iOS & Android Devs – 5 Tips to make your CVs stand out in a crowded marketplace!
We are all too aware of how tough the tech job market is in 2023. Redundancies and hiring freezes are rife due to economic uncertainty meaning there are lots more people applying for far fewer jobs. Talk about a rough gig!
But hey, don’t lose hope just yet. I’m here to support you by giving a few pointers I’ve picked up during my 13 years in the tech recruitment game to help your iOS or Android Developer CVs stand out from the crowd! We were all taught the basics back in school: be professional, stick to black and white, use bullet points, keep it to two pages etc,. but here’s the thing. We now work in tech and are applying (for the most part) to forward thinking businesses, so let’s work together to craft your CV to grab the attention of the future thinking company of your dreams!
Here are Paul’s 5 tips to make your iOS or Android CV pop:
👍🏼 Your Contribution
When describing your roles, it’s important to give the recruiter or potential employer some context about how you’ve worked in the past. Here are a few things you should include:
a. A brief description of the company and product you worked on.
b. Provide a description of the problems you tackled, how you were involved in tackling them.
c. Were you flying solo or part of a team? Talk about the team structure and development approach/processes.
d. Detail the tech stack you worked with, but also why and how you applied it. This shows off your deep understanding. Remember, recruiters use Boolean searching on keywords to find appropriate CVs, so listing used tech under each role will help you rank highly.
e. Forget about squeezing your CV into 1 or 2 pages. This is old school thinking and is not as relevant to tech. The detail and nuance of your roles is more important for the reader. But, there is a line too. If your CV is 10 pages and goes back 15 years then we’ve got a problem 🥱 Try and keep it snappy with between 2 and 4 pages but use common sense and make sure your most relevant, recent roles are detailed following the steps above.
📱 Make it Visual!
a. Include app icons to give a recognisable visual representation of the apps you have worked on throughout your various roles. If done right, it will look punchy and will make it easier to understand at a glance. Trust me, it’s a visual treat!
b. Show off your competency level of each of your skills by using easy-to-understand infographics like bars or pies. Be honest too, you can’t be 10/10 for everything and can show an opportunity for a company to develop your skills.
🔗 Links to the App Store or Play Store
Why not make it easier for the hiring manager? Include links to the apps you’ve worked on so they can jump straight from your CV to the App Store or Play Store and check out your handy work.. But please make sure the links work!
🧑🏽💻 Showcase you and your Code.
Linkedin, Github, Stackoverflow, portfolio website, certifications etc. If you’ve got it and it’s worth showing off then stick a link on your CV front and centre. If you’ve contributed to an open source project, and/or spoken at an event, then shout about it! All this will help hiring managers jump in and see who you are and what you can offer!
🙋🏾♂️ Showcase your Personality
Inject your unique personality into that CV. Nowadays, culture fit is as important as skills and you want to find a place that will value who you are, as well as what you can do. It’s ok to highlight your passions, your adventures, your life lessons you’ve picked up along the way. Remember, we are trying to stand out not blend in. Your CV is your chance to make an impactful first impression! It’s also possible to go too far with this so keep it cool and concise!
I hope that this has been helpful. If you want an extra set of eyes on your CV, I’d be more than happy to offer additional pointers that may help boost your search, so feel free to shoot me an email: paul@pixelatedpeople.com. Lastly, of course, if you’re looking for a new iOS or Android job then send your CV too and I’ll do all I can to help you find your next gig.
Cheers, Paul.
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