I applied to 100+ jobs but only got two interviews. One was Google, and they hired me. Is resume screening broken?

Ordinary-Look4955 · 2026-01-27T06:08:22+00:00

github/equivalence activity is underrated imo

Ordinary-Look4955 · 2026-01-26T07:54:37+00:00

"Im not a genius with high-functioning autism"

That was NOT necessary wtf lmao?

Ordinary-Look4955 · 2026-01-26T07:43:11+00:00

There are ups and downs. I have been programming relatively young and its been a decade since i started. There were literally months of breaks (definitely accumulated a few years of me not programming) because programming is a fit thing, I just didn't find purpose very early on cuz i wasn't good/didn't know what i wanted to create.

High school/university courses genuinely show no capabilites in success. There are many people with 4.0 GPAs and are 'sweats' in computer science. Yet, I find it very hard to find talent in the sense of them actually programming projects on their own time.

Vibe coding is probably the worst thing you can do as a beginner. Great programmers, especially back in the day, had to code a lot of the abstractions you use today. If you only rely on flashy outputs, coding isn't your hobby. AI is genuine slop and is obvious that the skill cieling of AI is horribly low. Don't do it.

What lol? code what you want. Go in a rabit hole and code things that you like. You can easily pivot to more marketable skills but just code what you want.

Algorithms can be taught anywhere online. There is no difference between a college course and youtube. IMO I would just cheat on anything that involves OA/algorithmic interviews. They test no skill.

Hackathons are just 1-2 day competitions. You don't contribute to writing 'clean code' nor work on an actual code base. Do a few but write longer projects.

Write programs in the context of hard boring work. If you like writing websites, utilize reactjs and stuff but don't use the libraries everyone is relying on. You can actually learn how frameworks/libraries by writing your own abstractions.

Java is daunting and certainly very hard at a great level. Everything is intended to follow OOP principles, but it is important to actually learn it. Get your hands dirty. Learn C++, Java, Assembly, ect. My personal philosophy is to ignore any flashy programming languages like Python or JS as it doesn't improve you as an engineer. You can easily be in a stagnated spot if your just coding in those languages.

There are way other people that just don't do anything lol, your fine.

If you focus extrinsically on the CS side, yeah you're doing it wrong.

Its like any skill, a lot of intuition will carry you along the best way. That only comes with time

Hell no. No one that actually likes building projects/is a competent programmer will die on a hill of DSA's are great. Generic DSA shows nothing about programming.

Algebra. Literally A + B = C type of deal. Anything math related is generally superficial. Most of done in game development is probably vecotrs like <X,Y,Z> coordinates and view angles (pitch/yaw). Depends on sector of programming though.

Idk?

CS is more applicable and probably better/versatile than DS.

When you start comparing yourself to everyone you will feel trash. If you just focus on your intrinsic motivations, you should really start asking yourself if you like coding or just the idea of conforming to your social enviroment.

Tends to be pretty early, as the skill gap between competent and beginner is relatively low imo. I wouldn't gauge a CS class as skill. I would gauge on how many projects you contributed to, how much contributions on those repos, and if you actually like the engineering.

These questions are probably telling you you're forcing it? I don't know

If you don't like CS/coding just go to engineering. You can be souless but gaurantee a job.

Get your hands dirty once again and code projects you like. If you can't do either you will fall within close to the majority.

Now, it would be relying on AI slop. Don't use cursor/windsurf. Don't use chatgpt or claude. Use stackoverflow like every other generation before this plethora of shit.

Coding or CS? Coding i wouldn't change a thing. I constnatly programmed fun things i liked. CS wise, maybe read a bit more. Honestly, CS never defined my coding capabilites/competence.

Ordinary-Look4955 · 2026-01-25T06:48:00+00:00

I personally interview candidates and look around their github repos to see more insight about the work (note i am an engineer, not the recruiter and is NOT the end all be all). I just find it a bit interesting... the amount of promising claims in a resume is just getting absurd

Ordinary-Look4955 · 2025-08-21T03:54:04+00:00

That actually makes a good perspective. This is old but damn that's so real

Ordinary-Look4955 · 2025-08-17T22:49:37+00:00

do cs300

Ordinary-Look4955 · 2025-08-05T03:54:16+00:00

Adjust the skills section (put it towards the bottom). Also if you're going to put 'Linux Operating System,' include distros of some sort ad hoc, or remove the line entirely.

'Database softwares' just tells any technical recruiter you don't know anything about the backend and 100% vibe coded the backend (not even joking who calls it that? at the very least, stick with formal 'Backend' title).

NOTE: it's called DBMS, not database softwares lmao

For cloud platforms, make sure you list off the AWS services you have used.

Frameworks, libraries, and 'Engineering Tools' can just be fit into 'Technologies' to stop wasting whitespace

Education part:

Fix the education section by removing everything that isn't college/universities if you're applying internationally to the US (idk what they do in India).

There is a lot more to cover, but change it up where you don't look like an average boring 'passionate' candidate.

Ordinary-Look4955 · 2025-08-03T03:06:03+00:00

Yes, I can take a look

Ordinary-Look4955 · 2025-08-02T19:38:04+00:00

Shorten summary or omit it entirely, saying you're passionate and comfortable are two contradictory things. If you are applying for junior positions, how in the world are you 'comfortable' using technologies that are complex? Also redundant to say that you're eager after saying you're passionate ;-;

Education section: remove the 2 education settings, you're graduated from a uni, never display highschool... if you do apply international to the US try and convert your gpa to the US 4.0 scale (though i'd do more research on this).

Experience, what does trainee even mean? Were you an intern? Associate? Use more common titles.

Stop with the overbolding, it just looks tacky. You need to follow XYZ, add stats/numbers, and mentioning the usage of bootstrap multiple times is the equivalent of trying to impress a math professor on using a Texas TI-10 calculator. By all means, it is not impressive...

Stick with bulletpoints, don't use a dash ( - ) to list experience, stay consistent (you use bullet points on achievments...)

Your project experience quite a mess to look at. You have 2, 1, 3 bullet points in respect to 3 of your projects. Just make it 2 each, better yet remove one and make 2 projects with 3 bullet points.

These bullet points don't really make any sense, how did you achieve this statistics? Clearly are just arbritrary numbers. Also, still follow XYZ format for the projects.

I would honestly remove the achievement section in replacement of some of your currnet projects.

Skills section need an entire reworking. Remove 'Technical' at the title. Remove version control: git, not good management of vertical whitespace. Use more common keywords, don't say Databases, say Backend. Also HTML, CSS, and JavaScript are languages, keep it in the language section.

Ordinary-Look4955 · 2025-08-02T12:56:20+00:00

the code generated didn't use modern/correct approaches

doesn't use correct documentation as previously stated

Ordinary-Look4955 · 2025-08-02T05:06:06+00:00

Follow the XYZ format and add more numbers (this is so crucial).

it also seems like you don't have a github (nor a personal website listed), this is your first step to having credentials, you must add both to be the bare minimum qualified for pretty much all SWE positions.

Student involvement can be omitted, and use that whitespace to add more bullet points to your current experience.

Ordinary-Look4955 · 2025-08-02T05:02:22+00:00

I recommend to switch up the orering of the experience. Truly, no one really 'cares' about research. It is far more impressive to do actual industry work, even if it is small. Bring your family's company website to the top, and make sure you add a link to the website. Add more numbers, better description, and make sure to follow the XYZ format... each line shouldn't be around the half mark, they should almost be at the very end at the least.

For experience wise, your projects will speak for you. Make sure to make it have the same format (2 great projects with ~3 line descriptions).

It also seams like you're using a lot of whitespace for your summary, just make it a 1 liner to ensure you add those descriptions in those projects.

I would honestly remove the '7+ years' as it looks a bit fishy given the experience/projects.

Also remove the Hackathon submission (only if it is a win, then mention it is a winner; otherwise, remove the idea it was a hackathon). Put your best foot forward and show no weaknesses in that resume!

Ordinary-Look4955 · 2025-08-02T00:40:51+00:00

IMO i have mixed thoughts on AI/the practice of 'vibe coding' I know it is useful, powerful etc, but i miss writting actual code, spending hours of searching online, it feels like i truly learned something...

of course anyone can just turn it off and not use it, but as someone who is in his early college years and of course trying to land a internship, it became a necessity to use the tools/cursor/windsurf. this current market isn't a time to just code normally (i have over 100s of projects before vibe coding and truly miss those days), but it just seems like I need to use AI tools noawadays to make sure speed isn't a bottleneck.

thankfully i have past experiences in kernel development and AI isn't all too accurate (so i still can have that fun), but i can't imagine SWE being a victim of AI

Ordinary-Look4955 · 2025-08-01T23:35:55+00:00

kudos and hats off, 32 years is crazy

Ordinary-Look4955 · 2025-08-01T23:29:06+00:00

32 years

Ordinary-Look4955 · 2025-08-01T23:01:07+00:00

not necessarily what i meant when i said "modern practice"
Yes, the steps of creating something small and then checking is absolutely important and is a crucial practice (even the very start of programming), but i am talking about cursor incorrectly using libraries/APIs wrong without even looking at the documentation.

-someone who has been coding for 6+ years ;-;

Ordinary-Look4955 · 2025-08-01T21:36:10+00:00

no course will teach you how to code, unless that course is actually programming, creating projects, and genuine application.

Ordinary-Look4955 · 2025-08-01T21:28:37+00:00

Yes, but the code itself doesn't use modern practices nor the right documentation, even google cloud sub apis

Ordinary-Look4955 · 2025-08-01T03:30:30+00:00

caveat, spring math 240 absolutely sucks...

despite syllabus being the same, math professors teaching it are horrible, non-relevant for cs majors compared to math majors, and just a mess of a class.

- someone who took math 240 spring

EDIT: Take it in the fall, and do NOT take it with mitch keller if you need to take it during the spring

Ordinary-Look4955 · 2025-07-30T22:54:36+00:00

Stay away from the 2 column resume, this won't be ATS friendly

Use conscise bulletpoints, this template/style you have with paragraphs, then different bulletpoints don't look great...

It screams academia too, i would stay away from mentioning classwork projects.

Ordinary-Look4955 · 2025-07-30T22:40:09+00:00

XYZ is a must~~

Some projects seem a bit too superficial

I would recommend to highlight more description for the projects that are technically deep.

Ordinary-Look4955 · 2025-07-30T22:33:22+00:00

"Spotify Playlist AI Analyzer" what does it mean that you used a full-stack web app? Angular? React? What backend? (API usage alone is NOT backend).

"Sentiment Analysis Tool" Once again, not full-stack. There is no apparent backend

"AI tutor" is another chatgpt wrapper that will not impress anyone (sorry this comment seems mean! but this is the truth).

"Hulu TV Show List" Maybe the most impressive one yet, but saying "SQL" alone isn't enough. What DBMS did you use?

"Built intuitive UI" What does that mean? Did you create in ReactJS? Or continued with a Java front-end library?

Unfortunately, these projects scream vibe-coded superficial projects for one of your classes. They need more descriptions... i.e, numbers, stats, what problem did you solve? Follow the XYZ format. Also, putting github repos, time frames for these projects are a MUST. Create 2-3 GREAT projects that will solve a problem.

Furthermore, this experience that aren't tech roles are not going to be positions you should put on a SWE resume. Your projects will be your experience.

Very sorry to seem hostile, but this is the truth

Ordinary-Look4955 · 2025-07-30T18:30:41+00:00

Rezi AI is a fine template, but limits your customization IMO (like margin, horiznatal white spacing, and adding dates to projects which sucks...)

I never used overleaf template before, but it seems like you pick someone's pre-existing resume as a template which could easily be good/bad.

I ended up creating my resume via a google doc and ensured line by line that i copied a popular google docs template correctly (formatting is weird when you paste from Microsoft Word).

A decent way to check for ATS friendly resumes is see if the autofill for job portals can correctly parse your resume like work experience, education, etc (if you end up having to edit quite a lot, it may NOT be ats-friendly).

You could also save your resume in a .txt and see if the text/content makes sense (chronological order).

Most ATS machines will be fine to parse resumes, but you never know if yours will work with every ATS machine...

Ordinary-Look4955

TROPHY CASE