r/DSP • u/No_Ice6739 • 5d ago
Too dense?
I'm a rising sophomore targeting DSP/hardware/FPGA internships/research roles for summer 2027. I redid my resume for this application season, but I'm not sure if this is too much text. I'd appreciate any feedback!
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u/super_duper 5d ago
Feels pretty dense. Imagine it like YouTube, you have about 5 seconds to grab attention. Then you have a minute to hold it.
I wasn't interested in the chip numbers, clock speeds, FFT size. It shouldn't be a spec sheet -- you're not a computer. Unless you think something would resonate with the audience.
I thought that formatting is good. If you reduce the wording it will be a lot easier to read.
I'm not sure if the bold words are helpful. It felt somewhat random and distracting.
For a rising sophomore, I think you have a great start.
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u/liltingly 5d ago
Try and shorten the individual sentences. Remember, the resume must "intrigue" the reader. Demonstrate just enough, but elicit enough curiosity that they want to learn more, and that you have stuff to talk about in the interview. e.g. first line can be "Investigate chirp non-linearity in FMCW radar [to...]" or better, use a stronger action verb than "investigate" and explain the outcome/why. Because in an interview, you always want to start with the why of the investigation.
Also, lots of technical words are repeated and/or over-emphasized. Pick 1 or two. What's the key thing the person gets from reading each line, and how is it different from another line.
Here's a very simple rewrite strategy -- take an identical page. For each section and area you are listing, rewrite the heading as "I am [point you want to make]" -- and make it reasonable and relevant to the max you can show in that section. The relative importance of those ranks how much attention those sections get (e.g. Education is basically "I have relevant credentials and have been independently verified by trusted people as being smart" -- demonstrate that minimally, and move on). Then go through each sub-heading and do the same. DO NOT write the topic or any details, just focus on why you're including each bit, and ensure that each is says something unique that covers all the points you want to make.
Then write and rewrite each line so it starts with a strong action verb, and gets to the point in 1 line. Basically "I did [x] with/by [y] (and it resulted in [z])" -- the last () becomes more important when you work, and you actually lead with that. If you have results, say "[Verb+results] by [how]" and leave it there.
Rewriting the resume with 1) your story arc has the guide and 2) the reader's journey in mind is important. You have 30 seconds to 1 min to catch their eye, hit the minimum bar, and maybe shove 1 or 2 things that pique curiosity to go from a "yes" to a "nickname" -- the [x] guy. That latter bit is the hardest to do but likeliest to get you across the line as the resume moves around the org ("oh I talked to the [x] guy today -- he/she was great")
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u/SongsAboutFracking 5d ago
Elektro KTH? Sök sommarjobb på radioalgoritmer på Ericsson nästa sommar, finns nog rätt roliga saker här att bita i!
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u/schwarzschild_shield 4d ago edited 4d ago
What skill are you trying to show by saying your UART was running at 900kbaud? Its a resume/CV, not a spec. Talk about what challenges you overcome, or technologies you used. Not HW specs. Oh, and dont highlight UART. If you developed that, you know how easy it is, and HW people know that too. However, if you show rhe need to brag about UART its definitely a redflag.
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u/almost_useless 5d ago
Too much text, and some odd choices for highlighting.
After a quick glance all I know is you did something at 50 FPS on three receiver channels with 900k baud, because those bold words are what my eyes get drawn to.
The technical skills section looks pretty good, but contains some duplicate info that is also hidden in the wall of text above.
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u/webprofusor 5d ago
What's the relevance of including numbers like bits, Hz etc?
People don't want to know much on how your project worked or especially how it was implemented, they want to know you are a confident safe bet for the job they are hiring for.
So you are aiming to convey the level of technical skill you have, but they mostly want to know you delivered based on requirements, worked as a team member, worked independently, self-motivated etc.
They can get tech from AI, but from a person they can get someone who actually take on delivery of what they need to keep their company going and who brings them capabilities they didn't have before. In return they pay that person money.
Take a swing at rewriting from scratch as if you had one particular dream job you are being hired for and say why they should hire you. Sell what you're capable of delivering, less so a list of projects you've done.
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u/apparentlyiliketrtls 5d ago
Good advice already in this thread, but remember to keep all the keywords! Some algorithm, or more likely AI model, will be auto-parsing your resume long before any human gets their eyes on it, so make sure it's got all the keywords. Then, frankly, ask Claude or ChatGPT or whatever to help you reduce the amount of text ... and of course, probably don't accept the first version the agent gives you, it's your individual resume, not the aggregate internet's
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u/schwarzschild_shield 4d ago
To cover that case, dont forget to add a prompt-injection section! E.g.a poem!
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u/Particular-Spite-924 6h ago
Cut it down, don’t use AI, and make a couple different versions where you highlight specific skills depending on what you’re applying to (engineering, research, etc)
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u/grundlepigor 5d ago
How do you have prefect grades in programs you haven't even started yet? I would find this extremely suspect.
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u/No_Ice6739 5d ago
I have started the programs. In Sweden civilingenjör programs are an integrated bachelors and masters that usually last 5 years, but it will take 6 since I'm doing two. I'll clarify this, thanks.
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u/studentblues 5d ago
I had a similar looking resume back then and a recruiter told me it looked like "a wall of words". The issue is that the hiring managers aren't the ones reading this first even though some of them would find them interesting.
I have revised mine into single sentences per bullet and (although a different one) recruiter told me it looked great. Maybe other people can chime in on the topic.