Thread: Resume advice

  1. #1
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    Question Resume advice

    Hi,

    I'm graduating with a degree in computer science and I'm trying to fill out a resume. Unfortunately, I don't have any meaningful work experience to put on there nor do I have any honors or extracurriculars worthy of note, and just putting down that I know C isn't going to impress anybody. The career services department is full of generic advice and is of no use. So, I thought that maybe some people here could give me some pointers. I'm sure there is someone here who has been in my shoes and maybe even someone who works on the other side deciding which resumes are good or not. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

    Also, I have a question about how much one should know something in order to put it on their resume. For example, if I were to put "C" on my resume how much am I expected to know (I realize it probably depends on the specific job, but there has to be some standard)? Same question with things like "Unix" or "MS Word"?

    Thanks in advance.

  2. #2
    Code Goddess Prelude's Avatar
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    If you have no professional experience, mention some projects you've worked on that cover skills you would need for the job you're applying for.

    >if I were to put "C" on my resume how much am I expected to know
    If you put something on your resume, be prepared to answer pointed questions about it. You don't have to be an expert, but you do have to be competent enough to justify putting it on your resume.

    I've interviewed people who had C or Java on their resume and they didn't even have a full grasp of the basics. I consider that lying because if it's on your resume, you think you can do a job that requires it. It goes without saying that those people tend not to get the job.
    My best code is written with the delete key.

  3. #3
    5|-|1+|-|34|) ober's Avatar
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    Echo Prelude on those points, especially putting down projects that you've worked on in school that relate to the subject.

    Only put down stuff that you fully understand the basics of. I have been guilty of throwing a few things on mine that I didn't totally have my head wrapped around, but I was lucky that it didn't either apply to the job, or it just wasn't brought up.

    I also have to shake the shame finger at you if you're graduating college and didn't make any effort to at least get an internship in your field or try to branch out and do some work on your own for other people. Good luck finding a job, because I had an internship for the full 5 years I was in college, and it still took me about 7 months to get a job in my field.

  4. #4
    and the hat of int overfl Salem's Avatar
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    > The career services department is full of generic advice and is of no use.
    Ask them to find out what recent successful job applicants put on their CV's.

    You could create a small web site showing source code you created (with a short URL). Use it as a show case for all your skills (HTLM, artwork, whatever).
    If you dance barefoot on the broken glass of undefined behaviour, you've got to expect the occasional cut.
    If at first you don't succeed, try writing your phone number on the exam paper.

  5. #5
    Mayor of Awesometown Govtcheez's Avatar
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    > (with a short URL)

    This is really important. Also, make sure that it's a professional-sounding name. If you do this, your website is essentially an advertisement for yourself. No one is going to take you seriously if your address is http://1337hax0r.tripod.com/1337jobsearch

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by ober
    I also have to shake the shame finger at you if you're graduating college and didn't make any effort to at least get an internship in your field or try to branch out and do some work on your own for other people. Good luck finding a job, because I had an internship for the full 5 years I was in college, and it still took me about 7 months to get a job in my field.

    It's a long story, but my time in college was spent in nightmarish burocracy trying to get the different offices on the same page as far as my registration and status goes. Most people consider college the best years of their life, but I think of it as 5 years of my life that I'll never have back. By the time I got around to checking out internships in my senior year, every one of them wanted only sophmores or juniors. I have no pipe dreams of landing a job quickly, but that doesn't mean I won't need a resume.

    Also, someone I know had suggested putting down some of the courses I've taken. Is that a good idea or is it just going to be seen as filler?

  7. #7
    5|-|1+|-|34|) ober's Avatar
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    I put some of my core courses on mine, and I had a fairly long list of duties/projects from my internship.

  8. #8
    Mayor of Awesometown Govtcheez's Avatar
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    You don't necessarily have to put down the courses; you should be able to put down some of the bigger projects you worked on just fine.

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