Final Deterministic Specification for CS Graduate
Resumes
1. Overall Resume Structure & Presentation
Length: The document is exactly one page.
Layout: A single-column layout is used.
Margins: All four margins are set to exactly 0.8 inches.
Font: The font for the entire document is Calibri.
Font Sizing:
Name: 22pt, bold.
Section Headings: 14pt, bold.
Body Text & Subheadings: 11pt, not bold.
Spacing:
Line spacing for all text is 1.15.
Space after each section heading is 8pt.
Alignment: All text is left-aligned.
Contact Info: All four of the following are present at the top of the page:
Phone Number.
Professional Email Address (e.g.,
[email protected]).
A clickable hyperlink to a LinkedIn profile with a custom URL (e.g.,
linkedin.com/in/jane-doe).
A clickable hyperlink to a GitHub profile (e.g., github.com/janedoe).
Summary: A section titled "Professional Summary" exists and is 2-3 lines long. It
must state a target role (e.g., "Backend Developer") and mention at least two
relevant technical skills (e.g., "Java," "Spring Boot").
NB: This is the only section that students can change based on roles applied
to once the resume is locked
2. Educational Background
Format: The following information is present in this order: Full Degree Name (e.g.,
"Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science"), University Name, Expected
Graduation Month and Year.
GPA: The GPA is included if and only if it is >= 3.5/4.0 (or equivalent). It is formatted
as "GPA: X.XX / Y.Y".
Certifications: If present, they are listed with the full official name, the issuing
authority, and the year (e.g., "AWS Certified Developer – Associate, Amazon Web
Services, 2023").
3. Technical Skills & Tools
Categorization: Skills are grouped into a minimum of three distinct, bolded
categories (e.g., Languages, Frameworks & Libraries, Developer Tools &
Databases).
Content: The skills listed are hard skills only. No proficiency levels ("Proficient,"
"Familiar") or abstract concepts ("OOP," "Agile") are listed in this section.
Example: Languages: Python, Java, C++, JavaScript
4. Projects & Internships
Quantification Rule: Every project or internship listed must contain at least one
bullet point with a specific, numerical metric (e.g., a number, percentage, time unit).
Bullet Point Formula: At least 80% of bullet points start with a strong action verb
(e.g., "Engineered," "Automated," "Optimized") and describe a measurable outcome.
Tech Stack Listing: The specific technologies used (e.g., "Tech Stack: React,
Node.js, MongoDB") are listed for each project, separate from the bullet points.
Link Rule: A clickable GitHub repository link is provided for every project. The link
must be functional.
GitHub README Checklist: The README.md in the linked repo for the top-listed
project must contain: (1) a project description, (2) a "Technologies Used" list, and (3)
"Setup/Installation" instructions.
Live Demo: A clickable "Live Demo" link is provided for at least one web-based
project.
5. Experience/Work Section
This section, if present, adheres to all rules defined in criteria #4 (Quantification Rule,
Bullet Point Formula, Tech Stack Listing).
Format: Each entry is formatted with the Company Name | Job Title left-aligned and
Month YYYY – Month YYYY right-aligned on the same line.
Example:
Tech Solutions Inc. | Software Developer Intern Aug 2023 – Dec
2023
6. Awards, Competitions & Extracurriculars
Specificity Rule: Every item listed is specific and non-generic.
Invalid: "Good rank in a coding contest."
Valid: "Rank 450/15000 in Codeforces Round #835 (Div. 2)."
Relevance Rule: All items listed are technical in nature (coding competitions,
hackathons, open-source programs, or technical leadership roles).
7. ATS & File Standards
Keyword Presence: The resume contains at least 5 keywords relevant to a SDE
role (e.g., for a backend role: "REST API," "Microservices," "PostgreSQL," "Docker,"
"CI/CD").
File Naming: The final document is saved as a PDF with the filename
FirstName-LastName-Resume.pdf.
8. Readiness & Professionalism
Proofreading: The resume contains zero spelling and zero grammar errors.
Formatting Consistency: All dates follow the "Month YYYY" format. All bullet points
consistently end with a period.
Link Integrity: All hyperlinks in the document are live and direct to the correct
destination.
LinkedIn Profile: The user's LinkedIn headline is customized (not the default
"Student at...").
GitHub Profile: The user's GitHub profile has at least two projects pinned to the top.
9. Red Flags & Gaps
Absence Checklist: The resume must NOT contain any of the following:
A photograph.
Personal details (marital status, date of birth, full home address).
The phrase "References available upon request."
Any mention of high school.
A "hobbies" section.
