From 2dd84b3a460f620e620368e1cd7cd0be1601d026 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Yangshun Date: Wed, 2 Feb 2022 15:10:32 +0800 Subject: [PATCH] contents: entirely redo resume section --- contents/resume/ats-proof-template.md | 66 ++++++++ contents/resume/final-tips.md | 27 +++ .../resume/free-tools-to-review-resume.md | 36 ++++ contents/resume/guide.md | 29 ++++ contents/resume/optimize-resume.md | 71 ++++++++ contents/resume/write-effective-content.md | 158 ++++++++++++++++++ website/docusaurus.config.js | 2 +- website/sidebars.js | 11 +- website/src/pages/index.js | 7 +- 9 files changed, 396 insertions(+), 11 deletions(-) create mode 100644 contents/resume/ats-proof-template.md create mode 100644 contents/resume/final-tips.md create mode 100644 contents/resume/free-tools-to-review-resume.md create mode 100644 contents/resume/guide.md create mode 100644 contents/resume/optimize-resume.md create mode 100644 contents/resume/write-effective-content.md diff --git a/contents/resume/ats-proof-template.md b/contents/resume/ats-proof-template.md new file mode 100644 index 00000000..729275a2 --- /dev/null +++ b/contents/resume/ats-proof-template.md @@ -0,0 +1,66 @@ +--- +id: ats-proof-template +title: Set up your ATS-proof resume template +description: Learn how to create an ATS-proof resume for FAANG software engineer roles +keywords: + [ + FAANG, + software engineering resume, + step-by-step resume guide, + software engineer resume, + FAANG software engineer resume, + ATS, + ATS readability, + ATS proof template, + ] +--- + +Most companies these days automate their resume screening process through Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). 75% of resumes sent to top companies are never seen by human eyes. Always ensure your resume is easily readable by an ATS to maximize job opportunities throughout your career. + +## Use Microsoft Word or Google Docs to create and edit your resume + +**Do's** + +- Submit your resume as a PDF file to preserve formatting, but always create it from Microsoft Word or Google Docs. It is important to ensure that the text in your resume is easily highlightable, which is a precondition for easy parsing. +- ATS tools are always trying to improve their readability of standard resume formats - hence the more commonplace your resume format is, the better. +- To maximize space on your resume, rather than using header or footers, reduce the margins of the page. + +**Don'ts** + +- Do not use Photoshop, other graphic design tools or online resume builders to build your resume +- Try not to use multi-column formats +- Do not use the header or footer sections in a Word/Google Docs file + +:::tip + +Use the standard resume template provided by Microsoft Word or Google Docs. I personally use Google Docs to create my resume as I can easily share it with peers for getting feedback and it has the convenience of being stored in the cloud. + +::: + +## Use a standard font of readable size + +New fonts may convert letters into special characters which are not readable by the ATS. Fonts you should use - Arial, Calibri, Garamond, Helvetica, Roboto. + +Ensure your font size remains readable for humans later on in the hiring process - nothing less than the minimum size of **11px** for readability. + +## Use sections with standard headings and ordering + +ATS readers need to identify and parse standard types of information from your resume. Using standard header titles and ordering can help them do that better. + +This is the order which has worked well for me and recommended by recruiters: + +| Section | Heading Name | +| --- | --- | +| Contact information | (No need for section heading) | +| Professional summary | (Use resume headline as section title, for e.g. "Senior Software Engineer at Google with over 5 years experience leading teams") | +| Skills - programming languages, frameworks, etc. | "Skills" | +| Experience | "Work Experience" | +| Education (Note: if you are still in school, put Education first) | "Education" | +| Projects | "Projects" | +| Other optional sections - e.g. Certifications, Awards, etc | "Awards and Accolades" / "Certifications" / "Awards, Accolades and Certifications" | + +:::caution + +Never add symbols to your headers to avoid ATS readability issues. + +::: diff --git a/contents/resume/final-tips.md b/contents/resume/final-tips.md new file mode 100644 index 00000000..8a0b02c1 --- /dev/null +++ b/contents/resume/final-tips.md @@ -0,0 +1,27 @@ +--- +id: final-tips +title: Final resume tips +description: Final tips for writing your FAANG software engineering resume +keywords: + [ + FAANG, + software engineering resume, + step-by-step resume guide, + software engineer resume, + FAANG software engineer resume, + tips, + ] +sidebar_label: Final tips +--- + +## Do not take job application forms lightly + +If the company you are applying for requires you to fill in the "Work Experience" and "Education" sections into their own form, do not take it lightly! Most of the time, these are internal HR applications which help parse job applications and filter out candidates from the information provided. In fact, it is possible that your resume is never seen by the recruiter or hiring manager - only the information that you fill up in their forms! + +## Do not apply to many jobs at the same company + +The ATS also allows recruiters to see all the roles you have applied to at their company. Try not to apply to too many jobs as a recruiter wouldn't be able to tell if you're actually interested in or if you're self-aware about your abilities. E.g. applying for a Software Engineer and a Data Scientist role at the same company is not a good idea. + +--- + +And that is it from me in terms of resume preparation - hope this helps! If you have any other tips you would like to share with others on Tech Interview Handbook, do reach out to me at contact@techinterviewhandbook.org or create a new [GitHub discussion item](https://github.com/yangshun/tech-interview-handbook/discussions). diff --git a/contents/resume/free-tools-to-review-resume.md b/contents/resume/free-tools-to-review-resume.md new file mode 100644 index 00000000..ae1fe620 --- /dev/null +++ b/contents/resume/free-tools-to-review-resume.md @@ -0,0 +1,36 @@ +--- +id: free-tools-to-review-resume +title: Free tools to review your resume +description: Learn how to test and review your resume for FAANG software engineer roles +keywords: + [ + FAANG, + software engineering resume, + step-by-step resume guide, + software engineer resume, + FAANG software engineer resume, + test, + ATS, + ATS readability test, + free resume review, + free resume testing, + ] +--- + +I recommend using all of these free tools to optimize your resume: + +### Free resume review by professional resume writers + +TopResume provides a [free all-in-one review](https://tidd.ly/3GxVIs9) of your resume - where their professional resume writers will provide feedback on your style and organization, writing and mechanics, as well as a free ATS readability analysis, where you can view a sample output of how an industry-standard ATS would interpret your experience and skills. Highly recommended to try this out! + +### Test readability with industry-standard ATS + +Test the readability of your resume by an industry-standard ATS (Lever) using this [free resume parser tool](https://resume-parser.vercel.app/). Companies that use Lever for job apps include: Figma, Palantir, Netflix, Twitch, Yelp and several others. + +### The plain text file test + +Simply copy the content from your resume and paste it into a plain text document! Make edits if: + +- There are points missing from your original resume +- Characters are displaying incorrectly in plain text +- Sections are disorganized diff --git a/contents/resume/guide.md b/contents/resume/guide.md new file mode 100644 index 00000000..22bf3201 --- /dev/null +++ b/contents/resume/guide.md @@ -0,0 +1,29 @@ +--- +id: guide +title: Step-by-step resume guide +description: No nonsense, step-by-step guide for writing your resume for FAANG software engineering roles +keywords: + [ + FAANG, + software engineering resume, + step-by-step resume guide, + software engineer resume, + FAANG software engineer resume, + ] +--- + +Have you ever encountered mysteriously never getting shortlisted for positions at certain companies despite having strong relevant experience in your resume? + +This guide helps you prevent that and improve your chances of getting shortlisted for software engineering jobs. + +From my experience as a FAANG interviewer as well as my discussions with countless recruiters, I have collated a very concise, no-bullshit summary of the exact steps you need to prepare your resume for a FAANG software engineering job application. + + + +:::tip + +If you are running low on time, I recommend [TopResume's Resume Writing Service](https://tidd.ly/3oezgOo), which has helped countless software engineers I know get interviews at FAANG. + +TopResume's also offers a [free resume screening](https://tidd.ly/3GxVIs9) service that you can use to quickly get tips on improving your resume from professional resume writers. + +::: diff --git a/contents/resume/optimize-resume.md b/contents/resume/optimize-resume.md new file mode 100644 index 00000000..06aa05f6 --- /dev/null +++ b/contents/resume/optimize-resume.md @@ -0,0 +1,71 @@ +--- +id: optimize-resume +title: Optimize your resume +description: Learn how to effectively optimize your resume for FAANG software engineer roles +keywords: + [ + FAANG, + software engineering resume, + step-by-step resume guide, + software engineer resume, + FAANG software engineer resume, + keyword optimization, + ATS, + ATS proof, + job description, + ] +toc_max_heading_level: 2 +--- + +With the basic resume up, we can next try to optimize the resume content. Here are two must-haves to optimize your content: + +## 1. Less is more + +**Do's** + +- Including more points of "average" achievements in your resume is worse than just minimizing to a few points of your best achievements to better highlight them +- Use only 1 page for your resume + +**Don'ts** + +- Do not list all your achievements just to showcase a greater quantity without filtering + +## 2. Keyword optimization + +Imagine you are a hiring manager or recruiter screening a resume while juggling many other tasks in your job - you simply won't have much time on each resume! When a hiring manager is looking at any resume, they are in fact quickly scanning for keywords of skills or experiences that they value, before paying any additional attention to your resume. + +Recruiters and ATS do that as well, but based on the job description (JD) that the hiring manager helped to write. That is why optimizing your resume based on JDs is very important. + +:::info + +Some ATS will determine the strength of your skills based on the frequency of a keyword in your resume, and others assign an estimated amount of experience for a skill based on its placement in your resume. + +For instance, if your previous job experience was 3 years long and you mentioned handling Search engine marketing (SEM), the ATS will assume 5 years of SEM experience. + +::: + +### Include keywords from JDs into your resume + +You should always analyze the job description for must-have and good-to-have skills or experiences and ensure the keywords are added to your resume. + +Include them under the "Core Competencies" or "Areas of Expertise" section and pepper the same keywords into the "Work Experience" and "Education" sections. Be sure to closely imitate the language within the JD. + +Remember to include common abbreviations as well e.g. "SEM" - Search engine marketing + +However, do not do keyword stuffing for the sake of it - always remember that the resume will be read by a recruiter or hiring manager eventually. + +### Optimize keyword frequency and placement + +Analyze the JD and determine how important each skill and experience is, then optimize the frequency of the keyword according to its importance. + +:::tip + +While optimizing for every application is ideal, you can generalize your resume to a type of position. + +- First, collate 3 to 5 job descriptions for that position +- Then, copy and paste them into a .txt file and upload it into a free word and phrase frequency tool like Online-Utility.org's [Text Analyzer](https://www.online-utility.org/text/analyzer.jsp) to identify regularly used keywords +- Incorporate skills and experiences that you have into the resume + +::: + + diff --git a/contents/resume/write-effective-content.md b/contents/resume/write-effective-content.md new file mode 100644 index 00000000..1925e87a --- /dev/null +++ b/contents/resume/write-effective-content.md @@ -0,0 +1,158 @@ +--- +id: write-effective-content +title: Write effective resume content +description: Learn how to effectively write your resume for FAANG software engineer roles +keywords: + [ + FAANG, + software engineering resume, + step-by-step resume guide, + software engineer resume, + FAANG software engineer resume, + professional summary, + skills, + work experience, + education, + awards, + ] +toc_max_heading_level: 2 +--- + +Next, fill up your template! + +It is daunting to start on a fresh slate, so I recommend you always start by making a laundry list of bullet points under each section, then optimizing it accordingly. This prevents excessive attention placed on premature optimization. + +**Do's for ATS readability** + +- If a divider is required between information, use "|" (pipe character) or tabs +- Use simple bullet points + +**Don'ts for ATS readability** + +- Do not use images, pictures or diagrams +- Do not use tables + +:::tip + +To maximize efficiency in applying for several job types, create and keep updated a "Master resume" which you basically use to maintain an exhaustive list of all points under every section of your resume. When applying for each job, you can make a copy of the Master and eliminate or optimize points as necessary. + +::: + +## Contact information + +### Must-haves + +- Name +- Personal phone number + - Never include your work phone number here +- Location - City, State, Zip + - Just enough for recruiters to determine if you are a local or international candidate +- Email address + - Never include your work email here + - I recommend Gmail if you are using other email services +- LinkedIn profile + +### Good-to-haves + +- GitHub profile URL +- Personal website URL +- Stack Overflow profile URL +- Medium profile URL +- Competitive coding profile + - Codechef + - Hackerrank + +Where relevant, indicate achievements in coding platforms, for example, max ratings, ranking, number of stars, badges. + +## Professional summary + +The professional summary, if written well, will be the most effective and important part of your resume. From my experience as an interviewer, I generally may not have the time to read into the detail of resumes - hence summaries which directly address why a candidate is a good fit for the job greatly improves their chances of capturing my attention. + +### Start with a resume headline + +Always start with a concise, one line description of yourself + +- Fewer than 10 words +- Summarizes your experience relevant to the job description + +Examples: + +- Staff Software Engineer at Facebook with over 5 years experience leading teams + +### Summarize your best selling points + +Below the resume headline, include a summary of yourself which expands on your resume headline. + +- 4 or less points, in bullet or paragraph form +- Include most important skills and experiences relevant to the job applied, quantifying them where possible +- Keep in mind to answer the question of "Why am I a good fit for this job?" - while writing the summary + +## Skills + +Include programming languages and tech stacks: + +- Structure in the following manner: `[Skill summary] : [List skills separated by "|"]` + - Programming languages - If impressive, include your familiarity by the number of lines you have written, for example "Over 10,000 lines" + - Frameworks + - Databases + +## Work experience + +List your work experience in a familiar format and reverse chronological order. Every job listed should have: + +- The company, location, title, duration worked following this structure + - `[Company or Organization], [Location] | [Job Title] | [Start and end dates formatted as MM/YYYY]` + - e.g. `Facebook, Singapore | Front End Engineering Lead | 08/2018 - Present` +- List of top accomplishments, including + - Scope of job and skills required + - Accomplishments listed following this structure + - `[Accomplishment summary] : [Action] that resulted in [quantifiable outcome]` + +## Education + +Most software engineering jobs will require at least an undergraduate degree. However, unless you are a recent graduate or do not have much work experience, it should not be prioritized above your work experience. + +Use the following format, eliminating information where it is not relevant: + +``` +[Degree Name], [Year of Graduation - write expected graduation date if not graduated] + +[University Name], [Location] + +- GPA: X.XX / 4.0 (List GPA if more than 3.50/4.00, or more than 4.3 under a 5-point system) +- List key achievements, including leadership positions, skills, societies, projects, awards, etc. +``` + +Example: + +``` +BSc in Computing, Computer Science, Graduation Year 2015 +National University of Singapore, Singapore + +- GPA: 3.82 / 4.00 (Magna cum laude) +- Dean's List, Valedictorian +- President of hacker society +``` + +## Projects + +Include at least 2 projects you have contributed to, outlining your key contributions. + +``` +Docusaurus, Menlo Park, CA +Lead maintainer 01/2018 - 04/2020 + +- Maintainer and lead engineer for Docusaurus v2, a static site generator which powers the documentation of many of Meta's Open Source Projects - React Native, Jest, Relay, Reason, etc +- Used by 7.6k projects on GitHub +``` + +## Awards, accolades and certifications + +Only include achievements related to the job application: + +- Always quantify your achievements +- A good format to use would be: `[Year] [Quantification] [Competition]` + +``` +2016 | Best All-Round Product out of 50 teams | Facebook Hackathon +``` diff --git a/website/docusaurus.config.js b/website/docusaurus.config.js index 1e9e3950..b94b1ef4 100755 --- a/website/docusaurus.config.js +++ b/website/docusaurus.config.js @@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ module.exports = { }, { label: 'Resume preparation', - href: '/resume', + href: '/resume/guide', }, { label: 'Algorithms', diff --git a/website/sidebars.js b/website/sidebars.js index 09e4d388..f1aebeb4 100755 --- a/website/sidebars.js +++ b/website/sidebars.js @@ -5,11 +5,12 @@ module.exports = { }, { 'Step 1: Preparing your resume': [ - 'resume', - 'resume-checklist', - 'resume-case-study', - 'resume-sample', - 'cover-letter', + 'resume/guide', + 'resume/ats-proof-template', + 'resume/write-effective-content', + 'resume/optimize-resume', + 'resume/free-tools-to-review-resume', + 'resume/final-tips', ], }, { diff --git a/website/src/pages/index.js b/website/src/pages/index.js index e9551205..36a2d2b4 100755 --- a/website/src/pages/index.js +++ b/website/src/pages/index.js @@ -226,11 +226,8 @@ function ProductContentsSection() {

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