4 California Engineering Resume Success Tips
Posted April 23rd, 2014
As a software engineer, writing enticing documents might not be your strongest skillset. You may rock Java, but may not feel able to succinctly write a blog post highlighting your most recent project. This can impact your ability to create one of the most important documents of your career – your résumé.
Many engineers believe that a résumé is not needed – that your skillsets are enough, and that you can make up for a hastily put-together a résumé by “nailing” the interview. However, your a résumé is a phenomenal marketing tool; it is your best chance to even get the interview in the first place.
If you do not have a résumé and are not sure how to begin, here are 4 tips to use:
Make a strong first impression
The top section of your resume is what everyone will read first; therefore, it should pack the strongest punch. Make sure your contact information is at the top of the résumé, and then include an Objective (or Summary) statement that emphasizes your:
- Desired job
- Experience
- Key skills (programming languages, intangible skills)
- Achievements
Employers typically scan résumés today – they simply get too many – so the Objective/Summary statement may be the one and only thing the hiring manager truly reads. Keep this section short but powerful; use no more than 3-4 lines.
Show experience
A hiring manager or recruiter spends only 6 seconds looking at your resume. If you make him read between the lines or guess about your level of experience of skillset, he will throw your résumé away. You need to clearly state your experience…not imply it. List your work history and provide details on what you did – tying in needed skills (from the job description) to your work history. A universal skill to include is “problem solving” skills.
Think About Readability
Again, remember the statistic that recruiters and hiring managers will only spend about 6 seconds reviewing your résumé. This means that they will skim, so make your résumé easy to skim. Use a clear visual hierarchy, and make the information easy to find – avoiding visuals. Use bullets, use actual numbers vs. spelling out the numbers, and do not be scared of white space. Avoid cute symbols. Recruiters know what they are looking for; making them search for it is not a good idea.
Proofread
If writing is not your strong suit, you need to find and correct all grammatical mistakes and spelling errors. Remember, your résumé is your best marketing tool, and first impressions are important. Errors tell people that you are not thorough…something you cannot afford to be associated with. So not trust spellcheck software to catch everything – proofread. After you are done, show your résumé to someone you feel has strong writing skills to make sure that everything reads fine.
If you are looking for your next, best engineering job, contact us at Bayside Solutions. If you are looking for employment agencies in Pleasanton, contact our team today.
