Why Generic Projects Hurt Your Resume

📌The projects you showcase on your resume can make or break your chances in landing a Data Analyst job. I see it everywhere HR Analytics dashboards, Superstore dashboards, and other cookie cutter projects. And don’t get me wrong these are great when you’re starting out and learning the basics. We’ve all done them, including me. They help you understand tools like Excel, Tableau, or Power BI. But here’s the hard truth: when you add these same projects to your resume, it doesn’t make you stand out. If you search for “HR Analytics Dashboard” or “Superstore Dashboard” on LinkedIn right now, you’ll find thousands of similar projects. And guess what? Those same thousands of people are applying for the same Data Analyst jobs you’re targeting. So, what makes you different? This is where the game changes. ▪️Don’t just follow templates. CREATE YOUR OWN. Instead of using datasets that everyone else is working on, find something unique. Choose a dataset that tells a story you’re passionate about. Maybe it’s related to your hobbies, your community, or even a niche industry you’re curious about. For example: 🔆Love sports? Create an analysis on your favorite team’s performance. 🔆Passionate about books? Analyze trends in book sales (yes, I’ve done this!). 🔆Interested in climate change? Dive into weather or pollution datasets and uncover insights. 📌Why does this matter? When you work on a unique dataset or create a project from scratch, it shows potential employers that you’re not just learning tools you’re thinking critically, solving problems, and bringing something fresh to the table. It makes your resume stand out in a sea of sameness. Before you say, “I’m not getting any interviews,” ask yourself: ✏️Are you just following the crowd? ✏️Or are you trying to be different and unique? This isn’t just about projects it’s about owning your journey. It’s about showing that you’re not afraid to take initiative, explore, and add real value to your resume.

The most unpopular but true career lesson you'll receive today: (From a top tech Solutions Architect who spent 20+ years learning it the hard way) Your fancy projects are killing your career growth. I proudly shared with my manager that I've developed a new project leveraging the latest AWS Gen AI capabilities, combined with Serverless and Kubernetes. He paused, then simply asked: "What was the impact?" That's when it hit me - using cutting-edge tools feels exciting, but true success comes from measurable impact: accelerating time-to-market, reducing churn, boosting productivity, or increasing revenue. And those impactful projects are way more effective in your resume for career or job switch. I had focused on the technology itself rather than how it addressed business objectives. Innovation is powerful, but it's meaningless if it doesn't serve your customers or align with strategic goals. Here are some actionable tips: - Before starting a new project, clearly define its impact—ask yourself: "How will this improve the business? What's the measurable outcome?" - Shift your project narrative from tech-focused to outcome-focused. Instead of: "Implemented Gen AI with Kubernetes," Say: "Reduced customer onboarding time by 40% with Gen AI." - Regularly communicate your project's impact to leadership. Managers prioritize outcomes, not tools. - Review your past projects and have a short pitch: Identify which ones created measurable impact and highlight these prominently on your resume. Have a short pitch ready, highlighting the impact that you can communicate to recruiters and hiring managers Question to readers: What's one career lesson you have discovered late in your career? --- Get byte sized system design, behavioral, and other interview and career switch tips in weekly newsletter : https://lnkd.in/eG7XdHmN

You think school projects prove you learned the software. Hiring managers want proof you can deliver results. Most new grads think “I don’t have experience,” so they paste projects at the bottom of the resume and hope recruiters notice. But projects can win interviews... if you write them like experience, not classwork. Here are 3 mistakes engineers make when listing school projects. 𝟭) 𝗨𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 “𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿” 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗯𝘀. “Responsible for CAD modeling” says you were there. “Designed CAD model that reduced weight by 12%” says you delivered results. “Responsible for testing circuits” sounds passive. “Built and tested PCB to improve reliability by 18%” sounds like initiative. Action verbs = leadership. “Responsible for” = participation. Guess which one gets callbacks? 𝟮) 𝗪𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗯𝘂𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘀. Paragraphs bury results. Recruiters skim in 7 seconds. Use 2–3 bullets max per project: Start with the action (Designed, Led, Built). Add the context (team, tools, constraints). End with the result (cost, time, performance). Example: ✅ “Designed sensor housing in SolidWorks that cut manufacturing cost 8%.” Bullets turn chaos into clarity, and clarity gets noticed. 𝟯) 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀 (𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁, 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲, 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲). This is the biggest mistake of all. Projects that sound like “built a model” blend in with every other resume. Projects that prove measurable results stand out immediately. If you can quantify anything: time saved, weight reduced, accuracy improved... include it. Even “improved testing efficiency by 10%” is better than silence. Numbers make you credible. Results make you memorable. Remember to be honest about your metrics. At any point, you can be challenged about them. Recruiters don’t care that it was a class project. They care what it proved about how you think, solve problems, and deliver value. Every. Project. Is. Experience.

This resume got someone a job as data analyst at Meta. Last week, someone asked me to review their resume seeking a role in data analyst. On the surface? It looked “okay.” But here’s why it still wouldn’t make it past the recruiter screen — or even the ATS. 1. Generic summary with no focus The resume opens with: “Strategic thinker with data analysis skills.” But… strategic for what industry? Data analysis in what context? There’s no domain positioning (healthcare, finance, e-commerce), no mention of specific business problems solved, and no hook to tell a recruiter, “This person is perfect for our team.” 2. Experience lacks impact, depth, and direction Phrases like “Built dashboards,” “Maintained reports,” and “Collaborated with teams” are too vague. There’s no context: → Who used the dashboards — finance teams? leadership? sales? → What decisions were made from the reports? → Did this work lead to cost savings? Process efficiency? Customer insights? There’s also no consistent mention of tools per project — Power BI, SQL, or Tableau are listed once in the skills section, but not tied to real business value in the bullet points. 3. No project section or external proof For a data analyst, personal projects are non-negotiable. When you don’t showcase independent work (via GitHub, Tableau Public, Kaggle, or even a portfolio site), it tells the hiring team: → You only do what’s assigned. → You haven’t built anything meaningful outside your 9–5. → You’re not invested in sharpening your craft. That’s a dealbreaker. 4. Certifications feel surface-level “Certified in Excel” or “Completed workshop at GrowthSchool” means little without application. There’s no story of how those certifications were used to solve real problems. Hiring managers don’t want to know what you passed — They want to know what you built. 5. Education section is a missed opportunity The candidate holds a Master’s in Data Analytics — that’s a powerful asset. But there’s: → No mention of core coursework (e.g. predictive modeling, data visualization, SQL, Python) → No capstone or thesis project → No tools or datasets referenced Your education should prove you’ve done real work in real environments. In contrast, here are 5 key rules that get a resume shortlisted: 1. Start with a clear positioning statement. Tell me what kind of analyst you are and what industries you serve. 2. Make every bullet show a result. “Reduced processing time by 40% using Power BI” > “Built dashboards” 3. Add 1–2 real projects or GitHub links. Let your skills speak beyond your job title. 4. Use keywords from the job description. Tailor every resume. No generic blasts. 5. Format it like a sales page — not a diary. Clear sections. Action verbs. No fluff. Your resume is a marketing doc. Make every line earn its place. Need a second set of eyes on your resume? DM me — happy to help.

I reviewed 200 new grad resumes this past year, and here's a truth you might not want to hear: your side projects are unlikely to make you stand out among other applicants. The job market is highly competitive, and let's face it—everyone has a calculator app, a to-do list, or a personal website. Building simple projects like these won’t set you apart. If you want to create side projects that will actually strengthen your resume, aim for something more substantial: - Identify a real-world problem - Team up with a few friends or classmates - Build something more complex and impactful Then, get real feedback from friends, family, or even strangers. This process will not only help you write stronger bullet points on your resume but will also give you meaningful stories to share in interviews, especially about teamwork, problem-solving, and adapting to challenges. If you're a student without an internship, this approach is a great way to build something impressive while still gaining hands-on experience. That said, smaller projects can still be valuable and fun, and I’m not against them at all! They can teach you a lot. However, after reviewing 200 new grad resumes, I just don’t believe they’ll make you stand out in a competitive job market. Read more about this in the comments👇 --------------------------------------------- I am a software engineer and mentor, dedicated to helping international students and early career professionals not only survive but thrive in tech. ☀️ You can join my mailing list through my profile and connect with me on Instagram or Youtube. I am an amazon employee but the thoughts are my own.

You are wasting your time building projects, and it’s why your resume is getting ignored. Your chatbot project isn’t impressive. Neither is your Titanic survival predictor. Or your to-do list app. Or that “AI tool” you copied from a YouTube tutorial. Most students are building the same projects. And they’re presenting them in the exact same way. It’s not just that your portfolio is basic... It’s that it’s invisible. Hiring managers don’t care if you used pandas or PyTorch. They care if you can build something real... and communicate it clearly. Here’s what actually works: ✅ Re-implement a real research paper, and simplify it for your audience ✅ Fine-tune an open-source LLM, and explain how it was actually used ✅ Build something with stakes, where the outcome matters to a real person or team ✅ Showcase the project with context, visuals, and quantified impact And most importantly? Stop writing bullet points like this: “Built full-stack web app using React, Flask, MongoDB” Start writing bullet points like this: “Reduced manual tagging time by 85% by fine-tuning an LLM on real client data” If your project doesn’t teach something useful, or solve something painful, it’s just code. You don’t get hired for completing tutorials. You get hired for solving real problems, and making sure the right people notice.