Ask HN: I want to get hired for an entry level, developer role

[EugeneFedotov]

tldr; I graduated. I need job. I'm only good at computer science stuff. Language agnostic.

Proficient: JavaScript, HTML, CSS, Java, C#

What is this: I'm going to keep making these threads until I get hired. I haven't been able to find a job since graduation. I get rejected practically from every new grad role. Even for roles posted by my university (my resume doesn't pass the resume screen, even though the university reviewed it). I don't know why; I've never done a tech interview. Even passing HackerRanks leads to rejections. I do know that I've bombed irritating framework trivia (no, I don't know the order of arguments).

About me: located right by New York City. I have a B.S. degree in Computer Science. I graduated in May 2015. I am a U.S. citizen. I can relocate. I can't work anywhere that requires me to drive a car. Programming is all I know; I have done this for my entire life.

My skills:

Disclaimer: some are ugly and incomplete; others are great. It's a variety of stuff that I put many weeks into for each.

- Spent one year working on an eCommerce website for a business. I worked on the front end, back end, and simple database work involving entering products.

- Volunteer coding for a non-profit involving using the Google Maps API, JavaScript, and XML.

- Contacts manager using ASP.NET MVC and Entity Framework.

- simple Chrome extension that a startup stole code from, and proudly displays on their page.

- 2 month Node.js contract at a startup, involving developing features for their app platform.

- Lib for reading embedded data from TIFF files using C#.

- API that serves RESTful endpoints through Node.js.

- To-do app written in AngularJS 1 and PHP.

While a lot of this is related to web development, I love all areas of computer science.

Other stuff: volunteer at PropellerFest (Hoboken), and meetups and stuff.

Finally, thank you for reading this, and sorry if I annoyed you.

[PaulHoule]

If you are not getting interviews there is something wrong with your resume. Why don't you share it with us so we can comment.

[CyberFonic]

Have a look at: http://docdro.id/fyQKon0

[throwmeaway32]

My opinion (I interview and hire engineers):-

- Education goes at the bottom

- Tech skills go at the top

- The aligning on the work/url/date is really hard to read, just left align it, separate with -'s.

- The additional experience is almost a waste of space, I'd personally use the equivalent space to expand more on tech skills.

- You have 'proficient' then 'other', does 'other' mean not proficient? Use similar complementary terms to describe your skill levels i.e. 'Proficient at' and 'working knowledge of' or something like that.

- What's the difference between employment and technical projects? Some of your tech projects read like paid work so it's hard to tell what your skill level would be if I brought you in for a interview. if it's volunteer work I would put it under work but do something like '(volunteer)'

Basically your CV makes me have to think wayyy too much, I'm having to interpret things and guess what you mean, so I'd have no idea what to expect your quality to be if I got you in for a interview therefore I probably wouldn't bring you in.

Also if you're not doing it already then people connections is key (meetups etc)

[commenttolearn]

I agree with most things:

- Education goes at the bottom and tech skills at the top.

- Proficient and 'other' don't make much sense to me. I would actually remove the 'other' section, unless you are applying for a job in one of the technologies listed in that section.

- Remove the additional experience, it does not provide much value for a dev job.

- There is something with the resume that makes hard to get an idea of who you are and what you are looking for.

- Remove the word "technical" from technical projects, it's implicit if you are applying for a dev position.

Also make sure you tailor the resume for the position you are applying to. Ideally you should have a different version of your resume for each position you are applying.

[throwmeaway32]

Also if your university reviewed this and said it was ok then please considered them useless.

[nicomfe]

agree

[taway_1212]

It's hard to deduce your age from the CV. If you're young, it works to your advantage (employers prefer young people for junior positions), so I think I'd just state the date of birth.

[throwmeaway32]

I have to disagree with this, I purposely hate it when applicants put information on their resumes that should have no bearing on my hiring them. It actually makes me worried as then if I decide to not hire them what if they say 'oh it's because I was too old' and try to sue.

Same with photos, marriage status or anything else.

If I shouldn't be asking it in a interview then you shouldn't be putting on your resume.

[nicomfe]

throw in some colors, some icons, etc. Something to make it different to the millions cvs going around

[coralreef]

Is it possible to rewrite your points to be "achievement" oriented rather than "technically" oriented?

As an example, your best point is last on the list: "Optimized the website to serve pages from 5s down to less than 1s via Apache configuration and caching."

It should also be worded as such: "Increased page speed by 5x faster with optimization techniques".

Be a little more sparse on technical details, and more bold on your achievements. Assume the reader doesn't know or care about the technical details. All they want is to be persuaded that you get shit done.

Avoid redundant information like "Consulted with ownership to establish project scope and business needs." Like seriously? You talked to people and worked on a team? No shit. Embellish your achievements, you must sell yourself.

Also move your education to near the bottom, lead with experience first.

[CyberFonic]

I had a quick look at your resume. My suggestions:

Put your education near the bottom. Sorry to say, what you have written in that section is not compelling.

The first section could be something along the lines of "Key Skills". Just list JavaScript, Java and C#. I know it's a foible, but for me HTML and CSS are not "real computer languages", i.e. they are not Turing complete.

Then a sentence about experienced in building web apps, both front-end and back-ends.

In your post you mention "stole" - that is not a accusation I would be making in public. Even if it is true. Most hiring managers recoil at such attitudes.

[mead5432]

I absolutely despised putting a small paragraph describing experience along with a blatant list of skills instead favoring working it into bullet points under each job... it felt like fluff.

However, when I did that, I started getting MUCH better response to applications. Having it at the top made it easy to connect my skills to keywords in postings for a recruiter who likely spends, maybe, 30 seconds reviewing a resume.

[patgenzler]

Take exactly what you wrote here, remove the tl;dr and what is this. Go on AngelList, (create a good profile there), go to jobs, select "seed stage". Now, start sending this note to EVERY company. Your note will go to the founders directly.

Install rapportive plugin for gmail (or whatever gets you email addresses). Email those founders REPEATEDLY say every 2 days. Offer to do a free project, ask them to try you out. Don't give up until they say "go away". Silence != no.

One of them will respond.

My friend, resume is bullshit. You want a job? HUSTLE.

Good luck!

[ParameterOne]

You really shouldn't be looking for a job, you should be creating one......It's always best to start at the top of the food chain.

And I like your persistance but this is the wrong place for it. You need to be in the marketplace with that persistance.

[coralreef]

"You really shouldn't be looking for a job, you should be creating one.."

You should expand on that advice, since its so unorthodox.

[ParameterOne]

Well, the quickest way to create a job is to create one for yourself. This can be done many ways but here are two of the simplest. Pick one thing and become an expert at that. It could be as simple as "I only do email signatures....but my email signatures have a 97% click through/conversion rate." It does not need to be profound or exciting but you can then market yourself as THEE guy that does X. And when I want X done I will know that you are my guy and I will most likely tell everyone that has a need for X that you are the guy to call regardless of what you're charging. Specialties usually breed efficiency which will allow you to compete at a higher rate of perceived valuation. It may seem a little scary to pick a specialty but I can tell you that I won't call a plumber for brain surgery and I wont call brain surgeon to fix my motorcycle. There is more work than you think for whatever you choose.

The second way is to find a specialist and create yourself a position as saleman of his specialty. You will then have created two jobs, one for you and one for him. See? Easy! Plus you can start that part time while you are busy perfecting your craft as whatever you want to be in life.

[ddorian43]

Look at my recent history to see a link to my resume. I'm doing ok with it. Something like that and expand more on each job/project what you did (i should too but i'm lazy).

[EugeneFedotov]

Update: I've been reading every post.

[throwmeaway32]

Please link to your new updated resume, I want to make sure we set you up for success.

And if you haven't made a new resume yet then please commit to a date to do that by and tell us....and yes I am pushing you.

[EugeneFedotov]

I am very carefully considering what to do with my resume.

In the past, I paid this guy (https://news.ycombinator.com/user?id=fecak) to make me a resume. I didn't post the link to that version of my resume. He said to do stuff like put my education on top, while people in this thread are saying to put it on the bottom. There are other conflicting points that I'm not going to mention for now. Needless to say, I have to be careful with this; I used to have education on the bottom.

Next, two things happened:

1) One person is giving me his time to help me with improvement. I want to hear his resume advice.

2) I received an invitation to do remote work for food money at a startup, which I agreed to do.

So I don't have any guaranteed date, until I hear back about my resume from the person I'm talking to.

[moondev]

Maybe it's just me, but putting "www" before tlds is not a good look. It seems amateurish