Writing a Software Engineering Resume

How does writing a resume for software engineering jobs differ from a pianist’s resume? That’s the question and problem I worked through recently.

A pianist’s resume

As a pianist, a resume is usually a laundry list of accomplishments relating to major performances, repertoire learned, scholarships/awards, and other experiences. Even though the structure and content is generally normalized throughout musical resumes, I think no one really reads them.

The real resume is in the prescreening tape, which is usually a 30-60 minute video recording of your playing. Interestingly, not as many applicants are cut as you might think. This is due to the shortness of time in the live audition.

Contrasting with day-long sets of interviews in other positions, the live audition is anywhere from 5-15 minutes. This also amounts to 90%+ of the weight of the application.

A software engineer’s resume

With a software engineer, you can’t just wrap up a web app and mail it to a prospective employer. That’s why it’s best to make your most impressive and recent projects the highlight. Especially for someone coming from a non-related field (music to technology, although there is increasing movement to consolidate the two, more on that another time), previous work experience and education isn’t as impressive when hiring for a tech job.

However, you shouldn’t just forget history and what you’ve done. One way to relate your prior experiences is to draw attention to applicable skills like electronics prowess, leadership, work ethic, and other related technical or soft skills.

Keep it simple, strong, and to the point.