📍Introduction

Hello, hello! Welcome to ✨ Xue’s Tech Resume Fundamentals ✨

<aside> 💡 First things first, there is no one-size-fits-all resume. We all have different experiences and showing impact and conveying value is an iterative process. Expect to get conflicting feedback from different sources. This is because recruiters and other decision makers are people and different people have different preferences!

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<aside> ✅ Check out my other guide: Surviving the Cringe Known as “LinkedIn Networking”

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Philosophy

Most folks struggle with resume writing because they never answer the core question of “Why me?” and “What’s my evidence?”

Your resume should highlight why YOU specifically are the BEST FIT for this SPECIFIC role.

It should not read like a job ad but showcase your technical ability, competency and how you could potentially contribute to the company’s bottom line.

It should express “Yes, I am competent in this role and here is my evidence”.

It should shout “Yes! I am a great person to work with!”

Your resume needs to convince a recruiter/hiring manager that you can do the job AND that they should pick you over everyone else.

Who is this guide for?

• High-school students, college students, early-career professionals, mid-career professionals (less than 10 years of relevant experience)
  • Folks targeting US-based roles
  • Folks targeting technical roles
  • Folks pivoting into the tech industry
  • Folks who have not received a call back despite submitting numerous applications

Why should you listen to me / follow this guide?

• You don’t have to. I’m not an experienced recruiter or hiring manager.
• However, I have helped review 100s of tech resumes.
• When I was applying for jobs, I had close to an 80% response rate with my resume which meant they at least led to a screening call or follow-up email.
  • Note: I did not have a target profile and pivoted into the industry
• I regularly have meetings and conversations with actual experience recruiters in tech to determine the most effective strategies

Quick Links

• What is your rating system?
• What’s your stand on summaries/objectives?
• How do I write better descriptions?

Table of Contents

🌀 The Basics

• Build in Microsoft Word or Google Docs
• Use a sans-serif font for easy readability (e.g. Arial, Verdana)
• Keep it to one page
• 1-column format
• Please, no graphics, no charts, no logos and no unnecessary information

💬 The Building Blocks

Header and Contact Information

• Your full name
• Your target role
  • Many recruiters have told me they love it when candidates include this because it helps keep them organized
• Phone number
• Email
• LinkedIn
• Address (City, State)