Evaluating Software Developer Resumes for a Startup

Recently my brother asked me for advice about evaluating software developer resumes as his successful Spanish dictionary startup is growing and hiring. The market for software developers is extremely competitive right now as startups and established companies are investing more in their web and mobile apps. A software developer should not be evaluated on her resume alone but it should be a good starting point in the hiring process.

Here are some tips for evaluating software developer resumes for a startup:

• Try and use the information provided to determine if they are smart and get things done
• Look for indications they enjoy programming for fun outside of work, like personal projects, open source projects, etc
• Research their cited Github account or open source projects and find out what they’ve contributed
• Absent any or little work experience look at the quality of their college education (e.g. Georgia Tech) as well as their overall GPA and major GPA
• Assess the selectiveness of their current employer as well as length of tenure at past positions (I like to see at least two years at each position, but this is very subjective)

My favorite early indicator of a good software developer is a true passion for coding demonstrated by personal projects outside of work. We still require potential developers to develop custom code during the hiring process, pass a technical assessment, write essays, and, most importantly, fit in our corporate culture. A well done resume gets a software developer in the door, which is only the beginning of the process.

What else? What other things do you look at when evaluating software developer resumes for a startup?