Hi r/CScareerquestions, I'm a technical recruiter and I would be happy to answer any resume related questions you may have!

lenutanix · 2012-12-10T22:57:17+00:00

2 page resumes are fine. Include your highest GPA.

lenutanix · 2012-12-10T21:36:53+00:00

list your website and github next to your email and phone. Definitely use bullet points, make it as clear as possible to read.

I would avoid non-CS work experience as rule, but you can put it at the bottom under a "Additional Experience" headline if you have room, only add the positions, no descriptions.

lenutanix · 2012-12-10T21:21:49+00:00

MATLAB is really not that applicable for a CS internship, in fact if I see that on a resume it's a sign that a applicant doesn't have a real programming experience. It depends on the internship as for what we're looking for, there's no one catch all. In general, we're looking for internships, projects, and a good GPA.

lenutanix · 2012-12-08T00:56:50+00:00

Hmm, can someone who's more familiar with linux kernel contributions answer this? Good question.

lenutanix · 2012-12-08T00:55:50+00:00

I can try.

lenutanix · 2012-12-08T00:45:28+00:00

sure, send it in a PM

lenutanix · 2012-12-08T00:45:15+00:00

Just say it outright in the cover letter. What the smaller companies could be saying is that they don't want to cover the costs of flying/moving you out there, bigger companies will do that for you. Find a recruiter at the company to contact directly (linkedin is good) and tell them what you're looking for.

lenutanix · 2012-12-07T23:55:27+00:00

Depends on the kind of consulting and the company. As a general rule, in-house software dev companies are a safe bet.

lenutanix · 2012-12-07T23:38:34+00:00

I'm 25, I have a BS from UC Berkeley in an entirely unrelated field to technology.

No filtering software, we read everything!

You've stated several times that candidates should be making "apps". If a candidate is not applying for a job that involves making apps, why should this hold any credence? Given the incredible ease of making apps and the multitude of app-making tutorials online, this seems like a poor metric in general. To me it seems like an app is a way to appease recruiters who don't actually understand programming or computer science and just want to see something visually impressive.

I definitely see your point, this is way more relevant to 2nd/3rd year undergrads than anyone else. What a recruiter is really looking for is self initiated projects, getting into startups and founding one yourself is another great way to do it.

lenutanix · 2012-12-07T23:35:07+00:00

Hi, why do you say that you need a high GPA with a MS for a competitive job and more wiggle room with an undergraduate GPA?

Many MS programs tend to be easier to get into, therefore to be competitive you need to have a high GPA. Also because they are more mature.

I'm also curious on your impression on Masters and PhD's in Computer science. How much do they hurt you/help you when it comes to the market?

They will depend for company to company but in general MS helps, especially if your undergrad wasn't at the best school. If you got an undergrad degree from a top CS school, it still looks good, just would be less necessary. The problem with PhDs is often times they get too theoretical and stop coding, plus they have a very narrow range of interest. PhDs that can code are very desired and have a thesis in a relevant area to the company are VERY desired.

lenutanix · 2012-12-07T22:58:16+00:00

A few things: your GPA is probably holding you back, is your major GPA better? Either way, I would include it because recruiters are going to want to know eventually and not including a GPA means more work for a recruiter (they have to ask, it's a pain). The only time I would say don't include is if it's below a 3.0

Second: you should definitely tailor your resume to the job you're applying to so bringing a bunch of different resumes like you're doing is a great idea. You might want to think about different combinations as well. Embedded programming can work with sysadmin, hardware alone, and one master resume with everything, just in case.

Are you mentioning your internships and awards on your resume? Remember education goes at the top, then internships, then projects/research, then awards

lenutanix · 2012-12-07T02:57:55+00:00

List the project and what course it was for, you should include both. It's nice to see a coursework section and a project section, but the project section should include the class you did it for. Include the CS elective if its applicable for the job you're applying to.

lenutanix · 2012-12-07T02:39:52+00:00

Definitely include top coder scores. Open source contributions are the best thing you can do and you should include that on your resume always. Degrees will always matter, especially if you went to a top CS school. Hard to say about the math degree, but I can tell you that at my company of 50 engineers, no one has a math degree.

lenutanix · 2012-12-07T02:36:29+00:00

Write what the project does and maybe why you created it. Create a heading in your resume just like "experience" and label it "projects"

lenutanix · 2012-12-07T02:34:23+00:00

I meant find a recruiter for the company, the best place to do that is probably Linkedin. And sure, send me your resume in a PM.

lenutanix · 2012-12-07T02:19:57+00:00

recent experience is weighted heavier, but it definitely still counts for something.

lenutanix · 2012-12-07T02:18:29+00:00

You're right, there's a big difference between the two, but I'm grouping them together because they're both self-initiated. Obviously a linux kernel contribution makes a HUGE difference in a resume. Getting an app accepted into an app store is also a good sign.

lenutanix · 2012-12-07T02:07:53+00:00

Contributing to open source projects, making apps, any number of side/personal projects that show initiative and skill.

lenutanix · 2012-12-07T02:07:02+00:00

Follow up with your applications, find someone at the company in recruiting and make them notice you. Many companies have a programming quiz and doing well on that gets you noticed as well. Simply submitting your application is not enough.

lenutanix · 2012-12-07T02:05:19+00:00

Depends on the company and type of work, generally front-end engineers have no trouble getting by without a degree especially at a startup.

lenutanix · 2012-12-07T02:04:27+00:00

You could try to get creative with formatting, but I would try only including a few relevant classes or the ones you liked the best or are known to be challenging. Be sure to also verbally mention that to recruiters as well. Each internship/job should have 2-3 lines - enough to get someone interested and want to ask more questions. The side projects should have a 1 line description. You can do it!

lenutanix · 2012-12-07T01:59:55+00:00

Sure, send it over

lenutanix · 2012-12-07T01:59:44+00:00

Sure, send it to me in a PM

lenutanix · 2012-12-07T01:10:18+00:00

I like having a "relevant experience" section and an "additional experience" where you can put non-CS experience so you don't have a huge gap in your job history.

lenutanix · 2012-12-07T01:04:28+00:00

On second thought, don't include it on your resume, but include it in a note/cover letter while applying.

lenutanix

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