The Startup Resume
If someone applies for a startup job, I’d expect him to write his CV differently than for P&G guys.
When launching a startup, you start with a bunch of people you’ve already known.
Then you continue hiring people from your or your colleague’s vicinity.
But there is just one way to scale a company: add more people. You get to a point where you need the best people around, you need many & yesterday was too late.
As our company, CDN77.com, has been growing rapidly this year, I have to spend more time with HR work than ever before. During the last six months, I have read 900+ CVs.
That averages to 7–10 per day. We hired 15 exceptional people out of 900. Not even 2%.
In the CVs of programmers, designers and salespeople, I keep seeing the same corporate bullshits over and over again.
If you want to work for a startup, try:
- to use signature without your degree — no one cares
- to send the CV in different format than .doc/.docx and/or EU official CV template
- not to address the recipient “Dear General Director”
- not to ask for meal vouchers and extra week of holiday
- to start the cover letter in a different way than “My mother told me about the job opening…“
- to never use cliches and copy-paste
What works:
- A photograph not picturing you at a party
- A link to existing portfolio — graphics, code, professional blogpost…
- One-paragraph summary about how your work can be beneficial to that particular startup
- Decent amount of originality — we are just people, you must get my attention
- Getting to the point — why, when, for how much and how you want to do your job — open up
- An offer to do a test assignment — it supports your credibility
- LinkedIn profile — give us more context on your background
- Twitter profile — show that you have your own opinion
- Positive attitude to changes — startup is a roller coaster, your environment will change all the time
Speaking from experience:
- Simplicity — 2 pages max.
- Only the important stuff — 15 programming languages (most of them no longer in use) and pointless certificates might be useful when applying for a position in a corporation or government
- Show that you can think on your own and are exceptional
- To the point — you have one sentence to get my attention. First 100 characters decide your fate.
All above is based on my experience from hiring people in the EU. I wonder if the US startup guys face the same…? Or is the community more experienced?