Software developer CV 'red flags'

This post was first published on the 20th of October 2020.

Whether you’re a hiring manager, corporate recruiter or HR-officer, assessing freelance software developer resumes can be a challenging task. After all, regardless of whether or not the reviewer is technically skilled, a CV does not necessarily always reflect the quality of the candidate. Here’s a couple of red flags when reviewing developer CVs.

Buzzword Bingo & Adjective Jumble

One of the most common red flags is the overkill of jargon -- or ‘Buzzword Bingo’. The reason behind using a fluff of terminology is often to get past recruiter-gatekeepers, or keyword filters in CRMs. Does a good developer really need to include every single shred of tech that they’ve come across in their career? (JSON, anyone?)

Another thing to look out for is overuse of rhetorics, bombastics and adjectives in, for example, project descriptions. A resume might describe working on a website as: ‘having partook in top-level architectural decision making, thereby excellently implementing modern and highly technical, performant and responsive digital media solutions’. If a developer can’t be compact and to the point as to the project, his/her role and the outcomes, then chances are he or she is suffering from a bit of grandiloquence.

Too Many Programming Languages

Many developers study, use and harness 1 or 2 (or maybe 3) programming languages in a lifetime, let alone master one or more. One could state that striving to learn more is either a fool’s errand, flamboyant, or both. Of course a developer may have dabbled in 8 programming languages, but will he/she have mastered even one? Makes the reviewer wonder about focus, expertise, sincereness, or all of the above.

Short Term Projects

Freelancing is inherent to short contracts of 3 months to a year long. Multi-annual assignments can, by their own right, be considered red flags, because they may signify a possible lack of personal growth and/or lack of ambition. More dubious, of course, are many very short contracts -- or only short (3 month or less) contracts. Does the candidate have a trait that gets them booted from a lot of projects? Many very short contracts may be a reason to check up on some references before taking things further with a candidate.

No STAR-like Project Descriptions

Projects are often described in a CV by their client, location, tech-stack used and timespan. What’s often missing is a STAR (situation, task, action, result) description, giving reviewers a better sense of what it is that the candidate actually did and/or contributed. A lack of STAR-like descriptions make for CV entries that become black boxes. It tells you something about the client and the project you worked on, but says little about the candidate’s role, responsibilities, results that he or she may be proud of, and/or growth that he or she achieved.

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