To sign up for our daily email newsletter, CLICK HERE
As a programmer, you need to keep yourself up to date with the latest programming tools and technologies to improve your job prospects.
Likewise, you need to update your resume according to the needs of the organization that you are applying to. Further, your resume should help you stand out so the recruiters recognize you as the most suitable applicant. And , of course, you should do a careful online grammar check to make sure your resume is ready to be presented.
Additionally, you should list programming projects on your resume to showcase that you have the required skills and have a great passion and commitment to your craft.
Here are 5 tips that will help you curate the perfect programmer resume:
1. Use your name to frame your resume header
Make your presence be felt by making your resume stand out among every other average resume.
Your name is the best resume header because it gives a unique identity to your resume and also makes it easier for the recruiters to keep track of your job application.
In case you have a middle name, write the initial of your middle name followed by a period and simply place it between your first and the last name.
Example: Write Jamie Holt Courtney as Jamie H. Courtney.
Avoid writing ‘Resume’ or ‘CV’ because there is no point mentioning the obvious of what you are curating.
2. Mention only the accurate Profile Title
Your profile title is the identity of your professional status so make sure to frame it accurately.
Do not exaggerate while framing your profile title because it will pass as deliberately lying to the recruiters and it may jeopardize your job application.
The profile titles are used to signify your professional role and make the recruiters recognize your value as a potential candidate for the job profile that you are applying for.
It can communicate the level of your professional status to specify your seniority in your career which can affect the shortlisting of your resume.
Example: If you are a senior in your profession then write your profile title as, ‘Senior Programmer’.
3. Frame your Professional Experience section effectively
Forget about lengthy paragraphs that can make your professional experience statements look bulky and may fail to intrigue the recruiters.
Use bullet points and frame one-liner points to write clear professional experience statements.
Also, create unique buckets and list all the similar points under the relevant headings. Doing so will make it easier for you to organize your one-liners and for the recruiters to read and comprehend your points.
Start every point with power verbs to make it impactful. Bold your professional achievements and contributions to specify the highlights of your career for the recruiters to recognize your potential as an efficient programmer.
Try to provide the figures of numbers in your one-liners to specify the extent of your achievements and contributions to an organization.
Example:
Project Meetings, Coordination & Testing
*Reviewed 2+ test results in a day and directed a team of 10 engineers for further development
*Conducted ~4 project meetings weekly to map strategies in consultation with the technical staff & subject matter experts
To frame your professional experience statements as shown in the example above, you can refer to the action-oriented accomplishment statements espoused by Princeton University.
4. Highlight your skills in the Key Skills section
You have 6 seconds to make the recruiters recognize you as a suitable applicant for the programmer job profile that you are applying to so make the best use of this time to raise your chances at a shortlist.
Scan through your professional experience section and pick the most significant skills that have been justified in your one-liners and place them in your key skills section.
Try and use the keywords used by the recruiters in the job description of the targeted job profile to rank high on the ATS (Applicant Tracking System).
Do not write phrases in your key skill section but simply stick to framing your core skills on resume.
5. Provide the required Personal Information
Before you give out any personal details, go through the hiring guidelines of the organization that you are applying to for a job.
Ideally, your contact number, current location and email address on resume will suffice.
The recruiters may want to interview you over the phone or need verbal confirmation for any official meetings for which you need to provide your active contact number.
Your email address should have your real name, so make sure to give out only the official email ID for the recruiters to get in touch with you,
If you are looking for a job outside your country then write your state and country as your current location, else write your city and state.
In countries like the US, you are not allowed to mention your gender, religion, etc. to avoid biased hiring but in the Mid-east it is required for you to give the details of your nationality, date of birth, etc. Our point being, check the requirements of the country where you are applying for a job.
Make sure to provide only the required details and avoid mentioning unnecessary details.
Conclusion
We have come to the end of our article. Make sure to use all the 5 tips to curate a flawless Programmer resume.
Remember the key takeaways given below:
*Use your name to write the resume header.
*Do not exaggerate your profile title.
*Frame your professional experience in one-liners under unique buckets.
*Highlight your key skills to rank high on the ATS.
*Provide only the required details of your information.
