Research The Job Opening
A typical mistake is to see a vacancy and respond to it immediately by sending a pre-written resume. It is like shooting blind: you do not know what the employer can expect from you, what he is looking for, and what is important to him. So this “blind” response is pure chance: hit or miss. Your job is to increase the chance of success.
What to do: Visit the potential employer’s website, find the job section and look for the requirements for future candidates. This is important information to consider when preparing your resume. This way you show attention to detail, become familiar with the company’s standards, and increase your chances of getting a response.
The requirements may include:
- how to format responses (e.g., document format);
- how to respond, where to write;
- restrictions on where you live or work (e.g., for security reasons, working only in a certain city or for those willing to relocate).
Calculate Your Strengths
Continue to gather information and find a list of job requirements. A developer must be proficient in at least one programming language, be able to write code without errors, be able to work with standard algorithms and understand the data structure, multithreading, mathematics, and architecture. If you can handle all these requirements, move on to preparing a resume. If you lack some knowledge, start to study yourself, get yourself up to speed, and then go back to your CV.
A typical mistake is to send your resume to every job in a row, even if you do not pass the formal requirements. At this point, a person may be guided by the following logic: “I’ll send it to everyone, just in case I get somewhere. As in the previous case, this reduces the chance of getting a good job.
Better yet, only apply to jobs in which you meet all of the formal requirements. If, for example, the job requires 3 years or more experience, and you have less than a year of experience, it’s better to look for starter positions or internships for experience.
Include a Photograph
In many countries, it is a good idea to include a photo with your resume, but not the first one you see. It should reflect the professionalism and responsibility of the candidate. Many people make the mistake of using a personal photograph and just cropping it off at the edges, leaving the head.
No matter how good you look in photos, and no matter how good your resume is, a bad photo can kill your chances of a personal interview.
Checking Your Resume
When the job is finished, it is advisable to go over the text two or three times carefully, correcting mistakes and editing phrases that are not too successful. Typos in headings, company names, and job titles will especially alert an employer.
The Resume fixer at Resumegets is always ready to help if you’re worried about your resume.
