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How to Create a Great Resume πŸ“‹
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How to Create a Great Resume πŸ“‹

What to write, how to write it, a review of all the sections, useful tools, and my very own resume!

Luca Rossi's avatar
Luca Rossi
Mar 16, 2023
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How to Create a Great Resume πŸ“‹
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Because of layoffs and uncertainty, I have several friends who are on the market right now.

I speak with them often, and sometimes they send me their resumes for feedback β€” which, of course, I am happy to give.

In my career I have seen thousands of resumes. I started hiring engineers about 10 years ago, when I was a 24-ish CTO, and I stopped just last year, when I went full-time on Refactoring.

So, I have opinions.

The goal of your resume is to get you to the first interview call, which is likely the screening. Then, of course, it’s on you β€” but a good CV can easily bring you 3x the interviews than a mediocre one.

I know otherwise formidable engineers whose CVs are a complete disaster. I would have passed on them, which is a tragedy.

The goal of your resume is to get you to the screening.

In this article I will tell you my exact thought process when going through a CV as a hiring manager. I will cover the main sections, comment on their usefulness, and give my advice on how to write them.

I will also include my own CV at the endβ€”created for the occasionβ€”that you can use as a template.

So here is what we will cover:

  • 🎨 Format β€” length and structure.

  • βœ‰οΈ Cover letter β€” is it that useful?

  • πŸ“‹ Personal summary β€” your short bio.

  • πŸ–ΌοΈ Picture β€” should you include it or not?

  • πŸ’Ό Work experience β€” the heart of your CV.

  • πŸŽ“ Education β€” does your degree matter?

  • πŸ’» Skills β€” how you should list your tech chops.

  • πŸ“£ Testimonials β€” people who can speak highly of you.

  • πŸ•ΉοΈ Side projects β€” blogs, open source contributions, and your garage band.

  • πŸ“ƒ My Resume β€” which you can use as a template.

  • πŸ“š Resources β€” the best readings to learn more.

Let’s dive in!

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