Software engineering is one of the fastest-growing industries out there. Even though it is relatively young, it is one of the driving forces of technological progress today. And it is constantly in need of qualified professionals. Unfortunately, the competition in this field is skyrocketing too. Getting a job can sometimes be even more difficult than working it.
Hiring managers process hundreds of applications daily. And they have come up with a couple of tricks and habits to make their lives a little bit easier.
If you want to land a job in this field you will have to learn to see those invisible rules interviewers have put in place for the applicants. Luckily, there are plenty of tips that will help you with that. Here are five tips for writing a software engineer resume that will get you hired. Read them carefully and apply them to your resume, so you get the job.
Hire a Professional
Creating a decent resume requires a considerable investment of time and effort. And the easiest way to circumvent this is to outsource the task to someone intimately familiar with the professional writing business.
Skillhub can offer you the best CV writing service available online. And you can focus on more pressing issues instead of worrying about writing your applications.
This path is always a trade-off between your money and your time. You should also avoid blindly entrusting your resume to a third party. Always look over it before you send it off to recruiting firms.
Even the most perfect resumes may need a little bit of personal touch. It is best to make sure everything is in order. It can be pretty heartbreaking to lose a job opportunity due to some small mistake.
Creative Liberties
Software engineering positions frequently have a very strict list of requirements. It can be really frustrating when you can’t perfectly fit a single one of those positions. Don’t worry – you don’t really have to.
It is entirely possible to take some creative liberties when compiling one’s resume. Don’t be shy to add some extra qualifications and a couple of years of work experience.
Just like that, through the magic of deceit, you are no longer automatically disqualified. Now, you might think ‘Why don’t I simply lie my way through the entirety of the hiring process?’.
Well, it’s not that easy. You see, after you are hired you will be burdened with certain expectations. And if you are unable to fulfill those expectations your employment will meet a swift end.
So try to look at the job requirements from a slightly different angle. Treat them as a list of things that you should get to know before your interview.
Let’s say you don’t have some of the key skills required for your dream position. Can you learn them quickly enough? How far away are you from being able to confidently put them in your resume? If you are close enough – apply regardless and start studying right away.
ATS and How to Beat It
ATS system is a response recruiters came up with to combat the sheer number of applications coming their way. Big companies can receive tens of thousands of job applications every day.
ATS bots help them filter all of that and get a semi-manageable list of candidates. The problem here is that the machine uses a slightly different logic when it decides who is going to be hired.
Creating a bot-beating resume is relatively easy. All you have to do is appease the algorithm. And to do that you have to figure out how exactly it performs the scan of the applications. Most systems have a pretty straightforward set of factors they scan for:
- Keywords;
- Format;
- Grammar.
As you can see, there is nothing complicated about this initial screening process. It filters out only the worst candidates, saving the recruiters some time. Regardless, you should be very careful with these three factors.
The keywords you need to include in your resume to pass this test are usually contained without the job advertisement itself. Read it carefully, especially the requirements section.
Resumes that don’t have the required skills listed in them have less of a chance of making it through. Don’t get overly creative with your formatting either. Keep it as simple as you can while being straight to the point.
Customize
Writing a good resume is a great start. But if you want to take it a step further, you should learn to alter it on demand. And even though the job openings you are looking for might be very similar, there are no identical ones.
Each and every hiring manager has their own list of demands for their perfect applicant. Ideally, you want to create a new resume for every single position you apply for.
Don’t be shy to spend some time researching the company and the position you are applying for. Figure out who it is they are looking for exactly. Shape your resume accordingly.
Perhaps you will find that your Javascript skills are not really important for them. Or perhaps you decide you need to add some additional info like your experience as a translator. Custom-fitting your resume to every job you apply for increases your chances of getting noticed.
Format and Edit
Presentation is key to making a good first impression. Once your application makes it to the desk of a human recruiter, the real challenge begins. Remember that a resume that satisfies a bot isn’t the same thing as a resume that satisfies a human.
Make sure your resume is easy to read. Don’t try to drown the recruiter in words. They rarely have time to read it all. List all your qualifications and make sure they are easy to find. Add short explanations if need be. Anything above that is already too much.
Final Words
It doesn’t really matter how perfect your resume is. Sometimes it’s just not meant to be. You are statistically very unlikely to get the first job you apply for.
Only one out of ten applications will get you an interview. Only one out of ten interviews will get you a job offer. So don’t give up if it doesn’t go your way from the get-go. Try again and again, and you will land your dream job sooner rather than later.