What to include in techie resumé

I think you're overrthinking this. Did you google http://www.taos.com/resumetips.html heh. Use a skills section. This is where you list ALL skills, group things like organization with things like dedication, and things like AJAX with things like PHP. This is not where you state the JS function you used to create whatever "AJAX method", this is just where you pile on the acronyms. Include a project section (maybe after you list the jobs). This is where to prove he actually knows the technologies, and where people who aren't at all interested in non-professional work won't bother reading. You should go into detail over how the technologies are used here, just as you would in the section for each job. Working demo sites help. I know people who got jobs primarily through side projects. I don't think hacking an xbox, or LARPING, is really something you should put in a resume, unless you are app'ing to piratebay or something ..

If the job description lists specific technologies, methodologies, software, or whatever, then list those things first on your resume. Even if it means just changing the order of things you know or have done, you want to tailor the resume to the job you are responding to. My resume is in these sections, in order: objective, summary, education, work The summary section is where I list specific technologies that I have experience in. This resume is from when I was graduating College, so that is why education is listed before work. If you have relevant jobs, then definitely put that section first. As I said, I wrote this in college based on how they instructed us to write out resumes, so take that with whatever amount of salt you prefer.

Google around, there are quite a few tech resume examples floating about. Ensure that every single technology/acronym your friend has any experience with is included, even if it's never mentioned again in the details section. HR people and recruiters usually don't know the difference between AJAX and Javascript, for example (where one implies knowledge of the other). They frequently hunt for keywords, either manually or electronically, and toss those that don't have the exact ones they want. I've had HR people claim I didn't know VB because I only had "Visual Basic" on my resume. As for the P2P, prank call sites, etc - I wouldn't mention the dirty specifics, but mention technologies used, roles played in site development, etc. It is experience, so definitely include it, but use a little common sense. The goal of the resume is to get an interview. Yes, every smuck who's read a book can put AJAX on his resume. So include "developed such and such a website with a focus on useabilty, utilizing AJAX, blah blah blah" But once you get the interview, (hopefully) the smuck's inexperience with AJAX will become painfully apparent, and your friend's knowledge will stand out.

This is one of those things that's great to emphasize - that his experience shows (a) passion, and (b) ability to learn things quickly/without hand holding. On a case by case basis, you may decide that it's better for a cover letter, an interview, whatever, to point this out. I'm currently lacking a "solid" skill set in the sense that most of my work experience has involved picking up a language or a skill on the fly, doing the job, and then not really continuing with it, and I emphasize this in my cover letter - that despite my youth and inexperience, I can adapt to a variety of demands. I'm working on improving the list of things I can say I'm "proficient" at, but in the meantime, pointing out the above has served me well.

Any idiot can put whatever they want on their resumes. The people who are the real deal put URL examples of stuff they've done. I run a small dev team, and I love to hire people who do computer projects for the fun of it... it shows that they have a passion for computers. It also shows ambition, creativity. It's OK to be a little quirky as a programmer. I think people expect that. If he doesn't have a portfolio site, he should throw something together that demonstrates his skillz.