of Science, Computer Science. GPA: 3.6
Graduate Coursework: Software Engineering; Computer Architecture; Algorithms; Artificial Intelligence; Computational Theory
University of Pennsylvania , May 2006
Bachelor of Science, Computer Science. GPA: 3.3
Undergraduate Coursework : Operating Systems; Databases; Algorithms; Programming Languages; Computer Architecture.
Projects
Multiuser Drawing Tool (2007). Electronic classroom where multiple users can view and simultaneously draw on a “chalkboard” with each person’s edits synchronized. C++, MFC.
7. Geena’s projects show the right amount of detail. Not too much, not too little. She is maximizing the odds that people read this section.
Synchronized Calendar (2006–2007). Desktop calendar with globally shared calendars, allowing users to schedule meetings with other users. Calendars automatically synchronized with centralized SQL server. C#.NET, SQL, XML.
Awarded Third Prize in Computer Science Senior Design Projects.
Operating System (2006). UNIX-style OS with scheduler, file system, text editor and calculator. C.
Skills
Languages : C++; C; Java; Objective-C; C#.NET; SQL; JavaScript; XSLT; XML (XSD) Schema
Software : Visual Studio; Microsoft SQL Server; Eclipse; XCode; Interface Builder
8. Geena has kept her list of languages relatively confined. She doesn’t waste time with listing things like Office and Windows, and mentions only those skills relevant to her career path.
Assessment
Though no résumé is perfect, this one is pretty darn good. Almost all of her bullets are accomplishments, and she doesn’t waste time talking about her job in generalities. Many of her accomplishments have measurable impacts.
Parting Words Truthfully, getting your résumé into the “pretty good” stage is not that hard. Most résumés that I see fail in one of three ways:
1. Too big . Having a multipage résumé does not make you look more experienced—it just makes you look less concise. You should keep your résumé to one page if you have less than 10 years of experience, and two pages if you have more. You really don’t need more space than that—it won’t win you any favors.
2. Too bulky . Giant paragraphs of text scare people into just tossing your résumé in the trash. It’s hard to understand when it’s a product, or even a field, you don’t know anything about. Use bullets to describe your accomplishments, and keep each bullet to just one to two lines.
3. Too boring . Recruiters are not terribly interested in what your responsibilities were. That just says what you were told to do; we want to know what you actually did. Focus on your biggest accomplishments, and quantify them as well as you can.
If you just avoid doing these three things, yours will be better than 75 percent of the résumés out there. Going the rest of the way is about tailoring your résumé to the position and explaining the impact for your work in the most favorable light possible.
Additional Resources Please visit www.careercup.com for résumé samples and templates.
Chapter 6
Cover Letters and References
Back in the days of typewriters and snail mail, cover letters were nearly as widespread as résumés. Candidates dutifully banged out a custom note, affixed their résumé, and sent them off in a stamped and sealed envelope.
With virtually all résumés submitted electronically nowadays, cover letters are often optional. However, if you are contacting a recruiter or hiring manager to submit your résumé, your e-mail is your cover letter and should adhere to the standard cover letter format.
Your cover letter is a key marketing document; a strong cover letter will make someone open up your résumé to learn more.
Why a Cover Letter?
Cover letters serve two purposes. First, they enable a recruiter to quickly glance at a document to see if you match the position’s requirements. Second, they allow the company to ask for a writing sample, without directly asking for it.
Why isn’t your
Graduate Coursework: Software Engineering; Computer Architecture; Algorithms; Artificial Intelligence; Computational Theory
University of Pennsylvania , May 2006
Bachelor of Science, Computer Science. GPA: 3.3
Undergraduate Coursework : Operating Systems; Databases; Algorithms; Programming Languages; Computer Architecture.
Projects
Multiuser Drawing Tool (2007). Electronic classroom where multiple users can view and simultaneously draw on a “chalkboard” with each person’s edits synchronized. C++, MFC.
7. Geena’s projects show the right amount of detail. Not too much, not too little. She is maximizing the odds that people read this section.
Synchronized Calendar (2006–2007). Desktop calendar with globally shared calendars, allowing users to schedule meetings with other users. Calendars automatically synchronized with centralized SQL server. C#.NET, SQL, XML.
Awarded Third Prize in Computer Science Senior Design Projects.
Operating System (2006). UNIX-style OS with scheduler, file system, text editor and calculator. C.
Skills
Languages : C++; C; Java; Objective-C; C#.NET; SQL; JavaScript; XSLT; XML (XSD) Schema
Software : Visual Studio; Microsoft SQL Server; Eclipse; XCode; Interface Builder
8. Geena has kept her list of languages relatively confined. She doesn’t waste time with listing things like Office and Windows, and mentions only those skills relevant to her career path.
Assessment
Though no résumé is perfect, this one is pretty darn good. Almost all of her bullets are accomplishments, and she doesn’t waste time talking about her job in generalities. Many of her accomplishments have measurable impacts.
Parting Words Truthfully, getting your résumé into the “pretty good” stage is not that hard. Most résumés that I see fail in one of three ways:
1. Too big . Having a multipage résumé does not make you look more experienced—it just makes you look less concise. You should keep your résumé to one page if you have less than 10 years of experience, and two pages if you have more. You really don’t need more space than that—it won’t win you any favors.
2. Too bulky . Giant paragraphs of text scare people into just tossing your résumé in the trash. It’s hard to understand when it’s a product, or even a field, you don’t know anything about. Use bullets to describe your accomplishments, and keep each bullet to just one to two lines.
3. Too boring . Recruiters are not terribly interested in what your responsibilities were. That just says what you were told to do; we want to know what you actually did. Focus on your biggest accomplishments, and quantify them as well as you can.
If you just avoid doing these three things, yours will be better than 75 percent of the résumés out there. Going the rest of the way is about tailoring your résumé to the position and explaining the impact for your work in the most favorable light possible.
Additional Resources Please visit www.careercup.com for résumé samples and templates.
Chapter 6
Cover Letters and References
Back in the days of typewriters and snail mail, cover letters were nearly as widespread as résumés. Candidates dutifully banged out a custom note, affixed their résumé, and sent them off in a stamped and sealed envelope.
With virtually all résumés submitted electronically nowadays, cover letters are often optional. However, if you are contacting a recruiter or hiring manager to submit your résumé, your e-mail is your cover letter and should adhere to the standard cover letter format.
Your cover letter is a key marketing document; a strong cover letter will make someone open up your résumé to learn more.
Why a Cover Letter?
Cover letters serve two purposes. First, they enable a recruiter to quickly glance at a document to see if you match the position’s requirements. Second, they allow the company to ask for a writing sample, without directly asking for it.
Why isn’t your
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