How to not get a job as a CS major? Besides just simply not applying what would ruin your chances of getting a job?
I’ve already been giving tips on how to get internships based solely on my limited experience. Now here’s some stuff not to do which goes way more into depth. After this question was asked in the programming Club Discord I decided to answer to the best of my ability.
One thing that will always impede someone is a bad resume. To expand, a bad resume has; bad grammar, lack of organization, lack of projects or work experience (who are they what did you make or do), lack of content or noticeably fluffed up, lack of social links (Linkedin, GitHub,itch.io, personal website), and more important than you realize, relevant coursework tell them what classes in cs you have had. This is as important as your language list.
Here’s a challenge: ask 10 people to look at and evaluate your resume. This is the best thing you can do for yourself. Other things that will slow your job search include; bland and simple projects, class projects vs. original recent tech buzzword projects. Lack of Leetcode, or problem-solving proof (document them in a git repo).
When it comes to projects, sell a story. Why did you come up with it? What did it fix? I have found my way to great opportunities by telling stories with my work. You have to be able to sell yourself. I forget who told me this, hell maybe I made it up, but it goes like this, “Most people actively benefit from you failing, they hope for it, sell yourself to the world as useful, no one else wants to.” People who can not be likable or show personality tend to be ignored by all, but the most desperate jobs. No internship experience is a hard sell. Even mid-range companies expect it, find one, even unpaid (if so, try to go for a nonprofit). They want to know other people gave you a shot; it is more like dating than you think. Collective proceeds are a great asset.
Not having HTML, CSS, and JavaScript experience on your resume is a big easily avoidable mistake. You should know how websites work at least as programs. If you have time go ahead and learn bootstrap too, that’ll earn you a gold star in my book.
A few general tips, if you never delete your cringe kind of funny offensive jokes on old social media, that can be used against you. Be smart, would you hire yourself compared to the best programmer at Poly that is who you are competing with.