#Graduated recently (Fall 2023) but have had 0 luck finding Software Engineering work.

120 messages · Page 1 of 1 (latest)

icy flame
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Currently teaching in Taipei while I struggle to find work, as I went a good 6+ months back in the US without finding anything

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What can I improve/should I improve on my resume?

winged crag
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Did you read the readme befor eposting section?

icy flame
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I did, yes -- my resume is a slightly different format, but still hits the bullet points outlined there I think

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Though I'm pretty bad at building resumes, so it's possible I missed something entirely

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The problem is I had limited internship/work experience during my schooling, so only have so much stuff to list

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My work and projects also overlap; the major project on there started as a school project, and then eventually became a personal project afterwards

winged crag
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then why did you post as a pdf?

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icy flame
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I apologize

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I'll edit the initial post

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Actually, dont know if I can edit to add that, I'll just delete the pdf and post a png

winged crag
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you may wish to redact personal info.

Anyways the formatting here is not ideal at all, use the one in the readme - https://www.overleaf.com/latex/templates/jakes-resume/syzfjbzwjncs - it'll look a lot better. That's why I mentioned it, your formatting is meh at best and obnoxiously bright colors (the blue/pink in the top right is 🤢 )

there's also a lot of weirdness you have on this resume. your top highlight is a small project from jan 2023? you need your education at the top, because it's basically the only thing selling your resume at this point

you make a silly "based out of the very hot tuscon AZ" comment which is weird because 1) it's weird and 2) your recent job actually seems like you are in china. remove this comment

What have you been doing the last 7 months? No projects, and no job it looks like?

take off "REMOTE" from your degree

your projects are the second most important thing on this resume but haven't been updated for 1.5 years.

I don't love adding classwork to education generally but your resume NEEDS more context you are capable of doing SWE work

Unfortunately right now the story your resume shows is you slacked your way through a remote CS degree and have no real experience at all in the last nearly 2 years - you gotta change this

I dont know if you are basically doing nothing for 2024 or not, but it certainly looks like you aren't

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I'm assuming your 8 week long project had a lot more you could write about it, do that, right now it looks like it was a super basic project (maybe it was)

icy flame
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I'll answer your questions, then go about reformatting it

winged crag
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linking your github when this is the story is also not ideal

image.png
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it's nice you link it, but in the off chance someone looks at it, it just adds to the "I didn't do anything in the last year to make myself employable" story

icy flame
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The plan for 2024 was to stay here and teach English whilst building a portfolio/applying to jobs as I really don't want to be doordashing/out of work any longer than I have to be, but if this is a good way to tank any hope of a CS career then I can leave and head back to the US for the time being to focus on that

winged crag
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if you spent 6 months teaching why does your resume only show 4 months

icy flame
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I guess the question is less what do I do to fix my resume then, and more what do I do to be employable

icy flame
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But unfortunately the end result is that I had much less under my belt than I would have liked

winged crag
icy flame
# winged crag ok but that was 1+ years ago

Yeah, after I graduated I did job applications, finished that project, went to China to teach, then went back to the US, practiced leetcode and applied for jobs, got nothing, and have since moved back here

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But none of that is really something I can practically put on a resume I think

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So again, I guess the question is what the hell can I do to get myself in shape to be employable

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And am I completely screwing over any hopes of that by living here in Taipei

winged crag
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don't you have 24/7 time free basically?

why no projects in the last year

icy flame
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I wish I'd gotten on this and used resources when I had graduated, but... I just didn't i guess

icy flame
winged crag
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probably your best bet is to try to do tech work of some sort related to where you are teaching now

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to get some formal experience

icy flame
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Whilst I was in the US I was spending most of my time studying leetcode etc

icy flame
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I've seen... very mixed things about them

winged crag
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I dont think your resume is compelling for revature

icy flame
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I just haven't done it yet, as I wanted to make sure it wasn't a horrible decision

winged crag
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well, if you want to be a swe it feels like that's a lot better opportunity than you're going to get otherwise

icy flame
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I guess my other question (and I've posted this elsewhere) is uh

winged crag
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presumably you've researched revature and know more about it

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is it a horrible decision fi you can get a 80k/year new grad job? sure

icy flame
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If I really enjoy coding, am I going to do okay as an SWE? This is the other problem I've had, is I keep hearing people going "it's soul sucking, stressful, and makes you miserable"

winged crag
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is revature for 2 years better than doordash for 2 years if you want to be a swe?

icy flame
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I guess it's a legitimate route, at least

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The sense I get is having side projects is not nearly as employable as just plain having experience

winged crag
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well, obviously right?

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unless your side projects are quite meaningful (the ones on your resume aren't even close to being equivalent)

icy flame
winged crag
icy flame
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Also, is it safe to assume even with programs like Revature, it's probably now or never?

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Ie. if I want to go this route, I need to take this opportunity and NOT teach for another year before I do?

winged crag
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🤷 what do you want to do man?

if you like teaching who cares, you don't need to get into CS

icy flame
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Teaching is... just a job

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I love coding, though I'm not sure I'm going to be so in love with the office politics etc

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I just love the problem solving and critical thinking aspect, and I love working with code

winged crag
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there's office politics anywhere you work

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even if you're self employed

icy flame
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It's the only thing I've ever done where I'm comfortable sitting and working for 10+ hours at a time

winged crag
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anytime you deal with people you deal with office politics

icy flame
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Which made me think that SWE would be a good career path

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Whether that's the case, I dont know

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I don't have the worlds highest stress tolerance or anything

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But coding is what I would like to do for money if I can, because then I'm doing something I enjoy

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I guess at some point I'd like to chat with a SWE who actually LIKES their job

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Since the ones I've had access to decidedly do not

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But I'll proceed with the interview process for Revature and Dev10

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Thank you for the help

winged crag
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I mean I love my job

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I think most people on CSCH love their jobs

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as far as a job goes? I can't complain at all - there are things I dislike but at the end of the day, it's a JOB

winged crag
icy flame
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Because like I say, teaching is also... just a job

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but not one that's particularly interesting or exciting

winged crag
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lets say you do revature, get a horrible experience there - does that get you closer to your goals?

the best case outcomes obviously do, but I think even a horrible experience at revature will get you closer to what you want to do -- assuming you want to do SWE fulltime

icy flame
winged crag
icy flame
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Although the thing I don't know is even with a horrible experience (ie. the people that say theyve just been straight laid off), do you get anything that works for you?

icy flame
winged crag
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I think most people on CSCH would much rather work in tech than teaching english

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but realistically you gotta figure out what you want to do and commit to it

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and none of it's permanent

icy flame
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I'll go through the process, and if I get through and they need me back in the US I'll be returning back

winged crag
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worst case you learn more

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interviewing/going through the process is useful anyways

icy flame
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It seems like I probably have a good chance of getting through it and matched witha company

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I'm a very, very fast learner and already have a CS background

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And I do well in structure

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Biggest concern is if I drop everything to do revature and go the CS route, and then run into a situation where they cant place me

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But I guess through their program you end up with more projects anyway

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look, one other question @winged crag, do you think this is sortve a now or never thing? Ie. if I want to get into SWE, I better get going with Revature ASAP and not wait?

icy flame
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As well, friend of mine suggested just spending a few months building these

maiden current
icy flame
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going to take the assessment test either tonight or early tomorrow

icy flame
winged crag
icy flame
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Feels like the right choice

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There's always the possibility revature fails to place me or something but

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It's worth the risk i think

winged crag
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you don't even have an offer and possibility right now; might as well learn more before trying to evaluate it as a bad idea

icy flame
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Have a phone call with my point of contact at revature on monday

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From what I've read I should be in good standing to be in

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I suppose there's never a guarentee though

icy flame
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So uh question

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I'm using the template from the readme @winged crag, but I don't have much experience in the field to speak of

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Do I just put my teaching jobs down as experience?

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problem is this resume is going to look very short