Top 5 Resume and Cover Letter Mistakes Programmers Make

By Brad Seraphin 

1. Don’t Underestimate The Value Of Research

The subjective and context driven topic of resumes and cover letters is not one that should be painted in broad strokes. Each developer has unique preferences for an ideal development position. Each company is also unique in their hiring needs. Whether you are looking for a perfect fit, or just trying to get a foot in the door, when submitting a resume and cover letter your target audience is not an amorphous void. You are writing to people. Get to know them.

LinkedIn is a great place to start your research, but Twitter and Google searches are also recommended. Most companies have a Press page that lists the most recent press releases. A quick review of a company’s public releases can give you an idea of the direction in which they are moving.

A little research can influence game changing choices not only on your resume and cover letter, but throughout the hiring process.

2. Make It Past HR - No Spelling Mistakes

Senior developers are more likely to have larger professional networks, thus reducing the need to send resumes and cover letters. But for those who haven’t reached this elite status, it’s very important to remember that your HR gatekeeper doesn’t know anything about programming.

Really let that sink in: Someone that may know nothing about programming is weeding you out.

Yes, that means this person might not know that they are asking for 10 years experience in a brand new technology. It also means that HR might eliminate you based on spelling, look, feel, or some other thing that has nothing to do with programming. Make sure to keep this in mind, and have a well-edited and well-groomed resume ready to go.

3. Have The Right Buzzwords

Both the HR manager and the development manager are looking for certain buzz words. For example: “Java programmer with X years experience with Spring and Hibernate.” If they do not see it, you are most likely eliminated. If you are not sure, it’s time to do more research.

The development position requirements at a startup might be very different than the requirements a larger corporation might seek. Typically, startups seek a jack of all trades developer who can handle a lot of different things as a generalist. Corporations usually want developers who are specialized to do one particular thing really well. Knowing the tech stack can help you ensure you have the right buzzwords for what the company is doing.

4. Tailor To The Job - Get A Phone Call

Remember that the best-case possible outcome of sending a resume and cover letter is getting a phone call. Keep this objective in focus. The development manager reviewing your resume might be looking for buzzwords like Node, React, Bootstrap, Python, Pylons, and Full-Stack, but they are also looking at experience. How many years did you spend at each job?

Managers are looking at experience with frameworks and libraries, and want to see if you’re keeping up to date with the latest trends.

Don’t tell them, show them. List your github repositories on your resume. Display a link to a gallery or a visual presentation of your work. Managers want to know exactly what your contributions were, so being vague will not help you.

5. Be Cool - Have People Skills

People hire because they like you. Be cool, seem reasonable. People skills are a big part of why you get jobs, not just technical ability.

Hiring managers want to know you will have their back when they need you. Does your resume and cover letter tell the story of how you handle things when things get tough? Tell a story about how you hit a wall and found a clever way around it. No one wants to hire someone for a position who gets stuck and throws their hands in the air, or finds ways to procrastinate.