@ -33,19 +33,19 @@ Top tech companies pay a ridiculous amount even for junior candidates:
### Singapore
We ran a survey to find out what the more prominent tech companies in Singapore are paying new hires in 2022 and here's a sample of the results. View the [full dataset](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1QtC8efWw0mVkGXW4QA9bX4f0nJhGbmFqCfVLSumMZ0I/) or [contribute your data](https://forms.gle/9oNNJJwespqWBZGw6)!
We ran a survey to find out what the famous tech companies in Singapore are paying new hires in 2022 and here's a sample of the results. View the [full dataset](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1QtC8efWw0mVkGXW4QA9bX4f0nJhGbmFqCfVLSumMZ0I/) or [contribute your data](https://forms.gle/9oNNJJwespqWBZGw6)!
| Company | Internship (monthly in SGD) | Fresh Grad Annual Total (SGD) |
@ -36,11 +36,16 @@ There is a delicate balance between finding the right job vs. finding a job. Get
When hiring fresh grads, I know that many of them will not have as much experience as someone who has years of industry experience. Hence, I would look out more for soft skills, such as attention to detail, initiative, passion, ability to get things done, etc. Note: this applies only if you have met the minimum threshold of proficiency/competency in the skill set checklist.
## 10 ways to improve your resume
## Ways to improve your resume
Now that you are aware of how recruiters screen your resume, here are 10 actionable ways you can do to improve your resume.
Now that you are aware of how recruiters screen your resume, here are some actionable ways you can apply to instantly improve your resume.
### 1. Cover letter
<details>
<summary>
### 1. Include a cover letter
</summary>
I've often received resumes with no cover letters, and I am perfectly fine with it. If you ask me, it is better to have no cover letter than to have a bad cover letter, especially if your cover letter is a "templated" content. An effective cover letter needs to highlight the fit between the job requirements and your skills/experiences. Do not just tell me what you have done in your cover letter; Tell me how it is a fit for what I am looking for.
@ -49,7 +54,14 @@ Some small nitpicks:
- Make sure that the cover letter is addressed to the right person (either the name of the recruiter if it is known, or to a generic hiring manager) and company
- Run a spell check
### 2. Length of resume
</details>
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<summary>
### 2. Keep your resume under a page
</summary>
Your resume should be kept to 1 page or a MAXIMUM of 2 pages. Include only your most recent and relevant experiences.
@ -77,7 +89,14 @@ Information nobody needs to know:
Ideally, keep it short, concise, but as detailed as possible.
### 3. GPA does matter
</details>
<details>
<summary>
### 3. Include your GPA if it's good
</summary>
Everyone wants the cream of the crop. In the absence of a standardized test, GPA serves as that indicator. **While GPA may not necessarily be a good indication of how well you can code, a high GPA would definitely put you in a more favorable position to the recruiter.**
@ -87,8 +106,15 @@ In a different scenario, some students have low GPA, but it might be due to some
Also, when you list your GPA/results, try to benchmark it. Instead of simply listing 4.6, write 4.6/5.0 (First Class Honors or Summa Cum Laude). To the recruiter, 4.6 does not mean anything if he/she is not familiar with your grading system.
</details>
<details>
<summary>
### 4. Be clear about your objectives
</summary>
Are you looking for a summer internship/full-time employment? What position are you applying for? Read the job description and know the job you are applying for!
**"Work experience" does not mean any work experience; it means _relevant_ work experience.** If you are applying for a developer position, the recruiter is not interested to know that you were a student escort for girls walking back to their apartments at night, nor that you were a cashier at Starbucks. You would be better off writing about the project you did for some programming class - yes, even if it was just a school project. Tailor your experiences and projects according to the job you are applying for. Pick relevant details to emphasize on and do not be hesitant to drop stuff completely if they are totally irrelevant. Quality over quantity.
@ -96,18 +122,39 @@ Are you looking for a summer internship/full-time employment? What position are
- Make sure the description is comprehensive. Avoid writing "Software engineering intern - write code". You are better off not writing anything
- Based on my experience, most fresh grads do not have extremely relevant job experience (unless you are lucky to have scored a really rewarding internship). For developer positions, I think it is ok to not have any job experience and just list projects
### 5. Reverse chronological order
</details>
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<summary>
### 5. Use reverse chronological order
</summary>
Always list your resume in reverse chronological order - the most recent at the top. Recruiters are more interested in what you have worked on recently than what you worked on 3 years ago. Chances are, you probably forgot the details too anyway.
</details>
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<summary>
### 6. Make sure you are contactable
</summary>
- Get a proper email account with ideally your first name and last name, eg. "john.doe@gmail.com" instead of "angrybirds88@gmail.com"
- If you are using your school's .edu email, try to have an alias like "john.doe@xxx.edu" instead of "a002342342@xxx.edu"
- Avoid emails like "me@christi.na" or "admin@[mycooldomain].com" -- because it is very prone to typo errors
- Make sure the number you have listed is the best way to reach you. The last thing you want is to miss the call from the recruiter because you typed the wrong number, or you are not available on that number during office hours (most probably the times the recruiter will call)
### 7. Layout/Formatting/Design
</details>
<details>
<summary>
### 7. Pay attention to the layout, formatting, and design
</summary>
- Be consistent about the way you format your resume. Italics, underline, bold, and how they are used
- Keep to a single standard font (avoid fancy fonts like Comic Sans or whatever) and do not have too many varying styles/font sizes/color
@ -121,25 +168,53 @@ Always list your resume in reverse chronological order - the most recent at the
- It's important to note the layout of your resume. If you choose to quickly upload your resume via an auto-fill program, understand that the program will read your resume from top to bottom, left to right. This is good to keep in mind when developing the layout of your resume
- Try to keep white space down to a minimum. This will also help reduce the length of your resume to one page. Reduce margins and paddings reasonably
</details>
<details>
<summary>
### 8. Listing your skills
</summary>
It is useful to list your relevant skills in a quick summary section for easy reading/matching. However, many people make the mistake of listing as many skills/programming languages in the resume as possible. This may get you through the ATS scoring, but it definitely would not leave a good impression on the recruiter - the actual human reading your resume and deciding whether to call you up for an interview!
Ideally, if your resume is good enough, the recruiter should already know what you are proficient in. The skills section is just a quick summary/reiteration. **Listing a bunch of technologies you claim you know without actually showing how you have worked with them is pointless.**
### 9. Projects
</details>
<details>
<summary>
### 9. Include your projects
</summary>
- Ideally, 1-2 lines about the project, 2-3 lines about your role, what technologies you used, what you did, your learning, etc etc. These can be Final Year Projects, Research projects, projects for a particular class, freelance projects, or just personal projects (ie. GitHub stuff)
- Ideally, 2 to 3 projects that align with your interests/position you are applying for
- Avoid using titles such as "Project for [module code]". Sorry, the recruiter has no idea what class is represented by the module code. Ideally, you want the project section to demonstrate your personality and skills, and be the talking point during the interview
### 10. Online profile/other interests
</details>
<details>
<summary>
### 10. Include your online profile/other interests
</summary>
Here's the news - Recruiters do search for your name! Definitely pre-empt that by Googling/Facebook-ing/searching yourself on all forms of social media to see what turns up. Make sure your privacy settings are restricted so your online profile shows only the image you are trying to project.
If you have some space on your resume, it is good to list additional interests outside of coding. Eg. skiing, water sports, soccer, etc etc. Gives the interviewer something to talk to you about. It also shows that you are a well-rounded individual/cool person to hang out with.
### 11. Country-specific Customization
</details>
<details>
<summary>
### 11. Bonus: Country-specific customization
</summary>
If you are applying to foreign countries, it'd help to customize your resume to make it easier for recruiters of that country to understand your resume. For example, you can do the following for US roles:
@ -147,6 +222,8 @@ If you are applying to foreign countries, it'd help to customize your resume to
- Mention work eligibility. This is straightforward for Singaporeans (mention eligibility for H-1B1 visa)
- Convert your grades to a GPA out of 5 and mention whether it's First Class Honors/Summa Cum Laude
</details>
###### References
- [Screening your resume is like playing word search](https://medium.com/@christinang89/screening-your-resume-is-like-playing-word-search-60f4d0e60840)
System design content is still work-in-progress, but there are some resources to help you in the meanwhile:
:::note
System design content is still work-in-progress, but the following are some resources to help you in the meanwhile.
:::
## Quality Courses
- [Grokking the System Design Interview](https://www.educative.io/courses/grokking-the-system-design-interview?aff=x23W) - This is probably the most famous system design interview course on the internet and what makes it different from the other courses is that it is purely text-based, great for people who refer reading over watching videos. It contains a repository of the popular system design problems along with a glossary of system design basics. I've personally taken this course and have recommended many others to use this. Highly recommended!
- [System Design Interview Course by Exponent](https://www.tryexponent.com/courses/system-design-interview) - This course by Exponent covers system designs basics and has a huge database of popular system design questions with video explanations. Use this [referral link to get 10% off](https://www.tryexponent.com/refer/abdlb)! In my opinion, Exponent is one of the most credible interview preparation resources out there as their resources are high quality and goes beyond Software Engineering roles.
- [Grokking the Advanced System Design Interview](https://www.educative.io/courses/grokking-adv-system-design-intvw?aff=x23W) - I haven't tried this but it's by the same people who created "Grokking the System Design Interview", so it should be good! In my opinion you probably wouldn't need this unless you're very senior or going for a specialist position.
- ["Grokking the System Design Interview" by Educative](https://www.educative.io/courses/grokking-the-system-design-interview?aff=x23W) - This is probably the most famous system design interview course on the internet and what makes it different from most other courses out there is that it is purely text-based, which is great for people who refer reading over watching videos (such as myself!). It contains a repository of the popular system design problems along with a glossary of system design basics. I've personally completed this course and have recommended many others to use this. Highly recommended!
- ["System Design Interview Course" by Exponent](https://www.tryexponent.com/courses/system-design-interview) - This course by Exponent covers system designs basics and has a huge database of popular system design questions with video explanations. Use this [referral link to get 10% off](https://www.tryexponent.com/refer/abdlb). In my opinion, Exponent is one of the most credible interview preparation resources out there as their resources are high quality and goes beyond Software Engineering roles.
- ["Grokking the Advanced System Design Interview" by Educative](https://www.educative.io/courses/grokking-adv-system-design-intvw?aff=x23W) - I haven't tried this but it's by the same people who created "Grokking the System Design Interview", so it should be good! In my opinion you probably wouldn't need this unless you're very senior or going for a specialist position.
Yangshun
3 years ago