Resume Q&A and Videos

I've been struggling to put my resume together for new senior/lead front end roles. My current position came through a referral and only needed my resume as a formality so didn't really put thought into it. Now that I'm looking for new roles and going through the application process, I've struggled to get any traction. I've gone through the how to write a stellar resume course here and implemented a lot of that thinking. I believe the one thing I'm missing is metrics. Unfortunately they're hard to get at my company but I've built custom features for large clients who use our platform. Is there a way to get around specifying number of users and what are some other metrics I can use?

Hi folks,

I am working on revamping my resume after going through . It was a beneficial course and I believe I can convert my 2-page resume to 1.

For reference: I have nearly 9 years of experience in this industry, worked across two different startup companies.

Company 1:

2015-2018 --> Software Engineer

2018-2019 --> Senior Software Engineer

Company 2:

2019 - 2021 --> SE II

2021 --> Present --> Senior Software Engineer.

If you look through my resume I am kinda at a Senior level for a while :(

I know some recruiters do understand that levels at startup/big-tech companies are considered different. Some may think that this person has been at the same position for a while,etc.

Question for folks:

1. Can I group my experience with 2015-2019 at Company 1 with resume title as SSE
2. 2019-Present at Company 2 with resume title as SSE?
3. Or I can just skip the title and say, Software engineer?
4. I would like to make sure that it doesn't come off as that I am lying on my resume with my title.

I am asking these questions mainly because I would like to fit all the content of my resume on one page.

I have been at a company for 2 years. We measure a metric each quarter. For that particular metric should I average it out and mention it on my resume or should I spell it out separately for each quarter?

I’m a junior eng trying to break into big tech. I’ve done 1800 LC problems and am highly ranked.

I’m looking for senior+ engs at big companies who can help me with resume reviews, referrals, and general other advice. I’ll happily help you train at Leetcode and answer any questions.

(Based in US)

Okay I know people mostly say they work on side projects or contribute to open source, but I enjoy self-study & have always done a cert after using a certain technology extensively at work. For example, I was a Java engineer/consultant for years so it appeared only natural to do the OCP cert and keep it updated. In my current job I've used K8s a lot, so after a few training courses from my company, I took the CKAD. I also enjoy filling in the gaps at work (where there's no training or docs from the company) through Coursera courses/specializations, especially ones.

Does all this reflect badly on my resume? I plan to apply to more senior roles, would someone looking at the list of certs/courses tend to underlevel me or dismiss me? Can't contribute to open source because of my company, also can't publish any apps for now. I've also never seen Senior/Staff engineers with courses/specializations displayed on their LinkedIn profile... am I missing something ?

Hello, Taro community,

Hope everyone is well! I have been working at a mid-size company as a backend SWE for a little more than 2 years post-grad. I graduated with a BS in CogSci with a specialization in ML and a minor in computer science. My company has announced layoffs for Q4, so I want to prepare myself for starting the job hunt. My current goals are to build 1 or 2 side projects, as my resume seems a little sparse with 1 post-grad experience and 1 internship where I don't remember much from the actual project tech-wise. I will also be working on my resume and technical interview prep. In the current market conditions, would my education be a hindrance and would it be better to go for an MSCS as a non-CS degree holder? I understand the skills are most important, but I am worried about getting past the ATS for most jobs. I do see most job postings require a degree in engineering or equivalent experience, but the equivalent experience is expected to be quite high now.

This is a follow up to

I decided to keep both roles open for as long as possible, so both are open right now. Meta postponed once and will now start in 3 weeks. Amazon postponed multiple times but it seems that they will finally send the laptop this week. I am expected to start at Amazon on Monday. There is a 2 weeks gap between Amazon's start date and Meta's start date.

I don't want to burn the bridge too much with Amazon but I have a large resume gap and I can't afford to lose both roles. So far, I don't see any reason that Meta would rescind the offer, but in this environment anything can happen.

When should I tell Amazon that I am taking a different role? I am leaning towards doing it this week, but I am scared to do it before Meta is 100% secure. Honestly, I can't afford anymore resume gap.

I've been really enjoying the all Interview Courses here on Taro. I'm currently putting together my resume to apply for Senior Engineer positions and I'm struggling to frame some of my experiences so that the level of my contribution/impact is clear.

For context: I've been working on a major backend system migration that's core to the company's flagship product. This migration has been happening for the last 2 years and is being handled by my team (6 people), of which we have a Tech Lead leading the project, and a mix of Senior and Mid-level Engineers. Throughout the last 2 years, I've been working closely with the Tech Lead to co-design the migration plan, which we've then been executing on over the last 2 years. I wouldn't say I'm leading the project but I've made significant contributions (almost like a co-lead) to designing the new replacement system, coming up with the migration plan, leading multiple smaller scoped initiatives (within the the bigger migration plan, each initiative spanning 1-3 months), up-skilling and mentoring more junior Engineers on the team.

I've played a more significant role than simply contributing but I'm not exactly leading the project here. What's a good way to think about framing my experiences here?

I have a question about Alex's course, "Get More Interviews: Write a Stellar Resume as a SWE."

Alex mentioned that labeling oneself as a "full-stack" engineer can be a trap for junior engineers, and it's better to focus a resume on either backend or frontend stacks.

I unfortunately fall into this category - I have about 1.5 YOE and take on a role of a full-stack SWE. Though I prefer backend development and feel stronger in it (I'll say its about a 65-35 for backend vs frontend), I feel my backend skills alone are not enough to secure a strong backend role. Given this, I’ve primarily been applying to full-stack positions.

Does anyone have advice on what I should do? I know this question is primarily for Alex but feel free to share your experiences on how I should navigate this!

Thank you!

Hi everyone,

I am looking for someone to help me prepare for quant interviews, especially with practicing math/stats questions.

I am neurodivergent 🥲 and interviewing is hard for me in ways that are not easily addressed by online courses or self-study. You don't have to be highly qualified/trained to help because I mostly need practice and feedback to gain confidence that I'm not doing something "wrong".

How I can help you: resume/cover letter/linkedin review, being an accountability partner, etc. If there is a single typesetting inconsistency on your resume, I can find it. 😊

I graduated in January 2024 with a Masters in CS and am still looking for my first full time job. I've been doing an unpaid Frontend internship since march and have been volunteering as a Software Engineer (C# and Unity) during my spare time at a local university. Can I include either or both of these experiences to the Work Experience section in my resume? Will having two current work experiences be a red flag? Is it better to remove the Lab work because it isn't directly related to what I want to work on in the future (Full stack web dev)?

In the resume course, Alex mentioned doing great work is a prerequisite to having a great resume. I would like to see some examples of great work.

Let's say my domain is frontend web development. What would be considered "great" work -

a) in side projects
b) in my internship/job

One obvious one is a high number of users using the product. What are some other examples?

Would also appreciate if you could include some low effort, high ROI examples as well (if they exist).

Thanks!

Normally I list location of every role as City, State right aligned to the company line and then the date in the next line

Do I need to keep location? Can not including locations hurt? When is it helpful to not include location?