This week, Honeypot.io published a short video where I gave “5 Tips For Junior Developers | How To Break Into The Industry.”
One of the first com...
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Having a more unique CV definitely helped me get interviews when applying for my first job. Besides a more basic cover letter & CV, I also made a summary as a one-pager that had some fun css effects and very easily in one sentence at a time explained my skills and the type of work I was looking for.
I’m from time to time involved in the hiring/interviewing process these days and I’d much rather have that people send one short document/video/website that shows who they are (both personality wise + the work they do), instead of a 10-page PDF explaining every job they’ve ever had or every course they’ve taken.
Thank you for the post!!!!!
I've been on the hunt for way over a year now and my mood flip flops from I can do this to I don't know what I can do anymore - mental health is definitely one of the hardest parts of the job hunt. Doing projects (and working on other hobbies) has helped with it, it gives me something else to focus on which is nice
I was just reading about how many companies now only read resumes with automated systems, and that graphics lower your score on said systems. Of course, having resumes only read by an algorithm is a horrible, terrible, no good idea to begin with, but here we are. :(
ATS (applicant tracking systems) have gotten better, but a lot of them still choke on any formatting more complicated than headings, lists, links, and text styling (note that graphics and tables are not in my list, nor are headers and footers).
To keep my resume formatting as minimal as possible, I built the docx in pandoc, converted from a markdown source - then turned that into a template so I could change font family (to Arial, default is Times New Roman IIRC) colors, and sizes in the document styles section for subsequent builds. You don't need to do all of this, just remember to stick to the simple formatting above, and use document styles rather than individual tweaks whenever possible to keep the look consistent with minimal extra markup.
Note that I mentioned "choke" above. You're scoring lower because the ATS isn't even able to finish parsing your resume.
Also, if you're being submitted through a staffing agency, know that they're going to use their own header to strip away your contact information so the client can't contact you directly until they facilitate an interview (yes, they're that paranoid). That means not only will a lot of your design work go away, but the resulting Frankenresume will likely be a mangled mess. This is another case where a plain resume is best.
Not to take away from what @emmabostian said about standing out or her beautifully presented resume, it is a good idea to keep a more visually appealing version as well. Just save it for the (non staffing agency) humans in most cases.
Highly important! You want to put your learning to practice. Don't just make projects what a tutorial made, add your own mix to it. Add new feature, it may be small and easy but it's you who made it from scratch using your own knowledge and problem-solving skills!
Having your own project will definitely make you more confident in that tech domain and when asked by a recruiter. Good luck to anyone who's applying nowadays for a junior position, it's hard but it's achievable!
Thank you, Emma, for this article and that Honeypot video was also great, just watched it 💯
I'm really sorry, and I know this will be unpopular but I hire for a major and if I saw someone who is basically a React/Vue.Js front end developer with little experience calling themselves a "Software Engineer" I would move to the next resume in about 5 seconds. Rude and mean, yes, but true. Again, not trying to trash your post.
Then it's probably not a very good environment for a junior (or any) dev to apply to. If that's the first impression you give, chances are not very high that the second, third, or fiftieth will be much better... But this is a teachable moment for both sides of the equation.
Candidates, it's true that you need to be more specific/accurate with your terms. It is also true that a lot of the crap you put up with in the hiring process is a sign of the company's overall culture. The first impression they make is likely the best you'll see from them. Make note of every red flag, and think long and hard about whether or not the job is worth it.
Recruiters, hiring managers, tech leads, architects, CxOs, etc.: If you truly believe you're working at a super-amazeballs company, you'd damn well better be able to prove it in your words and actions. If you're making candidates jump through pointless hoops, being unforgiving of rookie mistakes, and generally treating them like crap this early on, why should they believe a word you say about your "awesome culture"/"great place to work"/[insert generic amazing thing every company says about itself]?
I have a degree in computer science/software engineer so I'm more than qualified to list Software Engineer on my resume. Not to mention that a Software Engineer is not an accredited profession like a doctor or lawyer. So really not sure why you feel the need to gatekeep but.
The problem I find with this... is that I rarely get the original applicant's CV. The recruitment agency often copy the content into their own template, so it's branded to their agency.
I mean, absolutely complete it, and make it as unique as you can; but don't go overboard with the design as I may not see it.
Really like the video on Honeypot.
ok i want your CV as a template :D
Good article really needed this much appreciated!