OS Projects and Your Resume?

DavonZ asks: "Being that many readers of Slashdot may have contributed to Open Source projects, I thought this the best place to ask this question: What is the best way to outline our side projects into our resumes? I did the conversion of the C700 from Japanese to English, review hardware for nvmax.com, run MaxProjects which ports applications to the Sharp Zaurus, founded the Embedded Linux Developers Group and still maintain a full-time job with a semiconductor. How to I add these into my resume? I have been told not to; to only enter them into my cover letter. Others have told me to add a projects section. I have even been told that I shouldn't mention my projects at all. Which is the best approach? What are other Slashdot readers doing?"

Comments

Re:Hobbies and Interest

[rizzo]

Instead of having a "Jobs" section, I would prefer to have a "Work Experience" section, then you could include goal-related experience. Say if you were a programmer/developer for an OSS project, and you are trying to get a developer position. However, for this same position, listing your translating duties might fall into the Hobbies-n-Interest category.

Community

[rw2]

I added a "Community" section to my resume and put things like that there. Similar to a 'hobbies' section, but community expresses it better. Would running the local Unix security SIG be a hobby? Not really.

My resume

Resume Construction

[reyalsnogard]

What better way to underline your passion for technology than to mention your extracurricular involvement w/ it?

If your resume is strong as-is, and nets you the important first interview, you could manage by just mentioning your volunteer activities in a cover letter. With resumes, size does matter and the shorter, "the better."
Otherwise, like some readers have already suggested, paste the information into a broadened "Experience" category or, if you prefer, an aptly named "Community" or "Projects" category.

HTH.

Re:Resume Construction

[SuiteSisterMary]

The thing is, you shouldn't have a resume. You should *create* a resume for every job that you apply to, that resume only listing what is of interest to that job.

Your c.v. on the other hand, should list all sorts of crap. Similarly, in academia, you're going to have lists of your publishing and the like.

I'll for for having a projects section

[leifw]

I added a projects section to my resume after my work experience section in which I list OS projects and various other things I've done in a non-work related fashion.

I recently got hired for a new job. While I was interviewing for the spot, I was asked more than once about more than one of the projects I've done. They seemed genuinely interested in what I'd done.

I think having a projects section as part of your resume is a good idea because it indicates that you take developing your skills outside of work seriously.

Still work experience

[AmbushBug]

This is work experience just like any other job. The fact that you didn't get paid for it or that it was volunteer doesn't make any difference to someone looking at your resume. The point of the resume is to show what *related* work you have done in the past. So if you are applying for a software related position, your OS work is definately relevent work experience and should be listed with all your other work experience.

Resumes are hard

[pmz]

One thing I've learned is that no two people on the planet will give the same advice regarding resumes. Their effectiveness is so dependent on the personality of the person reading them that all you have on your side is hope and luck. The most important thing you can do is to express your projects somewhere on the resume or cover letter and hope that it catches an eye or scanning machine or two.

If you have lot's of time, create a slightly different resume for each company based on your research and your estimate of their "atmosphere" or "corporate culture" or "Feng Shui energy displacement patterns" (that's as good as anything else, I guess).