Hey everyone! As a college student who's a bit introverted, I tend to shy away from hackathons and group events. I'm starting to wonder if this could hurt my resume, especially since I often see my peers talking about their hackathon experiences. While I've been concentrating on honing my skills independently—like learning programming and creating personal projects—I'm concerned that not having hackathon participation might impact my internship opportunities. Do you think hackathons are essential for a strong resume, or can my personal projects and skills stand in for that experience? I would really appreciate your thoughts and advice!
7 Answers
If your resume is blank on experiences, talking about any hackathon experience is better than having nothing. However, don’t feel pressured if it’s not your thing. Focus on what you enjoy!
Honestly, they don’t matter much. If you have hackathon experience on your resume, it might only come up in passing during interviews. I’ve hired many folks and haven't once asked about hackathon participation. Focus on your skills and projects instead!
Hackathons teach valuable skills like problem-solving, working under pressure, and presenting your work. But don’t do them just for your resume—find events that interest you!
If hackathons aren't your style, you might want to consider competitive programming contests instead. They showcase your skills too! Plus, if you prefer working solo, you can handle the technical work while teammates pitch ideas.
Thanks for the tip! I’ll check out competitive programming contests. And yeah, I think it makes sense to focus on the tech side in a team!
I've done a couple of hackathons in the past, and honestly, I’ve never mentioned them on my CV. They’re fun and can show what you can accomplish quickly, but that’s about it. You're focusing on the right things!
Not at all! Sure, if you've done hackathons, they can provide impressive stories during interviews, but personal projects have their own value. Just remember, you can learn a lot from those hands-on experiences, too!
In my experience after 12 years in the field, I've never been asked about hackathons. They can be a good way to practice, but employers mainly care about what you've posted on GitHub. Keep focusing on your projects there!
That's really reassuring! I’ll definitely keep sharing my work on GitHub. Thanks for the insight!
Good to know! I always thought hackathons were super important for resumes. I’ll prioritize my skills and projects now. Thanks a lot!