Resume that got me into Amazon as a Software Engineer 2!!

Are you looking for a job change? Do you need kickass resume tips and format that can get you in FAANG companies?

Are you confused about what to include and not include in your resume? Should your resume have your photo?

Your search ends here! I am going to share some amazing tips along with my resume that got me into Amazon and several European companies like Miro, Beat, Booking, etc.

Before I start further, let me first share why you need to have a great resume. Your resume needs to market you even before the actual interview process. It needs to have enough information written in a clear, crisp, and concise manner to prove that you are a great fit for the job. Your resume is going to be the first impression of you in your job search process.

Let me now present the resume format that I have from the very start of my career.

I have used https://novoresume.com/ to create my resume.

If you are like me, who prefers watching video over reading an article, please watch my youtube video:

Before I mention what things to write in a resume, let me first start with what you should not do while creating your resume.

1. Very Long Resume: Imagine the number of applications a recruiter would have to go through for a job opening. No recruiter would have the time to go through the long resumes. He is going to skim through your resume at best. So your resume’s attention span for that recruiter would be merely a few seconds. So why not present everything in a short and crisp version. Please do not create a 4 to 5-page resume even if you are applying for the CEO of that company. My recommendation is to have either a single-page resume or at most two pages.
2. Too many details about your education: For people who have certain industry experience (3+ years) and applying for a mid to senior level, you really don't need to put a lot of details about your education. Your highest education degree should be good enough.
3. Irrelevant details: I have seen resumes where people have mentioned details about an NGO they are supporting or a club in the college they were part of. Honestly, all these details were fine for a freshers resume but a definite no-go for experienced people.
4. Confidential information: Every company has certain intellectual property and sensitive data which they expect to not leak in the market, e.g. information related to the sales or any project which is not yet rolled out in the market. Please refrain from mentioning such details in your resume as it could lend you in some compliance issues with your current as well as future organization.
5. Inaccurate details: Even if you passed all the interviews of your dream company, I am sure you are pretty aware of the background check processes which most companies have these days. Its totally not worth it to mention any wrong details on your resume because if you get caught, you will be blacklisted by that BGC company and your current offer will also lapse.

I hope, I haven't scared you enough to continue reading the article. So now, let's focus on how you should build that kickass resume to land your dream job.

1. Brief description about you: Start with a 2 to 3 liner summary about yourself encapsulating your professional skillsets and strengths. Even better if you can personalize it a bit for the company you are applying. Just for a reference, this is the summary that I have on my resume, “”.
2. Your personal details: Just include your name, email address, phone number, and current work location. Don't mention things like your gender, race or religion, etc. so that it does not create a bias while your resume is getting screened.
3. Relevant skill-set: Try to make a section that highlights your skillset most relevant to that job opening. For instance, if you are applying for a backend software developer role including skill sets like programming language proficiency, tools, and framework you worked on, certifications will always give you some upper hand.
4. Consistent format: Small details do matter a lot in your resume. If you pick a certain format just stick with it through your resume. For example, if you are mentioning yourself as a third person, make sure it is followed throughout the resume. Same with punctuations and tenses as well. And of course, avoid grammatical and spelling mistakes. A good tool would be to use an app like grammarly.
5. Employment history in order of recency: Mention your employment history starting from your current or more recent employment. You can include the details:

a) Name of Company
b) Your title
c)Duration for which you worked
d) List of projects with impact

Hope you got some good tips from this. In case of any questions, feel free to reach out to me. All the best with your job search :)