How to Make Your CV Stand Out as a Junior Developer?

When applying for your first Junior Developer job, one of the questions you probably have is how to make your curriculum vitae stand out. It isn't easy to judge if you are talented based only on your education from an employer's perspective. Your application may simply blend in with all the others that flow into the Applicant Tracking System (ATS). On the other hand, let's be honest, most people who graduated don't have much real-life experience or commercial projects to present. But it doesn't mean that you can't show your assets in a CV and make it more about you.

This article will not tell you how to land your first job or prepare for an interview. However, it will help you improve your CV so, as a result, you have a higher chance of receiving an invitation to the next stage of recruitment.

How to write a CV properly?

Before you even start writing your CV, it's worth being aware that developing a career is a long-term process and requires conscious planning. It does not only mean planning in which company and in what position you would like to work after graduation, but above all, what path you have to travel to get there. 

Harsh but true is that none of the tips and tricks will help you get invited for a Junior Developer job interview if all you have accomplished is attending lectures and workshops and passing the exams. Congrats, but most people you know probably did the same. Educating yourself and working on your skills outside of official hours is essential.

First, let's take care of the CV's visual aspects. Basically, you can prepare a CV in any text editor that allows you to save it as a PDF file - and remember to name it with your full name. However, there are many tools (most require a subscription, but the cost is usually low, and you can cancel at any time) that can help you prepare the document faster and in an easy-to-read format.

Secondly, take care of small details like your email address and phone number. When it comes to your email, if you want to be taken seriously, make an effort and prepare one with your full name in it instead of using one with funny words. Adding a photo is not obligatory, but if you decide to use it, try to look neat because, as some say, it's easy to judge the book by its cover.

Last but not least, add a GDPR clause at the end of your CV. If you apply to an employer in Poland or other European Union countries, the lack of a current clause in your CV in English (or a language in which your CV is prepared) may mean your personal data can't be processed until you give your informed and voluntary consent. Even if you added "checkmarks" next to law paragraphs in the application form, it's still necessary to include the GDPR clause in your document.

The GDPR clause for CV in 2022 is:

I agree to the processing of personal data provided in this document for realizing the recruitment process pursuant to the Personal Data Protection Act of 10 May 2018 (Journal of Laws 2018, item 1000) and in agreement with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation).

Above mention tips for some may seem obvious but despite this, somehow, CVs without these elements still end up in the employer's mailbox.

How to describe your knowledge in the CV as Junior Developer?

The basic element of a CV is mentioning the name of your University/College, specialization, year of study, or graduation year. It matters, but what matters more is to show what you actually know when it comes to meeting the expectations of your future job. 

That's why, besides that, list what technologies and programming languages you know. You can also get extra points for knowing "non-obvious" technologies. For example, most Backend Developers know C#, JavaScript, SQL, or MongoDB, but Rust or Go are less common. It also shows that you search for knowledge in other sources than school because not every language is taught there.

However, remember that you may be asked about it during the interview. Companies usually search for entry-level developers who have relevant work experience or coding experience. But it doesn't necessarily mean it must be a commercial project. At LeanCode, we think that showing any project written in a specific language is always an asset and gives more credence to your knowledge. So document everything you were working on but keep in mind that it should showcase well-written code even if you did it for fun or practice.

Let’s sum up what IT projects are worth highlighting in the CV:

• Academic projects: Even projects prepared for a grade or during internship may showcase technical expertise or demonstrate how you analyze and approach problems. But remember to choose these examples that are relevant to the role you are applying for. Add a link where it can be looked up, describe what skills you used while working on it, the goal, or even what difficulties you approached while coding. The project itself can be simple. Your role is to explain why it was valuable.
  
• Personal projects: It is definitely a plus to do any project after hours and put it on public display. Even if the mobile application does not have users but has reached the stage of its implementation in the store, it means a lot from an employer's perspective. It's more and more common for recruiters to check developers' GitHub profiles. Developers can use GitHub for their private projects with up to three collaborators per repository for free, so you don't need to invest anything besides your time.
  
• Open-source projects: Contributing to OSS projects is a great opportunity for aspiring developers to distinguish themselves from other job applicants. First of all, it shows your motivation to improve your skills. Besides that, such projects require writing so-called "clean code," which is readable and maintainable. Such code is valued in any project you contribute to in your future job. Finally, it shows you know how to cooperate and communicate with other people engaged in the project. It happened at LeanCode that people who started their careers with us had mostly OSS projects in their CVs.
  
• Work projects: Having some previous work experience is an advantage. However, mentioning only a position or sending a link to an app you were working on does not give a complete insight into your experience. Highlight facts about past projects to help recruiters visualize what your input was. You can mention such data as project length, scope, number of team members, your responsibilities, and what was the result of your work. This way you show what you were responsible for and whether you managed to achieve it.

How to showcase your passion for coding in a CV?

CV is, in general, an official document, but it doesn’t mean that you need to get rid of the personal elements. A good idea for people who start developing their IT career is to add a section about Hobbies and Interests. However, it is worth approaching it more creatively. Most people mention things they like to do in their free time, and it’s ok since it can reflect your personality. But more important would be getting information from you about activities that refer to coding. Below we mention a few examples:

• If you like to read, list specific books (1-3, not too many) that helped you improve your skills or were useful from your point of view, or mention blogs where you usually find tips on the technology you are interested in.
• If you prefer digital content, mention your favorite Bloggers or YouTubers since it’s another way of gaining knowledge and learning about solving complex coding problems.
• If you have ever attended any tech conference, online Meetup like Flutter Warsaw, or taken part in a coding contest or hackathon, write shortly about this experience and what you learned.
• If you are up to date with any specific industry, you may mention an application you find well-designed. Maybe you like a particular solution that someone applied while coding it - if so, you can share your opinion. 
• If you have tried out different libraries, plugins, or tools within one technology, share your thoughts on which of them you used, which one you prefer to work with, and why.
• If you are more into IT podcasts, then again, give a few examples and explain what benefits listening to them gives you. Maybe you find out something you have never heard before, and it gives you a new perspective.

Remember to write concisely and to the point, so even if you are interested in many things, don’t create a long list. Also, one precise sentence about each interest is enough to suggest to a recruiter that you are interested in technologies, coding, or anything else. Choose only these activities that matter the most to you because most people don’t have much time to read extensive documents and descriptions. You can always talk about the rest during the interview. Such a section, as described above, can help you get noticed, and this is its aim. 

Summing up

Putting more effort into preparing your CV may pay you back, so spend some time thinking through everything you can mention in such a document. Also, pay attention to including information about all of the relevant skills to the position you are applying for. Read the offer carefully and see what your future employer is looking for, then think about what projects you have done in the past that required similar technologies, programming languages, or skills.

Remember that skills don’t only mean coding; for example, it can also be analytical thinking, working in a team, knowing SCRUM or Agile methodologies, or else. If necessary, it’s better to rewrite your CV and prepare a slightly different version for each employer, depending on what they currently need from a candidate. Knowing your experience from a broader perspective can be helpful, but it minimizes your chances if there is not much showing how it refers to their job offer.

If you are looking for job offers for Junior Developers, check out our Career Page and see if anything suits you. At LeanCode, we value constant development and openness to new ideas and technologies.