5 ms·

How a programmer reads your resume (comic)

72 points by zvikara 18y ago

etal 18y ago
For an easy +12, I recommend the "simplecv" LaTeX document class -- it's included somewhere in the full TexLive distribution. That Computer Modern font on a resume or CV, combined with judicious use of small caps, looks deadly serious. http://tug.ctan.org/tex-archive/macros/latex/contrib/simplecv/ http://tug.ctan.org/tex-archive/macros/latex/contrib/simplec...
- noamsml 18y ago
  moderncv is also nice.
- ciscoriordan 18y ago
  You can get Computer Modern in OTF here: http://canopus.iacp.dvo.ru/~panov/cm-unicode/download.html http://canopus.iacp.dvo.ru/~panov/cm-unicode/download.html
- eru 18y ago
  I use currvita. It's a package and to be used with your favoured document class (e.g. letter or article).
mpk 18y ago
I generally agree, but I'd like to point out that there are actually technology certification courses out there that are impressive if you've passed them. For example, having CCIE on your resume will certainly grab my attention.
asnyder 18y ago
I've recently had to look over hundreds of resumes for recent job postings and I must say this is spot on.
lunchbox 18y ago
I don't know whom this is actually making fun of -- if I were hiring, I'd consider the presence of a cover letter with my name on it to be of far more informational value than a resume typeset in LaTeX. The cover letter would actually show me that the person made some modicum of effort to apply to my company; the LaTeX wouldn't give me anything I wouldn't be able to tell from the rest of the applicant's resume. And there's no way it's worth more than "started own company".
- jauco 18y ago
  I don't think it's a case of this one's wrong and this one's right, but rather a funny 'cause it's true kinda thing. And the punchline's of course the tabs and spaces item.
- sketerpot 18y ago
  The LaTeX says "this person is sincerely nerdy enough to actually become comfortable with LaTeX."
  - endtime 18y ago
    Is it worth learning Latex just so that (some) people who see my resume will recognize that I took the time to learn Latex?
    - eru 18y ago
      No. But it's worth to learn LaTeX.
    - Raplh 18y ago
      No just give someone $15 to do your resume for you in Latex.
  - catz 18y ago
    I use LaTex a lot. That said, I have a few problems. Nothing is as bad as someone who decides he is going to use Latex for general documents - such as composing tests or any type of document. Why when people use LaTex their brain automatically shuts down? In college there are people who give extra marks if a report is done in LaTex. I thought that if a report looks nice (no matter if you've done it in FrameMaker or Word/OpenOffice) it is all that matters. LaTex is nice - but it is not the holy grail that everyone pretends it to be.
timr 18y ago
-1 for a PhD? That's nonsense. Even ignoring the fact that Google et al. love to hire CS PhDs, I can guarantee that anyone who has had the persistence to make it through a PhD in an analytical discipline has skills a lot more valuable than the ability to make a resume in LaTeX. Yet another example of short-sighted anti-intellectualism by software nerds.
- chancho 18y ago
  The reddit thread (http://www.reddit.com/r/programming/comments/888km/how_a_programmer_reads_your_resume_comic/c08isni http://www.reddit.com/r/programming/comments/888km/how_a_pro...) on this point gives some insight into the mind the person who holds such a prejudice. Apparently, PhDs can't code, take too long to solve problems because they want to solve them utterly, and are difficult to work with. This is news to me, but it appears to be a popular sentiment among rank-and-file coders. You could make a lot of guesses as to why this perception exists, or even if it's correct. Maybe it has to do with the caliber of PhDs that apply for rank-and-file coder jobs, or maybe it has to do with the caliber of shops that hire redditors (oh snap.)
  - timr 18y ago
    That thread is infuriating. Ah, the collected wisdom of such "smart" people, overgeneralizing about the coding skills of everyone who has a particular degree -- that's a discussion with roughly the same level of intellectual merit as a gaggle of construction workers on lunch break, discussing which races are best suited to particular trades.
  - DanielBMarkham 18y ago
    I love the title code monkey, but I'm anything but a rank-and-file coder. In the last 20 years, I've had the chance to manage about a dozen PhDs in various disciplines. The ones who were not in computer-related disciplines (but were coding/managing anyway) were uniformly very good. Not knock-your-socks-off-great, but very good. The ones that were from computer-related disciplines were usually condescending, non-responsive, and difficult to get along with. It seems that they were missing important social and interpersonal skills and felt they knew everything they needed to know. In fact, you might say they felt that they were way above what they should be doing. I found them useless. A few stories does not a rule make, but at the same time, I can't help but notice others in our field have similar opinions -- so there is probably a pattern here. Note that others did not find them useless. On several occasions I was told we had to keep them -- in order to make our bids look better to win government contracts.
theschwa 18y ago
Man, If it were a programmer who read my resume, then according to this it would kick ass! Unfortunately, it must be some one in HR who thinks LaTex is something they make gloves out of, because my job offers are not so hot.
Eliezer 18y ago
I kept waiting for it to be funny, but it was merely true.
jlees 18y ago
Surely for female coders 'topless in facebook picture' is a +12, not a minus? ;)
rjprins 18y ago
In my last application (I got hired) it was the programming guy who asked me what Latex was.. (and not to test me!)

72 points by zvikara 18y ago

etal 18y ago

For an easy +12, I recommend the "simplecv" LaTeX document class -- it's included somewhere in the full TexLive distribution. That Computer Modern font on a resume or CV, combined with judicious use of small caps, looks deadly serious. http://tug.ctan.org/tex-archive/macros/latex/contrib/simplecv/ http://tug.ctan.org/tex-archive/macros/latex/contrib/simplec...

noamsml 18y ago
moderncv is also nice.
ciscoriordan 18y ago
You can get Computer Modern in OTF here: http://canopus.iacp.dvo.ru/~panov/cm-unicode/download.html http://canopus.iacp.dvo.ru/~panov/cm-unicode/download.html
eru 18y ago
I use currvita. It's a package and to be used with your favoured document class (e.g. letter or article).

mpk 18y ago

I generally agree, but I'd like to point out that there are actually technology certification courses out there that are impressive if you've passed them. For example, having CCIE on your resume will certainly grab my attention.

asnyder 18y ago

I've recently had to look over hundreds of resumes for recent job postings and I must say this is spot on.

lunchbox 18y ago

I don't know whom this is actually making fun of -- if I were hiring, I'd consider the presence of a cover letter with my name on it to be of far more informational value than a resume typeset in LaTeX. The cover letter would actually show me that the person made some modicum of effort to apply to my company; the LaTeX wouldn't give me anything I wouldn't be able to tell from the rest of the applicant's resume. And there's no way it's worth more than "started own company".

jauco 18y ago
I don't think it's a case of this one's wrong and this one's right, but rather a funny 'cause it's true kinda thing. And the punchline's of course the tabs and spaces item.
sketerpot 18y ago
The LaTeX says "this person is sincerely nerdy enough to actually become comfortable with LaTeX."
- endtime 18y ago
  Is it worth learning Latex just so that (some) people who see my resume will recognize that I took the time to learn Latex?
  - eru 18y ago
    No. But it's worth to learn LaTeX.
  - Raplh 18y ago
    No just give someone $15 to do your resume for you in Latex.
- catz 18y ago
  I use LaTex a lot. That said, I have a few problems. Nothing is as bad as someone who decides he is going to use Latex for general documents - such as composing tests or any type of document. Why when people use LaTex their brain automatically shuts down? In college there are people who give extra marks if a report is done in LaTex. I thought that if a report looks nice (no matter if you've done it in FrameMaker or Word/OpenOffice) it is all that matters. LaTex is nice - but it is not the holy grail that everyone pretends it to be.

timr 18y ago

-1 for a PhD? That's nonsense. Even ignoring the fact that Google et al. love to hire CS PhDs, I can guarantee that anyone who has had the persistence to make it through a PhD in an analytical discipline has skills a lot more valuable than the ability to make a resume in LaTeX. Yet another example of short-sighted anti-intellectualism by software nerds.

chancho 18y ago
The reddit thread (http://www.reddit.com/r/programming/comments/888km/how_a_programmer_reads_your_resume_comic/c08isni http://www.reddit.com/r/programming/comments/888km/how_a_pro...) on this point gives some insight into the mind the person who holds such a prejudice. Apparently, PhDs can't code, take too long to solve problems because they want to solve them utterly, and are difficult to work with. This is news to me, but it appears to be a popular sentiment among rank-and-file coders. You could make a lot of guesses as to why this perception exists, or even if it's correct. Maybe it has to do with the caliber of PhDs that apply for rank-and-file coder jobs, or maybe it has to do with the caliber of shops that hire redditors (oh snap.)
- timr 18y ago
  That thread is infuriating. Ah, the collected wisdom of such "smart" people, overgeneralizing about the coding skills of everyone who has a particular degree -- that's a discussion with roughly the same level of intellectual merit as a gaggle of construction workers on lunch break, discussing which races are best suited to particular trades.
- DanielBMarkham 18y ago
  I love the title code monkey, but I'm anything but a rank-and-file coder. In the last 20 years, I've had the chance to manage about a dozen PhDs in various disciplines. The ones who were not in computer-related disciplines (but were coding/managing anyway) were uniformly very good. Not knock-your-socks-off-great, but very good. The ones that were from computer-related disciplines were usually condescending, non-responsive, and difficult to get along with. It seems that they were missing important social and interpersonal skills and felt they knew everything they needed to know. In fact, you might say they felt that they were way above what they should be doing. I found them useless. A few stories does not a rule make, but at the same time, I can't help but notice others in our field have similar opinions -- so there is probably a pattern here. Note that others did not find them useless. On several occasions I was told we had to keep them -- in order to make our bids look better to win government contracts.

theschwa 18y ago

Man, If it were a programmer who read my resume, then according to this it would kick ass! Unfortunately, it must be some one in HR who thinks LaTex is something they make gloves out of, because my job offers are not so hot.

Eliezer 18y ago

I kept waiting for it to be funny, but it was merely true.

jlees 18y ago

Surely for female coders 'topless in facebook picture' is a +12, not a minus? ;)

rjprins 18y ago

In my last application (I got hired) it was the programming guy who asked me what Latex was.. (and not to test me!)