Computing

My 10 quick fire tips for a killer looking CV (Computing edition)

An article by David Bishop CTO of lovethesales.com
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It’s job hunting season, and whether you’re searching for a graduate position, internship or that killer starting role, it’s time to get prepared.

A CV is an employer’s first impression of you, it's your first hurdle to leap.

I worked for the no.1 recruitment company in the UK for over 10 years, understanding the nuances that makes a CV great.

Now I work as a Chief Technology Officer at retail sales aggregator Lovethesales.com, hiring talent from the computing world.

Here are my 10 quick tips you can add to your CV this summer, that will make it stand out from the rest.

1. Tailor your CV for the job

When an employer is sifting through your CV, they are trying to find the nuggets of info that set it apart from the rest.

Don’t just use the same generic template for every application. You will be far more likely to progress to the next stage if you put the effort into extracting and highlighting the key areas each specific position calls for.

Read through the job description, re-read it, and decipher where your skills and experiences match up with what that particular business is looking for.

Make sure these matching skills are highlighted in your CV.

2. Bullet list

Include a bullet ‘main skills’ list of the top 5 most important technologies/skills for the specific position - make sure this is front and center, and easily skimmable.

This will be the first piece of information an employer will digest and is usually the most important.

3. Research competing technologies

Ensure you know the different or competing technologies in the sphere of your desired domain - for example, learn at least a little bit of Swift and Java for App development, or both React and Angular for front-end web development.

This can be added to your ‘5 skill list’ in point 3. Emphasising to an employer that you have a broad knowledge of the technologies operating in their space.

4. Open source contributions

Open source contributions always look good on a CV, as this indicates that you are interested in development as a craft, and not just as a job.

This is especially true if the projects you work on are in the same domain or related to the position you’re going for.

5. Database technologies

A good understanding of Database technologies is always useful - that means both SQL and NOSQL.

6. Cloud platforms

Having a decent grasp of the major cloud platforms is a must: Amazon web services and Microsoft Azure.

7. Passion for creating great software

This is where you express your love for software. Do you create software in your spare time? How can you express to the employer your undying love for Computing?

This can be done in a personal statement at the top of the CV or added into your Hobbies & achievements at the bottom.

8. A company's process

Almost all software development companies follow some kind of process (scrum, agile, kanban) it’s a good idea to familiarise yourself with these and include this somewhere on your CV.

9. Talk about extra-curricular activities/hobbies - employers like to hire well-rounded people

Employers aren’t just looking for the best grades or the most experience on a CV.

They want someone who has great learning potential, and an ability to fit into a team. Any hobbies corroborating your great attitude and willingness to learn, will be hugely beneficial.

Remember - employers are trying to figure you out through your CV, the more well rounded your CV, the easier it is for the employer to look beyond a sheet of paper.

10.  Layout

There’s no definitive way to layout your CV.

A simple structure would include: A personal statement, followed by your top grades. Your skills and experience, finishing with hobbies and special achievements.
For more creative ways to present the content in your CV, look at these examples: https://www.reed.co.uk/career-advice/cv-layout-examples/

 

About author

David Bishop is the Chief Technology Officer and founder of Lovethesales.com, an online sales shopping aggregator that works with 850 retailers. Before this he worked as the lead tech officer at Reed.co.uk, the largest recruitment company in the UK.

 

Sources

https://www.reed.co.uk/career-advice/cv-layout-examples/

https://www.lovethesales.com/