Comments on: Sell Yourself With Business Benefits (And Not Geek Speak) http://www.codesqueeze.com/sell-yourself-with-business-benefits-and-not-geek-speak/ Ideas for building efficient developers and software Fri, 12 Mar 2010 12:19:55 -0500 hourly 1 By: Jon Limjap http://www.codesqueeze.com/sell-yourself-with-business-benefits-and-not-geek-speak/#comment-3171 Jon Limjap Sun, 04 Jan 2009 13:39:54 +0000 http://www.codesqueeze.com/sell-yourself-with-business-benefits-and-not-geek-speak/#comment-3171 I find it ironic that Joel Spolsky himself contradicts your advice here: http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2009/01/02b.html <blockquote> When a startup CTO sees a resume that says things like: * Responsible for $30m line of business * Architected new ERP platform * Managed team of 25 developers * Optimized business processes they think, “Spare me, that’s all we need, somebody running around trying to manage and optimize and architect when we just need someone who isn’t afraid to write code.” Here’s the stuff CTOs at startups want to see on a resume: * Single-handedly developed robust 100,000 LOC threadsafe C++ service * Contributes to OpenBSD file system in spare time * Wrote almost 75% of the Python code running IsIt2009Yet.Com </blockquote> Interesting :) I find it ironic that Joel Spolsky himself contradicts your advice here:

http://www.joelonsoftware.com/.....1/02b.html

When a startup CTO sees a resume that says things like:

* Responsible for $30m line of business
* Architected new ERP platform
* Managed team of 25 developers
* Optimized business processes

they think, “Spare me, that’s all we need, somebody running around trying to manage and optimize and architect when we just need someone who isn’t afraid to write code.” Here’s the stuff CTOs at startups want to see on a resume:

* Single-handedly developed robust 100,000 LOC threadsafe C++ service
* Contributes to OpenBSD file system in spare time
* Wrote almost 75% of the Python code running IsIt2009Yet.Com

Interesting :)

]]> By: Max Pool http://www.codesqueeze.com/sell-yourself-with-business-benefits-and-not-geek-speak/#comment-2988 Max Pool Wed, 19 Nov 2008 20:15:43 +0000 http://www.codesqueeze.com/sell-yourself-with-business-benefits-and-not-geek-speak/#comment-2988 @Karthik - Managers tend to be shined on by certs, but they will do nothing to gain the respect of your peers. I view certs just like a diplomas, they do nothing to prove that you are a good developer; however, they do show tenacity, discipline, and work ethics, so they are worth something. @Karthik –

Managers tend to be shined on by certs, but they will do nothing to gain the respect of your peers.

I view certs just like a diplomas, they do nothing to prove that you are a good developer; however, they do show tenacity, discipline, and work ethics, so they are worth something.

]]> By: Karthik http://www.codesqueeze.com/sell-yourself-with-business-benefits-and-not-geek-speak/#comment-2987 Karthik Wed, 19 Nov 2008 20:10:41 +0000 http://www.codesqueeze.com/sell-yourself-with-business-benefits-and-not-geek-speak/#comment-2987 Nice article. I would like your view on tech certifications like MCPD etc. Lot of techies hate them. but we can all see them in the job requirements. do u think it's worth it to get them, does it add any value to your resume ? Nice article. I would like your view on tech certifications like MCPD etc. Lot of techies hate them. but we can all see them in the job requirements. do u think it’s worth it to get them, does it add any value to your resume ?

]]> By: Max Pool http://www.codesqueeze.com/sell-yourself-with-business-benefits-and-not-geek-speak/#comment-2922 Max Pool Mon, 03 Nov 2008 11:40:17 +0000 http://www.codesqueeze.com/sell-yourself-with-business-benefits-and-not-geek-speak/#comment-2922 Good point Barry - It is true that you have to write to your audience; however, even as a technologist I do not care if a programmers resume is littered with technology verbage or buzzwords. What I am looking for is the same passion you speak of and their ability to understand the impact that their software brings. Being able to become a domain expert on the software you are building is a big part of software development. Good point Barry –

It is true that you have to write to your audience; however, even as a technologist I do not care if a programmers resume is littered with technology verbage or buzzwords.

What I am looking for is the same passion you speak of and their ability to understand the impact that their software brings. Being able to become a domain expert on the software you are building is a big part of software development.

]]> By: Barry Dahlberg http://www.codesqueeze.com/sell-yourself-with-business-benefits-and-not-geek-speak/#comment-2921 Barry Dahlberg Mon, 03 Nov 2008 11:00:53 +0000 http://www.codesqueeze.com/sell-yourself-with-business-benefits-and-not-geek-speak/#comment-2921 It's a good idea to try and figure out who is likely to be reading your resume... if it's me, you can skip the management fluff completely. What I really want to know is what matters to the candidate. In all the jobs I have been in the first people to really read a resume are the technical leads who are going to work with the candidate. An HR person might screen them but mostly that is to make sure the candidate can at least spell and has the right keywords in their skills list. Management is usually a last step, a final OK to make sure that the person the technical leads have selected fits into the business. If the candidate knows their stuff and can communicate it well, I will sell them to management. Maybe that's unusual or maybe it's a function of the smaller companies I've worked with, I'm not sure. Probably most important for me is that you show a few key things: - Passion for technology. - Great communication skills. - Great technical skills. It’s a good idea to try and figure out who is likely to be reading your resume… if it’s me, you can skip the management fluff completely. What I really want to know is what matters to the candidate.

In all the jobs I have been in the first people to really read a resume are the technical leads who are going to work with the candidate. An HR person might screen them but mostly that is to make sure the candidate can at least spell and has the right keywords in their skills list.

Management is usually a last step, a final OK to make sure that the person the technical leads have selected fits into the business. If the candidate knows their stuff and can communicate it well, I will sell them to management.

Maybe that’s unusual or maybe it’s a function of the smaller companies I’ve worked with, I’m not sure. Probably most important for me is that you show a few key things:

- Passion for technology.
- Great communication skills.
- Great technical skills.

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