Resume Hack (from Big Tech Hiring Manager)

Exaltitude

24 Sept 202408:45

Summary

TLDRThe video offers valuable insights from a retired big tech hiring manager on optimizing your resume for tech roles. It emphasizes focusing on relevant keywords, avoiding unnecessary details, and tailoring your resume for ATS scanners to improve your chances of landing an interview. The speaker shares tips on keeping the resume concise, formatting correctly, and showcasing the right skills for the job. They also highlight why real work experience is more critical than personal projects, especially for junior engineers, and provide resources to help candidates stand out in the competitive tech job market.

Takeaways

😀 The job market is tough for engineers, with many facing rejections or no response at all after applying for jobs.
🔑 Keywords are crucial for your resume, as they help match your qualifications with what hiring managers are looking for.
📄 Your resume should be one page long, focusing on quality over quantity, highlighting relevant skills and experience for the job you're applying to.
🚫 Avoid irrelevant information on your resume; it dilutes your strengths, slows down hiring managers, and distracts from key points.
🤖 ATS (Applicant Tracking System) scanners are often the first filter in the hiring process, so optimizing your resume for ATS is essential.
💡 Do not use complex designs, colors, tables, headers, or columns in your resume, as they can confuse ATS systems.
🧑‍💼 Hiring managers want to feel confident that you're worth interviewing, especially since interviews are a significant time investment for companies.
📚 Companies primarily focus on your past work experience, skills, and education, as these help predict your potential success in the role.
💼 If you're an experienced engineer, emphasize relevant work experience and use bullet points to show the impact of your previous roles.
🐣 Junior engineers often struggle with the 'chicken-and-egg' problem of needing experience to get a job, but there are strategies to overcome this, as outlined in another video.

Q & A

What is one of the biggest mistakes job applicants make on their resumes?
-One of the biggest mistakes applicants make is including too much irrelevant information, which makes it harder for hiring managers to see why they are the right fit for the role.
Why are keywords so important when writing a resume?
-Keywords are important because hiring managers and ATS scanners often filter resumes by looking for specific terms that align with the job requirements. Including relevant keywords helps your resume pass through these filters.
What does ATS stand for, and why is it significant in the hiring process?
-ATS stands for Applicant Tracking System. It is significant because many big tech companies use it as a first-line filter to streamline their hiring process by scanning resumes for relevant keywords and eliminating those that don't meet the criteria.
What is the recommended length for a resume, and why?
-The recommended length for a resume is one page. This forces the applicant to prioritize quality over quantity, showcasing only the most relevant skills and experiences without overwhelming the hiring manager.
What is the hiring manager’s perspective when reviewing resumes?
-Hiring managers are often dealing with hundreds or thousands of resumes and want to get through them quickly. They are looking for resumes that showcase the right skills and experience without too much irrelevant information, which slows them down.
Why is it advised not to use tables, colors, or images in a resume?
-It is advised not to use tables, colors, or images because these elements can confuse ATS scanners, which might read the information incorrectly or fail to recognize important parts of the resume.
How can job applicants determine which skills and experiences to include on their resume?
-Applicants should identify the target role and find the right keywords by analyzing the job description. This will help them focus on relevant skills and experiences that align with the position they are applying for.
What are the top three things companies care about according to the 2023 Future of Jobs Report?
-According to the 2023 Future of Jobs Report, companies care most about past work experience, skills, and education when evaluating job applicants.
Why don't personal projects hold as much weight as production-ready code for junior engineers?
-Personal projects don't hold as much weight because there's a big difference between personal code and production-ready code that supports real users. Production experience demonstrates the ability to handle real-world problems and work in a team setting.
What is the recommended font and formatting for a resume?
-Basic fonts like Arial or Times New Roman, with a font size of 11 to 12 points, are recommended for ease of reading. The resume should be saved as a PDF to preserve formatting, and the margins should be consistent, starting with one inch all around.

Outlines

00:00

🛑 The Resume Rejection Struggle

The speaker addresses the frustration many engineers face when applying for jobs, where they are often met with rejections or no response at all. Drawing from their own experience as a former hiring manager, they plan to share insider tips on optimizing resumes, focusing on the right kind of experience. The speaker emphasizes that the key isn't just listing projects but presenting relevant skills that stand out to hiring managers. They also hint at the importance of understanding keywords and how to think from the hiring manager's perspective.

05:01

🔑 The Power of Keywords in Resumes

The speaker stresses the significance of keywords in resumes, highlighting that hiring managers, overwhelmed with hundreds or thousands of applications, rely on ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems) to quickly filter resumes. They compare keywords in resumes to personal preferences, like favorite pizza toppings. Including too much irrelevant information can dilute the effectiveness of the resume and distract from the candidate's strengths. The advice is to prioritize quality over quantity by identifying the right keywords for the target role, which will increase the chances of being selected for an interview.

📊 ATS Optimization: What You Need to Know

ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems) play a critical role in the initial filtering of resumes, and the speaker advises on how to optimize resumes for ATS compatibility. They warn against using complex designs, tables, headers, footers, or images, as these elements can confuse the system. Instead, keeping the resume clean, simple, and formatted using tools like Google Docs or Word is essential. The speaker also encourages saving the resume as a PDF for consistent formatting. Their book, 'The Ultimate Resume Handbook,' offers more in-depth tips, including a downloadable free checklist for reference.

📐 Formatting and Keyword Usage for Maximum Impact

Proper formatting and using the right keywords are crucial for resume success. The speaker suggests keeping margins consistent and reducing them only if necessary, while also recommending using readable fonts like Arial or Times New Roman, in 11-12 point size. Standardized date formats and clear section headings such as 'Experience' or 'Skills' help ATS categorize information correctly. By focusing on the appropriate keywords, applicants can make their resumes more relevant to the job and easier for both ATS and hiring managers to process.

🤝 Building Trust with the Hiring Manager

Beyond ATS, the goal is to make the hiring manager feel confident in giving the applicant a shot at an interview. The speaker highlights how time-consuming and resource-heavy interviews are, explaining that companies are keen to avoid hiring mistakes. They want to be sure that the candidate is worth the investment. A resume that showcases the applicant’s skills and experience should instill enough confidence to move forward in the process. The focus here is on making a lasting, positive impression with well-presented, relevant past experience.

📚 Focus on Experience, Skills, and Education

According to the 2023 Future of Jobs report, companies prioritize three areas in resumes: past work experience, skills, and education. Even a degree or work history isn’t enough on its own; companies still need to test candidates' skills. However, if someone has stayed in a role for a significant amount of time without being fired, they are generally viewed as competent. The speaker recommends using bullet points to highlight the impact of past work, especially for experienced engineers. For junior engineers, they offer advice on how to overcome the challenge of lacking experience by focusing on value rather than building personal projects.

🚀 Overcoming the Junior Engineer Dilemma

For junior engineers, it can be tough to land a first job without prior experience. The speaker explains that projects alone don’t carry as much weight because production-ready code is vastly different from personal or virtual projects without real users. They acknowledge the 'chicken and egg' problem but reassure junior engineers that there are strategies to build experience. They refer viewers to another video with seven strategies for breaking into the field and encourage them to watch it next for actionable steps.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡ATS scanners

ATS (Applicant Tracking System) scanners are software tools used by companies to filter and manage large volumes of resumes. The video's theme highlights how these systems play a crucial role in the hiring process by scanning for relevant keywords in resumes. The speaker emphasizes that to get past ATS filters, candidates need to avoid complex designs and focus on keywords and simplicity in formatting.

💡Keywords

Keywords are the specific terms or phrases that hiring managers and ATS scanners look for in resumes. These words are typically aligned with the job description and are essential for getting noticed by automated systems and human reviewers. The video stresses the importance of including job-relevant keywords in resumes to ensure they are filtered correctly and move to the next stage of the hiring process.

💡Resume length

Resume length refers to the common guideline of keeping a resume to one page. The speaker explains that this is important because hiring managers need to quickly assess whether a candidate is a good fit. Overloading the resume with irrelevant information dilutes the strengths and makes it harder for managers to focus on key qualifications. Quality over quantity is emphasized.

💡Experience

Experience in the context of this video refers to the relevant work history or projects that demonstrate a candidate's ability to perform in the role they are applying for. The speaker highlights that experience should be tailored to match the role, showing impact rather than listing irrelevant details. For experienced candidates, the video advises focusing on work that shows a direct contribution.

💡Projects

Projects are tasks or assignments that candidates might list on their resume, especially for junior engineers. However, the speaker notes that personal or academic projects do not hold as much weight as professional, production-level work. The difference between 'personal code' and 'production-ready code' is a major theme, stressing that hiring managers prioritize real-world experience.

💡Bullet points

Bullet points are a resume formatting tool that helps present key information clearly and concisely. The video explains how candidates should use bullet points to highlight impactful contributions in past roles, making it easier for hiring managers to quickly digest important information. This method is part of creating a resume that is efficient and effective.

💡Hiring manager’s perspective

The hiring manager’s perspective is a central theme in the video, guiding how candidates should tailor their resumes. The speaker, drawing from experience as a hiring manager, stresses the importance of thinking like a manager who has to sift through hundreds of resumes. The goal is to make the resume as clear and relevant as possible to make the manager feel confident enough to offer an interview.

💡Production-ready code

Production-ready code refers to software that is robust, tested, and deployed for real users, as opposed to personal or academic projects. The video emphasizes that hiring managers value this type of code experience much more than projects that are not meant for real-world use. Candidates are encouraged to demonstrate experience in writing and maintaining production-quality code.

💡Design simplicity

Design simplicity in resumes means avoiding complex formats like graphics, tables, or fancy fonts that could confuse ATS scanners. The speaker advises candidates to stick to basic fonts, simple layouts, and avoid columns, which could cause issues with how ATS systems read the resume. This focus on simplicity helps ensure the resume is properly parsed and considered by the hiring team.

💡Job competition

Job competition refers to the high number of applicants for tech roles, as mentioned in the video. The speaker shares research that shows for AI and junior engineering positions, there are often hundreds of applicants, making it essential to stand out. This context reinforces the importance of optimizing resumes to increase the chances of being noticed in a competitive hiring environment.

Highlights

Engineers face multiple job rejections, often without any feedback, which can be frustrating.

The video shares three key resume tips from a former big tech hiring manager with 20 years of experience.

The importance of including relevant keywords for ATS (Applicant Tracking System) scanners to optimize your resume.

Too much irrelevant information on a resume dilutes strengths and makes it harder for hiring managers to identify the right fit.

Keep your resume to one page, focusing on quality over quantity and highlighting relevant skills for the target role.

Avoid complex designs, colors, tables, and columns, as these can confuse ATS scanners; use simple formatting.

Use standardized date formats and basic section headings like 'Experience' and 'Skills' for easier ATS categorization.

Companies prioritize three main things: past work experience, relevant skills, and education.

Production-ready code is far more valuable than personal projects when applying for software engineering roles.

Junior engineers face a 'chicken and egg' problem when trying to land their first role without previous experience.

The video provides seven strategies for junior engineers to gain relevant experience, which is covered in another video.

ATS scanners are often the first filter, so optimizing for them is critical to getting through to hiring managers.

Past work experience is important because it gives hiring managers confidence in your ability to perform the job.

Hiring the wrong candidate is expensive for companies, as it leads to wasted time and resources.

The video emphasizes the importance of impactful bullet points that demonstrate the impact of past work in resumes.