Specifying programming languages used on CV/resume

**oliverson** · 1 June 2016, 08:55

Originally posted by CompulsiveArsonist View Post

I'm currently contracting as a Python developer, it's a relatively niche market so I want to start looking for roles in C# which I can code competently in, albeit I haven't used it for any recent projects.

At present in my CV when I describe the project I delivered I mention the technologies used e.g. something like "implemented system to do blah blah using C#, ASP.NET MVC"

How do other technical / software developer contractors format their CV? Ideally I want it to come across that I can code in C# and/or Python depending on whether I am applying for Python or C# roles but I don't want to lie and say that a project when implemented using a particular programming language when it wasn't.

Should I be vague and not even mention the language or technologies for the project at all, has this approached worked for any other contractors?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Why would you want to go from a language that is on the ascendancy and with ever increasing rates to something like C# (which incidentally is my key language) which is the total opposite? I could understand going to Java because it is also on the march, or even JavaScript but C#

Python Contracts, Contractor Rates for Python Skills

C# Contracts, Contractor Rates for C# Skills

**CompulsiveArsonist** · 1 June 2016, 09:11

Originally posted by oliverson View Post

Why would you want to go from a language that is on the ascendancy and with ever increasing rates to something like C# (which incidentally is my key language) which is the total opposite? I could understand going to Java because it is also on the march, or even JavaScript but C#

Python Contracts, Contractor Rates for Python Skills

C# Contracts, Contractor Rates for C# Skills

Python rates are good but there are fewer roles out there. In IB it's mainly J.P. Morgan and Bank of America who use it for their Athena and Quartz platforms.
C# has the benefit that it is more widely used so my thinking is that when my current contract comes to an end I have a larger pool of potential roles I can apply for.

I think the average Python rate is also a little misleading, in IB you can get £550-£600+ a day but those roles are harder to come by. For a Python Django role you can expect around £350-£400. Another thing that I think skews the rate is that Python is sometimes mentioned as a skill for DevOps roles where the core skill would be Linux with some knowledge of a scripting language.

**GB9** · 1 June 2016, 09:13

Don't leave out the languages you can use, list them in a different section.

Contrary to what one or two posters on here may think, when recruiting clients already know which tools they will use and look for them on CVS. They don't get in coders and then tell them the language afterwards.

**oliverson** · 1 June 2016, 09:15

Originally posted by CompulsiveArsonist View Post

Python rates are good but there are fewer roles out there. In IB it's mainly J.P. Morgan and Bank of America who use it for their Athena and Quartz platforms.
C# has the benefit that it is more widely used so my thinking is that when my current contract comes to an end I have a larger pool of potential roles I can apply for.

I think the average Python rate is also a little misleading, in IB you can get £550-£600+ a day but those roles are harder to come by. For a Python Django role you can expect around £350-£400. Another thing that I think skews the rate is that Python is sometimes mentioned as a skill for DevOps roles where the core skill would be Linux with some knowledge of a scripting language.

The world is full of C# developers, good and bad and this has an adverse affect on rates. I'd go with JavaScript/TypeScript or Scala if I was reskilling. C# and MVC, you're asking for £ 350 a day.

**GB9** · 1 June 2016, 09:17

Don't leave out the languages you can use, list them in a different section.

Contrary to what one or two posters on here may think, when recruiting, clients already know which tools they will use and look for them on CVs. They don't get in coders and then tell them the language afterwards.

**SueEllen** · 1 June 2016, 09:27

Originally posted by GB9 View Post

Don't leave out the languages you can use, list them in a different section.

Contrary to what one or two posters on here may think, when recruiting, clients already know which tools they will use and look for them on CVs. They don't get in coders and then tell them the language afterwards.

Thanks I think I got that the first time.

**Hobosapien** · 1 June 2016, 10:08

I only put on the skills I want to use going forwards. Otherwise you get CV trawlers contacting you for roles in skills you used years ago and may not want to go back to.

I tend to reduce the amount of info regarding previous contracts the older they get. So most recent has all the skills (if I still want a contract using those skills) and the oldest is just one paragraph giving an overview.

They can ask for more info at interview if they're that interested. Usually they're only interested in most recent contracts unless an older one happens to be a competitor or closely aligned to their needs.

**MyUserName** · 1 June 2016, 11:03

On my first page I have a grid with the columns "Technology", "Experience", "Last used". It seems to do the trick.

**CompulsiveArsonist** · 1 June 2016, 15:36

Originally posted by MyUserName View Post

On my first page I have a grid with the columns "Technology", "Experience", "Last used". It seems to do the trick.

The last time I used C# for a project was around 3 years ago, I think what I will do is at the top of my CV I will write something like Python (5 years experience) and C# (4 years experience) see what response I get.

Specifying programming languages used on CV/resume