5 ms·

This would be a huge help to me: I make 40k a year as a web developer, and it provides for my family, but we definitely have to cut corners to make things work

This would be a huge help to me: I make 40k a year as a web developer, and it provides for my family, but we definitely have to cut corners to make things work sometimes. I feel like, given my work history, skill-set and ability to learn, I am worth more than this. But when I apply for tech jobs, it seems like my lack of a degree prevents me from even being considered. Can you look at my LinkedIn profile(which is basically my resume), and tell me how I can better show people that I can be a great asset to their team? http://www.linkedin.com/pub/joe-cortopassi/24/76b/5b9 http://www.linkedin.com/pub/joe-cortopassi/24/76b/5b9 (more info in my profile as well)

tarekayna 15y ago
Joe - one thing I would point out to help you out here. Every listing under your experience section is written like a story. People, especially recruiters, don't have time to read all this. My advice would be to remove the story format and have just bullet points that highlight accomplishments and business results. For example "designed and developed xx project using php/mysql"... "led the technical vision of xx".
- JoeCortopassi 15y ago
  You think I should ditch the summary part altogether, or just put some bullet points above it?
  - tarekayna 15y ago
    I would ditch the summary altogether. You would mention this stuff when recruiters ask you in details. Here is what I base this on: "Research has shown that your impression of someone is generally based on the average of available information, not the sum. So telling people one great thing about yourself will leave them with a better impression of you than telling one great thing and one pretty good one". Pitch Anything - Oren Klaff http://books.google.com/books?id=P3EFa-WuMMkC&pg=PA98&dq=average+available+information+%22pitch+anything%22&hl=en&ei=GwuZTrbGJK7XiAKszLmqDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&sqi=2&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false http://books.google.com/books?id=P3EFa-WuMMkC&pg=PA98&#3... So just provide bullet points of the highlights, the accomplishments and the business results.
mikegreenberg 15y ago
I very much agree with tarekayna about your verbose descriptions. Your resume needs to be scannable so individuals can quickly assess whether you are worth exploring further. Think of the resume as getting your foot in the door. You don't want them to know everything about you, but they should get a good idea of your highlights and best moments. You'll have a lot of opportunity to elaborate further during your follow-up interview. Personally, I'm not a fan of the way Linkedin lays out your experience. I understand what a great tool it can be and that many people use it. But for presenting an online resume for myself, I've been using StackOverflow Careers. Take a look at how I've laid out my resume there. (http://careers.stackoverflow.com/mikegreenberg http://careers.stackoverflow.com/mikegreenberg) Note how I bring attention to the important parts with appropriate formatting, give very short descriptions which demonstrate action (begin with verbs!), show metrics where possible to show how I improved the company I worked for, and tried to identify the best ways I could be beneficial to them. I can see the lacking degree working against you in some respects, but I really don't feel this is going to prevent you from getting a job if you're qualified to perform it. But I'm also not saying jobs will land in your lap. You need to compensate for that "hole" in your resume with a significant showing of your own. A portfolio, if you will. Do side projects whenever possible. (I know this can be difficult with a family. I have two kids myself, but I tend to be married to a project when I'm not spending time with them.) If you have any specific questions, I'd be happy to answer. Or email me in private, if you prefer. (my initials at nobulb.com)

tarekayna 15y ago

Joe - one thing I would point out to help you out here. Every listing under your experience section is written like a story. People, especially recruiters, don't have time to read all this. My advice would be to remove the story format and have just bullet points that highlight accomplishments and business results. For example "designed and developed xx project using php/mysql"... "led the technical vision of xx".

JoeCortopassi 15y ago
You think I should ditch the summary part altogether, or just put some bullet points above it?
- tarekayna 15y ago
  I would ditch the summary altogether. You would mention this stuff when recruiters ask you in details. Here is what I base this on: "Research has shown that your impression of someone is generally based on the average of available information, not the sum. So telling people one great thing about yourself will leave them with a better impression of you than telling one great thing and one pretty good one". Pitch Anything - Oren Klaff http://books.google.com/books?id=P3EFa-WuMMkC&pg=PA98&dq=average+available+information+%22pitch+anything%22&hl=en&ei=GwuZTrbGJK7XiAKszLmqDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&sqi=2&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false http://books.google.com/books?id=P3EFa-WuMMkC&pg=PA98&#3... So just provide bullet points of the highlights, the accomplishments and the business results.

mikegreenberg 15y ago

I very much agree with tarekayna about your verbose descriptions. Your resume needs to be scannable so individuals can quickly assess whether you are worth exploring further. Think of the resume as getting your foot in the door. You don't want them to know everything about you, but they should get a good idea of your highlights and best moments. You'll have a lot of opportunity to elaborate further during your follow-up interview. Personally, I'm not a fan of the way Linkedin lays out your experience. I understand what a great tool it can be and that many people use it. But for presenting an online resume for myself, I've been using StackOverflow Careers. Take a look at how I've laid out my resume there. (http://careers.stackoverflow.com/mikegreenberg http://careers.stackoverflow.com/mikegreenberg) Note how I bring attention to the important parts with appropriate formatting, give very short descriptions which demonstrate action (begin with verbs!), show metrics where possible to show how I improved the company I worked for, and tried to identify the best ways I could be beneficial to them. I can see the lacking degree working against you in some respects, but I really don't feel this is going to prevent you from getting a job if you're qualified to perform it. But I'm also not saying jobs will land in your lap. You need to compensate for that "hole" in your resume with a significant showing of your own. A portfolio, if you will. Do side projects whenever possible. (I know this can be difficult with a family. I have two kids myself, but I tend to be married to a project when I'm not spending time with them.) If you have any specific questions, I'd be happy to answer. Or email me in private, if you prefer. (my initials at nobulb.com)