Ask HN: Tips for writing a stellar resume

[redux13]

I have started a job search after being in the same company for 6 years and am finding it extremely difficult to come up with a resume that looks good, is concise, and conveys everything I would like to. I've basically forgotten the skills of making a good resume after being in one place for so long. I have a few questions that I hope the community can help me out with:

1. How important is the resume for a developer? Could I get away without having a resume?

2. Does it make sense to hire someone to do this resume writing for me? I would prefer someone who would talk back and forth with me and eventually come up with a resume that would highlight my best qualities. Do such services exit?

3. Are there any tips on making the resume look "good"? I have come across resumes that use the perfect layout coupled with the perfect font and color selection, and I can't figure out how to do that for myself without spending a lot of time researching fonts and colors and their combinations.

For reference, I am in a senior developer position looking for a similar role going forward.

Thanks.

[vfulco]

Reach out through my profile and I can give you a basic free review of what you have (redux13 only please, I typically charge for reviews). I run a Shanghai based English resume/LinkedIn Profiles (and other services) editing and enhancement business. I create them multiple times a week for clients globally and received training from the US standards bearer, the National Resume Writers' Association. Previously 24 years on Wall Street, East coast resident, native speaker and liberal arts graduate from good smaller upstate NY college. Speak to you soon.

[aaronbrethorst]

1. Pretty important. Probably not.

2. Can't hurt.

3. Talk about the value you delivered. No one is going to care if it's printed in Times New Roman instead of Georgia, or whatever, if you demonstrate how you deliver real value to your employer. No one cares that you implemented a CI system. They will care that your CI system implementation found and prevented several serious regressions from taking down production systems.

[jacobpedd]

If it matches your style, https://novoresume.com has good looking templates.