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I've been recruiting software engineers for nearly 20 years and started a side resume business (resumeraiders.com) a couple years ago when seeing how much peopl

by fecak 10y ago

I've been recruiting software engineers for nearly 20 years and started a side resume business (resumeraiders.com) a couple years ago when seeing how much people were being charged for sub-par resumes. Your question is somewhat common. A Skills section is usually for the purposes of an ATS (automated resume scanner) or a human that will be looking for certain buzzwords, like a language or a framework that is most important to the job requirement. Recruiters know they can go to a skill section and find those things quickly. I think in your situation, listing specific examples of your accomplishments is going to be even more important. You can tell me "I'm an all-around developer who cares about getting things done..." all day long, but listing specific things you've developed to illustrate that point is much more effective. It's not unlike people who say they have excellent communication skills - don't tell us, show us by writing something or demonstrate it in conversation. Recruiters and HR are looking for those buzzwords, but engineers reviewing the resumes are looking for an interesting project that they can ask you about. Ideally it will involve a problem the company is trying to solve. Start with a summary to quantify your experience - this starts the reader off with a big picture of who you are. Don't trust the reader to figure out you're a full stack dev, because the person first reviewing your resume might not be technical at all. They need to be told specifically what you do, and it's your job to do that. Your summary might start "Full stack developer with n years of experience across a mix of languages and platforms in Agile/TDD development environments. Additional skills in Project Management..." or similar. Next, experience section with responsibilities (the day to day) in a couple sentences in paragraph form, then bullets for your novel accomplishments. Skills, Education, other projects, community involvement, etc. to follow.

melle 10y ago
Thanks for sharing. My current take on setting up my skills and experiences is to put them in context of my previous positions. Would that work for an ATS? (For a human, I'll probably highlight the words somehow)
- fecak 10y ago
  The ATS doesn't care where the words are usually, it's just trying to find certain words. If you're applying to smaller firms it's less likely to be an issue. As long as you incorporate any buzzwords (usually languages, tools, frameworks) that are likely to be listed as firm requirements by the company, where they are included on the resume shouldn't matter much.

by fecak 10y ago

melle 10y ago

Thanks for sharing. My current take on setting up my skills and experiences is to put them in context of my previous positions. Would that work for an ATS? (For a human, I'll probably highlight the words somehow)

fecak 10y ago
The ATS doesn't care where the words are usually, it's just trying to find certain words. If you're applying to smaller firms it's less likely to be an issue. As long as you incorporate any buzzwords (usually languages, tools, frameworks) that are likely to be listed as firm requirements by the company, where they are included on the resume shouldn't matter much.