A big part of my job is recruiting and evaluating great software engineers. Besides just having "worked at Google!" on your resume, there are some key ways to help you stand out:
1. Add plenty of job details
It's amazing to me how many LinkedIn profiles show nothing but a list of jobs and job titles. The best job descriptions tell me a) why you joined the company, b) what you shipped when you were there, c) what technologies you used, and d) what metrics you moved.
2. Tell me what gets you up in the morning
The cover letter or LinkedIn bio is a great place to describe what really motivates you in your work. Are you engaged by certain hard technical problems? Do you like solving problems for people? Are you motivated by the system scale at large companies or by the individual impact you can have at smaller ones?
3. Highlight your side projects
If you have worked on open source or side projects, make sure to highlight those. Helping me understand what kind of thing you will work on for free is a great way to help me understand what you're really interested in.
4. Tell a story
What I am really looking for as I read your resume is to understand your journey as a developer. Did you get started in school or learning on your own? Has each job demonstrated increasing technical complexity and responsibility? Have you focused on shipping products to real users (internal or external), not just worked with the latest flashy tech? The more I understand your story the better I can tell if you fit for the job I am filling.
If anyone is interested in a quick "resume review" please feel free to reach out. I'll be more than happy to take a look.
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