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How a programmer reads a resume
- yummyfajitas 16y agoOne thing I'd adjust: Knows 3 or more programming languages +5 The languages are Java, J2EE and Javascript -15
- user24 16y agoI would also like to point out the conflict between "Has written a compiler or OS for fun +15" and "Has Ph.D -1" and also wonder why having a Ph.D gets a negative mark?
- Xurinos 16y agoPh.D sounds good on paper but can suggest "too much time spent in academia", "not enough practical experience", "thinks awfully highly of himself, but can he make us money or do anything real?", and "is his focus even related to the job?". Or that is the general attitude I have heard. Personally, I have a small measure of respect for the Ph.D title, but it does not sway me unless the focus matches what I need. "It's great that you solved P != NP, but can you write a financial app for this customer?"
- kenjackson 16y agoAnd if you solved P != NP, why are writing enterprise apps?
- dkarl 16y agoIn my experience, PhDs are generally smart people and pleasant to work with. They work hard, and the ones from engineering and the sciences are relatively immune to bullshit.
- user24 16y ago> Personally, I have a small measure of respect for the Ph.D title, but it does not sway me unless the focus matches what I need. "It's great that you solved P != NP, but can you write a financial app for this customer?" I do see that. But... well, quality PhDs aren't going to be applying for jobs that require you to do code monkey work, they'll be the ones writing new financial models, and a quick PoC in haskell.
- jbarham 16y agoHah, would these be the same financial models that were used to rate sub-prime securities AAA?! :)
- reeses 16y agoI really like seeing people with PhDs in completely random non-technical fields. "Ah, I see you have a PhD in Chinese Architectural History...umm, neat." MDs are even better, because they bring all that crazy doctor-talk with them. I still go around saying stuff like,"This bug is sequella to the change we made for the last release."
- dagw 16y agoThere is a general assumption in most non-engineering industries that Ph.D means ivory tower philosophizing without any connection to or experience with the "real world".
- cwp 16y agoWould you care to elaborate a bit? I don't see any conflict.
- user24 16y agowriting compilers is a fairly involved computer science topic, and while it does happen that some people without formal education in CS have written compilers, I'd suggest that most compiler nerds are educated to at least undergrad level, more likely masters level in CS. So sure, neither of those are PhD's, but it seems odd to praise one aspect of formal CS - writing compilers, and not another - gaining a PhD.
- astine 16y agoI know at least one guy who is having trouble getting a job and he blames it on his PHD.
- alanthonyc 16y agoPerhaps the last picture in this series explains it... http://matt.might.net/articles/phd-school-in-pictures/ http://matt.might.net/articles/phd-school-in-pictures/
- technomancy 16y ago> and also wonder why having a Ph.D gets a negative mark? Premature optimization.
- jordanmessina 16y agoHow about 'Thinks Java is the same as Javascript' - never hire. I helped with interviews when I used to work for a huge bank, and they'd interview any idiot who threw them a resume. I can't tell you how many times we would ask about Java experience and the person would start talking about Javascript and their cute Information Systems class project where they had to make a basic website...
- yummyfajitas 16y agoI was hinting at the opposite experience - people who know only java and think that javascript is just java lite (so obviously if you know java, you know javascript).
- Tichy 16y agoYour mileage may vary - while I don't like JavaScript anymore, I personally would detract more points for PHP and Microsoft technologies.
- potatolicious 16y agoI wouldn't deduct points for PHP - it's a perfectly fine language that has its fine uses. I would, however, deduct major points if the person is only capable on a completely-MS stack (i.e., little to no 'nix experience, purely IIS, ASP.NET, MSSQL, etc).
- auxbuss 16y agoI concur. Despite the PHP-bashing that goes on, it's a very powerful platform, but massively abused in too many cases by non-programmers who often think that they can program. MS-stack-only experience makes any candidate a non-starter for me, unless they are very inexperience, but they must show enthusiasm for getting the hell out of the hole.
- dagw 16y agoI would, however, deduct major points if the person is only capable on a completely-MS stack I would deduce points if the person is only capable on a completely-anything stack. Being lost once you leave the LAMP world is just as bad as being lost once you leave the MS world.
- alanh 16y agoAs a PHP programmer in my day job… I would not consider PHP experience as a negative, but I would be quite reluctant to hire a PHP programmer who, when prompted, could not criticize PHP. Its failings as a language are numerous: http://www.quora.com/What-are-the-crawling-horrors-of-PHP http://www.quora.com/What-are-the-crawling-horrors-of-PHP
- Tichy 16y agoOoops, I meant to say Java, not JavaScript. JavaScript is great.
- ScottWhigham 16y agoNeeds a mirror - he's getting hammered
- user24 16y agosite seemed ok when I loaded it just now, but here's a copy in case it goes down again: http://i.imgur.com/yvNQm.png http://i.imgur.com/yvNQm.png
- jperras 16y agoAny resume that has been compiled to a PDF from LaTeX would score major points in my books. It's not that it requires an incredible amount of skill to do so (not to mention that there are quite a few templates available), but it does show that the applicant cares a bit more about presentation than the average programmer that submits his resume in .doc format.
- kenjackson 16y agoWhat typestting do you need for a resume that Word doesn't provide? I've written thousands of pages in LaTex, and at one point I probably would have written my resume in LaTex. But now that I know Word, I see very little advantage to writing my resume with LaTex (I'm probably a little odd, learning LaTex before Word). It's not like your resume is likely to have equations or need a lot of cross references in it.
- hoop 16y agoNot to mention, many HR departments, recruiters, etc require resumes (when submitted electronically) in Word .doc(x)? format
- bwhite 16y agoIt's a signalling mechanism.
- mynameishere 16y agoEasily gamed then.
- spohlenz 16y agoEven if it is gamed, it still proves the original point: that "the applicant cares a bit more about presentation than the average programmer that submits his resume in .doc format."
- 16y ago
- KeithMajhor 16y agoHow does it look to HR or another programmer when an applicant doesn't have a Facebook account?
- iamdave 16y agoI'm a bit saddened by the fact that this is the second reference to HR departments looking at Facebook in this one thread. I know it happens, but wow.
- KeithMajhor 16y agoI feel your sentiment. I don't use Facebook and I'm concerned about any negative implications that may have.
- sasvari 16y agosame for me. I'm curious when to hear that familiar what?? you're NOT on facebook? you're sooo nineties! in a job interview :-)
- iamdave 16y agoKudos to you both for being optimistic about it :) I was referring more to the thing where they look through your pictures, see pictures of you at a party holding a plastic cup and make silent, little judgements about it. It only crosses my mind because I've actualy watched people get DQ'd from the call-back list with my own eyes because of photos where they weren't doing anything more than leaning in with a few close friends, clothed, acting sensible holding a bottle of Bud Light in their hand. It was actually...depressing.
- KeithMajhor 16y agoThe fact that people have time to do that is disturbing to me.
- chc 16y ago
- foulmouthboy 16y agoThis is funny and all, but any HR department worth its salt would know what it takes to get a job at its respective company. At the very very least, most HR departments these days will take a glance at Facebook.
- asnyder 16y agoDupe. http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=537000 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=537000
- user24 16y agoyeah... 500 days ago. So what? If you're pointing out that there's insightful discussion on that thread then fine, but just saying "Dupe" seems like you're implying this posting is bad somehow. (personally I don't really think it fits with the hackernews vibe but that's a different issue)
- baddox 16y agoI was surprised to see PHP and ASP.NET on the same line as Rails. Is ASP.NET relevant, and would seeing PHP really inspire that much confidence?