2. Job hunting is essentially a sales process. You use your skills,
experience, and network capital to convince a hiring manager
that you're the perfect solution to their needs so they should
hire you.
But remember the job opening for a junior Software Engineer/
Data Scientist receives 500+ applicants
3. Building Technical Skills
Formal Training In software engineering b.tech / BE etc
Self learning (Edx, W3Schools etc )
Internships (Not paid trainings)
Portfolio projects
Open source contributions
Volunteering for organisations and helping them improve their process by
building software / websites
4. Building Soft skills
Online Platforms: Use platforms like Duolingo language-specific groups on social
media to practice daily.
Podcasts and Videos: Listen to English podcasts, watch TED Talks, and follow
YouTube channels that focus on improving English skills.
Public Speaking Clubs: Join organizations like Toastmasters to practice public
speaking in a supportive environment.
Writing Exercises: Regularly write essays, blog posts, or journal entries in English to
improve your writing skills.
Reading Materials: Read books, articles, and news in English to expand your
vocabulary and understand different writing styles.
6. Building your network capital
Professional Networking: LinkedIn: Maintaining an up-to-date and professional LinkedIn
profile, connecting with industry professionals, joining relevant groups, and participating in
discussions.
Networking Events: Attending industry conferences, meetups, webinars, and hackathons to
meet professionals and learn about the latest trends and opportunities.
Mentorship: Seeking mentors who can provide guidance, advice, and support throughout
your career journey.
Personal Branding: Establishing a personal brand by sharing knowledge through blogs,
articles, or social media posts related to your field.
Portfolio Websites: Creating a personal website to showcase your projects, resume, and
professional achievements.
Joining Groups: Becoming a member of professional organisations such as IEEE, Tinker Hub,
Python Kochi , GDC or specific communities.
8. About me - A Bad Example
I just passed out from KTU in computer Science. I did an internship and did some
coding . I need a job as a Junior Software Engineer in Python in your Esteemed
organization. I have some skills in Python coding and want to learn more
9. About me - A Great Example
I'm a recent graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from NIT Trichy. My studies
equipped me with a strong foundation in programming languages, data structures, and software
development methodologies. I'm particularly passionate about data mining and web automation .
During my internship at Zomato, I gained valuable hands-on experience in data acquision and web
automation. I honed my skills in Selenium ( Java ) and Python. I'm a quick learner with a problem-solving
mindset and a strong work ethic. I'm eager to contribute to a the automation technologies you’re working
on and confident that I can add great value.
10. Great Vs Bad
The great example provides specific details about the candidate's education, internship
experience, technical skills, and passion for software development, presenting a clear,
professional image. It effectively communicates the candidate's readiness to contribute
positively in a new role. It is also ATS friendly ensuring a smooth pass in automated
checks.
In contrast, the bad example lacks specificity, is informally phrased, and fails to highlight
the candidate's strengths and potential value to the employer. It does not engage the
reader or differentiate the candidate from others.
11. Internship Experience A Bad Example
Internship - [Company Name] ([Start Date] - [End Date])
Did some stuff with Python and data. I used pandas and Streamlit
Made some charts in Power BI.
Worked with other people on the project.
12. Experience A Great Example
Internship Experience: Python Data Science Intern - [Company Name] ([Start Date] - [End
Date])
Developed and maintained data pipelines using Python, significantly enhancing the
data flow between operations and analytics, which improved the efficiency of data
processing tasks by 20%.
Utilized libraries such as Pandas for data manipulation and analysis, and Streamlit for
building interactive dashboards that provided actionable insights, leading to more
informed decision-making.
Created a better user experience by improving the API’s response times by 200%
using advanced optimisation.
13. Education A Great Example
Bachelor of Science in Computer Science (May 2024)
[University Name], [City, State]
CGPA: 9.8 (optional, but include if above 9.0)
Relevant Coursework: Data Structures, Algorithms, Machine Learning, Database
Management, Software Engineering
14. Achievements A Great Example
Open Source Club:
Led the development of a Mobile App for students to share notes using Flutter which gained
mention in the press and 700 stars on Github, Y users.
ACMICPC
Represented the college in ACMICPC
Achieved an global rank of 1843 on Codechef.
Bug Bounty
Actively participated in Bug bounty programs and rewarded 3 times .
15. Technical Skills
Programming Languages:
Python : Utilized Python for data analysis projects, building web scrapers with Scrapy, and creating interactive dashboards with
Streamlit.
Javascript: Built web applications using Node JS and Frontend libraries like react Js and Vue Js
C++ : Participated in competitive coding using C++
Databases
Built web applications powered by SQL and No SQL databases . Familiar with MySQL and Mongodb.
Tools & Technologies:
Git (Version Control): Utilized Git for version control and collaboration in personal projects.
Django: Built a web store using Django Framework
Metabase: Built interactive visualisations on metabase by reading data from cloud hosted databases.
Postman: Used postman while building API’s
Frameworks:
Flask : Explored building lightweight web applications with Flask framework.
FastAPI : Improved response times by 300% by porting a Flask based API to FastAPI
16. Projects
Market Analysis Dashboard (Using Postgres Database and Metabase)
Developed a fully interactive application for real-time stock market analysis, integrating multiple data sources to
Metabase providing comprehensive business insights.
Implemented features for custom data queries on Postgres, which allowed users to tailor reports to specific needs,
significantly enhancing user experience and engagement.
Used playwright and Scrapy to extract data from the sources.
Price Comparison for E-commerce (Using Scrapy and Python)
Designed and deployed a web scraping system to monitor competitor pricing for price comparison
Archived a product matching accuracy of 86% by using Faiss for efficient similarity search
18. A Good Cover Letter
To,
Tony Paul,
Datahut
I'm writing to express my enthusiasm for the Junior Software Engineer position at Datahut. The opportunity aligns perfectly with my passion for web
automation.
My interest in software development began not just in classrooms, but in the thrill of competitive programming. The challenge of tackling problems
with elegant code solutions ignited a fire within me. This passion fueled my decision to pursue a degree in Computer Science, where I honed my skills
in C++, Java and Python.
Seeking practical experience, I built automation scripts, and contributed to open source web automation libraries collaborating with developers
worldwide. This experience fostered my ability to communicate effectively, learn new technologies quickly, and adapt to different codebases. It's
incredibly rewarding to see my contributions benefit the developer community.
I'm confident that my technical skills in Python, Java, coupled with my problem-solving abilities honed through competitive programming, make me a
valuable asset to your team. I'm eager to contribute my skills and passion to help Datahut continue its innovative work in web automation. References
to my open source contributions are listed on my resume.
Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to the opportunity to discuss my qualifications further in an interview.
Thank you for the consideration
Sincerely Ramu
19. Best Practices
Apply only to those jobs that fit your skill set
Customize your application for each job.
Learn a new skill every day.
Use a Excel sheet or tool like Trello to track progress
Connect with the HR’s on Linkedin and follow up.
Learn from Rejections: Use rejections as a learning opportunity to improve your approach. Ask
HR’s for feedback.
Keep building your network capital
Technical Preparation: Practice coding problems, especially if applying for software
development roles. Websites like LeetCode and HackerRank can be useful.