r/cscareerquestionsCAD • u/just_a_dev_here Eng Manager | 10 YOE • 13d ago
Resume Review - October 2026 - Megathread
As this sub has grown, we have seen more and more resume review threads. Before, as a much smaller sub this wasn't a big deal, but as we are growing it's time we triage them into a megathread.
All resume's outside of the review thread will be removed.
Properly anonymize your resume or risk being doxxed
Additionally, please REVIEW RESUME POST STANDARDS BEFORE SUBMITTING.
Common Resume Mistakes - READ FIRST AND FIX:
- Remove career objective paragraphs, goals and descriptions
- DO NOT put a photo of yourself
- Experience less than 5 years, keep your experience to 1 page
- Read through CTCI Resume to understand what makes the resume good, not necessarily the template
- Keep bullet point descriptions to around 3-5. 3 if you have a lot of things to list, 5 if you are a new grad or have very little relevant experience
- Make sure every point starts with an ACTION WORD (resource below) and pick STRONG action words. Do not pick weak ones - ones such as "Worked", "Made", "Fixed". These can all be said stronger, "Designed", "Developed", "Implemented", "Integrated", "Improved"
- Ensure your tenses are correct. Current job - use present tense and past jobs use past tense
- Learn to separate what is a skill, and what is not. Using an IDE is not a skill, but knowing Java/C# is. Knowing how to use a framework like React is valuable, but knowing how to use npm is not. VSCODE IS NOT A SKILL. Neither are Jira and Confluence. If any non-CS person can open it up and use it, it's not a skill.
- Overloading skills - Listing every single skill, tool, IDE you've ever opened is not going to appeal to recruiters and will look like BS. Also remember that anything you list is FAIR GAME TO TEST and if you cannot answer that deeply about it, remove it.
Tools and Resources
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u/ConsistentCommittee7 9d ago
This is an updated resume following the rules shared above. https://postimg.cc/G9h2RSy5. I have very few responses from jobs I apply to (only 2 interviews since May), though. Will appreciate any feedback! Thanks.
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u/chicknfly 9d ago edited 3d ago
Unrelated, but the website you used to host the image acts spammy/scammy. In one instance I was redirected to a porn site ffs. I’d suggest IMGUR for future submissions.
Are your dates correct? It looks like you worked two jobs at the same time.
The leadership section isn’t needed. At the very least, it’s uninteresting and adds zero value to your resume.
Minimize your use of “engineered” and “developed.” Use them once and then find alternative words that more accurately describe your work. Perhaps you architected, prototyped, iterated, monitored…
The biggest point: your bullet points say what you did, but they don’t tell the story of your impact. What have you done that an AI can’t do? What made you stand out from your peers? Why should the manager hire you over the hundreds/thousands of other applicants? “Why should the hiring manager care?! In this resume, you’re not an engineer. You’re a salesman, and you’re selling yourself. For example:
> Developed RESTful APIs and backend services supporting scalable web and mobile applications.
Cool. So does every other full stack engineer. What will draw the attention of hiring staff is that you “Deployed and monitored a suite of RESTful API endpoints with X percent uptime and Y ms latency to meet the demands of multi-platform users.”
Your resume isn’t bad! It just needs some tweeking. Give us that WOW factor!
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u/ConsistentCommittee7 3d ago
haha right, I just google "reddit image upload" and used that. Thanks, I'll change up. Yes, technically I was working two jobs, but the other was part-time...
And thanks for the tips on vocabulary and the leadership section.
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u/ConsistentCommittee7 9d ago
How can I share mine for review?
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u/chicknfly 9d ago
If you keep your resume as a Google Doc, you can share it with the public. I’d set it to Viewer. You can set it to Commenter if you trust strangers on the internet to leave public remarks. Don’t set it to Editor.
Alternatively, another Redditor shared their resume as a picture.
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u/wasmiester 2d ago
I have been out of work for 2 years and dont know what I'm doing wrong please help https://imgur.com/a/GtkaTD7
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u/Important-Cow-6810 6h ago
Hi, could I ask for some reviews of my resume? I am currently looking to relocate to Canada.
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u/thewriterdoctor 4d ago
Pull exact words and phrases from the job listing. That works well for ATS. The 74% is excellent because it is objective and concrete. Do you have anything to add that would demonstrate soft skills.