Arkadius is a young, growing software development company. Depending on the projects that we are starting, we need the collaboration of more developers. That's when we use LinkedIn or in social networks to receive resumes.
We recieve to our email several resumes that generally all look the same. Personal information, marital status, a photograph, perhaps an introductory text, and then the detail of the entire educational history appears. The latter has very little relevance to us.
There are indeed companies where having a university degree is important and mandatory. Doctors, engineers, architects, and journalists must have the endorsement of a recognized organization to be able to exercise any public or private position. However, in software development, the story is quite different since it is not essential to have a university degree or a certification to be able to carry out our work.
People have to show their interest in the field in which they want to work. This interest is demonstrated through work experience, the development of personal projects or courses carried out on our own account.
An attractive resume
An attractive resume for an employer in the area of technology should show how up-to-date your knowledge is, the projects you have completed (be it personal or those you have done in other workplaces) and something that few do, a text where you express the reasons why you are the best option for the position.
Nobody cares in which school you studied, or the college, perhaps a little more interesting would be to know the university career you followed if you indeed followed one, but that is not essential. The emphasis should be on the knowledge you have acquired that is relevant to the position you want to apply for.
Some resumes that have reached us include positions in fast food or cleaning companies, nothing wrong with that, but that information does not add anything to our understanding of the capabilities you may have to carry out a software development project.
8 Tips to have an impressive resume
What we would like to see in an applicant's resume is:
- A list of the technologies you master and are your strengths.
- An additional list of those technologies that you do not master but are familiar with.
- Additional knowledge to add value to the company. For example, if you are a front-end developer, having basic programming and git skills would help you stand out.
- Links to web pages of projects you have completed. Describing what your role was in its development.
- Courses or seminars that you have taken about software development or any related areas. A programmer with a basic knowledge of Photoshop or Illustrator can be very helpful.
- Work history related to the area for which you are applying.
- A text or letter describing your skills and the reasons why you are interested in the position.
- And obviously, your updated personal and contact information. Please open a professional email that you check regularly. An applicant with the email tequila69@hotmail.com will not get very far in the selection process.
No experience? No problem
If you just got out of college, or you don't have any work experience because you just changed careers, no problem, lack of experience is not a crime. But your immediate obligation is to acquire it as soon as possible. When you get out of college, your goal should be to replace your student work with personal projects.
You can develop your own ideas or find a family member or friend who needs a service that you can provide. Many times you will have to work for nothing or almost nothing, it does not matter, your main objective should be to build a portfolio that helps you get a paid job.
Actively engaging in platforms such as LinkedIn, Github (if you are a developer) and Behance (if you are a designer) will also help you gain notoriety. Again, if you have no experience to show on these networks, you can document your progress. Show and talk about what you've learned.
Showing constant progress is more valuable than simply saying that you have “years of experience”, the world of development is changing every day, new technologies emerge constantly, so no one can say that they have dedicated their entire professional life to only one thing (That is why we don't like the word "experts"). It is more important for employers to know if the new employee can adapt to future technologies.
We hope these tips help you get the job of your dream. Remember to always show professionalism, from the way you write your emails, to the way you approach recruiters. It's not so much about being flashy or pompous, it's about being professional and transparent.
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