The team at Jeavio just completed our Campus hiring drive for 2021. We processed over 500 applications from talented, enthusiastic and hard working students looking to start their careers in 2022.
I looked through a number of resumes as part of our screening process. It was a surprising and (sometimes) frustrating process.
A consistent problem was students using the same (or very similar) single-page resume format. A good percentage of the resume also included personal details such as addresses etc. which are not really relevant at this stage of the recruitment process. I also have noted an explosion in folks including their CodeChef or HackerRank scores – again taking up crucial real estate that could have been used to try and differentiate themselves.
After many hours spent combing through hundreds of resumes – here are a few thoughts and tips for making an effective resume for someone just starting their career!
- First impressions matter! Use a spelling and grammar checker to catch typos, misspelled words and poorly constructed sentences. Google Docs is free and does a fine job.
- If you put a GitHub link in your resume, make sure it includes work you have done! Just a forked repo with no contributions is useless as a signal.
- Your CodeChef or HackerRank score is not interesting. Most resumes I looked at this year had these scores and they don’t make your resume stand out.
- A fancy resume layout is less important than the ability to write clearly. Typos in a beautifully formatted resume are an immediate disqualification from me.
- Think about what makes you different. Interesting experiences, hobbies and an online portfolio is way more interesting than simply stating your GPA or your school projects.
- Create a personal website – it’s easy! Use GitHub pages, Medium or any of a number of free services. Use the website to highlight your interests, passions, work and what you are looking for as you start your career. Use video, photos, writing – anything to make you stand out from the crowd!