Hmm... thanks for the feedback. Reading your comment and writing my reply
shows me that I need to give explicit examples that demonstrate the traits
I've listed above, as opposed to just saying them.

------
consultutah
That looks like the standard resume that I see on my desk every day. Nothing
spectacular, but probably nothing really wrong with it either.

I guess I should say that I'd also never read the whole thing. A little less
wordy might give me a better chance of reading the whole thing.

~~~
BrandonM
Thanks, this comment really pointed out the need for me to highlight what sets
me apart.

------
BrandonM
Clickable:

[https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chro...](https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B_hyya_meyBYZGYzOTcyYzQtNTQ3Mi00ODk2LWFjYTItNzc0MTRhMGQ5NTgz&hl=en&authkey=CJO-
psYM)

