If a country called "Innovation Land" existed, its capital would be Silicon Valley!
It attracts the brightest minds all over the world and reveals their potential.
And these guys are a real deal, right?
It shouldn’t surprise you when we tell you that the competition is harsh.
Thankfully, we’ve cracked the code of writing a Silicon Valley resume.
So, tighten your belt and get ready for a wild ride!
Examine the guide and use the resume builder to create yours.
What you’ll learn here
- How to provide evidence for your solid and outstanding experience in the field of innovation
- How to grab attention from the first sentence of your summary
- How to list skills, talents, and achievements to add more value
- What other resume sections will fascinate recruiters
Looking for related resumes?
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- Director of Software Engineering Resume Example
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How to write a Silicon Valley resume
If recruiters had to evaluate your resume, they should use 1 word with 13 letters:
EXTRAORDINARY.
Even if you have tons of expertise in innovative and fast-growing companies, it is still possible not to get the desired job.
That’s why you should acquire a coherent approach that will skyrocket your career.
Sometimes, only 20% of all the data in your Silicon Valley resume will take you to 80% of the job opportunities.
To create a lasting impression, try to include skills and strengths related to the job offer.
For example, if you apply for a senior software developer, you should show evidence of:
- Leadership and teamwork
- Achievements in the field of technology
- Desire to share knowledge
Do not underestimate soft skills as well!
Critical thinking, decision-making, and good communication are obligatory for someone with ambitions!
Moreover, every Silicon Valley company is like a big family.
If you want to skyrocket your career, you need
- References from "family members"
- Life Philosophy to affirm your values
Continue reading the guide and learn how to build every section.
Silicon Valley resume formats
The resume formats listed below are ideal for a Silicon Valley position:
- Reverse-chronological resume lists your most recent employment first, followed by previous positions.
- Functional resumes are designed for job changers and highlight transferable skills.
- Hybrid resume combines the best aspects of functional and reverse-chronological resumes.
Here are some additional resume tips:
- Use a one-page resume if you have less than ten years of experience and a two-page resume if you have more than ten years of experience.
- Pay attention to grammar and spelling
- Use the PDF resume format
- Use MS Word resume templates for the best outcomes
Add References and My Philosophy sections to leave a lasting impression on recruiters.
Top Silicon Valley resume sections:
- Extraordinary Experience section that indicates self-motivation and critical thinking backed up with achievements
- 3 to 4 sentences-long summary that signifies strong expertise
- Well-built Achievements section underlining entrepreneurial spirit
- Customized to the job offering technical and soft skills
What recruiters want to see on your resume:
- What’s your experience in Silicon Valley?
- What is your technical expertise? What skills did you master, and how?
- Why did you leave your employers? Did they have something to offer you to stay with them?
- What are your goals for the future? Where do you see yourself in 5 years in terms of your career?
- What makes you stand out from the competition? Achievements, recognition, skills, or what else?
The Silicon Valley resume header that minimizes errors
Surprisingly, even the top talent in the world makes stupid mistakes.
Sometimes CEOs are so confident in themselves that they forget to list contacts.
Unfortunately, such actions might cost them the job.
For instance, they might be considered a lack of attention to detail.
Here are some tips that you should keep in mind:
- Use your first and last name: it should be searchable on Google, LinkedIn, and other media
- You have the freedom to be creative with your job title and tailor it to the job offer
- Include your current address, phone number, and location
Look at the wrong, and right examples below and be careful when writing your resume header!
2 Silicon Valley resume header examples
The secrets to Silicon Valley resume summary
You might have stuck up the quote:
"Impress people with accomplishments, not possessions."
And you can't win over the recruiters with the great paycheck you received.
However, if you list a notable award, all eyes will be on you!
Here are some tips you can apply to your Silicon Valley resume summary:
- Highlight your years of experience and the industry
- List achievements, recognitions, references, and high-performance metrics using quantitative data
- Mention tech skills you excelled and soft skills that indicate growth: leadership, organization, and perfect communication
- Finish with a statement of your expectations from the future position
2 Silicon Valley resume summary examples
The first example is vague, too general, and unimpressive.
As you see, the second one brings a different feeling of completeness.
Obviously, this applicant is aware of how to offer clear statements backed up with data.
Silicon Valley resume experience: Listen to us
You set the bar high by mentioning Silicon Valley in your resume.
Why?
Because recruiters expect not only to be the best at what you do but also your work should define the future of technology.
If you specialize in computer vision, you should be a master of AI integrated into the specific industry.
However, it's vital not to underestimate the approach.
If you are the CTO of a high-tech company but provide a mediocre resume, you won't get the position.
So, here are some tips and tricks to consider when writing your Silicon Valley resume:
- Support the skills you mention with facts and actions
- Provide extraordinary achievements backed up with quantitative data
- Mention you are a go-getter with a strong work ethic
- Prove that you went that extra mile for a specific project
- Include positive feedback from executives, colleagues, or company supporters
If you follow these 5 advice points, you will go far.
Here are one good and one bad example; read them carefully and list work experience on a resume.
Silicon Valley resume experience examples.
02/2013 - 11/2022 
- •Managed the Endless Payments Project
- •Built business partnerships with 3 other fintech companies
- •Managed 3 project teams
- •Oversaw and managed processes resulting in building the company's best project
When statements are written professionally, they speak volumes.
The second applicant knows how to follow the advice and apply everything learned from this guide.
Do not try to list irrelevant information that provides no value.
Firstly, you would lose the recruiter's attention.
After that, you will lose the job opportunity.
02/2013 - 11/2022 - •Managed the Endless Payments Project that led to attracting investment of $21,000,000 dollars
- •Built business partnerships with 3 other fintech companies, which increases 2021 revenue by 33%
- •Managed 3 project teams with a designated budget of $10,000,000
- •Oversaw and managed processes resulting in building the company's best project up-to-date
Pro tip
Try to be open as much as you can to recruiters. They value honesty. It is a good idea to shock them with an unexpected statement: "Built the world's leading app for text messaging in 2014, but Facebook copied it and took our market share". It sounds like humor, but at the same time, it creates a bond that might increase your chances of getting hired.
Expert Silicon Valley skills to feature on your resume
Excellence is not a skill. It is an attitude.
Ralph Marston, a professional football player
Professional sports players are the epitome of consistency in performance!
That's why Ralph Morston might be a football player, but his philosophy is relevant even today in Silicon Valley.
When you dedicate your work to what you believe in, it's called attitude.
That's why you should mention skills that present you as a person and professional.
Moreover, you should support them with facts and numbers in resume sections to create authenticity.
Here are some of the top skills for a professional in Silicon Valley:
What hard skills to list on your resume?
- Project Management
- Programming Languages: Java, Python, C
- Risk Management
- Data Analysis
- Scrum
- Project Management Tools
What soft skills to list on your resume:
It's obligatory to underline your skills by adding a Strengths section.
It has the aim of supporting all the abilities you mentioned.
Also, it allows you to stand out by adding achievements backed up with numbers.
Thus, you are more likely to get on the top 5 list of recruiters!
Silicon Valley resume achievements: on the edge of glory
If you decide to include a separate section for a massive achievement, make sure it:
- summarizes your expertise in just 1 to 2 sentences,
- straight-to-the-point information: date, time, impact,
- presents your vision and attitude toward innovation and future growth.
Undoubtedly, when these 3 advice points are present in your resume, you will create a positive impression.
Examine the example below and write down your Silicon Valley Achievement section:
Silicon Valley: Many Philosophies, One Goal
Every company in Silicon Valley has a different philosophy.
However, the shared belief among every person with an entrepreneurial spirit is that failure is amazing!
Henry Ford called it an opportunity to become the best version of yourself.
It's not shameful to reveal that you are not perfect.
The idea behind this quote is to motivate you to always strive for more and try.
References are equal to reliability
People say that rich people hang out with other rich people.
The same is with the intelligent tech guys in Silicon Valley.
If you have positive personality traits, you should have built relationships.
Why don't you take advantage of it?
Ask your bright colleagues or previous employers for references!
They will make your resume at least 40% more credible!
Key takeaways
- Build an impressive summary backed up with achievements
- Underline deep expertise with high-performance metrics and feedback
- Add skills and strengths that indicate excellence in what you do
- Add a separate Achievement, My Philosophy, and References to stand out
