iOS Developer Resume Examples

Show Me The Skills

The final resume example from Technical Editor Scott McKenzie and is what I call the “Show Me The Skills”.

[Download resume example #3: Show Me the Skills]

This resume is among the most unique resumes I’ve ever seen and keeps the focus squarely on the skills Scott brings to the table. Here are some of the features of the resume I really like:

• Nice introduction. I really like the personal introduction on the resume – it tells Scott’s story well and I like how you feel you understand where he’s coming from and where he wants to go. To me that’s much better than a boring objective statement.
• What I Use Section. This section is great because it shows Scott is familiar with much of the core technologies we use as iOS developers. And the best part is he doesn’t just include the buzz word – he explains when and why he uses each technology.
• Learning Section. This is a unique section that I don’t see a lot, but I still really like because it shows Scott’s interests and that to him this is more than just a 9-5 job.
• App Portfolio. There’s also a nice app portfolio after the 2 “core” pages. I kinda like this because it saves me time from looking them up, and includes a nice discussion of the technical challenges involved in making the app and what Scott did specifically. But I know some people get annoyed by longer resumes like this so make your best judgment call here.
• Word cloud and Core Skills Matrix. This is a nice way to get an idea of Scott’s skills and interests at a glance. I do wish the skills mentioned years of experience instead of “Good” or “Advanced” though.

This resume is definitely a departure from the standard so isn’t for everyone, but I think it is pretty cool! Scott said he developed this style of resume upon a particular request from a recruitment agency to showcase his “iOS portfolio”. He developed this with Pages on OS X, starting with a template and then customizing it.

We’re not done with Scott yet either – stay tuned for the end of the article for some words of wisdom! :]

iOS Developer Curricula Vitae Example

“But wait!”, you may think. “What about those of us who need to develop a curricula vitae (CV) instead of a resume?”

Well, thanks to Final Pass Editor Marin Todorov we have an iOS Developer Curricula Vitae example for you too! :]

[Download curricula vitae example]

First things first – if you don’t know the difference between a CV and a resume, check out this handy guide.

Here are some differences you’ll notice about a CV:

• It’s typically longer. This is 3 pages instead of the typical 2.
• Publications are more important. Marin has an entire section on this with an impressive array.
• It’s a full background. Unlike US resumes that it’s expected to shorten or ignore positions from a long time ago, in a CV you list almost everything to give an employer an idea of where you came from, where you’re heading, and your career level. Notice the Part-time lector in CGI & Perl in 2000 – it’s a blast from the past! :]

I’d consider Marin’s CV layout similar to “The Classic” resume – it’s straightforward and clearly organized.

Marin made this CV using the standardized CV format template for the European Union, along with OpenOffice.

And stay tuned for more tips from Marin at the end of this post!

iOS Developer Cover Letter Example

That’s all for resumes and CVs, but there’s one more important aspect to cover – no pun intended!

It’s the cover letter, of course! As discussed in the first part of the series, the importance of a good cover letter can’t be underestimated, so be sure to budget some time and effort to it if you’re serious about a job.

I’m just going to give one example here, because cover letters need to be tailored specifically for each position that you apply to.

Here is the cover letter that Brian Moakely used when he was applying for the Employee #1 position here at raywenderlich.com:

Just the other day, I was looking up some additional tutorials on OpenGL when I saw your posting for Employee #1. I was intrigued at the start of the post, hooked by the middle, and sold at the end. My name is Brian Douglas Moakley and I’d like you to consider me for this unique position.

So how I can fit for this position? Allow me to address your points:

a) An excellent writer: Believe it or not, I graduated with a minor in creative writing. Since that time, I’ve written numerous short stories, screenplays, and I’m currently working on my own series of books. I’m an avid reader and always have a book on tape on my iPod (I just finished all of Edgar Allan Poe’s short stories). I’ve also been an avid blogger, having written over a thousand articles for my zombie site, www.aworldonfire.com.

b) Very good with people: I have worked with various communities throughout the years from moderating discussions on my own sites to engaging discussions with the fans over at ESPN. I try to hold true to the old sayings, “seek to understand, then to be understood”, “bad jokes are better than good flame suits”, and “avoid the bridges with suspicious shadows underneath”.

c) A love of learning: At this time, I have an account at Lynda.com, an account at Safari Books Online, I participate in discussions over at Stack Overflow, and of course, I’m making my way through your very own iOS by Tutorial books. On my dog walks, I often listen to lectures from WWDC or courses from people like Brad Larsen over on iTunesU. A lot of developers i’ve known just learn enough to solve a problem. For me, I want to know how things work deep in my bones.

d) A good developer: I like to code. I find it enjoyable. I love building solutions that can be extended with only a few keystrokes. I like looking back at old code, and refactoring away the nasty bits in order to transform into something great. I like it when things work well and I must say, there’s a rush in fixing an application while the whole jalopy is in motion. Mind you, the explosions aren’t fun, but I figure it’s at least better than accounting :)

e) In for the long haul: I’ve been visiting your site for the past year and a half and it’s nothing short of awesome. I’d love to contribute and help move the site to the next level. And well, I love working on the iPhone and iPad. The idea of doing both is simply too cool of opportunity to pass up. Being part of your company on the ground floor is truly a unique opportunity.

Finally, I’m already a telecommuter at my current job. I’ve been doing it now for almost three years. This may sound like a small point, but going from working at an office to working virtual can turn people a little loopy. I already have my work routines established. I work well over email, IM, and of
course, the phone.

You can check out my technical credentials over at Linked In: http://www.linkedin.com/in/briandouglasmoakley.

Feel free to peruse and if you have any questions, please send them my way.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

Regards,

Brian Douglas Moakley

I really liked this cover letter because he gave examples of how he met all of the requirements for the job, mentioned how he knew about the site, and let me know a little bit about his personality. It encouraged me to take a closer look at his resume and schedule a phone interview – and the rest is history! :]