Learning outcomes:
- Describe the components of an effective technical resume and cover letter
- Explain the differences between technical and HR-style interviews and how to prepare for each
- Evaluate a job offer by identifying and comparing all components of total compensation
Key Takeaways:
- Tailor your resume and cover letter to each job; a generic application gets generic results
- Technical interviews and HR interviews test different things and require different preparation; know which one you're walking into
- Total compensation includes more than salary: benefits, schedule flexibility, stock, bonuses, and growth opportunity all have real value
- Never accept a verbal offer; if it isn't in writing, it isn't real
- A thank-you email after an interview is still worth sending; it's one of the few low-effort, high-impression moves available to you
But you're feeling overwhelmed by the job search. Let me help you! Here you can find assistance for writing technical resumes and cover letters, creating portfolios, and how to do technical interviews.I know it can be overwhelming to do all at once so let's take it one step at a time.
First you need a resume, Lucky for you I have created a video on how to write one!
Now that you have a resume you should start to work on your interview skills. There are a couple kinds of interviews out there, the ones we'll focus on are technical style interviews (including white board style interviews for programmers) and HR style interviews. Both come with different expectations and sets of questions
Once you have made a great impression at your interview, you should send a thank you note and start thinking about job offers. Job offers, how to accept, decline and negotiate are important and big topics! For negotiation I want to refer you to someone that did an amazing job writing up how to do this To accept or decline or negotiate you need to understand everything that's being offered to you. Total compensation can include everything from salary to benefits, stock options to bonuses and it's important you understand what each of those things means.
But most important, if it's not in writing it's not real. Make sure everything you want is in writing, never ever go on verbal agreement in a job offer. EVER.
Suggested Activities and Discussion Topics:
- Activity: Go through This AI generated study guide, what do you think? Did it capture the materials well? How did you do on the self quiz? Do you know all the vocab used?
- Activity: Go through this AI-generated key terms list for this module. How many of the terms did you already know? Were there any definitions you would update or expand based on the lecture notes? Did the AI miss any important terms? This should take about 10–15 minutes.
- Activity: Find a real entry-level or junior tech job posting on a site such as LinkedIn, Indeed, or a company career page. Read the description carefully and identify: which qualifications are listed as required versus preferred, which specific tools or technologies are mentioned, and what the role actually seems to do day to day. Then evaluate your own fit: Which qualifications do you already have? Which are you actively working toward? What would you still need to learn or build before applying? If this role posted a salary range, do you know if it is competitive for your area? This should take about 30–45 minutes.
- Activity: Write a resume bullet point for a technical skill or project you have worked on. Start with a weak version, vague and passive, like "helped with website" or "worked on database." Then rewrite it using the formula: [Action verb] + [what you specifically did] + [result or impact]. For example: "Built and deployed a personal portfolio site using HTML, CSS, and GitHub Pages, resulting in a publicly accessible project to share with employers." Compare your two versions: What changed? What makes the second one stronger? Could someone who has never met you tell from the bullet what you actually did? This should take about 20–30 minutes.
- Activity: Research what a total compensation package includes for a tech role you are interested in. Use resources such as Levels.fyi, Glassdoor, or any job posting that lists a salary range. Identify at least five components of total compensation beyond base salary and explain what each one means and why it might matter to you. Be specific: for example, what is a 401k match and why does the percentage matter? What is a vesting cliff and why does it affect how you should think about equity in an offer? This should take about 30–45 minutes.
- Activity: Practice answering a behavioral interview question using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result). Choose one of the following: "Tell me about a time you had to learn something new quickly," "Describe a time when you had to work with someone who had a very different communication style," or "Tell me about a project you are proud of." Write out your full answer in STAR format, then read it aloud or record yourself giving it as if in a real interview. Evaluate: Is it under two minutes? Does it stay focused on one specific story? Does it have a clear result? What would you change? This should take about 20–30 minutes.
- Activity: Choose an AI tool of your choice such as ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude. Give it a brief description of your experience or a fictional student's background and ask it to write a single resume bullet point and one sentence of a cover letter for an entry-level IT support or tech role. Read what it produces and answer the following: Does it sound like a real person or generic? Is it honest about the level of experience? What would you change to make it sound more like you? Would you actually submit this? This should take about 5–10 minutes.
- Activity: Create or update your LinkedIn profile with the following elements: a professional headline that describes what you do or are working toward (not just "Student"), a 2–3 sentence summary explaining your background and goals, at least three skills listed, and your education and any work or project experience. Then look at the profiles of two people who work in a role you are interested in and compare their profiles to yours. What do they have that you are working toward? What do you already have that you should be highlighting more effectively? This should take about 45–60 minutes.
- Activity: Research a specific tech company you would genuinely like to work at. Find out what they do, what their products or services are, what their engineering culture looks like based on blog posts or LinkedIn profiles of current employees, and whether they have been in the news recently and for what. Then write 2–3 sentences you could use in a cover letter or interview that demonstrate you actually researched this company, not just what is on their homepage. What makes this company different from a competitor doing similar work? This should take about 30–45 minutes.
- Activity: Using a salary transparency resource such as Levels.fyi, Glassdoor, or a state job posting that includes a required salary range, research the pay range for two different entry-level tech roles in a location where you would consider working. Are the ranges what you expected? What factors, such as location, company size, or tech stack, seem to affect the range most? If you were offered the low end versus the high end of the range, what would your negotiation strategy be for each? What would be your "walk away" number and why? This should take about 20–30 minutes.
- Discussion: Hiring in tech in 2026 increasingly involves automated tools, including resume-scanning software that filters candidates before a human reads the application, AI-generated job descriptions, and in some cases AI-conducted first-round interviews. How do you think job seekers should adapt their strategy in an environment where a human may not be the first one reviewing their application? What do you think gets lost when hiring becomes more automated, both for candidates and for employers?
- Discussion: Total compensation in tech jobs can be complex, especially when equity is involved. Imagine you receive two offers: one with a higher base salary at a large established company, and one with a lower base but significant equity at an early-stage startup. How would you go about comparing them? What questions would you ask, what information would you try to find, and what factors beyond money would influence your decision? What do you think most people miss when evaluating job offers?
Related modules you might find useful:
Would you like to see some more How to topics? Click here