This is the second post recounting my interview experience with The MathWorks. Today’s post focuses on getting that resume just right. Click here to see a list of related posts.
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Good resume strategy dictates that you altar/cater your resume to the position/company that you are applying to. Before I went off and submitted my resume to the The MathWorks, I spent some time tailoring it to be MATLAB-centric. If you’re interested, you can take a look at the resumes that Daniel and I submitted to The MathWorks. I think The MathWorks has gotten much more stringent since the time when Daniel and I applied, so you should strive to make your resumes much better than ours! Regardless, it should prove to be a good foundation upon which to build your own resumes.

Quan’s Resume

Dan’s Resume

Quick Resume Tips from Us to You

  1. Format my resume to give it an m-file appearance (Just kidding! But this might actually be a good idea)
  2. Talk about relevant MATLAB experience. For example:
    • I’ve used MATLAB for 8 years and counting
    • I’ve contribed MATLAB articles to a website
    • regular contributor to the file exchange (list what files and how many)
    • Since Daniel and I are the creators of a MATLAB blog, it proved to be very helpful in the hiring process. It helped differentiate us from other candidates. I listed some vital statistics such as number of RSS readers, number of visitors a day, and number of comments received.
    • So if you have a MATLAB blog, it would be quite helpful! (if you don’t, you can always do a guest post here! contact us if you’re interested!)
    • Since The MathWorks is expansive and covers a wide variety of disciplines and practices, essentially any technical experience you may have may prove valuable. List anything you think might be helpful.
  3. Sent my resume to Doug Hull for some feedback. If you’re lucky, Doug may take a quick gander at your resume if he’s in a good mood. I think I caught him on a good day myself. If anything, you can send it here and we’ll take a look!
  4. Remove anything that is uncessary . I don’t think the managers at The MathWorks will care too much that you worked at the Local Mini Mart for 4 years while in highschool.
  5. Tried to fit everything onto one page. It just looks neater that way!
  6. Make sure to write “MATLAB” instead of “Matlab”. (I hear that this mistake can be fatal)

Cover Letter

First impressions can often make or break your chances, so be sure to do a good job on your resume! In addition, it might be a good idea to create a cover letter. I didn’t do one myself, but a cover letter can only improve your chances.

Doug is your Friend

After I finished my resume, I had the luxury of emailing it to Doug, who personally delivered it to HR. I don’t know the exact figure, but I think that 95.4% of the people who submit their resume through Doug get hired.

So if there’s any lesson to be learned here, it is that you need to befriend Doug if you want to bolster your chances of getting hired. I recommend you follow his blog and comment frequently so that you attract his attention. You also might want to try to do the same for Loren, Mike and Ken, Steve, Seth, and all the other bloggers over at The MathWorks. Click here to see a list of MathWorks bloggers.

Next Time

Next time, we’ll get into the good stuff. What kind of questions do these MathWorks folks ask? What can you expect?

Quach_southpark2.pngQuan enjoys watching NBA basketball and can’t wait for the season to start. He has been using PCs for most of his life and will never use a MAC. Quan does own an Ipod mini (but is thinking about getting a Microsoft Zune).