Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by OldCoder 4469 days ago
A targeted resume, intended to present me as a specialist in Linux, would zoom in and do precisely this.

However, if I tried to add this level of detail to everything on the resume at once, I'd end up with dozens of pages. Remember that I've done hundreds of projects.

In the 1990s, I tried to produce a complete resume. The result was a short novel :P I'm kidding, but it did take me years to get the thing down to a single page.
2 comments
garrettgrimsley 4469 days ago
The point is that you should be highlighting your Linux skills for a company that is seeking someone with Linux capabilities.

Applying to a Java shop? Same deal, highlight your Java capabilites and projects. Instead, you are highlighting nothing.

Another issue is that you have been out of work for a long time. I can't find a reference right now, but being out of work reflects poorly on you.

Perhaps you could fill that period in with "Freelancing?"

link
jt2190 4469 days ago 

  > However, if I tried to add this level of detail to 
  > everything on the resume at once, I'd end up with dozens 
  > of pages...
If we saw a function in a program that was twelve pages long, we'd think there was a problem: The code is trying to do too many things at once.

Resumes are a bit trickier because they have several purposes these days:

    1. It lets the hiring manager *quickly* scan the resume
       to see if it's a good fit for 
       an *already open* position.
    2. It lets the recruiter/HR database index all of 
       the keywords for future candidate searches.
    3. It lets hiring manager use it as a template 
       for *creating* a job description to give to the 
       HR manager that they've already selected 
       the candidate to fill.
Note that (1) and (2) presume that you're applying for a job the traditional, ineffective way. (3) presumes that you've actually had a face-to-face conversation with the hiring manager, have convinced them that you can help out, and left them with a copy of your resume as a courtesy. You definitely want to be doing (3). (There are many, many books and articles on how to tap into the "hidden" job market that will help you with (3).)
link