Accessibility First DevRel. I focus on ensuring content created, events held and company assets are as accessible as possible, for as many people as possible.
Remove the “skill level bars”, I have no idea what “80% skill in HTML” is.
Keep your job history succinct, I don’t need to know about your first work placement unless you did something awesome there(or you have very little experience and this is your first job of course!) Focus on skills you used in that job that apply to the role you are applying for.
Don’t be too adventurous with your CV (should be number 1), Word doc is still the best way to present a CV as they are often sent through automated screening processes and your static image embedded in a PDF will not be understood by a computer.
Don’t list every technology you have ever done “hello world” in. Put your top 5 technologies, I won’t believe you are an expert in 25 technologies at 19 years old, also don’t use logos write the actual names (you can put the logos next to the names if you want).
Make sure to link to your socials, GitHub etc if you have them, they will try and find you anyway. Or link to pet / professional projects that you have done a significant part of so people can see your code.
Only list hobbies if they are interesting, reading and going to the cinema have no significance as far as an employer is concerned.
Try and showcase how you can work in a team and solve problems when writing about your work history, also try and tailor the descriptions of activities to match the job you are applying for.
Accessibility First DevRel. I focus on ensuring content created, events held and company assets are as accessible as possible, for as many people as possible.
I would certainly say it depends on the employer and your view on adding them (which I would guess is you don’t like it from the wording so don’t bother or worry about it!)
FAANG or places like DEV absolutely include them if you feel comfortable doing so, smaller teams, probably not.
I would say that is one to decide when you explore the culture of a potential work place.
👋 Hey there, I am Waylon Walker
I am a Husband, Father of two beautiful children, Senior Python Developer currently working in the Data Engineering platform space. I am a continuous learner, and sha
resume`s with every single technology possible for every single area just smell of someone keyword vomiting and actually has very little idea about how to use any of them because they have yet to specialize.
If you list half a dozen databases and your last few roles are centered around being a DBA I'll probably believe it.
If you list every front end framework, back end framework, database, cloud, language, os, it smells like lack of specialization.
I've seen contrary advice from people who do a lot of hiring, although it's been a while and I don't have a source offhand. I think a couple lines to show you have a unique personality if you have space for it isn't a bad idea. But only if they're interesting or unique, or can be made to sound that way.
I graduated in 1990 in Electrical Engineering and since then I have been in university, doing research in the field of DSP. To me programming is more a tool than a job.
I guess it depends on the company and the interviewer(s). Conversely, I'd rather work for someone who views me as a person, than someone who views me as a robot. So, if adding hobbies at all is a mark against me getting an interview, I'm probably better off. (This is nuanced of course given that there is a spectrum from "wow, this person totally overshared, trash" to "Who cares about you your hobbies? trash")
Accessibility First DevRel. I focus on ensuring content created, events held and company assets are as accessible as possible, for as many people as possible.
Accessibility First DevRel. I focus on ensuring content created, events held and company assets are as accessible as possible, for as many people as possible.
True, but do recruitment agents care about anything other than getting their commission? - lol
More seriously: As a hiring manager I disagree. Team fit is almost as important as technical skills, if the candidate happens to have some hobbies that crossover with others in the team or might bring benefits to the company then that is interesting to know.
Also I think its healthy to know that people have hobbies an interests outside of sitting in front of a computer coding all day. I think it makes for a more well-rounded person.
Finally, one of the key reasons I got my current job is because I mentioned that I attended Toastmasters as a hobby. One of the owners of the company knew what that was and thought it was great I was involved with an organization to help improve public speaking skills. They happened to be looking for someone who could communicate clearly not just code.
If including a hobby would cause resume to need an extra page, don't include it. If there is something more relevant that fits, then go with the more relevant thing instead obviously.
However, one line with a hobby or two at the very end has been useful to me personally long ago in the past on two occasions. The first was in 1995 while as an undergrad. I listed bowling. It was while interviewing for co-op positions (Drexel University where I went has a required co-op program). After talking about relevant stuff, the interviewer (president of company) mentioned bowling and we just talked informally a bit. I was offered the position, along with 14 others, and I went with this one over the others at least partially due to the friendliness of interview.
Two weeks into the job, the company organized a bowling outing. I don't think it was coincidental as multiple people already knew I bowled who I hadn't directly told.
The second useful time was in 2005 while interviewing for faculty positions. Faculty CVs are much longer than a typical resume---they have stuff like publication lists, grants, course development, etc (anywhere from 10 to 50 pages depending on experience). Near bottom of last page of around 20 or so pages I still listed bowling even though I hadn't been in leagues for a few years. After a long interview day, giving presentations and various meetings, during dinner with search committee, one committee member commented on that which lead to less formal discussion which was a welcome change of pace after 8 hours of interviewing. This is where I still work today 17 years later.
A hobby on your resume isn't going to get you an interview. But it might lead to a higher quality interview, whether it be an interviewer using it as an icebreaker to put you at ease, or in both of these examples an interviewer using it later in the interview. Hobbies are usually off-limits to interviewers (e.g., it's in a list of things we're not allowed to ask about during interviews at my institution). By including on resume, you give interviewer something they can potentially use to improve your interview experience that they otherwise can't bring up.
So if you have a spare line available at very end, it is fine to include a hobby. Just make sure all of the important job related stuff is more prominent, and don't sacrifice anything relevant to the job to make space for it.
👋 Hey there, I am Waylon Walker
I am a Husband, Father of two beautiful children, Senior Python Developer currently working in the Data Engineering platform space. I am a continuous learner, and sha
Accessibility First DevRel. I focus on ensuring content created, events held and company assets are as accessible as possible, for as many people as possible.
although “aim for one page” just for nuance, as sometimes you do need the space if you had a particularly complex role / depending on the role applying for!
dang! I use skill level bars. I thought it was a nice visual way to order competencies from "best at" to "worst at". Of course it's not an exact science. It's a self assesment. It's like saying "I'm really good at Go, pretty good at HTML, not bad at Ruby, and I really like Rust but I'm new to it and don't fully understand it"
Accessibility First DevRel. I focus on ensuring content created, events held and company assets are as accessible as possible, for as many people as possible.
Hehe, don’t worry I have made most of these mistakes myself. The problem with them is actually worse than I made out. If you put a bar at full then your are signalling you know everything and that sets unrealistic expectations and leaves you wide open! If you put 75% then it looks like you have a lot to learn still as 1 in 4 questions you can’t answer. Neither of the scenarios work well so better to just leave them off. 👍
I'm a professional PHP, Python and Javascript developer from the UK. I've worked with Django, Laravel, and React, among others. I also maintain a legacy Zend 1 application.
Don’t be too adventurous with your CV (should be number 1), Word doc is still the best way to present a CV as they are often sent through automated screening processes and your static image embedded in a PDF will not be understood by a computer.
I don't disagree, but I'm of the opinion that it's more important to be able to present your CV in the appropriate format than to actively maintain it in that format.
I maintain my CV as a Markdown file using Emacs Orgmode. That way I can keep it in version control, I can convert it to HTML and style it easily, and I can use Pandoc to generate versions of it in Word and PDF format as needed.
Accessibility First DevRel. I focus on ensuring content created, events held and company assets are as accessible as possible, for as many people as possible.
You are right, there is some nuance to what I am saying but it was a comment not an article and it would need a lot of explanation lol! 🤣
They way you have it set up is great and, as you said, some other formats may be appropriate in some circumstances, I was trying to give the best “for 90% of circumstances” advice.
I like the idea of having version control on a CV, should go one step further and build a tool that lets you have a list of skills / experience items and then it lets you select the ones relevant to the job role you are applying for, that would be epic!
As the co-founder of Resumey.Pro, I help people stand out and improve their chances of getting shortlisted for interviews by designing beautiful resumes with Markdown.
Hey Matthew,
Just noticed that you used Markdown for your CV. I've worked on a similar side project where you can create your CV with Markdown. Would love for you to try it and share with me if you have any thoughts: resumey.pro/
As the co-founder of Resumey.Pro, I help people stand out and improve their chances of getting shortlisted for interviews by designing beautiful resumes with Markdown.
regarding your point 5, should people put their pronouns on their bio to virtue-signal to any potential employer?
I would certainly say it depends on the employer and your view on adding them (which I would guess is you don’t like it from the wording so don’t bother or worry about it!)
FAANG or places like DEV absolutely include them if you feel comfortable doing so, smaller teams, probably not.
I would say that is one to decide when you explore the culture of a potential work place.
resume`s with every single technology possible for every single area just smell of someone keyword vomiting and actually has very little idea about how to use any of them because they have yet to specialize.
If you list half a dozen databases and your last few roles are centered around being a DBA I'll probably believe it.
If you list every front end framework, back end framework, database, cloud, language, os, it smells like lack of specialization.
I would go even harder on number 6. Dont include your hobbies at all.
It sounds harsh but truth is recruiters just dont care.
I've seen contrary advice from people who do a lot of hiring, although it's been a while and I don't have a source offhand. I think a couple lines to show you have a unique personality if you have space for it isn't a bad idea. But only if they're interesting or unique, or can be made to sound that way.
To be honest, I saw both schools
I guess it depends on the company and the interviewer(s). Conversely, I'd rather work for someone who views me as a person, than someone who views me as a robot. So, if adding hobbies at all is a mark against me getting an interview, I'm probably better off. (This is nuanced of course given that there is a spectrum from "wow, this person totally overshared, trash" to "Who cares about
youyour hobbies? trash")You are right…but, when you get to interview stage it is nice for some interviewers if they have an ice breaker, so it is more for then!
However if I had to choose between every other section and this one I would certainly say ditch this one! 👍❤️
No, you don't understand. Commanding my orc army makes me great management material
🤣🤣❤️
True, but do recruitment agents care about anything other than getting their commission? - lol
More seriously: As a hiring manager I disagree. Team fit is almost as important as technical skills, if the candidate happens to have some hobbies that crossover with others in the team or might bring benefits to the company then that is interesting to know.
Also I think its healthy to know that people have hobbies an interests outside of sitting in front of a computer coding all day. I think it makes for a more well-rounded person.
Finally, one of the key reasons I got my current job is because I mentioned that I attended Toastmasters as a hobby. One of the owners of the company knew what that was and thought it was great I was involved with an organization to help improve public speaking skills. They happened to be looking for someone who could communicate clearly not just code.
If including a hobby would cause resume to need an extra page, don't include it. If there is something more relevant that fits, then go with the more relevant thing instead obviously.
However, one line with a hobby or two at the very end has been useful to me personally long ago in the past on two occasions. The first was in 1995 while as an undergrad. I listed bowling. It was while interviewing for co-op positions (Drexel University where I went has a required co-op program). After talking about relevant stuff, the interviewer (president of company) mentioned bowling and we just talked informally a bit. I was offered the position, along with 14 others, and I went with this one over the others at least partially due to the friendliness of interview.
Two weeks into the job, the company organized a bowling outing. I don't think it was coincidental as multiple people already knew I bowled who I hadn't directly told.
The second useful time was in 2005 while interviewing for faculty positions. Faculty CVs are much longer than a typical resume---they have stuff like publication lists, grants, course development, etc (anywhere from 10 to 50 pages depending on experience). Near bottom of last page of around 20 or so pages I still listed bowling even though I hadn't been in leagues for a few years. After a long interview day, giving presentations and various meetings, during dinner with search committee, one committee member commented on that which lead to less formal discussion which was a welcome change of pace after 8 hours of interviewing. This is where I still work today 17 years later.
A hobby on your resume isn't going to get you an interview. But it might lead to a higher quality interview, whether it be an interviewer using it as an icebreaker to put you at ease, or in both of these examples an interviewer using it later in the interview. Hobbies are usually off-limits to interviewers (e.g., it's in a list of things we're not allowed to ask about during interviews at my institution). By including on resume, you give interviewer something they can potentially use to improve your interview experience that they otherwise can't bring up.
So if you have a spare line available at very end, it is fine to include a hobby. Just make sure all of the important job related stuff is more prominent, and don't sacrifice anything relevant to the job to make space for it.
Posted my answer before reading this one… 100% agreed.
I totally agree with all of them. I would maybe add: keep it under 1 page.
What do you think?
I've never seen anything good come out of multiple pages.
Great suggestion / addition ❤️🦄
although “aim for one page” just for nuance, as sometimes you do need the space if you had a particularly complex role / depending on the role applying for!
Not only does the reader not know what 80% JavaScript means, the writer doesn't know how much of something that they don't know.
Thanks for sharing such a useful point it will help in future when I try to build my resume. Site
dang! I use skill level bars. I thought it was a nice visual way to order competencies from "best at" to "worst at". Of course it's not an exact science. It's a self assesment. It's like saying "I'm really good at Go, pretty good at HTML, not bad at Ruby, and I really like Rust but I'm new to it and don't fully understand it"
Hehe, don’t worry I have made most of these mistakes myself. The problem with them is actually worse than I made out. If you put a bar at full then your are signalling you know everything and that sets unrealistic expectations and leaves you wide open! If you put 75% then it looks like you have a lot to learn still as 1 in 4 questions you can’t answer. Neither of the scenarios work well so better to just leave them off. 👍
I don't disagree, but I'm of the opinion that it's more important to be able to present your CV in the appropriate format than to actively maintain it in that format.
I maintain my CV as a Markdown file using Emacs Orgmode. That way I can keep it in version control, I can convert it to HTML and style it easily, and I can use Pandoc to generate versions of it in Word and PDF format as needed.
You are right, there is some nuance to what I am saying but it was a comment not an article and it would need a lot of explanation lol! 🤣
They way you have it set up is great and, as you said, some other formats may be appropriate in some circumstances, I was trying to give the best “for 90% of circumstances” advice.
I like the idea of having version control on a CV, should go one step further and build a tool that lets you have a list of skills / experience items and then it lets you select the ones relevant to the job role you are applying for, that would be epic!
Hey Matthew,
Just noticed that you used Markdown for your CV. I've worked on a similar side project where you can create your CV with Markdown. Would love for you to try it and share with me if you have any thoughts:
resumey.pro/
Congratulations for your project. Can you check your footer for the year?
Thanks Abel!
Ah yes haha, thanks for highlighting it!