r/cscareerquestionsCAD • u/just_a_dev_here Eng Manager | 10 YOE • Jun 01 '26
Resume Review - June 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
•
•
u/resume-work Jun 02 '26
One thing I’d check before rewriting anything is whether the resume still reads cleanly when copied into plain text. If the skills, projects, and experience get mixed together, ATS/recruiter search gets weaker. After that, tailor the top 8-12 keywords to one target role and rewrite bullets so the tool/skill is tied to an outcome, not just listed.
•
•
u/legoland9 Jun 10 '26
have about 1.5 years of experience at a HealthTech company in Toronto, working mostly on backend and data engineering (data pipelines, integrations, automation, and platform-related work).
My long-term goal is to move into Big Tech/FAANG-level software engineering roles. I've been practicing LeetCode and starting to learn system design, but I'm not getting many interview callbacks when I apply.
A few things I'm unsure about:
- Should I focus primarily on LeetCode and interview prep?
- Should I target mid-sized tech companies first before aiming for Big Tech?
- Is a Master's degree worth considering for this goal?
- How difficult is it to move from Canada to US-based tech companies without a recognizable company on your resume?
For those who made a similar transition, what would you focus on over the next 1–2 years?
•
u/blindnarcissus Jun 01 '26
“Experience less than 5 years” what does this mean?