[MUSIC PLAYING]
REBECCA: Hi, my name is Rebecca, and I'm a recruiter here
at Google.
KENDALL: And I'm Kendall, and I'm a software engineer here
at Google.
We're here today to talk about resumes.
REBECCA: A cool thing about the Google application process
is that our roles don't require cover letters,
and that, for the vast majority of our roles,
we simply ask for a resume and a transcript.
So while you can breathe a sigh of relief
about not having to write a cover letter,
it's all the more important that you put your best foot forward
with that resume, and we're here to help.
KENDALL: To keep things simple, we're
breaking this video into chapters with links below.
First, we'll dive into general tips for all resumes
and then break off into tips specifically for business
roles, and end with insights into engineering and tech
resumes.
REBECCA: Before we get started, we
want to make it clear that everything we cover today
is just a guideline.
There's no exact science when it comes down to what Google
is looking for in a resume.
However, we hope that these suggestions
can help you in creating a stronger resume
and help you on your path to a successful career.
KENDALL: All right, let's get started.
REBECCA: The person reviewing your resume
should be able to find pertinent information easily and quickly.
PDF formatting is always preferred.
The format should be clean, simple, and consistent.
Black text is always a safe bet.
Keep consistent font and size and always check for typos.
Try to use bullet points whenever possible.
Focus on results and impact.
List metrics and examples concisely
rather than writing overly long descriptions.
KENDALL: Be sure to include your contact information and email
address as well.
Try to keep your resume to one to two pages, including
relevant information only.
If you're applying for something outside of engineering,
it should be a priority to keep it on one page.
You don't have to include references,
but can add references upon request.
Don't worry about objective statements
either, and cover letters are not
really reviewed unless the team needs more context.
REBECCA: Our team looks for this upcoming information,
so please make sure that it's easily accessible and formatted
neatly.
Education should always be listed first
under your contact information.
Work experience includes internships or jobs
and any other experience.
You can less personal projects or class projects.
This is more applicable to tech.
Oh, you can list awards or leadership experience
and don't forget extracurriculars.
We want to learn about you.
KENDALL: Your education should be front and center.
Please include your degree and major,
and definitely make sure you include her graduation date.
Also, include your grade point average,
and don't be scared by this.
Although GPA is a factor, we look at the whole package
and understand that every school and student is different.
REBECCA: Experience is next on the list.
List your experiences in reverse chronological order,
starting with your most recent experience.
Always include the employer, position, and dates
that you were employed.
Keep descriptions concise and clear.
You can use the format, Accomplish X
as measured by Y by doing Z.
Make sure you highlight your accomplishments
versus a long description of what you did.
Showcase results for internships, jobs,
academic research, teaching, and tutoring experience.
You can also include experience from student groups, selected
personal and class projects.
Just make sure they're relevant to the job you're applying for.
KENDALL: Also we love hearing about extracurriculars
and what makes you you outside of the classroom.
Be sure to include things like these--
student groups, especially if you have a leadership position;
university honors, awards, or scholarships;
publications, papers, or patents you've worked on;
conference presentations; and any impressive achievements
or activities in other areas.
REBECCA: Now, let's get into some specifics
for business resumes.
Be concise and don't be afraid to brag.
Keep your resumes to one page, and be
aware of how you're using your space.
If your description spills over by one to two words,
you've wasted a whole line of space.
Don't forget to edit, edit, edit.
Use action oriented language-- verbs like negotiated,
developed, managed.
Here's a hint-- read the job description
and look at the language that it uses.
Write the resume for the job description.
Putting in that extra effort is what's
going to put you over the edge.
Use data and examples.
We really value data here at Google,
and we want to see that you know how to apply it when speaking
to your accomplishments.
Use comparisons and averages to provide context.
Now, let's show you some quick examples
of how to take your resume to the next level using
these tips.
Instead of saying, Member of Leadership
for Tomorrow Society--
KENDALL: Add metrics by saying, selected as one of 275
for this 12 month professional development
program for high achieving diverse talent.
REBECCA: And then take it a step further
by adding more context--
selected as one of 275 participants
nationwide for this 12-month professional development
program for high-achieving diverse talent
based on leadership potential and academic success.
KENDALL: You can find more examples
like this in Laszlo Bock's article,
"My Personal Formula for a Winning Resume," linked below.
Now, we're moving to the engineering side of things.
To get started, I want to reiterate how important it
is to list your GitHub profile at the top of your resume
and to include your programming languages.
GitHub, or other prominent open source work,
shows us that you're contributing to the open source
community, and that you're passionate about the work
that you're doing and looking to improve your skills.
We also look at the languages you're using.
We really want to see Java, Python, C, and C++.
Also, make sure you're comfortable interviewing
in the languages you listed and include any language you use
and any specific project descriptions on your resume.
REBECCA: Moving onto experience--
many students don't realize that they're actually
getting experience from places other than a job
or an internship.
Make sure to showcase results for any of the following--
internships relevant to computer science, academic research,
teaching, and tutoring experience;
open source experience; mobile app and web development;
student groups; hackathons or coding competitions;
selected personal and class projects.
It's good to see both independent projects and group
projects, especially open source projects,
to see that you can work well with others.
Include the language used next to your projects.
KENDALL: Also, make sure to show your impact.
Be concise and don't be afraid to brag.
This is your time to show off.
Use action oriented language as well.
Words like debugged, created, and designed are great.
Here's a hint-- read the job description
and look at the language that it uses.
Write the resume for the job description.
Use data and examples as well, things
like adding new hardware, algorithmic improvements,
caching answers, implementing machine learning.
Use comparisons and averages to provide context as well.
REBECCA: Again, follow the formula, accomplished X
as measured by Y by doing Z for crafting bullets
in your resume.
KENDALL: For example, I increased server query response
time by 15% by restructuring our API.
REBECCA: Or won second place out of 50 teams at a hackathon
clarifies just how impressive the win actually is,
versus won second place in a hackathon, which
could be out of three teams.
KENDALL: And if possible, always include a coding language
to describe your impact.
REBECCA: All right, thanks for watching.
Check out all of the helpful links below
and make sure to follow our Google students
channels to keep up with us.
KENDALL: Thanks for visiting.