First of all, I'm not currently a manager, but I think your website is great; it definitely demonstrates that you have real skills and could be productive as a

First of all, I'm not currently a manager, but I think your website is great; it definitely demonstrates that you have real skills and could be productive as a junior-level developer. So I'll focus on the resume, where I see a few things that could be improved: - You mentioned that you've worked automotive jobs with some technical aspects. I would strongly consider listing those jobs, even if they don't include any software experience. They still demonstrate a lot of things that managers are looking for: work ethic, conscientousness, general technical ability and intelligence, motivation, and so forth. And for HR screeners, they eliminate resume gap concerns. - More broadly, I'd try to make sure that your resume tells a clear story of what you've been doing in recent years. A progression of technically oriented automotive work to a UC Berkeley extension program to a portfolio of working software projects is a great story, but someone skimming over your resume for five seconds might not see that story. They might just notice a smattering of disconnected dates and wonder if you've been in prison, or fired from a succession of short-term software jobs, or sitting at home watching TV. (And if any of that does apply to you, I don't mean to discourage you. But one way or another, I'd focus on structuring your resume to tell a clear story.) - I'd add something below the UC Berkeley heading to make clear that you were enrolled in an extension program rather than a degree-seeking program. Otherwise, someone might think that you enrolled for a semester or dropped out, or that you're trying to make an extension course look like something more. And if you completed the program and got some sort of certificate, you might want to make that explicit, to demonstrate persistence and follow-through. - I'd rewrite the summary statement to focus on your story without anything buzzwordy (like "on time and under budget" and "agile"). The key points I'd include are: 1) you've done professional, serious work as an adult; 2) you're making a transition into software; and 3) you've completed a UC Berkeley extension program and a number of projects and thus have demonstrable knowledge and skills. That tells your story upfront, and every point is something substantive and meaningful. - This is minor, but the fact that the text runs all the way to the bottom of the page with no margin stood out to me. I'd reformat things so that the resume has nice, even margins all around, even if you have to trim some text to make it fit. You obviously a sense for design, judging from your website, and your resume should demonstrate that too. - You might want to consider trimming your skills section a bit and tailoring it to each position you apply to, if you're not doing that already. The embedded C++ and IoT experience stood out to me; it's actually impressive if you're competent in both C++ and front-end JS, but if you're applying to a front-end dev position, the C++ probably isn't relevant, and I could imagine a hiring manager being slightly bemused by seeing that mix of skills. The last thing I'll say is that I've had some ups and downs in my career and gone from being really discouraged to finding great opportunities through a combination of persistance and chance, so keep your chin up. It seems like you're approaching this with the right attitude. Good luck!