Matt Andrews

Applying for a web developer role: CV dos and don'ts

16 Jun 2012

(Editor's note: this piece represents my personal opinions and not those of my employer. Now let's begin)

In my day job I frequently look over CVs and applications to join my team as a front-end web developer. Of the batch that we receive each time we begin another hiring round, perhaps 15-35% make the cut for an interview. Of the people we end up interviewing, we make job offers to perhaps 30% of candidates (these numbers are finger-in-the-air estimates). The odds are ever not in your favour, statistically speaking. But why?

It's because a lot of people don't seem to know how to write a CV or apply for a job as a web developer. I have lost count of the amount of times I've sighed with frustration at candidates who fail to give me the right information or people who waste my time (and theirs) with irrelevant nonsense. I'm going to catalogue the best and worst of these applications and how you can avoid falling into the trap.

What not to do on your CV and job application for a web developer role

Alright, that's the bad stuff out of the way. Now let's examine some of the good things people do when they send me CVs.

What to always do on your CV and job application for a web developer role

Wait, who the hell are you to tell me how to apply for a job?

Good question. I'm not claiming to be some sort of CV guru or hiring expert, far from it. Of the last four interviews I did before my current role, I failed to get three of them. I lost count of the number of  applications I made at around 100. I certainly feel qualified now to dissect how not to apply for things.

In my day job I hire staff to join my team and this involves looking at a lot of CVs, whittling down candidates with fellow staff and interviewing and ultimately hiring them. In the last 6 months I've helped hire three brilliant developers and I'm proud of that track record. I think that qualifies me to know a good CV when I see one, I hope.

Web development is one of the most fast-paced and interesting jobs currently on offer. It's a really exciting environment to work in and it's becoming more competitive to break into. This does not mean that you have to be some kind of genius or computer science neckbeard to get a job doing it, however. If you're passionate and excited by tech, able to solve problems with experimenting and creativity, and can show interest and desire to learn even where your experience has gaps, then you can get a good developer role.

If your CV doesn't make it really clear that you have those abilities and passions, though, you won't. It doesn't need to be your life story. It doesn't need your every career achievement. It needs to show me that you know what we want, you know what you're good at, and you want to work for me. If you're still interested, apply here.