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%.

This is the goal of your startup resume.

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?