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Projects for Resume?

zapshe (1907)
There's like 10000 of these posts all over, but I was wondering what you guys think in particular.

I realized my resume has nothing that sounds hard on it - A soduku console game, trie tree dictionary.. I'm thinking of maybe creating a web server, that sounds like something official.

What's bothering me is that where I am, it seems like every company has some unique skill set they want. So I'm looking for some general projects that would make someone thing I'm worth at least interviewing. No one seems too interested in a student's resume (go figure). My resume itself looks pretty sharp in my opinion, had a professor help out with it.

What kind of things did you guys put in your resumes to get noticed for internships and jobs?

Thanks :)
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salem c (3700)
Contributing to an actual ongoing live project with many members would be a good start.

It demonstrates a whole bunch of soft skills (like teamwork) which have nothing to do with knowing where the curly braces go, or being able to just google the answer.
seeplus (6591)
had a professor help out with it


If you have graduated from a University, then probably the only part of the course that would be of interest would be your final project. Thinking around that, what skills did you learn/show around that - report, presentation, group, research, communication etc etc What did you major in and any minors?

Also, what extra activities did you undertake? What holiday time jobs/internships did you have? Hobbies? Travelling, different languages?

You mention soduku console game. Why console and not graphical would be my question. Can this person only program for the console and not GUI?

As this is a C++ forum, I'm assuming you're looking for junior C++ programming jobs. Almost certainly your first hurdle will be the 'C++ interview' - probably on-line. You need to practice these type of questions as it's easy to trip up on some if you're not experienced in doing them - especially when you're not using a compiler to tell you of syntax errors etc. I knew of at least one company that tested every applicant - and then only looked at the CVs for the top scorers.

Also, if you're replying to specific job adverts don't just send you 'standard' CV. Look at the advert, see what they are looking for and how you might have something they would be interested in - and tailor your CV accordingly. How does what you know/done fit with what they are looking for? What can you bring the company, how would you be an asset to them etc etc.

Note that many 'first pass' CV scrutiny is now done by computers (ai etc). They are probably looking for specific words/phrases - and if it doesn't find them it rejects the CV. So again looking at the job advert try to incorporate as much as possible into your CV - whilst obviously not telling out-right lies!

If you are lucky to get an interview, note that you will almost certainly be asked about what you have stated on your CV - so make sure you can talk intelligently about all of it - and your University course parts that weren't C++ related. Also be ready to be given a problem to solve with no notice - and be expected to explain your thinking as you go along to forming a solution. Being able to think through a solution (even if you don't fully solve it) with explanation is more important than knowing the particular arguments of an STL algorithm function (although knowing what are available is important) as these can be looked-up.

Good luck!
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jonnin (11437)
there are a lot of variables. What companies are looking for and how they screen for it depends on where you are, a lot.
One of the things companies seem to have when accepting no experience required positions is someone who is able to learn / be trained efficiently (gpa is a good thing here) and who will stay with them after being trained. It is a good thing to say in the interview that you are looking for a place to build a career and that you are looking for a long-term position may help. Training is expensive, and people to take free training, get a couple years experience, and move on are a big expense for nothing gained.
zapshe (1907)
Contributing to an actual ongoing live project with many members would be a good start

I tried doing that on github but for the life of Michael Jackson I couldn't get Visual Studio to actually cooperate. I'll try again now that I have VS2019

You mention soduku console game. Why console and not graphical would be my question. Can this person only program for the console and not GUI?

I mentioned a GUI application in there so that assumption wouldn't be made, though it was a C# GUI. I'll be sure to start on a C++ GUI game that's nice enough to put on the resume :3

As this is a C++ forum, I'm assuming you're looking for junior C++ programming jobs. Almost certainly your first hurdle will be the 'C++ interview' - probably on-line

I've interviewed with The Boring Company when they were looking for a C++ programmer. I did alright in the interview, but boy did their attitudes take a quick dive when they found out I was a sophomore. I'm open to all kinds of programming jobs though, I worked before writing Javascript code (which is in my resume). Sometimes I think my resume might be not specific enough to a single skill set.

Also, if you're replying to specific job adverts don't just send you 'standard' CV. Look at the advert, see what they are looking for and how you might have something they would be interested in - and tailor your CV accordingly.

Maybe I should have multiple resumes that incorporate similar things so I can edit and submit the one that better aligns with the company I'm applying for. Great idea :3 !

(gpa is a good thing here)

Thanks for the advice, I have my GPA on my resume for this reason.

Thanks everyone for the advice, it was all helpful <3
seeplus (6591)
You mention soduku console game.


OK, you missed one of my inferences. There are many errors you can make in writing a CV and providing too little or too much info are just two of them. In this case you provided too much info. Why say soduku console game and not just soduku game? Assuming this is a soduku solver, then this is a non-trivial program. Rather than draw the CV reader/interviewer to the console bit, leave that word out (your CV is still truthful!). If/when you are asked about this program, talk about the algorithm used - not the user interface. Only mention its user interface if specially asked. The professor who helped you with your CV should have spotted this.
zapshe (1907)
OK, you missed one of my inferences

Yea, I misunderstood a bit! I ended up removing it after you mentioned it. I put a line in about how I made it so you can input your answers into the blank spaces on the console. But it was pretty petty and so I removed the line to make room for other info.

The professor didn't know much about coding. It was an English professor for a class designed to help us create resumes and such. One of the few practical classes they give us.

Thanks for the clarification :3
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mbozzi (3932)
OTOH, detail might be helpful if the companies you are applying to are looking for experience with particular technologies.

For example, if you used model checking to help verify a tricky algorithm, say so. If you implemented some sophisticated lockfree data structure, mention it.

A single point like:
"Implemented homegrown database using TLA+ to validate core algorithms"
Is IMO much better than the simpler
"Implemented homegrown database"

Even if later on you list
"Familiarity with TLA+"
as a relevant skill.

Take this with a grain of salt. I have no experience hiring.
zapshe (1907)
Take this with a grain of salt. I have no experience hiring.

Sounds like solid advice all the same :)
helios (17574)
Another strategy is to pick something you're interested in and to do a project that focuses on it. For example at my current job they were looking for people with low-level knowledge, and during the interview I mentioned that I had done a bit of reverse engineering. I said that I had spent like a day looking at a function in IDA before realizing it was just memcpy(). That pretty much got me the job, because it was such a rare skill set.

It's riskier because for most places whatever you pick is not going to be relevant, but it can have a pretty good payoff.
zapshe (1907)
I've been doing the opposite. I've been seeing what companies have been asking for in candidates and trying to pick up those skills. Though picking a few things to focus on and then look for jobs matching the skill set would be less overwhelming and more concise.

Thanks :3
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