Boot Camp Resume: Chart Your Course

Ahoy, aspiring tech navigators! Coding Captain here to guide you through the choppy seas of resume writing. Fresh out of boot camp, it’s easy to find yourself adrift in a sea of identical resumes. Armed with years of experience as a hiring manager and a former boot camp instructor, I’ve got the charts and compass to help you stand out. We’ll plot a course through the pitfalls and opportunities, making sure your resume doesn’t just float but sets sail straight for your dream job’s harbor. So weigh anchor and let’s chart your course to success!

Before you embark on this journey, let’s get you familiarized with the key landmarks you’ll encounter:

1. Applicants beware! - Learn the common pitfalls that make most boot camp resumes look identical, and discover how to set your own apart.
2. Plotting your portfolio path - Advice on building a portfolio that not only showcases your skills but also makes your resume more compelling.
3. Adjusting your sails: resume adaptation - Tactics for tailoring your resume to different job types and continually adapting it for your career journey.

Feel free to navigate to the section that calls out to you, or set sail through the entire guide for a comprehensive look at resume-building.

Applicants beware!

Common pitfalls

Almost all boot camp graduates have the same resume. It’s a common sight to see a resume with a list of technologies, a list of projects, and a list of skills. There are literally thousands of boot camp grads each year with whom you’re competing.

The problem is that this resume doesn’t tell the story of the applicant. It doesn’t show what makes them unique or why they’re a good fit for the job. It’s a list of facts, not a story.

The solution

The solution is to tell a story. A story that shows who you are, what you’ve done, and why you’re a good fit for the job. A story that shows your personality, your passion, and your skills.

The story

Don’t get me wrong, you still want to use a familiar format for your resume, but you want to use it to tell a story. For example, as you list your projects, you want to tell the story of how you built them. You want to show the process you went through to build them, the challenges you faced, and the solutions you came up with. You want to show the technologies you used, the tools you used, and the skills you used. You want to show the results you achieved, the impact you had, and the lessons you learned. Although it may sound like you’re writing a novel, you can condense your story to make it easily digestible while still hitting all the key points.

Here’s a pretty typical example seen in many boot camp resumes:

## Sea Shanty Generator https://example.com/sea-shanty-generator
- React, Tailwind CSS, Express, MongoDB, Spotify API, Chat GPT

If you’re lucky those sometimes include a brief description of the project.

Compare that to this example of a project story that tells a bit more about the project. It also helps interviewers recognize your understanding of the technologies and how they relate:

## Sea Shanty Generator https://example.com/sea-shanty-generator
- A web app that generates a sea shanty based on user input
- Used React and Tailwind CSS to create a responsive UI
- Used Express to create an API to communicate between React and MongoDB
- Used MongoDB to store created shanties
- Used the Spotify API to get song data for example lyrics
- Used Chat GPT to generate lyrics based on user input and song data

Then in your portfolio explain the technical details of the project and link to the code. In addition to linking to the code (such as a public GitHub repo) you should explain your involvement in each part, what technical challenges you faced, and how you decided to solve them. Don’t forget to link to working demos of the project as well.

As you can see from that example we don’t write a story, but we do explain a little bit of what was used and why. This is a great way to show your technical skills and your ability to communicate.

If you need help, there are plenty of AI tools that can give you feedback. For example when going through this exercise on Chat GPT, I provided the following input:

I need a bulleted list of technologies used and how they relate for my resume. The project is a Sea Shanty Generator. We used React and Tailwind CSS to create the user interface in a responsive format. Using the browser fetch API we made calls from the UI to the API layer - written in Express. The app works like an ad lib by taking lyrics and other song information from the Spotify API, and gather user input, then used AI to combine the 2. The results are stored in MongoDB, and are search-able by all users.

Keep it relatively short, it should take about the height of a paragraph in total so there is room on a single page for multiple projects to be listed in a similar format. About 6-7 bullets most, and the title of the app should be the only heading.

And got the following output:

Sea Shanty Generator

- Developed a responsive user interface for the Sea Shanty Generator using React and Tailwind CSS.
- Implemented seamless communication between the UI and backend API layer built with Express, leveraging the browser fetch API.
- Utilized the Spotify API to extract lyrics and song information, integrating user input for a creative ad-lib experience.
- Employed AI techniques to harmoniously combine user input with retrieved song data, generating unique sea shanty renditions.
- Established data persistence through MongoDB, allowing storage of generated results, enhancing collaboration and sharing.
- Enabled efficient search functionality across all user-generated content, facilitating easy retrieval and exploration.

From there you can refine it, format it a bit, add links or URLs.

Plotting your portfolio path

Portfolio-driven-development

You’ve probably heard the cliche “begin with the end in mind” before. That is extremely applicable here. If it is still early enough then you should start building a high-quality portfolio before you start your boot camp, and then as you complete homework assignments and projects add them to your portfolio. Make sure to include a link to the code, a link to a working demo, and a brief description of the project. When describing the project make sure your reader can see you understand how to use the technologies in the project by explaining what problems you solved by using them. If it was a group project make sure to explain your role in the project.

Before deciding on projects pick projects that are going to let you demonstrate your knowledge of some tech you’ve learned that is highly-desirable in the market. To do this research you can visit job sites like Indeed, LinkedIn, and Glassdoor and search for jobs in your general part of the industry, such as “web developer” or “software engineer”.

If you’re at the end of your boot camp program you can still follow the advice above. However, you’ll have to see how what you’ve done applies to those same job postings and emphasise in your portfolio and resume how your projects demonstrate your knowledge of those technologies. You may even want to tackle a side-project or two to fill in any gaps.

Build as you go

Don’t wait to add projects to your resume until graduation. Your resume should be a living document that you update and refine over time. For example, if you take on a really awesome side project after graduation and you have a lack-luster project from your course, don’t be afraid to remove the boring one from your resume - you could keep it on your portfolio if it doesn’t detract - and add the new one. If you’re not sure which one is better, ask a friend or mentor for their opinion.

Adjusting your sails: resume adaptation

Tuning for job type

Speaking of your resume being a living document that you improve over time, you should also consider adapting it to different types of jobs. For example, if you took a full stack coding boot camp you could apply for full-stack, frontend, or backend positions. You can then make versions of your base resume that highlight areas of experience and knowledge most relevant to those types of jobs. So a full-stack version of the resume might be the base version that shows a little bit of everything, while a frontend version might still mention the backend technologies but give more detail about the frontend technologies and projects. The backend version might do the opposite.

Tailoring for specific employers

If your dream job is with a company that uses a specific tech stack, or provides a good or service you really want to support, or just has really great aspects for your needs, then it’s worth spending extra time to put together a version of your resume that will really stand out to them. You can even bold parts of your resume that are in their job description, especially if it is a bit niche. If for instance you worked on a project that used a technology most students wouldn’t have experience with - maybe you picked it specifically before you started the project - then make sure to call that out in your resume, maybe list that project first and don’t worry about ordering them chronologically.

Evolving for your career journey

As you progress in your career and learning, you’ll want to update your resume and portfolio along with it. Don’t forget that you need to keep learning once you’ve graduated. Not only are technologies constantly changing, but even a top-notch boot camp can’t teach you everything you need to know to be a successful developer. Keep learning, keep building, and keep updating your resume and portfolio. Follow the steps from the previous sections to keep your resume and portfolio up-to-date and relevant.

Additionally, you’re going to learn about what works and doesn’t with your resumes by applying for jobs. Even if you don’t get the job, or even the interview you can reach out to see if they’ll offer feedback. Once you notice a pattern in the rejection feedback, you can use that to your advantage to adapt over time, crafting your resume that is more likely to get you an interview.

Keep going

In the vast ocean of coding boot camp graduates, standing out from the crowd can be as challenging as sailing through a tempest. But remember: a skilled sailor isn’t made in calm waters. Whether you’re just considering enrolling in a boot camp or have already completed one, you have the tools at your disposal to differentiate yourself.

By being proactive and strategic, you’re not just waiting for the right job to find you; you’re sailing towards it. So, whether you’re a seasoned developer or a novice setting sail in the tech world, we’d love to hear from you. What strategies have you used to make your resume stand out? Do you have any portfolio projects that you’re particularly proud of?

About Coding Captain (the author)

Hi, I’m Jason, your Coding Captain. With over 16 years of software development experience, including 5 years managing teams and 2 years teaching, I’ve journeyed through coding’s challenging waters and am here to guide you on your own voyage.

Beyond coding, my thirst for adventure extends to my family life and epic games like Sea of Thieves and D&D. These cherished roles – as a husband, father, and gamer – not only shape who I am but also inform my teaching style, fostering a warm and nurturing learning environment.

Join me, your Coding Captain, as we embark on thrilling learning adventures in the ever-evolving world of technology problem-solving.