Paul V. Borza's Tips

Microsoft Serbia is Hiring

2010-03-05T16:53:00.047+02:00

Moon, originally uploaded by pvborza.

I have recently received a newsletter from Microsoft Development Center Serbia, saying that they're expanding. They've got up to 17 open positions:

Software Design Engineer and Software Design Engineer in Test (up to 12 positions) in the SQL Server Group, Entertainment and Devices Division, or Educational Product Group.
Intern Software Design Engineer (5 positions) for the summer of 2010.

To apply for any of the above positions, you have to send your resume to mdcsjobs@microsoft.com.

Review of Resume Tips #21 - #30

2010-01-15T20:04:00.044+02:00

Fireworks, originally uploaded by pvborza.

If you're looking for the first round of resume tips #1 - #10, click here; if you're looking for the second round of resume tips #11 - #20, click here.

Tip #30: Send your resume again next year in case of refusal. (read more)
Tip #29: Read Wiley's author guidelines for preparing your material for publication. (read more)
Tip #28: Allow two weeks to hear back from a recruiter. (read more)
Tip #27: Pay attention to how you write dates in your resume. (read more)
Tip #26: Add your prior experience with Makefiles to your resume. (read more)
Tip #25: Add your non-Windows OS experience to your resume. (read more)
Tip #24: Pay careful attention to abbreviations. (read more)
Tip #23: Try to go back with your experience as much as possible. (read more)
Tip #22: Send your resume to multiple companies. (read more)
Tip #21: Send your resume as early as possible. (read more)

I hope these tips have helped you and you're now preparing for the upcoming phone interview, as this marks the end of the resume tips series. If you come across any new resume tip, please feel free to let me know about it.

Resume Tip #30: Send your resume again next year in case of refusal

2010-01-15T19:20:00.057+02:00

Belvedere, originally uploaded by pvborza.

A recruiter will review your resume, and if interested will set up a phone interview with you. However, if that doesn't happen, it's not the end of the world.

Tip #30: Send your resume again next year in case of refusal.

What you need to do:

Check the previous tips to see what you might have missed in your resume.
Work towards your goals to be sure that you'll be considered next year, in 2011.

Recruiters will never tell you the reason why you have been declined (it's the law). Thus, it's up to you to figure out the areas which you need to improve till next year.

Resume Tip #29: Read Wiley's author guidelines for preparing your material for publication

2010-01-15T12:15:00.045+02:00

Man, originally uploaded by pvborza.

Since 1807, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., referred to as Wiley, produces books, journals, and encyclopedias, in print and electronically, as well as online products and services, training materials, and educational materials for undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education students.

Tip #29: Read Wiley's author guidelines for preparing your material for publication.

What you need to do:

Carefully read the preparation of text section describing when to use italics, units, abbreviations, numerals, equations, quotes etc.

To produce a resume of the highest quality, you have to follow Wiley's author guidelines, even if it's meant for publishing books.

Microsoft is Hiring

2010-01-14T18:10:00.010+02:00

Hey, Genius, originally uploaded by pvborza.

As a former intern, I was informed that Microsoft has a couple of open (full-time and internship) positions in Norway, Denmark, Ireland, and USA. Check out the details from this document describing current open opportunities within Microsoft and send your resume.

Resume Tip #28: Allow two weeks to hear back from a recruiter

2010-01-13T16:01:00.049+02:00

Tower, originally uploaded by pvborza.

Recruiters are busy people and might not be able to respond back as quickly as you'd imagine. The rule of thumb is to wait two weeks before you follow-up.

Tip #28: Allow two weeks to hear back from a recruiter.

What you need to do:

Send your resume and wait for a recruiter to write back to you.
Wait at least two weeks before you start asking yourself whether someone looked over your resume or not.

The delay between the moment when you send your resume and the moment when the recruiter responds back may vary; thus, it's a good idea to focus on something else during that time. Recruiters usually write back as soon as they're able to, so be patient. One possible cause is that the recruiting process might have already started and the recruiter may be busy interviewing candidates over phone.

Resume Tip #27: Pay attention to how you write dates in your resume

2010-01-10T08:30:00.024+02:00

Angel, originally uploaded by pvborza.

When will you graduate: 01/07/2010 or 07/01/2010? If an American would look over 01/07/2010 it would understand January 7, 2010; but, if a European would look over 01/07/2010 it would understand July 1, 2010.

Tip #27: Pay attention to how you write dates in your resume.

What you need to do:

Remove the day from the date to reach 07/2010, i.e. July 2010.
Transform in words (e.g. January, February etc.) the month such that you'll have an unambiguous date like July 2010.

Misunderstandings have no place in your resume and should be avoided with all cost. A small glitch like a wrongly misunderstood graduation date could make the recruiter consider you unavailable for their starting date.

Resume Tip #26: Add your prior experience with Makefiles to your resume

2010-01-08T18:26:00.068+02:00

Birds, originally uploaded by pvborza.

Programming languages and integrated development environments (e.g. Eclipse, Visual Studio etc.) are part of every developer's life. However, because IDEs are so integrated we often fail to understand how the compilation process works.

Tip #26: Add your prior experience with Makefiles to your resume.

What you need to do:

Read the entire GNU make manual.
Look over the nmake reference. This is Microsoft's own version and is "kind of" compatible with GNU make.
If you feel you've got the nerve, proceed to GNU automake and autoconf (basically, these will generate a Makefile out of other configuration files).
Create Makefiles for a couple of small applications written in Java, C#, or C.

The purpose of these make implementations is to determine which pieces of a large program need to be recompiled, and to issue the commands to recompile those pieces. When you're sending the resume to a large company, rest assured that you won't be the one writing the main function of the C program: you'll add new features. Thus, recruiters are looking for candidates that are able to seemingly integrate within the team, follow programming standards, and understand Makefiles.

Resume Tip #25: Add your non-Windows OS experience to your resume

2010-01-06T19:14:00.054+02:00

Stairway, originally uploaded by pvborza.

Even Steve Ballmer confirmed that 60% of the web servers run a Linux-based OS, back in September 2008; however, Windows runs on 91% of all client computers. Nonetheless, good candidates have prior experience in developing applications on at least two different operating systems.

Tip #25: Add your non-Windows OS experience to your resume.

What you need to do:

Include projects that clearly state that you've developed applications on some non-Windows operating system.
Possibly, add your prior experience in developing applications for mobile phones running Windows Mobile, Android, Symbian, OpenMoko etc.

We're far from living in a world where one system runs on every machine; thus, showing cross-plaform diversity in your resume is no longer an advantage, but a basic requirement. Usually, dual booting Windows and Ubuntu, or running a couple of virtual machines does the trick to get you up to speed. Of course, to get the job you've been dreaming of, you'll have to do more than just start a Linux-based OS in your VM.

Resume Tip #24: Pay careful attention to abbreviations

2010-01-03T09:53:00.070+02:00

Cliff, originally uploaded by pvborza.

Whether you're in medical school or you're studying computer science, following good writing guidelines is a necessity to get your message through. Over abbreviating and incorrectly abbreviating words in resumes is a common mistake.

Tip #24: Pay careful attention to abbreviations.

What you need to do:

Carefully consider which terms are worth abbreviating.
Don't over abbreviate words.
Correctly abbreviate words like Bachelor of Science to B.Sc. and Master of Science to M.Sc. etc.

Take a step back and read your resume as if you're someone else. Ask your parents (people that are likely to be working in a different field than you are) to look over your resume. If they don't understand something it's not their fault: it's your fault! However, if you know in advance that the one who will read your resume is a trained professional in your field, leaving commonly used words unabbreviated may be redundant.

Resume Tip #23: Try to go back with your experience as much as possible

2009-12-29T09:56:00.064+02:00

Moon, originally uploaded by pvborza.

Experience is mainly characterized by two attributes: for how long and how well have you been doing it. Thus, deciding what you're going to do in your life from an early age is a huge advantage.

Tip #23: Try to go back with your experience as much as possible.

What you need to do:

Find contests in which you've participated or relevant things you've achieved, that are somehow related to the position you're applying for.
Be sure to add any physics or mathematics competitions if you've recently switched to computer science.
Start with the first relevant competition you've participated in and continue till present (i.e. go back with your experience as much as possible).

I started loving programming when I was in the 7th grade; too late if I were to judge. However, before that, my parents used to make me participate in various competitions. Few know that I started painting when I was in kindergarten and I won a lot of painting competitions.

Resume Tip #22: Send your resume to multiple companies

2009-12-22T15:57:00.085+02:00

Ferdinand, originally uploaded by pvborza.

In a world where Google owns 65% of all searches issued in United States (June 2009), and Windows runs on 91% of all client computers (October 2009), you'd wonder which is the best company to work for.

Tip #22: Send your resume to multiple companies.

What you need to do:

If you're undecided (send your resume to these companies regardless of your preferences):
1. Send your resume to Microsoft (here's how or use Microsoft Careers).
2. Send your resume to Google (Google Jobs).
3. Send your resume to Apple (Apple Jobs).
If you're into gaming or design:
1. Send your resume to Blizzard (Blizzard Careers).
2. Send your resume to Nintendo (Nintendo Careers).
3. Send your resume to Electronic Arts (Electronic Arts Jobs).
4. Send your resume to Adobe (Adobe Careers).
If you're into social networks:
1. Send your resume to Facebook (Facebook Careers).
If you're into mobile computing:
1. Send your resume to Nokia (Nokia Careers).
If you're into databases:
1. Send your resume to Oracle (Oracle Careers).

In the end, it's not the company that you work for that matters, it's how well you do your job. However, if you know you've got the potential, send your resume to all the prestigious companies listed above.

Resume Tip #21: Send your resume as early as possible

2009-12-22T10:04:00.004+02:00

Piano, originally uploaded by pvborza.

The recruiting process is a cyclical one (i.e. every year, it re-starts from the beginning). However, open positions always dictate when in-person interviews occur. On the other hand, internships happen in the summer and I believe that the recruiting process starts in November.

Tip #21: Send your resume as early as possible.

What you need to do:

Send your resume now.

It's never too late to send your resume to a company or university, but the sooner you send the resume the better. Being first in line assures yourself that a recruiter will not look over your resume in a hurry. Take the time to make those 30 seconds worthwhile for the other person that will decide your future.

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-20T15:36:00.005+02:00

Globes, originally uploaded by pvborza.

Happy holidays!

Review of Resume Tips #11 - #20

2009-12-17T07:14:00.044+02:00

Fireworks, originally uploaded by pvborza.

If you're looking for the first round of resume tips #1 - #10, click here.

Tip #20: Send your resume in through the regular channel. (read more)
Tip #19: Your resume should be free of grammar or spelling errors. (read more)
Tip #18: Give a unique file name to your resume. (read more)
Tip #17: Your resume should include at least one project where you used unmanaged code. (read more)
Tip #16: Add a 2-line description to each of your major projects. (read more)
Tip #15: Include the GPA in your resume if it's very good. (read more)
Tip #14: Include the rank in your resume if you're in the first 10%. (read more)
Tip #13: Emphasize your university if it belongs to the world's first 500. (read more)
Tip #12: Your resume should be well structured. (read more)
Tip #11: Your resume should have a clearly defined objective. (read more)

These pieces of advice solely express my own opinions. There may be a great deal of variation to these tips and I urge you to try to improve them. If you have a resume tip that's worth sharing, please don't hesitate to publish it somewhere and leave a link.

Resume Tip #20: Send your resume in through the regular channel

2009-12-16T13:54:00.068+02:00

Church, originally uploaded by pvborza.

Every building has several ways of access. However, in order to get noticed, you have to use the main entrance.

Tip #20: Send your resume in through the regular channel.

What you need to do:

Identify the official channel that everyone uses to submit resumes to a company or university: an email address or a dedicated web site.
Never send your resume to multiple recruiters working for the same company.
If you're going to use the regular channel, rest assured that at least one recruiter will be delegated to your case and will look over your resume.

Always use the official channel to send your resume in; for example, Microsoft uses its own branded Hey, Genius channel. Consider yourself equal to each of the other candidates and let the recruiter decide whether you're better than everyone else or not.

Resume Tip #19: Your resume should be free of grammar or spelling errors

2009-12-16T09:26:00.054+02:00

Church, originally uploaded by pvborza.

Errors in [English] usage are a lot like errors in table manners.
Paul Brians

We can go further and associate the restaurant with the company or university that you'll be sending your resume in. Decide whether your "manners" are good enough for that "restaurant".

Tip #19: Your resume should be free of grammar or spelling errors.

What you need to do:

Investigate every single character you've put in your resume and decide whether it's supposed to be there or not.
Use a dictionary to check whether you've correctly spelled all the words.

Spotting even one grammar error in someone else's resume shows that little time was allocated reviewing it (i.e. the resume was done in a hurry). The recruiter expects to find a flawlessly written resume that shows your strengths, rather than weaknesses.

Resume Tip #18: Give a unique file name to your resume

2009-12-15T09:01:00.046+02:00

The Commons, originally uploaded by pvborza.

Some recruiters receive hundreds of resumes every day. Have you wondered what happens if we all attach the file resume.pdf to our emails? Well, the recruiter receives hundreds of documents having the same file name and different content. Which one is which?!

Tip #18: Give a unique file name to your resume.

What you need to do:

Save your resume as resume.pdf (it's alright as long as you're going to send a hard copy of it).
If you're going to send it by email, rename your resume to something like [first_name]-[last_name]_resume.pdf (e.g. paul-borza_resume.pdf).
You could even use your top level domain name since it's guaranteed to be unique (e.g. pvborza-com_resume.pdf)

You've just eased up the recruiter's life. No longer has the recruiter to rename the file for you in order to save it locally, but she/he now has more time to spend looking on your resume.

Resume Tip #17: Your resume should include at least one project where you used unmanaged code

2009-12-12T08:39:00.095+02:00

Car, originally uploaded by pvborza.

Even though invented in 1972 by Dennis Ritchie, the C programming language remains the second most popular programming language in the world, as of December 2009. The most widely used programming language is Java, which was released in 1995 by Sun.

Tip #17: Your resume should include at least one project where you used unmanaged code.

What you need to do:

Identify your largest project where you used unmanaged code (combination of managed and unmanaged code in one project is a plus).
Count the total number of lines you wrote and wrap this number up in a nice description.

Old companies have legacy code that's still used in production out of good reasons, like speed. Recruiters like to see that young programmers have experience understanding such code, because at one point, the future employee may have to change or interfere with it. Plus, having prior experience in C/C++ is a huge advantage.

Resume Tip #16: Add a 2-line description to each of your major projects

2009-12-11T19:11:00.059+02:00

Focus, originally uploaded by pvborza.

A description like "developed five mashups for 30 000 users two weeks before deadline" is way better than a plain and uninformative description like "responsible for developing mashups on deadline".

Tip #16: Add a 2-line description to each of your major projects.

What you need to do:

Try to be as specific as possible when coming up with descriptions to each of your major projects.
If you've signed a non-disclosure agreement (NDA), avoid including information that would violate it.

These days, the question "can you do it?" is outdated; the actual question is "how fast can you do it?". Recruiters like to see descriptions where you've pushed yourself to the limit. If you know you've done it, summarize your accomplishments in the best way possible, like above.

Resume Tip #15: Include the GPA in your resume if it's very good

2009-12-10T17:32:00.052+02:00

Door, originally uploaded by pvborza.

The grade point average (GPA) is a measure of a student's academic achievement at a college or university. Worldwide, there are several academic systems and each has its own grading scale: letters A-F, numbers 1-10, or descriptors like excellent, great, satisfactory etc. Nonetheless, converting from one scale to the other is easy.

Tip #15: Include the GPA in your resume if it's very good.

What you need to do (similar to tip #14):

Calculate your GPA based on your grades and each of the course's number of credits.
Consider including the GPA only if it's a really good one.

International recruiters know how to transform grades from one scale to the other, so no worry there. Your GPA goes hand in hand with your rank in school, so if you've included the rank be sure to also include the GPA. The rank and GPA makes the difference between those who graduated from the same university. Try to always look for small differences between you and your competitors.

Resume Tip #14: Include the rank in your resume if you're in the first 10%

2009-12-09T21:03:00.060+02:00

Church, originally uploaded by pvborza.

Being the first, second, or third is always rewarding, no matter the situation you're in. Even if you and your colleagues consider yourselves friends, you're unknowingly competing against each other in school. Grades don't directly represent one's intellect, but are a good indicator of someone's capabilities and work ethic.

Tip #14: Include the rank in your resume if you're in the first 10%.

What you need to do:

Compute your rank based on your colleagues' average grade.
Write the rank in your resume only if you're in the first 10%.
Also, don't forget to include the total number of students from your major.

The first impression is very important for anyone, even though professional recruiters try to avoid creating one in the first 30 seconds. Things that don't give you an advantage, are better to be omitted.

Resume Tip #13: Emphasize your university if it belongs to the world's first 500

2009-12-08T14:35:00.003+02:00

La Piazza del Campo, originally uploaded by pvborza.

All top 10 universities in computer science are in north America. As of 2009, the world's first ranked university in computer science is Stanford University, followed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (a.k.a. MIT).

Tip #13: Emphasize your university if it belongs to the world's first 500.

What you need to do:

Check the first 500 universities in the world as shown on the Academic Ranking of World Unviersities.
If your university belongs to the first 500, there's reason to emphasize it on your resume.
If not, list your university at the bottom of your resume (like I did).

Some have the privilege of studying at the most prestigious universities in the world. However, a university can only point you in the right direction; in the end, it's up to you how far you'll go.

Resume Tip #12: Your resume should be well structured

2009-12-07T12:12:00.010+02:00

Moon, originally uploaded by pvborza.

Resumes can be seen as self commercials. In order to get your message through, your commercial has to be understood by others. By organizing your resume, you're showing structured information that's easy to grasp within first sight.

Tip #12: Your resume should be well structured.

What you need to do:

Define the main sections that closely represent you (don't use sub-headers).
Be sure to include your work experience, honors, publications, activities, education, and skills.
Try to move up (i.e. prioritize) sections that you feel that are more important than others.

You may wish to combine several of these sections together when you realize that some are poorer in content than others. Recruiters are mainly looking at what makes you special and unique; thus, competitions and skills play a crucial role in building an opinion.

Resume Tip #11: Your resume should have a clearly defined objective

2009-12-04T18:28:00.056+02:00

Wheel, originally uploaded by pvborza.

Everybody has a dream. However, you're not Miss Universe and you're not trying to save the entire world from hunger.

Tip #11: Your resume should have a clearly defined objective.

What you need to do:

Try to identify your dream job and come up with an objective.
Prepare in advance possible products or teams that you'd love to be part of.

Recruiters are usually looking to fill up open positions within the company, that's why it's important to align yourself with the description of the position. However, this might not be the case for most internship positions as you only find the team that you will be working with after you pass the in-person interviews.