How to Write a Technical Resume: Tips for Beginner Programmers

Translation and adaptation of part of a large guide on learning to code and finding a job from the developer Nick Fredman. Before you can prove yourself in practice, your “face” to a potential employer is a resume. In order not to get lost among a thousand Junes, you need to present your skills in the most favorable light. Below are general recommendations on what can and cannot be included in the resume of a novice programmer.

"YES":

1. Write about the projects you recently created - it's okay if not all of them are deployed. Two or three works that you are proud of are enough. Create a special subsection for them in your resume. Group projects are also suitable for demonstration.

2. Describe your skills clearly. If you're comfortable with things like React, Node/Express, and Docker, put that at the top of your resume. Knowledge of REST and understanding of OOP will also work.

3. Find out more about the companies you want to work for. Pay attention to the skills that they indicate in vacancies. Add those in which you are strong.

4. List any relevant work experience. Have you already worked in a team with other developers? Or maybe made websites in high school? If there is no suitable experience, it’s okay: tell us about your recent work experience, but not in too much detail – key facts will suffice.

5. Send your resume in a simple and convenient format - Google Docs, Canva, Apple Pages and similar programs. I do not advise using Microsoft Word - it is more difficult to format in it, but if you are a “specialist”, you can do it that way.

6. Keep the PDF version, because this is the one you will send to companies and upload to the automated recruitment system. Make sure you clearly indicate the key phrases (desired position, skills, technologies) so that they are easy to count.

7. Write 2-4 abstracts for each project, important previous work experience. When talking about what you were doing, it is best to use this formula: Action verb | technical details | to… | achieve a certain goal / solve a problem.

8. Be as specific as possible in what you write.

9. Add a link to your Github and LinkedIn profile, email address, phone number.

10. Make sure your resume matches the position you are applying for. Check key skills again: if you have them, highlight them!

11. It is better to create several different versions of the resume, in which to focus on certain skills, and send the most suitable version to different vacancies.

12. Show your resume to friends and family for feedback. Don't take feedback too personally :) Remember: your resume should be understandable for both techies and non-techies.

13. You can add some personal information (interesting facts, hobbies), but without unnecessary details. In this case, it is better to say less than more.

"NO":

1. Don't use counters, graphs, or charts to illustrate your skills. It doesn't matter that your knowledge score for a particular tool is 3.5 out of 5. Either you have the knowledge and can competently answer technical questions, or you don't. Then it is better not to include such items in the summary at all.

2. Similarly to the above, do not take credit for skills in which you have no experience at all. Don't lie. Spend the weekend actually learning some library or language you want to put on your resume.

3. Don't try to impress anyone. Be honest and precise: state your accomplishments clearly.

4. Avoid stupid jokes on your resume. Sometimes such original resumes are really witty, but hitting the target is not easy. Moreover, this is not the main thing: you can show yourself as a person at the interview. Developers are not always good at capturing the hidden meaning, so in order not to read between the lines, we write so many comments :)

5. Don't bother with complex layout. If the resume is unreadable, it will most likely end up in the trash.

How to write a motivation letter

Here I will write only a few recommendations. Try to keep it within three short paragraphs.

1. In the first one, write about what attracted you to the company, what specifically interested the team, project, and position. Show enthusiasm for the work you have to do.
2. In the second paragraph, write about your skills that match the specific requirements of the company. Show that you can be truly valuable to the project.
3. In the third paragraph, summarize why you should be invited for an interview. Be as specific and direct as possible.

Good luck searching!