5 mistakes to avoid in your Data Science resume

Avoid these common resume mistakes, so you can convert more job applications into interviews. Taking you one step closer to your dream job.

You resume is the first impression you give a company. It determines whether or not you’ll be invited to the interview process. Given my experience reviewing 100+ resumes and being a Data Scientist at Meta, Patreon and start-ups, here are the most common resume mistakes!

Mistake #1: Your summary section is generic. It doesn’t highlight what makes you special.

Try this: Copy and paste your summary section into a friend’s or coworker’s resume. Does the summary still make sense in the context of their resume? If the answer is “yes”, then your summary section needs to include more of what makes you unique.

Here are some unique achievements that you can highlight in your resume:

• Awards

• Publications

• Domain expertise

• Deliverables for C-suite executives

• Leadership and mentoring experience

Example of a Bad summary: “I am a hardworking and experienced Data Scientist with a passion for using data to uncover business insights. I am proficient at SQL, Python and Tableau. Looking for a job where I can use my skills and learn new things.”

Example of a Good summary: “I am a Data Scientist with 2 years of experience in the Fashion industry. In my previous role, I led and mentored a team of 5 analysts. I am also a published writer on Medium, having written articles about data cleaning and working with difficult stakeholders.”

Mistake #2: You describe the actions you took, instead of the impact you made.

Try this: Imagine you’re writing a Job Description for your successor. Copy and paste your experience section into the JD for your current role — does the JD make sense? If so, you need to update your bullet points to highlight your impact.

Take a look at these two sentences describing the same experience. Which one are you more impressed by?

• Option A: “Developed a suite of data pipelines in DBT.”

• Option B: “Reduced dashboard load times by 90% through developing a suite of data pipelines in DBT.”

Option B is the clear winner here. Because it highlights the outcome of the project AND quantifies the impact. Now when a hiring manger looks at your resume, they can envision how hiring you would make their lives easier.

Mistake #3: You’re not demonstrating that you have grown in your career.

Employers want to hire people with growth potential, so show them how you have grown in your career.

• Have you been promoted in your job?

• Have you transitioned from one role to another?

• Have you taken on responsibilities outside your job scope?

If you answered yes to any of these, show it off. 

Here is an example of a resume that demonstrates career progression. It is immediately clear how she has been promoted regularly overly the past 5 years.

Mistake #4: Your project portfolio is a GitHub repo.

No one, who decides if you’re getting an interview, cares about your code.

The first person looking at your resume is a recruiter or hiring manager, and they’re not spending more than 30 seconds looking at your portfolio. They’re not trying to figure out which pandas or scikit-learn function you used.

Instead of a GitHub repo, put your projects into a simple website, like Carrd, Wordpress, or Google Slides. Add that link to the top of your resume alongside your contact information.

Need inspiration? Check out Patricia Jacob’s sleek portfolio which was built Wordpress.

For each of your projects, highlight with just 1 -2 sentences each:

1. What were your key learnings?

2. What were your recommendations?

3. What was the impact of your project?

Then in your portfolio, add a link to your GitHub repo, so the reader can go deeper into the code if they want to.

Mistake #5: You forget to show off the human side of you.

Not only do companies want to make sure you have the skills to do the job, they also want to make sure you’re an enjoyable person to work with. Think of the infamous Airport Test. The questions you’re looking to answer with your resume also include:

1. Will you be a fun person to have lunch or go on a work trip with?

2. Will we be able to connect on conversations outside work?

3. Will you be willing to try new things?

A quick-and-easy way to do this? Add a Fun Facts section at the bottom of your resume. Your Fun Facts should demonstrate your hobbies, community involvement, and a personal goal.

If you need some inspiration, here is mine:

Bonus tip: Make sure you keep the formatting of your resume simple.

I personally love creativity, crazy colors and captivating designs. But your resume isn’t the place to express that creativity. Not to mention, ATS parsers have a hard time “reading” multi-column resumes. Quick tips on making your resume readable, but effective:

• Use justified formatting

• Use only black and white colors

• Use only sans serif font throughout your resume

• Use a single column format, like the Harvard Resume

And there you have it! The 5 most common resume mistakes (+ a bonus tip) that you should avoid. If you end up using any of these tips, let me know your favorites and if there are any other tips you’d recommend!

Thanks for reading and for sharing your most valuable resource with me, your time.

I created this newsletter to share tips and tricks I wish I had known when I was interviewing for Data Science roles. If you’re interested in learning more, make sure you’re following me on LinkedIn.

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