resume format for freshers software engineer

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How to Craft the Perfect Resume for Software Engineer [Writing tips, Samples & Skills]

Are you a software engineer looking for your next job opportunity crafting the perfect resume from scratch can seem like an overwhelming task at first, but it doesn’t have to be with the right approach and know-how, writing a compelling resume tailored specifically to software engineering roles is quite manageable. .

In this article, we’ll discuss tips on how best to showcase your skills as a software engineer in your resume—including specific formatting techniques and examples of effective resumes templates. So take those worries out of the way really quickly – you’re about to learn everything there is to know about creating an industry standard Software Engineers resume that will get you noticed!

What is the best resume format for a software engineer?

When it comes to crafting a resume that stands out in the competitive software engineering field, a combination resume is the best bet. This format seamlessly blends the benefits of chronological and functional resumes , allowing you to showcase your technical skills prominently while highlighting your work experience and accomplishments. 

As a software engineer, technical expertise plays a critical role in your career, and the combination resume allows you to spotlight your proficiency in programming languages, frameworks, and tools. Additionally, it enables you to describe key achievements and project successes, providing a granular showcase of your experience. 

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Customising this format for specific job openings is easy, thanks to the ability to emphasise the most relevant skills and experience. Furthermore, including a professional summary and educational background are additional benefits of using a combination resume. So, whether you are a seasoned professional or just starting your career in software engineering, consider opting for a combination resume to improve your chances of landing that dream job.

What should you highlight in your resume?

As a software engineer, there are critical elements that you should include in your resume to give yourself the best chance of showcasing your skills and abilities.

1. Technical Skills

First and foremost, as a software engineer, you need to have excellent technical skills . This includes proficiency in programming languages, frameworks, tools, and technologies. Some examples of programming languages and tools frequently used by software engineers include Java, Python, C++, JavaScript, and SQL. Be specific about the languages and tools you are familiar with and consider grouping them in a dedicated section near the top of your resume.

Programming Languages

• HTML/CSS (for web development)

Web Development

• Ruby on Rails
• Full-Stack Development
• Web APIs and RESTful services

Database Management

• SQL (Structured Query Language)

Development Tools

• Visual Studio
• IntelliJ IDEA
• Debugging and Profiling Tools

Operating Systems

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Software Development Methodologies

Testing and quality assurance.

• Test-Driven Development (TDD)
• Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD)
• Testing Frameworks

Cloud and Virtualisation

• Microsoft Azure
• Google Cloud Platform (GCP)

Data Structures and Algorithms

• Understanding and implementation of data structures and algorithms
• Secure coding practices
• RESTful APIs

Mobile Development

• iOS (Swift/Objective-C)

Automation and Scripting

• Automation tools (e.g., Ansible, Puppet)

Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD)

Frameworks and libraries.

• .NET Framework (C#)
• Express.js (Node.js)
• Django (Python)
• Angular, React, and Vue.js (JavaScript)

APIs and Microservices

• Microservices architecture

Machine Learning and AI

• Data analysis and modelling

DevOps Tools

2. professional summary.

Begin your summary with a strong opener that effectively showcases your core expertise and the value you bring to the table. In the next few sentences, highlight your professional background and experience. Emphasise your areas of specialisation, mentioning the number of years you’ve been in the industry and your notable achievements 

To further impress your potential employer, showcase the technical skills you possess that are the most relevant to the job.

Remember to be concise, keeping your summary to no more than 3-4 sentences. Edit and proofread your summary to ensure it’s polished, professional, and error-free. 

Here’s an example of a professional summary for a software engineer: 

“An experienced software engineer with over 8 years in full-stack web development, I’m proficient in JavaScript, React, and Node.js. Throughout my career, I’ve developed high-impact, scalable applications driven by my passion for innovation and problem-solving. As a dedicated professional, I seek to utilise my expertise in a dynamic tech team to drive success in front-end and back-end development.”

3. Professional Experience

Your work history is where you can describe your prior roles in more detail. List your previous positions in reverse chronological order (your most recent work posting goes at the top) and highlight your key accomplishments and responsibilities in each role. Focus on your contribution to the projects and the company and use quantifiable achievements to demonstrate your impact strongly.

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4. Achievements

Don’t just list responsibilities in your work history, be sure to detail the outcomes of your work, too. Use quantifiable data to demonstrate the tangible results of your work. For instance, you could mention how you optimised code to improve application performance or how you led a project to successful completion.

5. Relevant Projects

If you’ve worked on significant projects, especially those related to the job you’re applying for, include them in your resume. Describe your role, the technologies used and the outcomes of the project. This will demonstrate your experience to potential employers and allow them to see the practical application of your skills.

6. Education

Highlight your educational background, including your degree, major, and the institution you attended. Mention any relevant coursework, honours, or awards. This can help demonstrate your skills and knowledge to potential employers.

7. Certifications

List any relevant certifications you hold, such as certifications in specific programming languages, software development methodologies, or other industry-specific credentials. This can be a great way to set yourself apart from other candidates.

8. Open-Source Contributions

If you’ve contributed to open-source projects, mention these contributions. Provide details about your role and any notable outcomes or improvements resulting from your work. This will demonstrate that you are passionate about your work as a software engineer and actively involved in the community.

9. Soft Skills

Software engineering requires a range of technical and soft skills , so it’s important not to neglect softer skills like problem-solving, communication, teamwork, and leadership. Mention instances where you’ve demonstrated these skills in your work history.

10. Customisation

Finally, customise your resume for each job application. Highlight the skills and experiences most relevant to the specific job description and use keywords from the job posting to ensure your resume is noticed by applicant tracking systems (ATS) and recruiters.

By including these key components in your software engineering resume, you’ll effectively showcase your qualifications and suitability for the job, increasing your chances of landing an interview and, ultimately, a job offer.

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Take the time to craft it and make sure you highlight the successes, experiences, and skills that will make you stand out from the crowd. A combination of tangible accomplishments and technical know-how can be a powerful tool when applying for software engineering roles. Remember to keep your resume up-to-date to reflect your latest achievements. And don’t forget – practice makes perfect! With practice preparing resumes, tweak your structure and content until you’re comfortable with every single word on your professional profile.

Software Engineer Resume Template

Phone Number I Email I Website

As a results-driven software engineer with [number] years of expertise in [specific area of software development], I am committed to delivering innovative solutions that meet client needs and drive business growth. With experience in [list of relevant technical proficiencies], I am ready to leverage my skills to take on new challenges and make a significant impact.

Area of Expertise

Skills 1 I Skills 2 I Skills 3 I Skills 4 I Skills 5 

Professional Experience

[Most Recent Job Title], [Company Name]                                          [Month Year – Present]

As a [job title], I am responsible for [list of key responsibilities that demonstrate your technical and leadership skills]. I have contributed to [list of notable achievements and outcomes that demonstrate your impact on the company’s success] by [specific actions or initiatives that you led or participated in]. In particular, I [highlight a specific project or accomplishment that is most relevant to the job you’re applying for and provide details on your role and contribution].

[Previous Job Title], [Company Name]                                           [Month Year – Month Year]

In this role, I [describe your responsibilities and achievements in detail and explain the impact of your work on the company’s success]. Some of my key contributions include [list of specific projects or initiatives that you led or participated in]. For example, I [highlight a specific project or accomplishment that showcases your technical or leadership skills and describe your role and achievements].

[Degree Earned, e.g., Bachelor of Science in Computer Science], [University Name]

[Month Year – Month Year]

During my [degree program], I gained hands-on experience in [list of relevant coursework that illustrates your technical skills and knowledge]. I also received [list of honours or awards that demonstrate your academic excellence and leadership potential].

Certifications

I hold the following relevant certifications:

[List relevant certifications that demonstrate your proficiency in specific technical areas or tools, such as AWS, Azure, Java, etc.]

Open-Source Contributions

As an active open-source contributor, I have made the following notable contributions:

[List specific contributions to open-source projects that demonstrate your technical skills and creativity]

Professional Associations

I am a member of [list of relevant professional organisations that demonstrate your commitment to continuous learning and networking]. As a member, I have [list specific activities or events that you have participated in or led that showcase your leadership or collaboration skills].

Additional Information

For more information on my background and projects, please visit [provide links to your LinkedIn profile, GitHub repository, personal website, or other relevant online presence].

Available upon request.

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Home / How to Craft the Perfect Resume for Software Engineer [Writing tips, Samples & Skills]

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5 Entry Level Software Engineer Resume Examples & Guide for 2024

On your entry-level software engineer resume, it is essential to showcase your educational background and relevant coursework. Highlight any computer science or engineering degrees, as well as key subjects that have prepared you for software development. Ensure your resume includes practical experience, such as internships, hackathons, or personal projects. These demonstrate hands-on skills and a proactive approach to applying your knowledge.

All resume examples in this guide

Traditional

Entry level software engineer cover letter

Resume Guide

Choose an appropriate format for your entry-level software engineer resume, reference relevant industry profiles in the resume header, outline the tech stack you’re working with in the resume summary, include internships in your software engineer experience section, don’t list your high school diploma if you have a master’s degree, compensate the tech talk by highlight your software engineering soft skills, showcase your entry-level software engineering certificates, prove you are the right candidate by adding other relevant sections, support your outstanding software engineering resume with a fitting cover letter, key takeaways.

It’s time for you to start looking for a job in the tech industry and you need a foolproof resume.

We know it’s tough for first-timers. Especially with all the tech layoffs in the past few months.

So, what would make you stand out?

To write an exceptional entry-level Software Engineer resume, you must focus your efforts on:

• Constructing a convincing experience section
• Knowing which skills to include and how
• Building a pairing cover letter to support your application

Our complete guide will teach you all this and more. Read on.

Given that you’re just entering the tech business world, you must consider your choice of resume format carefully.

Recruiters tend to favor the reverse-chronological resume format . It’s intuitive and readable.

You can opt for this layout, if you’ve been a prolific project-maker over the years. Not only in school, but as a hobby, too.

Yet, if you’ve stuck to the traditional academic path and haven’t tried your luck with the gig economy, use the functional resume format .

Its layout pushes your technical and social skills to the forefront. While any projects and internships you’ve done are pushed to the bottom of the resume.

If, however, you fall somewhere in-between or you’re career hopping, the hybrid resume format is your best choice.

This layout provides enough real estate for you to share relevant experience and any transferable abilities you have.

Once you pick an option that fits your expertise level, it’s time to concentrate on some format specifics.

A while ago we conducted an internal research to check out whether there are any changes in how ATS tools assess different resumes.

We wanted to verify which factors make or break a resume in 2024.

Our research found that formatting and typos are still the most important dealbreakers. Other crucial components are:

• Colors and Design: These depend on the prospective employer. You can appeal to the company’s brand colors, but stray away from bold ones. Keep it tasteful.
• Fonts: It goes without saying - avoid using Comic Sans or other similar fonts. You can choose from any of the popular ones in the Google library.
• Length/Columns: Since you’re a software engineering fresher, it would be difficult to go beyond one page. Instead, think about how not to leave blank spaces.
• Section Headings: It’s important to note that ATS tools rely on appropriately named sections. Make sure you label them accordingly.
• File Format: PDFs are favored among most tech companies. But if you have a specific employer in mind, think outside the box.

Consider using a non-standard resume layout, such as an interactive web-based format.

By now you’re probably aware that you can’t rely on your education alone. You must display your skills in action.

As such, one of the first things hiring managers will check is your GitHub activity.

The best way to introduce your work to recruiters and tech managers is by adding your GitHub in the resume header .

Along with your:

• First and last name
• Current job title or preferred job title, if you’re switching careers
• Phone number
• Professional email address
• LinkedIn profile or a portfolio link, if you can showcase projects outside your GitHub.

If you’re not sure whether to place something in the resume header, regard the section as your business card.

Take a look at how Gustavo Zanetti has framed his:

Typically, a key component of your resume would be the resume summary . You can still choose to write one if you have industry-related achievements to boast about.

But if you’re just starting out, think about writing a resume objective . It’s similar to the summary in terms of purpose. The only difference is its focus.

Rather than displaying career achievements, tailor the resume objective towards the company’s core projects.

Prove that your skills will benefit your prospective employer. Listing your tech stack will also help you move up into the pile of resumes.

ATS tools boost resumes which mention tools and programming languages near the top of the document.

How do you do that?

In a short paragraph of 5-6 sentences talk about:

• Number of years in the tech industry
• Qualifications and talents you have to offer
• Any relevant milestones you think will improve your chances of getting hired

Compare the examples below. While the two candidates have different employment backgrounds, both are focused on project outcomes and professional development.

Depending on the type of resume format you choose, the size and position of your work experience section will vary.

Also, keep in mind that internships take precedence over side projects.

Having experience working in a corporate environment shows that you:

• Know how to operate in a team
• Focus on specific tasks
• Make small contributions to larger projects

But don’t count personal projects out yet.

They prove that you have the discipline and time management skills to see your work through to the end.

When it comes to structure of your experience section, make sure you:

• Arrange your entries in a reverse-chronological order
• Mention your job title
• State the name and location of your past employer, followed by a succinct description of its business focus
• List the dates of your employment or project involvement
• Summarize your top accomplishments in no more than 5 bullet points

Note that each of the achievements in your entries must start with an action verb . Then, continue describing a challenge you’ve tackled and the successful outcome.

Don’t forget to tie your results to data and numbers when possible. For example:

Leveraged consumer feedback, business data and log reports to develop 12 new features, thus increasing customer satisfaction by 140%.

But if you can’t cite numbers, remember that your phrasing is important. For instance:

Supported ABC company’s tech infrastructure overhaul by conducting seamless server migrations, implementing new caching methods and increasing user load.

Have a look at the following sample section for some inspiration:

We said that education isn’t everything. But your academic background is crucial because it shows how you’ve acquired your expertise.

If you’re aiming for a role in a more innovative field, having a good foundational knowledge in math is crucial.

In this case, list your bachelor’s and master’s degree on the education section of your resume. If asked, state your GPA, but only if it’s above 3.5.

Still, if you’re a self-taught professional, focus on your highest level of education and your certificates. And don’t include your high school diploma if you have a master’s degree.

Apart from your GPA, make sure to list the:

• Full name of your degree with relevant majors and minors included
• Name of the educational institution
• Course length and date of validity, if applicable

Here is a sample education section you can use:

It’s easy to fall into the tech talk trap, especially if you’re too involved in the industry. But don’t forget that not every hiring manager is familiar with the essence of your work.

Sure, they will consult with the manager of the respective hiring team. But before your resume reaches the manager it must pass both the ATS tests and the HR review.

To do that, you must balance out your hard skills and your social talents.

Let’s focus on your tech abilities first. As we mentioned in the beginning, outlining your tech stack in the resume objective is necessary.

It’s even more important to continue referencing your abilities in the experience section and the skills section .

If you haven’t had the chance to list all of your tech talents or you think you’re forgetting something, check out the table below for ideas:

Key 50 technical skills for software engineers:

Providing context and results for soft skills is considerably more difficult. But it’s not impossible.

Concentrate on how your work has affected those around you.

Has your work helped solve a painful issue? Did anyone benefit from using your products?

Do you have a knack for learning new things?

Also, take into account the job description. Confirm which qualities are hiring managers looking for.

When you have your list ready, employ the same Challenge-Action-Result (CAR) method you used in the experience section:

And if you’re stuck and can’t come up with examples for your own skills section, we have some recommendations:

34 fundamental soft skills for software engineering:

• Confidentiality

If your professional and academic background is not tech-related, the best way to prove you have what it takes to do the job is with certificates .

Show that you’re up to date with industry trends and best practices.

To make your certificates section complete, fill in the:

• Name of your certificate
• Issuing institution
• Year of obtainment or expected completion
• Expiration date (if applicable)

Among the many certificates you can add to your resume, it’s recommended you include those that confirm you know your programming basics.

Some good suggestions are:

Essential 25 software engineering certificates for your resume:

• Certified Associate in Software Testing (CAST)

One big plus about resumes is that you can attach extra sections with relevant information to impress recruiters.

Tech is practically everywhere now, so there’s plenty of ways to stand out:

• Memberships in university clubs or relevant associations
• List of projects , services and products you developed
• Awards from hackathons and competitions
• Presentations, project pitches, patents or papers you’ve authored

As long as you can boast any of these, your chances of getting hired grow exponentially.

You may think that cover letters are a thing of the past. But they are the best way to highlight your achievements and your character.

To show that your personality and work attitude match the corporate culture, pair your resume with a quality cover letter .

Divide your letter into three sections:

• In the first paragraph, address the recruiter and list your top 1-2 achievements. You can repeat the ones you’ve included in the resume summary.
• The second section is reserved for your core abilities, along with some background on how you’ve attained them. Share more about your personal experiences.
• Finally, thank the hiring manager for their time and consideration. Notify them how and when you can be contacted, should they want to discuss your resume with you.

• Take into account your experience when picking a suitable resume format
• Share your GitHub and portfolio links in the resume header
• Reference the tech stacks you’re proficient in
• List your internships at the top of the experience section
• Describe how you’ve handled professional challenges so far and what you’ve learned
• Bring variety to your resume by adding additional sections to your resume
• Make sure your cover letter compliments your job application

Looking to build your own Entry Level Software Engineer resume?

• Resume Examples

The Best Resume Formats You Need to Consider (5+ Examples Included)

Does a resume need a cover letter, what is a confidential resume and how to write one, how to update your cv, how to answer the "what do you least like about your job" interview question, how do you choose a professional email address for a resume.

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Software Engineer Resume [2024] - Example + How-to Guide

You’re a software engineer. You use your talents to build the future.

Well, once you get the job.

There’s one thing in your way:

The huge pile of other resumes sitting on the recruiter’s desk.

It’s time to make your talents stand out.

In this guide, we take you through a step-by-step process to creating a software engineer resume that gets results.

• An example of a finished software engineer resume that works
• How to write a software engineer resume that’ll fill up your interview diary
• How to make your software engineer resume stand out [with top tips & tricks]

For some inspiration, here’s a software engineer resume example, created with our very own online resume builder :

Looks good, right?! Now it’s time to create your own.

Besides the software engineer resume example, we've got a bunch more examples for professionals in the computer science field:

• Java Developer Resume
• Web Developer Resume
• Computer Science Resume
• Artificial Intelligence Engineer Resume
• Engineering Resume
• Data Scientist Resume
• Data Analyst Resume
• Data Entry Resume

How to Format a Software Engineer Resume

Now, before you can highlight your talents, you need to format your resume correctly. 

Your resume should be easy to read and not be hard work for the recruiter to skim through. 

The “reverse-chronological” resume format  is the most commonly used format, and we can see why. It positions your top talents at the top of your resume, so the recruiter can immediately see your value proposition.

These software engineering resume formats also get our approval…

• Functional Resume – If you have strong software engineering skills, but a small amount of work experience, this resume format is recommended
• Combination Resume – The final format combines both “Functional” and “Reverse-Chronological” formats. As such, it is ideal for software engineers who have skills AND work experience.

Once you’ve chosen your format, you need to organize your resume layout .

Use a Software Engineer Resume Template

Word is a great application for creating documents.

Creating a resume with text editors is a different story all together!

This is due to formatting issues.

In fact, there’s a chance your entire layout will fall apart as you make alterations. 

Want to skip any formatting issues? Use a software engineer resume template .

What to Include in a Software Engineering Resume

The main sections in a software engineering resume are:

• Work Experience
• Contact Information

Want to go a step further? You can also add these optional sections:

• Awards & Certification

Interests & Hobbies

But wait – what should you write for each of these sections? 

Read on to learn how.

Want to know more about resume sections? View our guide on What to Put on a Resume .

How to Correctly Display your Contact Information

Now, this section doesn’t need any creativity, but it must be factually correct. 

Play close attention to this section – the last thing you want is an impressed recruiter who wants to interview you, but can’t contact you!

The contact information section must include:

• Title – Align this to the job description, which is “Software Engineer”
• Phone Number – Check this multiple times
• Email Address – Use a professional email address ([email protected]), not your childhood email ([email protected])
• (Optional) Location - Applying for a job abroad? Mention your location.
• Lauren Hill - Software Engineer. 101-358-6095. [email protected]
• Lauren Hill - Ninja Software Engineer. 101-358-6095. [email protected]

How to Write a Software Engineer Resume Summary or Objective

Here’s a shocking fact for you –

Recruiters spend less than 6 seconds on each resume .

With hundreds of resumes to get through, it’s no surprise that recruiters simply glance over resumes looking for the most important information. 

As such, you want to make the most important information clear to see.

The best way to do this is via a resume summary or objective , which are snappy paragraphs that go on top of your resume.

Their purpose is to quickly highlight why you are the best candidate for the software engineering job. They can be seen as a “small preview” to the rest of your resume.

But what is the difference between the two sections?

A resume summary is a 2-4 sentence summary of your professional experiences and achievements.

• Experienced software engineer with a strong background in developing award-winning strategies for a diverse clientele. 12+ years of industry experience includes leading large engineering teams to achieve concrete goals on a strict deadline. Strong skills include Database management and MySQL, .NET and Java.

A resume objective is a 2-4 sentence snapshot of what you want to achieve professionally.

• Motivated software engineer looking to pursue a successful career in software development at Company X, where I can help in the delivery of state-of-the-art software solutions. Experience includes coding, troubleshooting, and testing for my own personal projects while at University X. Relevant skills include PHP, Data Structures, Machine Learning, and Debugging.

So, which one is best for your situation, summary or objective?

Generally, we recommend experienced software engineers go with a summary. If you have the skills but lack the industry experience, you should choose a resume objective (graduates, career changers, or those still studying).

How to Make Your Software Engineer Work Experience Stand Out

Recruiters want to know that you can do the job, and do the job well. The easiest way to instil confidence in the recruiter is with your work experience.

Here’s how we recommend you structure your work experience section:

• Position name
• Company Name
• Responsibilities & Achievements

Software Engineer

ElectronicsX

03/2017 - 07/2020

• Built an ecommerce site integrated with multiple payment APIs for a 32% in company revenue
• Developed new infrastructure to easily handle over a million client files 
• Consistently achieved 100% compliance with industry best practices
• Reduced security breaches by 84%

To separate your resume from the competition, you should highlight your top achievements. Doing so will allow the recruiter to see the obvious benefits in hiring you.

Instead of saying:

“In charge of infrastructure”

“Developed new infrastructure to easily handle over a million client files”

Simply put, the first statement doesn’t say much.

This is in direct comparison with the second statement that shows how your work benefited the company greatly. Hard numbers that prove your skills – can’t argue with that!

What if You Don’t Have Work Experience?

Not everyone will have a wealth of work experience.

Maybe you’re a graduate looking for your first engineering job?

The question is how to tackle this part of your resume when you have no experience.  

The answer –

Talk about your internship experience, volunteering work, or any achievements at your place of education. 

You can even create a portfolio of your own work!

There are several ways to build a portfolio (and even get paid for it):

• Pick up some relevant freelance gigs on UpWork
• Start you own software project as a side-hustle

Are you recent engineering graduate? Make sure to check out our student resume guide!

Use Action Words to Make Your Software Engineer Resume POP!

…are all common words that the recruiter sees time and time again.

However, you don’t want your resume to resume the competition, which means you should use power words to make your achievements stand out:

• Conceptualized
• Spearheaded

B.A. in Software Engineering

The University of Chicago

2012 - 2016

• Relevant Courses : Software Engineering Project, Distributed Systems Development, Information Systems Modelling, Specification of Software Systems, Software Evolution, Software Quality, Agile Methods

Now, you may need more information. If so, here are the answers to some of the most frequent questions that we get:

What if I haven’t completed education yet?

• Regardless of whether you’re an engineering graduate or still studying, you should still mention every year of education to date

Should I include my high school education?

• Generally, only include your highest form of education. Therefore, include your high school education if you don’t have a relevant degree in engineering

What do I put first, my education or experience?

• Experiences are the priority, so those go first. If you’re a recent graduate, you will likely need to start with education

Need more information? Check out our guide on how to list education on a resume .

Top 10 Skills for a Software Engineer Resume

Your software engineer resume must do one thing—

Show that you’ll do a better job than the other candidates.

But how can you do this? 

Well, by highlighting the right software engineer skills on a resume.  

This is done by looking at the job description, and then comparing the skills needed with the skills you already have.

Put all relevant skills on your resume. Here are the most commonly used skills for a software engineer resume:

Hard Skills for a Software Engineer:

• Data Structures
• Machine Learning
• Web Development

Soft Skills for a Software Engineer:

• Creative Thinking
• Communication
• Time-Management
• Team Player
• Try to sprinkle your skills throughout the document, not just in the skills section. You can drop some of your skills in the resume summary, education section, and work experience section.

Here’s a more comprehensive list of 101+ must-have skills this year .

What Else Can You Include?

That’s all of the essentials covered.

But ask yourself one question –

Does your resume stand out ?! 

The above sections should be enough to get you onto the shortlist, but adding some extra sections could be the deciding factor between you and another candidate.  

Awards & Certifications

Have you won an award for your engineering work?

Have you completed any courses that improve your skills?

If you have any awards or certifications, be sure to list them in your resume!

Here’s an example:

Awards & Certificates

• “Advance Software Engineering” - Coursera Certificate
• “Critical Thinking Masterclass” - MadeUpUniversity

Even though you will unlikely need to speak an alternative language in your job, the skill is still impressive to any recruiter. As such, feel free to add a language section if you have space.

Rank the languages by proficiency:

• Intermediate

Now, you’ll probably thinking, “why is my love of fishing relevant to the job application?”

Well, listing your hobbies allows the recruiter to get to know who you are.

They can also show that you’ll be a good part of the team, especially if you enjoy social activities. 

Here’s which hobbies & interests you may want to mention.

Include a Cover Letter with Your Resume

Cover letters are just as important as they always have been.

You see, a cover letter instantly makes your application specific and more personal. 

Unlike a generic resume that has been sent to ten other companies, a cover letter shows the recruiter that you want to work for their company.

For a winning cover letter, you need the correct structure. Here’s what we recommend:

You should complete the following sections:

Personal Contact Information

Your full name, profession, email, phone number, location, and website (or Behance / Dribble).

Hiring Manager’s Contact Information

Full name, position, location, email

Opening Paragraph

As the recruiter will likely skim through your application, you need to win their attention within the first few sentences. Use concise language to mention:

• The position you’re applying for
• Your experience summary and best achievement to date

Now it’s onto the main body of the cover letter, where you should delve into the following specifics:

• Why you want to work for this specific company
• What you already know about the company
• How your engineering skills will help you to do the job
• Which similar positions have you held before

Closing Paragraph

To wrap up your cover letter, you should:

• Conclude the main points made in the body paragraph
• Thank the recruiter for the job opportunity
• Finish with a call to action that leaves the conversation open, such as “At your earliest opportunity, I’d love to discuss more about how I can help company X” will work

Formal Salutations

End the letter in a professional manner. Something like, “Kind regards” or “Sincerely.”

For more inspiration, read our step-by-step guide on how to write a cover letter .

Key Takeaways

Congratulations!

If you followed the advice above, you’re well on your way to landing that elusive software engineering role.

Before we go, let’s summarize the main points:

• Format your software engineer resume correctly. Use the reverse-chronological format, and then follow our layout recommendation
• Use a summary or objective at the top of your resume
• Highlight your achievements in your work experience section
• Make sure your portfolio is the best it can be. If you don’t have one, think about getting one
• Include a convincing cover letter to separate you from the competition

Suggested Reading:

• Guide to Green Careers - All You Need to Know
• How to Answer “What Is Your Greatest Strength” [4 Samples]
• Why Should We Hire You - 10+ Best Answers

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Best resume writing practices for software engineers

Your resume is a channel of communication between you and the recruiter. If your resume does not display your unique points, will you be hired for the job? Turing lists the best practices for writing the best software engineer resume to help you land the job of your dreams.

In this present competitive world, you need skills as well as the proper promotion of yourself because you are like an asset. Software engineer jobs are ample in the market, but you need to make your unique points stand out in your resume. A company will only feel interested in your profile if your resume represents your top skills effectively and credibly.

Here at Turing, our top recruiters share the best resume writing practices to help you make a perfect resume that would stand out from the crowd and help you land one of the best software engineer jobs .

You can follow these tips and higher the chances of bagging your dream remote software engineer jobs:-

1. Keep your resume crisp

Your software engineer resume should not be more than one page in length. The recruiters don’t have the time to read all the pages of the resume meticulously. This is a harsh truth we all have to face while sitting for the job interviews. So, you must present yourself professionally and consistently with concise information on your resume. A resume is like a window through which they get to know you, and eventually improves your chances of being hired. So for this, you need a short and crisp resume.

An effective manner to reduce the size of your resume is to present the timeline of your work experience in bullet points. Present relevant information into the work timeline.

Always make sure you have well-structured sentences in your resume without mistakes. Otherwise, it would put a bad impression on the recruiter, and lower the chances of being shortlisted for the job.

2. Showcase your accomplishments through certifications and skills

It would be effective if your resume showcases your skills through multiple certifications. It is easy to add weightage to your resume if you have some certifications along with experience. For example, if you have a CSSLP Certification from International Information System Security Certification Consortium, it automatically adds value to your resume (A very effective practice is to mention it in the headline of your resume under your name). So, invest your time in getting some certifications during your education period or after completing your education.

This is the list of certifications that is perfect for software engineer:-

• CSSLP by ISC:- Certified Secure Software Lifecycle Professional by International Information System Security Certification Consortium tests your skills in the development of the software with secure and safe practices. If you earn this certification it means that you can identify the vulnerabilities in your projects. Also, it demonstrates that you can protect your clients’ data and prevent data breaches. This certification is expensive at 599 dollars but it can bring immense value to your resume.
• CSDP by IEEE:- Certified Software Development Professional by IEEE society is one of the standard industry certifications for software engineers. This certification is for experienced professionals and requires them to earn four different certifications from the same society. It costs 395 dollars for society members and 495 dollars for non-members.
• CSE by ICCP:- Certified Software Engineer by International Institute of Computing professionals is a designation which you can earn by giving three exams from ICCP. It cost 45 dollars for the membership fee, a 299 dollar exam fee, and 50 dollar proctor fee.
• Amazon Web Services:- AWS certified developer certification is best for the engineers where you will extensively work in the Amazon Web Services. This is an associate-level exam. It costs 150 dollars which lasts for 130 minutes in total. They also offer 20 dollar practice exams. These are some of the certifications which are helpful to add credibility to your resume.

3. Use numbers to add weight to your resume

Use numbers in your software engineer resume to add weight. This would be very helpful to showcase your potential employer to establish your credibility. Consider this situation: ‘Experienced in handling a team on a big ticket project’ and on the other side you wrote ‘Handled a team of 30+ people on a big-ticket project from the hands of a Fortune 500 company.’ So, out of both of these scenarios, which one impacted you the most? The latter one gives away numbers and intrigues the recruiter, which helps him to know more about you and the value you can add to the organization.

This way you can take the course of conversation in a way where you can demonstrate your skills more effectively.

4. Nail the headlines

Headlines are a very essential part of your software engineer resume. There is no hard and fast rule to write a headline. But, there are two ways you can make your headline:-

• You can use the job role for your headline. For example, they need software engineers with x number of years of experience then your headline can be: 4+ years experienced software engineer.
• If you want to highlight your certifications or skills, then you can make your headline like CSSLP Certified Software Developer.

So, through these two headlines in your resume, you can give a glimpse of what the recruiters can expect from you early on and make an impression.

5. Presenting your work experience

It is also a very essential part of your resume because it allows you to highlight your previous skills. This section helps you to give a glimpse to the recruiter of how your skills have added value to your previous organizations and what they can expect from you if you are hired. It is the most sizable part of your resume in which you can affirm your position with numbers and figures. Also, your work timeline will help you to demonstrate your technical experience over the years, and how you evolved from a fresher to mid-senior level, and so on. It is like a story of yourself through the years you have been working.

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6. Skills required for software engineer Jobs

If you want to land a software engineer job, you must possess a specific skill set that is unique to this job. Again, there should be an emphasis on being crisp and clear in your writing. The skills section is the most crucial part of your resume along with the work timeline. Flaunt your skills as much as possible and add value through certifications.

Some of the skills you should possess as a software engineer are listed below:-

Primary skills

• Agile scrum
• Database architecture

Secondary skills

• Critical thinking
• Data analytics
• Operating systems
• Version repository systems
• Process analysis

7. Presenting your education

You should present your education and the various institutions you have studied in to earn your academic degree. This way you can highlight your academic prowess and the basic qualifications needed for the job.

8. Resume writing format

There are three types of format used in resume writing, i.e.,:-

• Chronological Format:- It will emphasize the employment history. It displays your employment history in chronological order.
• Functional Resume:- It focuses on the skills rather than the work experience. It is good for the people who lack experience in the industry.
• Combination Resume:- It emphasizes equally on work experience and the skills due to which it is the most widely used resume format.

9. Highlighting your resume with keywords and usage of good grammar

Correct English is very important for your software engineer resume. Even one single mistake can cost you the software engineer job for which you are applying. Always proofread the content which you are writing in the resume to make sure you are using correct English.

Keywords will help you to get the attention of the hiring managers. Also, most companies are using resume parsing software, and the keywords will help your software engineer resume to pass through the software.

Here is the list of keywords that can be very useful in your resume:-

10. Add a short video introduction

A short video introduction may seem like an extra step but it helps you to develop a one-to-one conversation with the recruiter. In this video introduction, you should sum up your experience, skills, and achievements. It will give you an advantage over other candidates because you would have a unique approach towards the recruiter.

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Build the best Software Engineer resume with Turing deep developer profile

If you are finding it difficult to get the best software engineer jobs even if you possess the desired skills and experience, then it might be a case where you are not showcasing your USPs to the recruiter. We, at Turing, help candidates build their in-depth resumes through our deep developer profile. Once you clear the Turing test and interview, we will build your resume, which will showcase your validated skills and give a thorough insight into your engineering expertise to top software companies. Hundreds of developers have already joined Turing and are attracting world-class offers from US and Silicon Valley companies, thanks to their Turing deep developer profile. Try Turing’s best-in-class offerings for yourself now.

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Frequently asked questions.

As a software engineer, expect to manage daily work with different sets of responsibilities. You would be assigned tasks like creating and developing software applications that can handle specific tasks on the web, PCs, and mobiles. You also will have to develop core systems governing networks, databases and OSs.

To find success with software engineer jobs in 2024, you’ll need to be good with different sets of technologies. your primary skillset should include experience like Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Data Science & Analytics, Data Engineering, and Data Visualization. Furthermore, having in-depth knowledge of Network and Information Security, Cloud Computing and AWS and similar solutions should add value to your applications.

Five basic programming languages that every software developer must know in 2024 are Java, Python, C and C++, Scala, and also JavaScript. Also knowing newer technologies and languages will help you find better software engineer jobs. So, keep learning.

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18+ Fresher Engineer Resume Templates – PDF, DOC

A resume is an opportunity for a fresh graduate to create a fantastic first impression on a company you are eyeing to work for. Like other resume templates , an entry-level resume should be embedded with objectives, key skills, and so on. Ensuring that you send out a meticulously prepared fresher engineer resume /CV is vital for getting that call to be interviewed and ultimately land that job templates .

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Creating a Noteworthy Resume

• Highlight your biggest achievements. A recruiter will only take a few seconds to judge if it is worth it to continue reading your basic resume . They prefer that your resume is precise and brief. Grab the recruiter’s immediate attention by making your biggest achievements your focal point. What you may lack in work experience as a fresher will be made up for with your educational experiences.
• Keep your resume at a maximum of two pages. Recruiters do not want to read an autobiography of your life; they only want to focus on your specifics and what you can bring to the company’s table once they decide to get you on board. Experts say two pages, like our Resume for Fresher options, is more than enough to keep a person’s attention span while giving you enough room to list down your initiatives and accomplishments even while at school. You can also see more on  Project Engineer Resumes .

Resume Template For Freshers Computer Engineers

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What to Double-Check before Sending in Your Resume

• Grammatical errors and misspelled words. These two errors will guarantee that your printable resume ends up deleted from the database or in the trash, some experts say. Recruiters look for applicants who are precise with grammar and spelling because it communicates proper education and high attention to detail.
• Contact information. All that effort of preparing an excellent design resume will only go to waste if a recruiter ends up not being able to contact you because you put in inaccurate contact information. Review if you correctly spelled your e-mail address or if you wrote in your active and updated contact number. A simple error could either mean you getting the call or not.
• Omit any unnecessary details. An employer is not always concerned about every minute accomplishment you’ve had in school. Focus on what they want to see, like your proudest leadership role to convey that you are ready for bigger responsibilities as an employee.

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Entry Level Software Engineer Resume Examples: Proven To Get You Hired In 2024

Jump to a template:

• Entry Level Software Engineer
• Junior Software Developer

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• Entry Level Software Engineer Resume Tips

Entry Level Software Engineer Resume Template

Download in google doc, word or pdf for free. designed to pass resume screening software in 2022., entry level software engineer resume sample.

As an entry-level software engineer, you'll be working in an exciting field with numerous opportunities to grow. With the tech industry constantly evolving, it's essential to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and skills. When writing your resume for this role, focus on showcasing your technical proficiency, teamwork abilities, and desire to learn new technologies. In the second paragraph, emphasize your relevant practical experience, such as internships, coding bootcamps, or personal projects that demonstrate your competencies and passion for software engineering.

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Recruiter Insight: Why this resume works in 2022

Tips to help you write your entry level software engineer resume in 2024,    highlight programming languages and frameworks.

As an entry-level software engineer, it's crucial to demonstrate your proficiency in key programming languages and frameworks relevant to the job you're applying for. List them in a dedicated section on your resume and mention any certifications or coursework that supports your skills.

   Showcase personal and collaborative projects

Hiring managers look for candidates who not only have the technical skills but can work effectively in a team. Showcase any personal or collaborative projects you've worked on, highlighting the technology stack, challenges faced, and your contribution to the project to emphasize your aptitude and teamwork abilities.

If you’re a recent college graduate or completed a Bootcamp, this is the resume template for you. The key here is for you to sell yourself with the skills you’ve learned, projects you’ve completed, and software tools you’ve used. Internship experience, if any, will be useful to highlight as well. This sample lists many activities, projects, and classes that are relevant to the position, and communicate effective use of the knowledge they have.

   University projects and activities relevant to software engineering

We understand that you may not have much experience right out of college. That’s why you should list relevant activities you’ve done while in school. This sample does so by listing important courses, projects completed and explaining the different software used.

   Strong action verbs related to software engineers

This sample communicates strong relevant verbs to highlight their experience. Use of words like “developed”, “designed”, and “implemented” all help to show usage of the skills they have. Use action verbs like these in your resume to show you can apply the knowledge you have to real situations.

Junior Software Developer Resume Sample

As a hiring manager who has recruited software engineers at companies like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon, I've seen thousands of resumes for entry-level software engineering positions. In this article, I'll share some of the most effective tips for crafting a strong resume that will help you stand out from the competition and land your first job as a software engineer.

   Highlight your coding projects

Employers want to see that you have practical experience building software, even if you don't have professional experience yet. Include a section on your resume that showcases your coding projects.

• Built a full-stack web application using React, Node.js, and MongoDB that allows users to create and share recipes, resulting in over 500 user signups within the first month of launch
• Developed an Android app that uses machine learning to classify images of plants with 95% accuracy, utilizing TensorFlow and Kotlin

When describing your projects, focus on the technologies you used, the challenges you overcame, and the impact of your work.

   Emphasize your technical skills

As an entry-level software engineer, your technical skills are your biggest asset. Make sure to include a section on your resume that lists your programming languages, frameworks, and tools.

• Proficient in Java, Python, and C++
• Familiar with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript

Instead of simply listing your skills, provide specific examples of how you've used them:

• Developed a Java application that processes large datasets using multithreading and parallel processing techniques, resulting in a 50% reduction in processing time
• Created responsive web pages using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript that adapt to different screen sizes and devices

   Show your passion for technology

Employers want to hire software engineers who are passionate about technology and eager to learn. Use your resume to showcase your enthusiasm for the field.

• Participated in a hackathon and developed a prototype for a mobile app that helps users find nearby volunteer opportunities
• Contributed to open-source projects on GitHub, including a Python library for data visualization that has over 1,000 stars

If you have any relevant hobbies or side projects, include them on your resume to demonstrate your passion for technology outside of work or school.

   Tailor your resume to the job

One of the biggest mistakes that entry-level candidates make is sending the same generic resume to every job application. Instead, tailor your resume to the specific job you're applying for.

Here's an example of a generic resume summary:

Recent computer science graduate with strong programming skills seeking an entry-level software engineering position.

Instead, customize your summary to the job requirements:

Recent computer science graduate with experience in full-stack web development using React and Node.js. Seeking an entry-level position at XYZ Company to contribute to the development of scalable and user-friendly web applications.

   Quantify your achievements

Whenever possible, use numbers and metrics to quantify your achievements on your resume. This helps employers understand the impact of your work.

• Developed a mobile app for a school project
• Helped improve the performance of a web application

Instead, provide specific details about your achievements:

• Developed a mobile app for a school project that was downloaded by over 1,000 users and received a 4.5-star rating on the app store
• Optimized the database queries for a web application, reducing the average page load time by 2 seconds and increasing user engagement by 15%

   Highlight your soft skills

While technical skills are important for software engineers, soft skills are equally valuable. Employers want to hire candidates who can communicate effectively, work well in a team, and solve problems creatively.

Here are some examples of how to highlight your soft skills on your resume:

• Collaborated with a team of 5 developers to build a web application, contributing to the front-end development and providing constructive feedback during code reviews
• Presented a technical talk at a university conference on the benefits of test-driven development, engaging an audience of over 100 students and faculty members
• Mentored a group of 3 junior developers during an internship, providing guidance on coding best practices and helping them improve their skills

By showcasing your soft skills, you demonstrate to employers that you have the ability to work effectively in a professional environment.

Writing Your Entry Level Software Engineer Resume: Section By Section

  summary.

A resume summary, also known as a professional summary or summary statement, is an optional section that appears at the top of your resume, just below your contact information. While it's not a mandatory component, a well-crafted summary can help you stand out from other entry-level software engineers by highlighting your most relevant skills, experiences, and career goals.

When deciding whether to include a summary on your resume, consider your level of experience and the specific requirements of the job you're applying for. If you have relevant internships, projects, or coursework that align with the position, a summary can be a great way to showcase your qualifications upfront. However, if you're a recent graduate with limited experience, you may want to focus on other sections of your resume, such as your education and technical skills.

It's important to note that an objective statement, which focuses on your career goals rather than your qualifications, is generally not recommended for software engineering resumes. Employers are more interested in what you can bring to the table, rather than what you hope to gain from the position.

To learn how to write an effective resume summary for your Entry Level Software Engineer resume, or figure out if you need one, please read Entry Level Software Engineer Resume Summary Examples , or Entry Level Software Engineer Resume Objective Examples .

1. Tailor your summary to the job description

When crafting your resume summary, it's crucial to tailor it to the specific entry-level software engineer position you're applying for. This means highlighting the skills, experiences, and qualifications that are most relevant to the job description.

Before writing your summary, carefully review the job posting and identify the key requirements and preferred qualifications. Then, select the most pertinent aspects of your background and showcase them in your summary.

For example, if the job description emphasizes proficiency in specific programming languages or frameworks, make sure to mention those in your summary:

• Recent computer science graduate with strong skills in Java, Python, and JavaScript. Experienced in developing web applications using React and Node.js.

On the other hand, avoid using generic or irrelevant statements that don't align with the job requirements:

• Highly motivated individual with a passion for learning and a strong work ethic. Seeking an entry-level position in any industry to gain experience and grow professionally.

2. Highlight your technical skills and projects

As an entry-level software engineer, your technical skills and projects are likely to be the most important aspects of your resume. Use your summary to showcase your proficiency in programming languages, frameworks, and tools that are relevant to the job you're applying for.

In addition to listing your technical skills, consider mentioning any notable projects you've completed, either through coursework, internships, or personal initiatives. This can help demonstrate your practical experience and problem-solving abilities.

Recent computer science graduate with a strong foundation in algorithms, data structures, and software development principles. Proficient in C++, Python, and Java, with experience in developing mobile applications for Android using Kotlin. Completed a capstone project that involved creating a machine learning model to predict stock prices, resulting in a 20% improvement in accuracy compared to traditional methods.

Remember to keep your summary concise and focused on the most important aspects of your background. Avoid listing every programming language or tool you've ever used, and instead focus on those that are most relevant to the job and showcase your strengths.

  Experience

The work experience section is the heart of your resume as an entry level software engineer. It's where you show hiring managers that you have the skills and experience to excel in the role, even if you don't have years of experience yet. Here's how to write a strong work experience section on your entry level software engineer resume:

1. Highlight relevant projects and internships

As an entry level candidate, you likely don't have years of full-time work experience to showcase yet. Instead, highlight the most relevant and impressive projects, internships, or part-time roles you've done while in school or after graduating.

For each experience, don't just list your responsibilities. Provide specific examples of the technical skills you used, the scope and impact of your work, and the results you achieved. Quantify your accomplishments where possible.

Software Engineering Intern, ABC Tech Company (Summer 2022) Developed and launched new payment processing feature for mobile app using Java and AWS, increasing mobile transactions by 25% Collaborated with cross-functional team of 6 engineers to plan, code, test and debug new functionality Completed 12-week Agile training program and earned Scrum Master certification

2. Use strong, relevant action verbs

Begin each bullet point with an action verb that showcases relevant skills for a software engineering role. Avoid generic, overused verbs like 'Assisted' or 'Helped'.

Instead of this:

• Helped develop new features for ABC Company's mobile app
• Assisted with debugging and resolving issues

Write something more like:

• Developed and tested 4 new features for ABC Company's flagship mobile app using Swift and Xcode
• Debugged and resolved 100+ issues in the app's codebase, contributing to a 50% reduction in crashes and bugs reported by users

3. Showcase technical skills and tools

Employers want to quickly see if you have experience with the programming languages, frameworks, tools and methodologies they use. Incorporate the specific technical skills you used in each role or project.

For example:

• Built and deployed web application using React, Node.js, and MongoDB, following Agile development principles
• Developed scripts in Python to automate testing and deployment processes, improving efficiency by 40%
• Utilized Git for version control and collaborated with team using Jira and Confluence

Don't forget to include soft skills too, like collaboration, communication, and problem-solving. Provide examples of how you worked effectively with others.

4. Show progression and leadership

Employers love to see progression, initiative and leadership, especially for entry level hires with potential. If you've advanced to higher level roles, projects or responsibilities, make that clear.

For example, you could say something like:

Promoted from Junior Software Engineer to Software Engineer after one year, taking on additional responsibilities including mentoring 2 junior team members and leading code reviews.

Even if your title didn't change, you can still show progression in your bullets. For example:

• Took on leadership role in developing new AI-powered chatbot feature, coordinating work of 4 junior developers
• Spearheaded initiative to improve unit test coverage from 75% to 95%

  Education

Your education section is a key part of your resume for entry level software engineering roles. It shows hiring managers that you have the necessary technical foundation to succeed in the role. Here are some tips to make sure your education section is effective.

1. Put your degree first if you're a recent grad

If you graduated within the last 1-2 years, lead with your education section before your work experience. Many entry level candidates have more relevant educational background than work experience.

Include your degree, major, university name, and graduation year:

Bachelor of Science in Computer Science University of California, Berkeley Graduated: May 2022

2. Showcase relevant coursework and projects

As a recent grad, you likely don't have extensive professional experience. So it's important to highlight relevant computer science coursework, labs, and projects to demonstrate your skills.

Good things to include:

• Senior capstone project
• Advanced programming courses (e.g. Data Structures)
• Any project/lab using languages or technologies from the job description

Less helpful things:

• Intro to Computer Science 101
• Electives unrelated to software engineering

3. Keep it short if you're experienced

If you're an experienced software engineer, you don't need to dedicate much space to your education. Keep it concise and focus on your work accomplishments instead. For example:

MS Computer Science, Stanford University

Avoid listing:

• Graduation years (prevents age discrimination)
• Coursework or GPA (less relevant after gaining experience)
• Unrelated degrees or programs

  Skills

Your skills section is one of the most important parts of your resume as an entry level software engineer. It's where you showcase your technical abilities and convince hiring managers that you have the right skills for the job. Here are some key tips to keep in mind when writing your skills section:

1. Tailor your skills to the job description

Before you start listing your skills, carefully review the job description for the entry level software engineer role you're applying for. Look for specific programming languages, frameworks, tools, and other technical skills that are mentioned as requirements or preferences.

Make sure to include these skills in your skills section, using the same terminology as the job description. This will help your resume pass through Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) that scan resumes for relevant keywords.

Programming Languages : Java, Python, C++ Web Development : HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React Databases : MySQL, MongoDB Tools : Git, Jira, Docker

To make sure your resume has the right skills and keywords, try using a tool like Targeted Resume from Resume Worded. It analyzes your resume against a specific job description and provides actionable feedback.

2. Focus on hard skills and technical expertise

As an entry level software engineer, your skills section should focus primarily on your hard skills and technical abilities. Avoid listing soft skills like "communication" or "teamwork" - while these are important, they should be demonstrated through your work experience and projects instead.

Stick to concrete programming skills, tools, and methodologies. If you have expertise in specific areas like machine learning or cloud computing, definitely include those as well.

Skills: Communication, Teamwork, Problem Solving, Microsoft Office, Java

Skills: Languages : Java, Python, SQL Web : JavaScript, HTML/CSS, Node.js, React Tools : Git, Docker, AWS Methodologies : Agile, Scrum, TDD

Quantify your skills when possible to make them more impactful. For example: "Java (5+ years)" or "Git (1000+ commits)".

3. Organize skills into relevant categories

Grouping your skills into categories makes it easier for hiring managers to quickly scan and understand your abilities. Common categories for software engineering might include:

• Programming Languages : Java, Python, C++
• Web Development : JavaScript, HTML/CSS, React
• Databases : MySQL, MongoDB
• Tools & Platforms : Git, Docker, AWS, Jira

You can also include categories for specific domains you have experience in, like "Machine Learning" or "Cybersecurity". The key is to make your skills section well-organized and easy to read at a glance.

Limit yourself to 3-4 categories and 3-5 skills per category. You want to show that you have specialized expertise, not that you're a jack-of-all-trades.

Skills For Entry Level Software Engineer Resumes

Here are examples of popular skills from Entry Level Software Engineer job descriptions that you can include on your resume.

• Amazon Web Services (AWS)
• Microservices
• Agile Methodologies
• Cloud Computing
• Technical Leadership
• Enterprise Software
• Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

Skills Word Cloud For Entry Level Software Engineer Resumes

This word cloud highlights the important keywords that appear on Entry Level Software Engineer job descriptions and resumes. The bigger the word, the more frequently it appears on job postings, and the more likely you should include it in your resume.

How to use these skills?

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Resume Guide: Detailed Insights From Recruiters

• Software Engineer Resume Guide & Examples for 2022

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Entry Level Software Engineer Resumes

• Template #1: Entry Level Software Engineer
• Template #2: Entry Level Software Engineer
• Template #3: Entry Level Software Engineer
• Template #4: Junior Software Developer
• Skills for Entry Level Software Engineer Resumes
• Free Entry Level Software Engineer Resume Review
• Other Engineering Resumes
• Entry Level Software Engineer Interview Guide
• Entry Level Software Engineer Sample Cover Letters
• Alternative Careers to a Software Engineer
• All Resumes
• Resume Action Verbs

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5 Entry-Level Software Engineer Resume Samples in 2024

• Entry-Level (EL) Software Engineer Resume
• Formal EL Software Engineer Resume
• Elegant EL Software Engineer Resume
• Standout EL Software Engineer Resume
• Professional EL Software Engineer Resume
• Skills & Work Experience

Trust us when we tell you that after you get your first software engineer job, all your other job searches will be much easier.

Companies seem to want software engineers with experience for entry-level roles. But how do you get that experience without experience? It’s an infinite loop.

We’ve helped thousands of developers break into the industry, and these five entry-level software engineer resume templates and the following Q&A are a great place to get started on building your resume and making a cover letter .

Entry-Level Software Engineer Resume

Microsoft Word

Google Docs

Formal Entry-Level Software Engineer Resume

Elegant Entry-Level Software Engineer Resume

Standout Entry-Level Software Engineer Resume

Professional Entry-Level Software Engineer Resume

Related resume examples

• Senior software engineer
• Associate software engineer
• Embedded software engineer
• Software integration engineer
• Software engineer

What Matters To Recruiters: Your Skills & Experience

You have one goal with your resume, to convince the recruiter you know how to code and are able to learn to do it better. Your “skills” and “work experience” sections are the places to accomplish that goal.

The temptation for entry-level developers is to list any and every programming language and library they’ve ever heard of.

Bad idea: recruiters want to see that you’ve focused less on the specific tools and more about applying those tools to become a better developer.

9 Top Entry Level Software Engineer Skills

• Javascript (Angular)

Sample Entry Level Software Engineer Work Experience

As a new software engineer, any relevant coding experience should be put on your resume.

Did you build a perosnal web app to track your runs? Do a coding project for class? Build a website for your club at school?

The goal with your experience is to convince the recruiter you’ll have an impact in the role they’re hiring for. Nothing does that better than numbers.

Here are a few samples:

• Assigned to e-commerce team, and participated in designing improved software using algorithms to match users to products, boosting sales by 16%
• Built a full-stack web app to allow users to simulate and visualize outcomes of poker hands against opponents of different play styles using open source cards.js on the front-end
• Using Selenium I built out a unit testing infrastructure for a client application that reduced the number of bugs reported by the client by 11% month over month
• Built internal tool using NodeJS and Pupeteer.js to automate QA and monitoring of donor-facing web app, which improved CTR by 3%

Top 5 Tips for Your Entry Level Software Engineer Resume

• As great as your teen jobs were, when you’re fresh out of school or a coding boot camp, your education might be your biggest asset! That’s okay and completely expected at this stage of your career. Really put it forward and include relevant programming classes you took as well.
• No getting around it, if you want a job as a programmer you need to show that you can program. You need to have some projects you can point to to say “I built that.” If you don’t have any yet, don’t stress! You can always start working on a project.
• If you have extra space on your resume, you can include a few extra sections. Hobbies and interests , a career objective, activities (like clubs and memberships). If you have a hobby relevant to the company/ developer role you’re applying to, even better.
• I’ve seen software engineer resumes with 50 skills listed on them. Listing this many skills just screams “I’m not an expert in any of these so I’m playing a volume game.” Focus on the languages/ frameworks you know best.
• People tend to feel sheepish about including non-relevant work experience on their developer resume. Showing you have work experience (even if not programming) is strongly preferred by employers to no work experience at all!

Frequently Asked Questions

• Make it easy to read for a human. The big, bad, scary ATS myth largely comes from companies trying to sell you resume software (we’re also trying to sell you our premium tools, too, but we’re honest about it—and our resume templates are ATS-friendly to boot). Focus on making it pleasurable to read for a human first and foremost.
• If you got it, flaunt it! Your Github is a great way to demonstrate your knowledge and capabilities when you’re looking for your first developer job. What better way to showcase yourself than through your code?
• In short, no. Only include a career objective if you’re going to customize it for every company you apply. Companies love to read about themselves, what can I say?

The Complete Software Engineer Resume Guide

Looking for a job as a software engineer? That’s exciting! Whether you’re changing careers  or just looking for your next job, this fast-growing industry offers career development opportunities galore. Plus, it can pay quite well .

With great pay and growth potential, the job hunt can be competitive. If you want a shot at a job interview, you need to know how to write a compelling software engineering resume, and you’ll want to create a web developer portfolio .  

Writing your first resume, or revamping your old one, can feel daunting. It doesn’t have to be complicated. We’ll walk you through the resume writing process step-by-step and give you plenty of software engineer resume examples. You won’t feel overwhelmed after reading this! 

In this complete guide, you’ll learn the following:

• Do software engineers even need a resume?

Step 1: Work out your structure

• Step 2: Gather your information

Step 3: Fill in your contact information

Step 4: add your three most relevant work experiences, step 5: list your education, step 6: include your skills.

• Step 7: Share your certifications and awards
• Step 8: List your software engineering projects

Step 9: Write your introductory statement

Step 10: proofread, mistakes to avoid when creating a software engineer resume, where to go for great software engineer resume templates.

Let’s start with the basics; why do you even need a resume? 

1. Do software engineers even need a resume?

Yes, software engineers need a resume. Many developers will tell you they’ve gotten multiple job offers with just a resume. Of course, they might not mention that they also had an active GitHub history, polished portfolio, or connection in the industry. But that’s beside the point.

The number one reason you need a resume to land a software engineering job is that almost every job you apply for will require you to have one. But secondly, your resume is how you’ll showcase your transferable skills . 

Even if you don’t have much experience with software engineering, you still need to create a software engineer resume. A compelling document with all your most relevant experience will showcase how you learned to code and the skills you can transfer to your new role.

You can also optimize your resume for applicant tracking systems (ATS)–but we’ll discuss that later. First, let’s learn how to create a software engineer’s resume that wins.

2. How to write a software engineer resume step-by-step

Okay, so we’re all on the same page now–you need a resume! But how do you write one? Buckle up! This is where we walk you through the resume writing process–one step at a time. 

This section may seem a bit long, but that’s because we’re going to go into every single part of your software engineer resume and make it as compelling as possible. Feel free to start writing your resume in another window while you read through each step. Learning while doing is often the most effective way! 

Resume layout (design) and copy (words) go hand-in-hand. If you don’t budget your words for the space you have, you won’t be able to fit it all on one page. It’s helpful to begin by choosing a resume template or layout. 

There are templates all over the internet for free that you can use! More on that later. If you don’t want to use a template, you can use the outline in Step 2 below to create your layout in a word processor, PDF maker, or graphic design tool. 

Step 2: Gather your information 

Before filling in your resume, open up a blank document or your notes app to gather the information you’ll need for your resume. If you’ve already optimized your LinkedIn for the job search, you might want to pull that up too. 

Here’s what you should include in your software engineer resume, from top to bottom: 

• Contact information
• Introduction paragraph
• Work experience
• Certifications and awards (optional)
• Projects (optional)

Here’s a software engineer resume example with a great layout from BeamJobs . There’s even enough room to include certifications and awards in the left-hand column!

Here’s what you need to include in this section: 

• First and last name 
• Job title, branding statement, or subtitle
• Email address
• Cell phone number
• LinkedIn profile
• Website (optional)
• Social media profiles (optional)
• Physical address (optional)

Your contact information is the simplest part of writing a resume. But it’s being analyzed by recruiters as much as the rest of what you’ve written. Here are some tips for making this section as small and effective as possible. 

Under your name, you can include a subtitle listing your current job title or a one-sentence personal description. If you don’t have a current job title, you can put the job title you’re looking for or a more creatively branded title. For example, you could put “Entry-Level Software Engineer” or “Skilled Full-Stack Developer.” 

Firstly, if you want to come across as professional, make sure your email address isn’t your old AOL email address. I’ll admit it! My email was [email protected] until I got to college. But I would never put that on a resume. Instead, my email is a polished version of my first and last name with no numbers. 

To save space, you don’t need to include your physical address unless you apply for a fully in-person job that favors locals. You don’t need to include your social media profiles unless you’re a thought leader in the industry. You can also omit your website if you don’t have a software engineer portfolio website .

Here’s what your resume contact information section might look like, courtesy of Resume Worded : 

When you think about writing your resume, this is probably what you imagined. This part will be easier if you’ve already optimized your LinkedIn for the job hunt. If you haven’t, budget some time to gather everything you need. 

Before you dive into writing this section, you will need the following: 

• A list of all of your relevant work experience (anything with transferable skills or software engineering)
• Data points from your jobs to demonstrate your achievements
• Information about your bootcamp, professional training program, or college (if you’re new to software development)

Once you have these items, you can start with the basics. Pick your top three-to-five most relevant experiences. Format each job on your list to reflect the structure outlined below.  

Here’s how to structure each of your experiences: 

• Job title – bolded
• Company name and the location where you worked – standard text
• Dates of employment – italicized

Keep your structure consistent throughout your resume. There’s no right or wrong way to choose whether you’ll abbreviate. But if you abbreviate one state you worked in, abbreviate them all. If you spelled out the entire month of your employment, spell out every month. 

Next, list them chronologically, beginning with your most recent experience. Here’s the creative part! It’s time to describe your work experiences. It’s best to list three to five bullet points per experience. 

In your bullet points, include some quantifiable accomplishments that are data-proven and action verbs relating to tech but not jargon. Keep your tone present and active, not passive. 

This is a software engineer resume example, also from Resume Worded: 

If you’re a career changer, your college education might not be relevant to the job you’re applying for now. 

Regardless, you should still include it. If you don’t have much experience, you should include information about your software engineer education here in five bullet points. Cover what you learned, how you got hands-on experience, and the projects you did. 

If you already have software engineering experience, this section isn’t as important for you. You can simply include where you went to school and one bullet or less about relevant coursework. 

Whether you’re new to software development or not, you can elaborate on your undergraduate and graduate degrees in certain circumstances. If you were a double major or had a minor, you can list that too on your software engineer resume. If you had a phenomenal GPA, you could list it. But if your GPA was less than 3.8, you can leave it out. 

Here’s how to format your education: 

• Name of program or degree — bolded
• Institution and location—standard text
• Dates attended — italicized

Each job you apply for will use a specific naming convention in the description like BS, b.s., bachelor’s degree, bootcamp, or boot camp. Try to edit this to match every job description. You may not always fit the education level specified in the listing. That doesn’t matter! You should still apply for it if you think you’d be a good fit. 

Here’s an example of what your software engineering resume might look like if you took CareerFoundry’s Full-Stack Web Development Program :

The skills section might be where you shine! Hiring managers and recruiters are looking for specific development skills and that’s why you should list them in the job description. For each coding job you apply for, you can customize this section to fit the job description. 

It shouldn’t need to be stated but—don’t lie! Run through the job description and pick the skills you’re proficient in. In this section, it’s usually best to only list hard skills . Group your skills by Expert, Advanced, and Familiar. 

Step 7: Share your certifications and awards (optional)

If you have any certifications or awards, include this section! But if you don’t, skip to Step 8. Keep this section of your software engineer resume brief. You only need one line per award; you can simply list each award or certification and the date you received them. 

Certifications can serve as proof to your employer that you’ve achieved a certain skill level. If that skill or certification is in the job description, include it in your resume. Whatever you list, include both the full name and the abbreviation. Obviously, only include certifications you’ve actually earned. 

For example, a software engineer’s resume skill section might look like this: 

Step 8: List your software engineering projects (optional)

If you’re looking to apply for software engineering jobs , you’ve probably worked on a few projects by now. Whether personal projects, open source, internships, freelance, or bootcamps projects, you can use them on your resume. 

Career changers and anyone new to software development should take advantage of this section. If you already have experience in software engineering, you probably don’t need this—simply list your portfolio in your contact information and move on to Step 9. 

Before you fill in this section, you’ll need a list of the projects you’ve worked on. If you have more than three, group your projects by type. You can use whatever categories seem fitting to you but consider ones like business projects, user interface projects , technical projects, mobile development, etc.

Here’s how to format your projects in your software engineer resume: 

• Project Title — bolded
• 2-sentence description—standard text
• Skills—italicized

This is what your projects section might look like: 

You can hyperlink the title of your project to a portfolio piece with more details, the live project, or your GitHub. 

Stop now if your resume can’t fit on one page with more than just the title. But if you still have room, include a description of the problem your project solved, why you created it, and the client you made it for. Then, list the skills or tech stack you used to create the project. 

It might be odd to see the introductory statement as one of the last steps in the software engineer resume-writing process. Even though this goes at the top of your resume, we recommend you write it last. It’s much easier to write it at the end for most people. 

A summary statement is essentially an introductory paragraph. You’ll use these three-to-five lines to inject some personality into your resume. This is the first thing the interviewer will see. 

There are two ways you can approach this. You can either treat it as a summary or an objective . If you already have experience in software engineering, you can summarize your skills, experience, notable accomplishments, and education. If you don’t have experience, you’ll want to opt for an objective. 

With an objective, you’ll share tangible achievements from your bootcamp, professional training, college, or internship. You’ll also want to point out your transferable skills and career goals. 

This is the most challenging part of writing your resume. You’ll have less than 8 seconds to make a good impression on a recruiter or hiring manager. So, think of this paragraph as a hook to get them to keep reading. Here’s how to maximize your summary statement. 

Your summary statement should touch on the following: 

• Your unique strengths, expertise, and transferable skills
• Your personality traits that are relevant to the job 
• Notable achievements 
• The type of position or industry you’re seeking

Wherever possible, mention numbers or statistics to back up your statements. Rewrite your summary for every single job you apply for. It may feel tedious, but if you tailor it to that company and that role specifically, you’re far more likely to get straight to the recruiter screen and land an interview.

They might not notice if you have a spelling mistake on your resume, but typos never look good! Your summary paragraph is the most crucial thing to edit, but it doesn’t hurt to check over the entire thing. You can use AI editing software like Grammarly , or enlist a friend to proofread it. Better yet, ask your career counselor or mentor–if you have one! 

Okay, that might be a lot of information. We’re almost through with this complete guide. But before we let you go, we want to let you in on a few things you shouldn’t do when you’re writing your resume. 

Don’t use the same exact resume for every job you apply for

While it’s tempting to write your resume once and walk away, it’s not that simple. You should create your resume and edit it for each job you apply to. Adjust the objective statement, skills, and experience to reflect keywords in the job description. 

Don’t include any sensitive information on your resume

In the US you don’t need to include your date of birth, social security number, political affiliations, religion, or other personal details. These are dangerous to include, and they’re not relevant to the person who’s going to be reading your resume.

Don’t use fancy graphics

These days, most companies use ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems)  to screen applicants before sending software engineer resumes to a hiring manager or recruiter. Make your resume as text-based as possible: most ATS can’t read graphics well. 

Don’t send in your resume as a word document

Save it as a PDF before you submit it. 

Don’t let your resume exceed one page

If you can’t fit it all, omit the optional sections, trim down your experience descriptions, or reduce the skills you’ve included. 

If you want to use a resume template, ensure they’re ATS-friendly. There are plenty of beautiful templates out there with graphics and charts that won’t help you get an interview. 

There are hundreds of places you can go to get resume templates online. There are free and paid options. Most offer both free and paid versions. We rounded up the best resume template sites for software developers. Our favorites are the ones that tech professionals or coders created. 

Here are our top five favorite resume template sites:

• BeamJobs —made by tech professionals for career changers, diverse tech workers, and experienced developers. 
• Career Cup — founded by Gayle Laakmann McDowell, author of Cracking The Coding Interview
• Resume Worded — LinkedIn and resume optimizer 
• Kick Resume — a generic resume builder
• JobScan — exclusively ATS-friendly resume builder

Writing a software engineer resume is not easy, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. As long as you remember to proofread your work, use a few keywords from the job description, and stay away from graphics, you’ll be golden. 

Whatever you do, tailor your resume to the job you’re applying for and include a unique introductory paragraph. And if you want to use a resume template, ensure it’s ATS-friendly. With these tips and the steps we outlined, you’re sure to write a stellar software engineer resume.

You’ve just finished the complete guide to writing a software engineer resume. Now get started creating yours, and prepare to apply for jobs. Good luck!

As students of CareerFoundry’s Full-Stack Web Development Program reach the end of their studies, they get paired up with a career specialist. Y ou’ll work closely with them to connect the dots between your previous accomplishments with your newfound coding skills.

Together, you’ll create a winning software engineer resume that showcases your talent, and carefully craft your online presence to appeal to tech employers. You’ll also fine-tune your technical interview skills , learning how to confidently market your experience and negotiate salaries.

If you’d like to learn more about the world of coding, check out these articles:

• What Does a Backend Developer Do?
• What on Earth Is CSS? A Beginner’s Guide
• The Ultimate 2024 Guide to Frontend Developer Salaries

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If you are starting your journey as a software developer, then your resume is your ticket to the coding world. A candidate’s resume serves as their initial impression on the interviewer, underscoring the importance of perfection in its presentation. 

Individuals aspiring to become entry level software engineers must recognize the imperative need for flawless resumes to increase their chances of being chosen for a software engineering position.

In this article, we will provide guidance on crafting a software developer resume tailored for entry-level professionals.

Tips To Write Resume for Software Engineer Fresher

For many software engineers appearing for the interview, not only their coding skills, their interview and resume writing skills should also be outstanding to get the job. Below are the tips on how to write a software engineer resume.  

• Don’t Overwrite Details: The resumes should not have every detail or work experience. A software developer resume is not a comprehensive list of career history. It is a marketing document selling the skills. In the resume, applicants should highlight the accomplishments and skills relevant to the job.
• Best Stuff Above the Fold: Technically speaking, above the fold refers to what is seen on the front half of folded newspaper or when the website is scrolled down. This means the first impression should be impeccable. The best experience and accomplishments should be visible on the top to give the best impression.
• Single Page Resume: Generally, in big companies hiring managers are swamped with thousands of resumes daily. The chances are that extensive resumes will not be read thoroughly. Hence it is suggested that all the essential information is on the first page and negligible or least important information on other pages. Candidates can reduce the length of their resumes by decreasing the work experience or additional less critical data.
• Skip The Objective Statement: The only time an objective statement makes sense is when there is a huge career change, and it needs to be explained why the experience doesn’t match the position applied. In other cases, it can be skipped.
• Keep It Simple: The most fundamental principle of a good resume is to keep it simple when formatting. Use a simple typeface with a font size of 10 to 12 that is easy on the eye of hiring managers, and leave enough of white space on the page. 
• Target Resume For Each Job Application: Targeting the resume for one job at a time is the best method for getting to an interview. To target the resume, first research the company, note specific requirements and customize the criteria. 

How To Write Resume for Software Engineer Freshers

1. create solid resume structure:.

Like every coder’s worst nightmare is messy code. Every recruiter manager’s worst nightmare is a poorly structured resume, which can be a significant cause of rejection in the job. Here is the structure that every applicant should follow for a software developer’s resume.

• Header with contact info
• Career Objective
• Work Experience
• Additional Sections like certificates, hobbies, interests, projects, etc.

It is advised that candidates should save their software engineer resume in pdf format . PDF will keep the structure intact and are readable on any device. Below are the software engineer resume examples. 

2. Software Engineer Work Experience:

The job experience part of a software developer’s resume is the most significant. When writing about the job experience, follow the reverse chronological order, i.e., the most recent job has to appear first. Include basic details like Job title, date of employment, etc. Describe the job in bullet points to make it visible and attractive. Quantify the achievements whenever possible.

3. Add Education:

Along with the skills, recruiters want to see the education and if they are qualified for the job or not.If a candidate has two or more years of experience, they can skip the education section and focus on the essentials. If the candidate is a recent graduate, a recent educational certification and GPA are required.

4. Include Skills According To Qualification:

When writing a software developer resume, don’t be generic. Hiring managers want to see what skills applicants can offer to fulfill the job. Below are tips for the writing skills section in the resume as it is of the utmost importance.

• Read the job description carefully and know about the required skills. Now write all the relevant skills related to the description. Don’t exaggerate the skills; keep it genuine.
• Create a master list of 5 – 10 software engineering skills, but make sure it is relevant to the job description. 
• Include hard skills like computer skills, project management skills, AI, Coding, etc. Add the programming languages that applicants are skilled in, like python, JavaScript, etc. Also, don’t forget to add soft skills like interpersonal communication, time management, teamwork, problem-solving, etc. Soft skills are as necessary as other skills, often ignored by the candidates appearing in the interview. 

5. Mention Objectives:

An objective resume section is for freshers, so outline relevant skills while mentioning the career goals . Choose 2 – 3 best achievements or skills. For objectives section mention, adjective + Job Title + Years of Experience + Achievements + Skills + Career Goals.

6. Write Cover Letters :

Although the cover letter is not a compulsion, it is advised to write it for a software engineer resume. Below are the elements to include in the cover letter.

• A cover letter enhances the resume, but the elements of a resume should not be repeated; it would be irritating for the interviewer. Include additional information about the achievements to help get the job.
• Make sure that the cover letter is short and to the point. A cover letter should not be more than one page.
• Grab the attention of the hiring manager and keep them reading with the best and most compelling achievements. 
• Use the middle of the cover letter to add more proof of the abilities.
• At the end of the cover letter, say thank you and include a call to action. Ask for a chance to discuss the role further. 

Sample Resume for Software Engineer Freshers

Below we have provided the resume samples tailored for software engineer freshers, providing insights into structuring resumes that stand out in the competitive tech landscape.

Sample Resume 1

Aspiring Software Engineer seeking a challenging entry-level position to apply my academic knowledge and practical skills in software development. Eager to contribute to innovative projects and continuously learn and grow in a dynamic work environment.

• Bachelor of Science in Computer Science  [University Name], [City, State]
• Graduation Date: [Month, Year]

Technical Skills

• Programming Languages: Java, Python
• Web Technologies: HTML, CSS, JavaScript
• Database: MySQL
• Tools: Git, Eclipse
• Operating Systems: Windows, Linux
• Online Bookstore Application (Java, MySQL)
• Developed a web application for managing book inventory and online orders.
• Implemented user authentication and secure transaction handling.
• Personal Portfolio Website (HTML, CSS, JavaScript)
• Designed and developed a responsive portfolio website showcasing projects and skills.
• Integrated interactive elements using JavaScript for a dynamic user experience.

Software Developer Intern | [Company Name], [City, State] | [Month Year] – [Month Year]

• Collaborated with a team to enhance and maintain existing software applications.
• Participated in code reviews, bug fixing, and testing processes.

Achievements

• Dean’s List for academic excellence during [Specific Semester].
• Awarded “Best Project” for the Online Bookstore Application.

Sample Resume 2

Enthusiastic and detail-oriented Software Engineer graduate with a strong foundation in computer science. Seeking an entry-level position to apply programming skills and contribute to the development of cutting-edge software solutions.

• Bachelor of Technology in Computer Science and Engineering
• [University Name], [City, State]

Technical Proficiency

• Languages: C++, Java
• Databases: MongoDB, SQL
• Frameworks: React.js
• Tools: Git, Visual Studio Code
• E-commerce Website (React.js, MongoDB)
• Developed a responsive e-commerce platform with features like product listing and user authentication.
• Implemented a MongoDB database for efficient data storage and retrieval.
• Student Management System (Java, MySQL)
• Created a desktop application for managing student records, grades, and attendance.
• Integrated MySQL for database management and designed a user-friendly interface.

Software Engineering Intern | [Company Name], [City, State] | [Month Year] – [Month Year]

• Assisted in software development tasks, including coding, testing, and debugging.
• Collaborated with cross-functional teams to meet project milestones.
• Recognized for outstanding teamwork and problem-solving skills during the internship.
• Presented a technical paper on “Emerging Trends in Software Development” at a university conference.

Sample Resume 3

Motivated and adaptable Software Engineer graduate with a passion for coding and problem-solving. Seeking a challenging entry-level position to leverage technical skills and contribute to innovative software projects.

• Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science
• Programming Languages: Python, JavaScript
• Web Development: HTML, CSS, React.js
• Database Management: MySQL
• Version Control: Git
• IDE: Visual Studio Code

1. Task Manager Web Application (React.js, Node.js, MongoDB)

• Developed a collaborative task management application with real-time updates using React.js and Node.js.
• Integrated MongoDB for efficient data storage and retrieval.

2. Weather App (Python, Flask)

• Created a weather application that provides real-time weather updates based on user input.
• Utilized Flask to build a lightweight web server and connected to a weather API for data retrieval.

Software Development Intern | [Company Name], [City, State] | [Month Year] – [Month Year]

• Assisted in coding and testing software modules under the guidance of senior developers.
• Gained practical experience in debugging and troubleshooting software issues.
• Awarded “Best Project” for the Task Manager Web Application at the university exhibition.
• Presented a workshop on “Introduction to React.js” to fellow students.

Available upon request.

Do’s & Don’ts of Software Developer Resume

A software developer resume must be clear, crisp, and strategically written to present the qualification to the recruiting manager in the best possible way. A resume should convey the skills, work experience, and assets useful for the company. In addition, it describes what applicants should accomplish professionally. Below are some Do’s and Don’t for the software developer resume. 

Do’s of Software Developer Resume

• Keep Resume Clear and Concise: Generally, it takes less than 30 seconds to accept or reject the resume. So make the resume attractive and to the point. Convince the recruiter that you are qualified from just a glance. 
• Proofread The Resume: Make sure that there are no grammatical errors in the resume. Proofread the entire resume carefully. Mistakes on the resume can give a negative impression to the employer. 
• Shorten The Resume: Limit the software developer resume to a maximum of two pages. Emphasize the recent work experience and do not write the complete detail of experiences. Older jobs and experiences should be minimized so that attention is on the relevant information.
• Highlight Accomplishments: The resume should show the best experiences or skills which suit the job role. Other unnecessary skills that are irrelevant for this job can be skipped. 
• Show Off Skills: Applicants can include unpaid work or Internships or any volunteer work for an organization or NGO.

Don’ts Of Resume Developer Writing

• Don’t Use Unprofessional EMail ID: People often make an ID at a young and naive age, and the email id is very unprofessional. If this is the case, create a new id that is easy to read, type, is professional, and non-offensive. Any nicknames, numerals, or special characters should be avoided.
• No Unnecessary Personal Information: It is best to leave out any personal information that is irrelevant to the job. Avoid any personal attributes that can be controversial.
• Don’t Include A Picture Of Yourself: In some countries, it is acceptable to use a photograph on the resume, but it should be avoided. Let hiring personnel focus on the skills and professional achievements. 
• Don’t Use Personal Pronouns: Personal pronouns Lille ‘I’, ‘Me’ or ‘my’ should be avoided in a resume. Write software developer resume in third person form. 
• Don’t Include Reasons For Leaving Your Previous Job: The main purpose of a resume is to promote skills, achievements, and experience; hence it should be entirely positive and should not include a reason for leaving. 
• Don’t Include References: Employers need references only when candidates are seriously considering hiring them. Keep references on separate sheets and provide them only when specifically asked.
• Don’t Include Hobbies Or Interests: It is recommended not to mention hobbies because employers can make judgments based on that, which should be avoided. However, If the hobby is related to a job or qualification, then it can be included. 

Summary on Ways to Write Software Developer Resume

All those looking for a software engineer job but are scared of how to write resumes. Hope all the fears have gone. Writing a software developer resume is the same as writing efficient codes.

Both should contain well-constructed sentences, have effective functioning, be bug-free, and be adaptive to new requirements. So remember to do’s and dont’s and follow the tips, write the well-constructed, effective software engineer resume, and be ready to be called for an interview.

FAQ on Software Developer Resume for Freshers

Q1: how do i structure my software developer resume as a fresher.

A1: Start with a header containing your contact details, followed by a concise objective statement. Highlight your education, emphasizing relevant coursework. Include a skills section showcasing technical and soft skills. Follow with projects, internships, and any relevant achievements.

Q2: Should I include a summary or objective statement on my resume?

A2: Yes, especially as a fresher. Use an objective statement to convey your career goals and what you bring to the table. Tailor it to the specific job you’re applying for, showcasing your enthusiasm and eagerness to contribute.

Q3: How can I make my resume stand out with little experience?

A3: Focus on your projects, coursework, and any internships or part-time roles. Highlight technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and your passion for learning. Use action verbs and quantify achievements where possible to demonstrate your impact.

Q4: Is it necessary to include a portfolio or GitHub link?

A4: Yes, it’s highly recommended. A portfolio or GitHub link allows employers to see your practical skills and review actual projects. Ensure it’s well-organized and includes a variety of projects to showcase your range of abilities.

Q5: How do I tailor my resume for different job applications?

A5: Customize your resume for each application by emphasizing skills and experiences relevant to the specific job description. Adjust your objective statement, skills section, and project details to align with the requirements of each position. This shows employers that you’ve carefully considered their needs.

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Software engineer resume examples (Google, Amazon, etc.)

Acceptance rates for jobs at the very top tech companies tend to be  under 1% .  As you can imagine, most candidates don’t get past the resume screening.

To increase your chances of getting to interview stage, use our step-by-step guide to writing a top software engineer resume.

As well as tips and expert insights, it includes examples of SWE resumes that earned candidates offers or interviews at Google and elsewhere.

Here’s an overview of what we’ll cover:

1. 6 key skills for your software engineering resume 2. 5 examples of software engineer resumes that worked for Google, Amazon, etc. 3. How to write a software engineer resume (section-by-section) 4. Your software engineer resume checklist

Let’s get into it.

Get expert feedback on your resume with software engineer ex-interviewers

Note: Credit to Suman (SWE coach on our platform) as well as this excellent Quora discussion) for providing some of the insights and advice in this article

1. Key skills for your software engineer resume

There are some key skills that are important in any software engineer resume, and we're not just talking about the obvious technical skills.

1. Leadership skills, even if you're not applying for a leadership role. Recruiters and hiring managers want to see that you can have what it takes to become a leader if you're not one already. So include examples where you led a project, took the initiative, or influenced other people.

If you haven’t got many strong examples from your work experience, try to find examples from personal projects or university (if recently graduated).

2. Coding languages . Obviously. Google recommends listing these right at the start. 3. Communication skills are needed if you're going to progress at any top company and get more important as you become more senior. If you're applying to a management role, include experience of working with cross-functional teams and aligning various stakeholders. 4. System design skills are needed for engineering roles at FAANG companies. You'll need to be able to discuss engineering architecture and make decisions relating to efficiency, scalability, and performance. So if you have any experience in designing systems, or related experience, make sure it’s prominent on your resume.

5. Domain knowledge. Recruiters want to get a sense of your knowledge across different areas and technologies.

If you don't have much work experience yet, include personal projects as a way to demonstrate domain knowledge (see section 3) .

Right, let's see some example resumes.

2. Examples of SWE resumes that worked for Google, Amazon, etc.

Before we start guiding you on how to write your resume step-by-step, take a look at some real examples that got their owners interviews at the very top companies.

You'll notice they follow different formats, and none fully follow the guidelines we set out below. We think this shows two things:

• there's many acceptable ways to write a resume
• your resume doesn't have to be perfect, as long as it demonstrates your skills and achievements effectively.

Let's take a look.

2.1 SWE resume example 1 (Google)

This is a great example of a strong fresher software engineer resume. It got "Ana" interviews at Google despite having almost no professional experience.

Here's what Ana does well on this resume:

• Education first: Ana doesn't have much work experience so she starts with Education, detailing specific topics in both her undergraduate and Masters courses.
• Projects: As a fresher candidate, Ana does well to list some relevant Projects to fill the gap where more experienced candidates would list recent employment.

2.2 SWE resume example 2 (Amazon, SDE)

The candidate, let's call him Sunil, got interviews for a Senior Software Development Engineer role at Amazon with this resume.

Here's our feedback on this resume:

• Experience : We had to blank them out, but Sunil had worked for some really top tech companies. This is what makes the resume really strong.
• Quantifying impact : Sunil could perhaps enhance the resume by better quantifying his actions and demonstrating their impact. For example, he says he "Revised Telemetry dashboards to improve signal-noise ratio". How much did he improve it by? Including specific metrics more often would take this resume to the next level.
• Key skills : Sunil lists key skills and tools that were likely listed as requirements in the job description. This makes a recruiter's life easier.

2.3 SWE resume example 3 (Google, front-end developer)

The resume below is from "Lana". It got her interviews for a front-end developer role at Google.

• Skills: Lana lists her relevant hard skills in a way that's very easy for a recruiter to understand at a glance.
• Languages : Don't make the mistake of thinking languages aren't relevant for a technical job. Lana's five languages signal that she's a strong communicator and helped her get an interview.
• Impact : Lana doesn't include examples of impact and results that she's achieved at work. Doing so would have greatly improved this resume.

2.4 SWE resume example 4 (CrunchyRoll, Android Developer)

This resume got Sam (not his real name) interviews at CrunchyRoll for a Senior Android Developer position.

Here's what we liked about Sam's resume:

• Structure : Sam lists his technical skills, including programming languages, at the top.
• Impact : His work achievements are mostly well-quantified. E.g. 'increasing... downloads by 80% in 2 months."
• Action verbs : He always starts the bullet point with powerful action verbs such as "Created", "Designed", "Fixed", etc.

2.5 SWE resume example 5 (Audible)

The below resume belongs to Jerry, an iOS engineer who at the time of writing was interviewing at Audible.

Right, now you've seen some example resumes, let's look at how you should create yours.

3. How to write a software engineer resume (section-by-section)

Let’s go through the resume-building process, step-by-step, section-by-section.

To illustrate our tips at each stage, and to help you visualize our recommended layout, we’ve created an example resume for you to use as a reference.

Unlike the examples listed above, this is not a real resume. It belongs to an imaginary mid-level software engineer called Karl. It's an amalgamation of the many high-quality resumes that candidates have shared with us before going on to work at Google , Facebook , Amazon , etc.

Click here to download the example software engineer resume template

Right, let’s take the first step in building a software engineer resume.

3.1 Step 1: study the target company and job description

Before you start writing or editing your resume, our tip is that you do some research.

Find the job specification, read it thoroughly, and use it to shape your resume in the following ways:

• First of all, work out what type of SWE profile the job description is looking for. Which skills will be most crucial for the role? What are the keywords it's looking for and does your resume contain them in a way that makes sense? Prepare to adapt your resume’s content accordingly.
• Zoom in on a few of the responsibilities in the job description that you think are most important. Search for specific examples from your past that demonstrate experience in doing the same thing or something very similar. Find the numbers to back it up where possible, so you’re ready to include this information in the work experience section later on.
• Take note of the language used in the job description so you can, where appropriate, match specific verbs and phrases.
• Research the company. For example, imagine you’re targeting a SWE role at Facebook . Facebook has  5 core values , so you’d want to make sure that your resume transmits these values too. That might mean including a volunteering activity under Interests to show that you like to "build social value."  Do the same if you’re applying for Google , Amazon, etc.

Does all this mean you’ll need a different iteration of your resume for every tech job you target? Ideally yes, but there will be a lot of overlap, so usually you’ll only need to make a few strategic edits.

Right, once you’ve done the research, you’ll be ready to start writing.

3.2 Step 2: Choose a layout

The design of your resume should have one objective: to convey all the relevant information in a way that is clear, easy to digest, and professional. Use our sample resume as your template, and you’ve already achieved that!

Some people add a second objective: to demonstrate strong design skills in order to stand out from the crowd and impress the recruiter.

However, we recommend treading carefully with this. Recruiters for large companies are unlikely to be impressed by a resume’s design; they’re interested in the content. Some might even be put off by a “creative” or unique design. To avoid this risk, aim to stand out through your resume’s content, not its design.

" No amount of fancy formatting is going to make up for a lack of experience. So reign it in. Also, it's important to keep in mind that if you're applying to a position online, whether it's a PDF or not, many companies' applicant tracking systems parse your resume for information and convert it to pure text as the most immediate viewing format ." (Facebook recruiter, Source: Quora)

So since often the recruiter won't even see your resume in the format you've designed it in, we recommend keeping it simple.

3.3 How long should your resume be?

Many candidates ask us if they should stick to just one page. The answer is not necessarily.

On a software engineer resume it’s fine to go to two or even three pages, as long as all the content you’re including is strong and relevant to the role. We can confirm this because many of the candidates who use our coaching service got their SWE interviews using three page resumes.

Engineering resumes are often a bit longer than non-technical resumes, as you need to go into more detail on the different technologies you're familiar with.

However, if you’ve only been working for a few years, or you’ve recently graduated, we recommend sticking to a single page. It recruiters easier to digest your best achievements and it forces you to cut out the weakest content.

3.2.1 Sections / categories

We recommend using the following section layout for a software engineering resume. The exact titles and order of the sections are open to debate, but we find this one works for most people and is also what Google recommends to engineer candidates.

• Personal information (inc programming languages)
• Work experience

Awards & Leadership

Skills & Interests

If you're a junior engineer and you don't have much relevant work experience, switch Education and Work Experience sections, and include some personal projects after your work experience.

• Work experience and personal projects

Whether or not you stick exactly to our suggested categories, we highly recommend keeping these general layout/design tips in mind:

• Choose a professional-looking font: Size 10-12, black and white. Arial and Calibri work well.
• Save it as a PDF
• Use bullet points
• Make sure the formatting is 100% neat and consistent
• Include enough white space that it doesn’t look overcrowded

DON’T

• Include a “summary” or “objective” section at the top (unless you have an unusual profile that needs explaining). Your resume is already a summary in itself, so this just wastes space
• Include references
• Pick an unusual font to try and stand out

In the remaining steps, we’ll help you craft each section. Let’s go!

3.3 Step 3: the Personal Information section

This section is not the place to try and impress. Just make sure you get your details across in as few words as possible and avoid mistakes.

Notice how the above example is extremely clean and easy to read.

It's a good idea to provide your LinkedIn page so that a recruiter can find out more about you if they wish. As a software engineer, you should also consider linking to some open source contributions you've made. This might be on a site such as GitHub, or similar.

• Use a larger font for your name than for the rest of the section to make it stand out
• Include your name, email address, phone number, city/county you live in
• Include your programming languages and a link to your profile on GitHub or similar
• Ideally, include a link to your LinkedIn profile

DON’T:

• Title this section. It’s not necessary in this type of layout, so save the space
• Include a street address, as it’s unnecessary and unsafe
• Include a photo, date of birth, or gender, unless specifically requested to do so
• Don’t label each piece of information e.g. “email,” “tel,” etc. It’s obvious what they are, so save the space

3.4 Step 4: the Work Experience section

This is probably the most important part of your resume to get right, and the easiest to get wrong. Many candidates think that their work experience speaks for itself, and simply list their role and a few of their main responsibilities.

However, we recommend a much more powerful approach.

Instead of listing responsibilities, you need to talk about actions. This means starting each bullet point with an action verb. These verbs should relate to the key skills from section 1 that companies look for in software engineer resumes (Leadership, system design, technologies,  etc). "Executed," "Unblocked," "Led," and "Delivered" are some good examples of such verbs.

Choosing actions that are relevant to the essential tech skills will also mean that your resume contains the keywords that recruiters (and sometimes Applicant Tracking Systems) will be looking for.

3.4.1 Lazlo Bock's X,Y,Z formula

You should also focus on the results of what you did and quantify them as much as possible to highlight the tangible contributions you have made. Ex-Google SVP Lazlo Bock talks about a common method for doing this that you might find helpful, called the “X, Y, Z” formula .

In essence it is: ' Accomplished [X] as measured by [Y] by doing [Z]'.

Following the X,Y,Z formula is a simple way to make sure you are more specific as possible about your work achievements and quantify them where possible. Let's take a look at some examples:

• "Reduced AWS spending by 15% by designed and implemented resource scaling policies to optimize cloud infrastructure."
• "Improved code quality (40% decrease in post-release bugs Y-on-Y) by implementing a more structured code review system."
• "Reduced server downtime, resulting in 99% server uptime, by deploying automated monitoring tools and establishing proactive alerting system."

Don't feel that all your bullet points have to exactly follow the X,Y,Z formula but it is a really useful mechanism for making sure you give clear, specific and quantifiable examples of your impact.

3.4.2 Junior software engineer candidates

If you don't have much relevant work experience, for example, if you've recently graduated, move your Education section above Work Experience.

You can then add a "'personal projects" section under your work experience section. List some technical personal projects you've done that demonstrate knowledge in key domains. Here's an example:

"Personal project: Algorithmic Trading Bot  Designed and implemented an algorithmic trading bot in Python, leveraging financial APIs and machine learning models to make data-driven trading decisions.  Achieved a 15% annualized return on investment (ROI) in a simulated trading environment."

If you don't have any personal projects worth mentioning...then create some! They not only help you demonstrate technical skills but also show you are someone who has a genuine passion for your field, and enough initiative and organizational skills to start something yourself.

Ready to start writing this section? Use the tips below to keep you on the right track.

• Use reverse chronological order, putting most recent employment at the top
• Add a "personal projects" section if you don't have much relevant work experience
• Write in the third person, but leave out the pronoun. E.g. ("Led") is better than "I led").
• Use past tense verbs, even in a current role. (e.g. "Led, Coordinated, Executed")
• Consider including the programming language you used for each project ( Google's recommendation )
• Describe your actions and what they achieved
• Include metrics to quantify what your actions achieved where possible
• Study the language of the job description and where appropriate, match it
• Make sure you’ve naturally included several relevant keywords
• Be shy and humble. Now is not the time!
• Just put your responsibilities
• Go so overboard with numbers that it looks like a math problem. It still needs to be easy to read
• Include lots of buzzwords just for the sake of it

3.5 Step 5: the Education section

This section should be extremely concise and clear. Hopefully your educational achievements can do the talking for you, as all you can really do here is present the necessary information with the right level of detail.

Let’s take a look at what it should look like.

Note that if you have recently graduated and only have internship experiences instead of relevant work experience, this section should follow the Personal Information section, and you may want to go into a bit more detail. Otherwise, you can include it after work experience.

Follow the tips below to make sure you get it just right.

• If you have multiple degrees (e.g. a BA and an MBA), you should write a subsection like the one above for each degree, starting with your highest level of education first (e.g. your MBA)
• For each degree, include the name of the degree, university, and dates in the headline. If you’re a recent graduate, you can also list any subjects you have taken that are relevant to software engineering.
• List your grades (e.g. GPA) as well as results of other standardized tests you have taken (e.g. SAT, GMAT, etc.) that demonstrate your intellect
• Detail any awards and scholarships you received at university level and most importantly how competitive they were (e.g. two awards for 1,000 students)
• If you don’t have much tech work experience you might want to include tech bootcamps (e.g. General Assembly) and link to your projects, or online courses (e.g. Udacity)
• Panic if you don't have a degree. You don’t have to have gone to college to get into a FAANG company. Instead put your high school grades and any relevant educational qualifications you gained after school
• Include high school experience if you've already graduated
• Include your thesis / dissertation unless you're a fairly recent graduate, in which case you should summarize the topic in a way that's VERY easy to understand

3.6 Step 6: Awards and Leadership section

We've labelled this section "Awards & Leadership" instead of "Extracurricular" section for two reasons:

1. Google uses it as its recommended resume template ( see here )

2. Extracurricular activities are less important for technical roles like software engineer.

The more experience you have, the easier it should be for you to find two or three strong bullet points that demonstrate leadership (outside your day-to-day work) or awards.

If you haven't won any awards or can't think of any strong leadership examples outside your day-to-day role, then consider leaving out this section entirely.

• Put awards in context. E.g. "1st out of 22 applicants".
• Consider leaving this section out if you're lacking content.
• Use awards from school or university if you graduated more than ten years ago
• Include weaker achievements (e.g "employee of the week") just to fill space

3.7 Step 7: Additional Skills & Interests section

" What I really hope to find is a list of technologies you’ve listed in which you are both technically sound and prefer working in. " A software engineer recruiter (Source: Quora )

Additional tips:

• If you need to save vertical space, list skills in sentences rather than  bullets
• Include generic, uninteresting things that everyone likes doing, like “watching films” or “hanging out with friends,” as interests
• List basic skills that almost everyone has, such as "Google Docs" or "MS Word".

3.8 Step 8: proofreading and feedback

Don’t skip this step! Use a grammar-checking tool and then proofread until it’s perfect. This is harder than it sounds because multiple reviews and tweaking after the initial proofread can easily create new hard-to-spot errors. The only solution is to proofread again after each tweak.

We recommend saving it as a PDF file unless the job description says otherwise, and checking it opens properly (with the correct formatting) on a Mac or PC.

Receiving feedback is also important. Share it with a friend or partner, and they’ll be very likely to see mistakes that you haven’t noticed. Of course, if you can share it with an experienced tech recruiter / interviewer , that can give you a big advantage over other applicants.

• Proofread from top to bottom and then read it in reverse to check spelling
• If you’ve tweaked it, proofread again before sending
• Check the file opens properly on Mac and PC
• Get feedback on it before sending
• Send it with typos. Your resume is your product!

4. Your software engineer resume checklist

Almost ready to send your technical resume? Use this checklist to make sure you’re following the best practices we’ve recommended above.

If you can answer “Yes” to every question, then you’re ready to send it.

• Does your resume present you as the type of candidate the job description is looking for ?
• Does your resume contain the keywords in the job description in a natural way?
• Do you have the experience to merit that many pages?
• Is the formatting 100% consistent and neat?
• Is there enough white space to breathe?

Personal Information

• Have you checked your contact details are correct?
• Have you listed your programming languages?
• Have you linked to any open source contributions or technical personal projects?

Work Experience

• Have you talked about your actions rather than your responsibilities?
• Have you quantified the impact of your actions, preferably using the X,Y, Z formula?
• Have you demonstrated a range of relevant skills?
• If you graduated >10 years ago, are your examples post-university?
• Have you listed all the programming languages, relevant software and tools that you’re familiar with?
• Are your interests in some way relevant to the role or do they at least add some personality to your resume?

Proofreading and feedback

• Have you proofread since you last edited it?
• Have you received feedback on your resume from a few different people?
• Have you saved it as a PDF to make sure it displays correctly on all devices?
• Have you emailed it to someone to test if they can open and read it easily?

Did you say “Yes” to every question? Well done! If you’ve used all the tips in this article, then your resume should be in good condition and will give you a fighting chance of getting that interview.

5. Is your resume truly outstanding?

If you're going for one of the top tech jobs, having a resume that's "fine" may not be enough. Getting your software engineer resume from "fine" to "outstanding" usually requires feedback from someone who really knows their stuff - as in an ex-recruiter or hiring manager at one of the top companies.

We know it's hard to get access to those types of people. That's why we've created a resume review service, that allows you to get immediate feedback on your resume with a top recruiter/coach of your choosing. Take a look !

13 Software Engineer Resume Examples to Land You a Role in 2023

Software Engineers are highly technical experts, skilled at designing, developing, and maintaining complex software applications. Just like a robust software program, a software engineer's resume should be well-structured, tested, and optimized for performance. In this guide, we'll review 7 software engineer resume samples and share key insights for making an impression in this highly competitive field.

Resume Examples

Resume guidance.

• High Level Resume Tips
• Must-Have Information
• Why Resume Headlines & Titles are Important
• Writing an Exceptional Resume Summary
• How to Impress with Your Work Experience
• Top Skills & Keywords
• Go Above & Beyond with a Cover Letter
• Resume FAQs
• Related Resumes

Common Responsibilities Listed on Software Engineer Resumes:

• Design, architect, develop, test, and deploy software solutions that meet customer requirements
• Work in teams to produce high-quality software products
• Create software architectures, designs, and specifications
• Develop and debug user interfaces, server-side solutions, third-party services, and migration strategies
• Take ownership of complex technical tasks and break them down into manageable chunks
• Proactively seek out technical solutions and offer alternatives when necessary
• Proficiently maintain, fix, refactor, and extend existing software solutions
• Monitor system performance and stability and troubleshoot and optimize software
• Provide technical guidance to peers and younger engineers
• Create automated unit tests and integration tests
• Develop software according to best practices and maintain software engineering standards
• Manage the design, development, and deployment of new software products

You can use the examples above as a starting point to help you brainstorm tasks, accomplishments for your work experience section.

Software Engineer Resume Example:

• Spearheaded the development of a large-scale software system to meet regulatory standards, resulting in a 25% improvement in customer satisfaction
• Upgraded a critical server-side solution with automation and optimized code to enhance security and process speed by 27%
• Developed custom software architectures, designs, and specifications to meet customer design requirements and exceed project deadlines
• Collaborated with a cross-functional team to design and deploy versatile and intuitive software solutions, driving a 6% increase in customer loyalty
• Implemented a cutting-edge database migration strategy that increased database performance, while reducing operational maintenance costs by 25%
• Installed, maintained, and debugged third-party services to optimize software performance, resulting in improved system stability and reliability
• Tutored and provided technical guidance to peers, leading to a 15% improvement in code quality and a 15% reduction in software development bugs
• Successfully managed the creation and debugging of user-interfaces, resulting in a 14% reduction in customer support tickets
• Devised automated unit tests and integration tests to ensure software conformance with best practice standards, resulting in a 20% improvement in team productivity
• Object-oriented programming
• Database Design and Development
• Relational Database Management Systems
• Web Application Development
• Software Architecture and Design
• Software Development Lifecycle
• Agile Methodologies
• Software Testing and Quality Assurance
• Code Version Control
• Software Troubleshooting and Debugging
• Cloud Platforms and Virtualization
• Business Analysis and Requirements Gathering
• Project Management
• IT Security and Risk Mitigation
• Automation and Scripting
• Continuous Integration/Delivery
• Data Structures and Algorithms
• User Experience Design
• Software Documentation
• Technical Team Leadership
• Software Engineering
• Machine Learning

Entry Level Software Engineer Resume Example:

• Successfully collaborated with co-workers to develop and implement a regular software maintenance schedule in order to ensure system reliability and robustness.
• Implemented automated unit and integration testing to identify bugs and reduce manual testing hours.
• Compiled comprehensive technical documentation to ensure future teams could maintain the software applications.
• Developed application solutions that effectively addressed and integrated business requirements for multiple projects
• Troubleshot and debugged existing software systems, leading to major improvements in workflow, user experience, and product stability
• Assisted in the successful deployment and support of multiple software applications
• Analyzed existing software processes and suggested novel solutions to increase overall system performance
• Researched and implemented new technologies to maintain system integrity
• Adhered to coding standards, thereby enhancing code effectiveness and optimizing development best practices
• Software Development
• Software Testing
• Automated Testing
• Unit Testing
• Integration Testing
• Troubleshooting
• Problem-Solving
• Documentation
• Database Management
• Application Design
• System Performance Analysis
• Requirements Gathering
• Algorithm Design & Development
• Business Analysis
• Quality Assurance
• Release Management
• Web Programming
• Data Structures
• Mobile Application Development

Experienced Software Engineer Resume Example:

• Designed and developed highly performing software systems from specifications, increasing the company's productivity and speed of operations.
• Mentored and helped junior engineers with the implementation of new software components and technologies for the company's systems.
• Led several code reviews for software application modules and systems, resulting in improved quality performance.
• Analyzed customer queries and technical issues to identify software bugs and produced innovative solutions to reduce troubleshooting times.
• Improved software performance and quality standards by regularly maintaining and updating existing codebases.
• Developed unit test plans and automated tests that ensured stable releases and improved product stability.
• Developed technical specifications and designs that met customer requirements and business needs
• Utilized best practices and cutting-edge technologies to optimize software for best performance
• Led design review sessions for resolving software issues, resulting in significant cost savings for the company
• Object-Oriented Programming
• Database Design & Modeling
• Software Development Life-Cycle (SDLC)
• Code Refactoring
• Quality Assurance (QA) Testing
• Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery
• Algorithms & Data Structures
• Rest Api Design & Development
• Cloud Technologies (Azure, AWS, GCP)
• System Architecture Design & Implementation
• Version Control (Git, Subversion)
• Service-Oriented Architecture
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Machine Learning (Ml)
• Security & Authentication Protocols
• Scripting & Automation
• Docker & Containerization
• Blockchain Technologies

Fresher Software Engineer Resume Example:

• Developed test plans and cases to ensure software met technical and functional requirements, and subsequently created modular code that adhered to this criteria, as well as client expectations.
• Delivered successful bug fixes and troubleshooting to coding issues within software versions while understanding and implementing software development processes.
• Documented coding and design changes into GIT/Subversion repositories, and actively participated in group code reviews to keep software up-to-date and accurate.
• Participated in internal development team meetings and collaborated on project scope, working to refine resourcing and provide development timelines for completion
• Analyzed user requirements, devised and drafted functional specifications, and conducted unit tests to ensure desirable user experiences
• Learned cloud technologies and architecture for AWS, Azure, and GCP, and presented these advancements in projects to ensure accuracy and deployability
• Debugged coding issues and implemented feedback from team members to update code and create new models
• Reviewed existing and incoming software changes to document the design, outline goals, and determine KPIs
• Established and maintained software versions, ensuring cloud compatibility and collaboration with internal stakeholders to meet project deadlines
• Database knowledge/SQL programming
• Java development
• RESTful API development
• Agile/Scrum methodologies
• Cloud technologies (AWS, Azure, GCP)
• Version control (GIT/Subversion)
• Domain-Driven Design
• JavaScript development
• Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC)
• Web Services (REST/SOAP)
• Procedural and Functional programming
• Linux/UNIX fundamentals
• Debugging/troubleshooting
• Networking fundamentals

Junior Software Engineer Resume Example:

• Developed features and functionalities for multiple software applications, making them more user-friendly and intuitive for customers and staff
• Refactored existing code in order to improve application performance, scalability, and reliability
• Participated in design reviews and code reviews, collaborating with other software engineers and stakeholders throughout the development process
• Created and maintained programming and project documentation, ensuring clear and timely communication between colleagues, customers, and product owners
• Wrote, modified, debugged, and tested code using the appropriate software development tools
• Identified, diagnosed, and resolved technical issues in code to maintain stability and consistency in the software applications
• Participated in daily standups and technical meetings to discuss product updates, customer feedback, and code quality
• Implemented unit and system testing for all software programs to meet employer and customer specifications
• Stayed up-to-date on development best practices and standards, allowing for efficient problem solving and maintenance
• Agile methodology
• Test-driven development
• Relational database management
• Version control systems
• Cloud computing
• Java/C++/Python/Ruby/PHP
• API design and development
• Systems architecture and design
• Scripting languages (e.g. Bash, PowerShell)
• Application development framework
• Web/mobile development
• Networking/distributed systems
• Application security
• Source code management
• Quality Assurance (QA)
• Documentation and UMLs

Senior Software Engineer Resume Example:

• Overhauled existing software applications to enhance reliability, performance and scalability; increased consumer conversion rate by 25%
• Mentored and led a team of junior developers to create project designs, software testing and quality assurance plans, and execution oversight and review
• Aggregated software project knowledge and documentation to create a central resource for future development teams

and maintenance

• Developed high-quality software applications for a client base, resulting in improved customer satisfaction by 35%
• Architected and implemented software solutions utilizing advanced technologies and methodologies, improving development turnaround time by 20%
• Optimized existing software codebase to eliminate unnecessary complexity and achieve increased efficiencies in debugging and maintenance
• Generated cost savings of over $200,000 by streamlining development process, automating unit testing and refactoring code
• Implemented user-friendly UI/UX design standards to ensure applications are intuitive and compliant with industry standards
• Designed and conducted software validation testing to assess the functionality and efficacy of the software, ensuring accuracy of requirements and expectations
• Object-oriented Design/Analysis
• Agile/Scrum/Lean Methodologies
• Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)
• Database Design and Implementation
• Debugging and Troubleshooting
• Java/C/C++/Python Programming
• Web-based Programming
• Cloud Computing Technologies
• Software Design/Architecture
• Test-driven Development
• Continuous Integration and Delivery
• Mobile App Development
• User Experience Design Techniques
• Source Control Management Tools
• Application Security & Optimization
• Networking Protocols & Technologies
• Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning

Software Engineer Intern Resume Example:

• Designed, developed, implemented and tested new software solutions for internal and external partners using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and PHP, contributing to the successful completion of a major organizational project
• Developed extensive technical documentation to accurately and clearly explain new and existing software applications
• Assisted both colleagues and end-users with their technical inquiries, helping them to understand complex system architectures, perform troubleshooting and debugging
• Partnered with software architects and systems engineers to ensure quality of software product, and created test plans to execute successful unit testing
• Researched and evaluated emerging software technologies, tools and trends to inform decisions and improve existing software implementations
• Developed user-friendly and interactive interfaces with various functions to improve the user experience, and documented each process step to create a helpful team reference manual
• Investigated and advocated for new and innovative software solutions, working closely with product designers and software engineers to implement suggested change
• Maintained a tech blog, providing the open source community with the latest trends, best practices and inside knowledge about software engineering
• Translated basic user cases into working prototypes and complex models with data structures to meet the requirements and solve customer-facing bugs
• Technical Documentation
• Troubleshooting and Debugging
• Research and Evaluation of Software Technologies
• User Interface Design
• Innovative Problem Solving
• Prototyping
• Systems Analysis
• Open Source Contributions
• Agile Methodology
• Software Architecture
• Software Testing and Documentation
• Object-Oriented Design
• Cross-Platform Development

Senior iOS Software Engineer Resume Example:

• Developed and launched a new iOS application that increased user engagement by 25% and generated $500K in revenue within the first six months.
• Optimized application performance by implementing caching and reducing load times by 40%, resulting in a 15% increase in user retention.
• Mentored and trained junior engineers, resulting in a 30% improvement in code quality and a 20% reduction in bug-related delays.
• Integrated an iOS application with external systems, resulting in a 50% reduction in manual data entry and a 25% increase in data accuracy.
• Developed and maintained automated tests, reducing testing time by 60% and increasing test coverage by 40%.
• Researched and evaluated new technologies, leading to the adoption of Swift and improving development efficiency by 30%.
• Designed and developed a complex iOS application that supported a 50% increase in user base and generated $1M in revenue within the first year.
• Optimized application performance by implementing lazy loading and reducing memory usage by 30%, resulting in a 20% increase in user retention.
• Collaborated with cross-functional teams to develop new features, resulting in a 15% increase in user engagement and a 10% increase in revenue.
• Swift programming language
• Objective-C programming language
• iOS SDK and frameworks
• UIKit and SwiftUI
• Auto Layout and Interface Builder
• Core Data and data persistence
• Networking and RESTful APIs
• Multithreading and concurrency
• Performance optimization techniques
• Unit testing and test-driven development
• Continuous integration and continuous deployment
• Git and version control systems
• Agile methodologies and Scrum
• Cross-functional collaboration
• Mentoring and team leadership
• Research and technology evaluation
• App Store submission and distribution
• Accessibility and localization
• Security best practices
• Mobile app analytics and user engagement

Google Software Engineer Resume Example:

• Designed and implemented a new automated testing framework, resulting in a 50% reduction in testing time and a 25% increase in test coverage.
• Collaborated with cross-functional teams to optimize application performance, resulting in a 30% reduction in latency and a 20% increase in user satisfaction.
• Developed and maintained documentation for software applications, resulting in a 40% reduction in onboarding time for new engineers.
• Developed and implemented a new build and deployment process, reducing deployment time by 60% and minimizing production issues by 50%.
• Designed and implemented a new microservices architecture, improving system reliability by 40% and supporting a 25% increase in customer base.
• Collaborated with other engineers to troubleshoot and debug software applications, resulting in a 30% reduction in bug-related delays.
• Developed and maintained software applications using Google Cloud Platform (GCP), resulting in a 20% increase in application performance and a 15% reduction in operational costs.
• Designed and implemented software solutions using Google technologies such as Java, Python, and Go, resulting in a 25% increase in team productivity and a 20% reduction in development time.
• Participated in code reviews and provided feedback, resulting in a 30% improvement in overall code quality and a 20% reduction in production issues.
• Google Cloud Platform (GCP)
• Microservices architecture
• Automated testing frameworks
• Application performance optimization
• Software debugging and troubleshooting
• Build and deployment processes
• Code review and feedback
• Software documentation
• Application scalability
• System reliability
• User satisfaction

VMware Engineer Resume Example:

• Designed and implemented a disaster recovery plan for a large financial institution, reducing recovery time by 50% and ensuring business continuity in the event of a disaster.
• Developed and maintained automation scripts for virtual machine provisioning, resulting in a 30% reduction in manual effort and a 20% increase in efficiency.
• Provided technical support and training to over 100 users and IT staff, resulting in a 25% decrease in support tickets and an overall improvement in user satisfaction scores by 15%.
• Managed the migration of a large healthcare organization's virtual infrastructure to vSphere 7, resulting in a 40% reduction in downtime and a 25% increase in system performance.
• Developed and maintained capacity planning and performance tuning for a large e-commerce company's vSphere environment, resulting in a 20% reduction in hardware costs and a 15% increase in system efficiency.
• Researched and evaluated new technologies and products related to vSphere environment, leading to the adoption of a new storage solution that improved system performance by 30%.
• Designed and implemented a virtualization infrastructure for a large government agency, resulting in a 50% reduction in hardware costs and a 30% increase in system performance.
• Developed and maintained security policies and procedures for a large financial institution's vSphere environment, resulting in compliance with industry regulations and a 20% reduction in security incidents.
• Monitored and troubleshooted a large manufacturing company's vSphere environment for performance and availability, resulting in a 25% reduction in downtime and an overall improvement in system reliability by 15%.
• VMware vSphere expertise
• Disaster recovery planning
• Virtual machine provisioning automation
• Technical support and training
• vSphere 7 migration
• Capacity planning and performance tuning
• Research and evaluation of new technologies
• Virtualization infrastructure design and implementation
• Security policy development and maintenance
• vSphere environment monitoring and troubleshooting
• Hardware cost reduction
• System performance optimization
• Compliance with industry regulations
• System reliability improvement
• Strong communication and collaboration skills

Embedded Software Engineer Resume Example:

• Designed and developed embedded software for a real-time system, including scheduling, synchronization, and communication protocols, resulting in a 25% improvement in system performance.
• Developed software for low-level device drivers, including GPIO, UART, and I2C, resulting in a 30% reduction in system crashes and improved system stability.
• Developed software for embedded applications, such as motor control and sensor fusion, resulting in a 20% increase in system accuracy and reliability.
• Developed software for communication protocols such as CAN, SPI, I2C, and Ethernet, resulting in a 15% reduction in system downtime and improved system reliability.
• Developed software for embedded operating systems, such as Linux and FreeRTOS, resulting in a 20% improvement in system performance and reduced system crashes.
• Developed software for embedded systems, such as debugging, testing, and validation, resulting in a 25% reduction in software bugs and improved system stability.
• Developed software for embedded systems, such as ARM Cortex-M, PIC, and AVR, resulting in a 30% improvement in system performance and reduced system crashes.
• Developed software for embedded systems, such as bootloaders, bootstraps, and firmware, resulting in a 20% reduction in system downtime and improved system reliability.
• Implemented version control, configuration management, and build systems, resulting in a 25% reduction in development time and improved team productivity.
• Embedded software development
• Real-time systems design
• Low-level device drivers
• Communication protocols (CAN, SPI, I2C, Ethernet)
• Embedded operating systems (Linux, FreeRTOS)
• Debugging and testing
• ARM Cortex-M, PIC, and AVR microcontrollers
• Bootloaders, bootstraps, and firmware
• Version control and configuration management
• Build systems and automation
• Motor control and sensor fusion
• Scheduling and synchronization
• Software validation and optimization
• Team collaboration and productivity
• Developed and implemented a new feature for an existing software application, resulting in a 10% increase in user satisfaction and a 5% increase in user retention.
• Collaborated with a team of developers to troubleshoot and resolve software issues, resulting in a 20% reduction in bug-related delays and an overall improvement in software quality.
• Contributed to the development of technical documentation, ensuring that it was accurate and up-to-date for future reference.
• Designed and developed a new software solution from scratch, meeting all project requirements and delivering it on time and within budget.
• Collaborated with other developers to identify and implement new features, resulting in a 15% increase in user engagement and a 10% increase in revenue.
• Participated in code reviews and provided feedback to other developers, improving overall code quality and reducing the number of bugs in the software.
• Developed and maintained a database of customer information, ensuring that it was accurate and up-to-date at all times.
• Worked with other developers to develop and implement unit tests and integration tests, ensuring that software was thoroughly tested before release.
• Stayed up-to-date with new technologies and development trends, attending conferences and workshops to improve skills and knowledge.
• Programming languages (e.g., Java, Python, C++)
• Web development (HTML, CSS, JavaScript)
• Database management (SQL, NoSQL)
• Software development methodologies (Agile, Scrum)
• Version control systems (Git, SVN)
• Debugging and troubleshooting
• Unit testing and test automation
• API development and integration
• Problem-solving and critical thinking
• Collaboration and teamwork
• Technical documentation
• Code review and optimization
• Continuous integration and deployment (CI/CD)
• Cloud computing platforms (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud)
• Mobile app development (Android, iOS)
• Machine learning and artificial intelligence frameworks
• Cybersecurity best practices
• Time management and organization
• Adaptability and continuous learning

Principal Software Engineer Resume Example:

• Led the technical design and development of a complex software project, resulting in a 30% improvement in system performance and a 25% reduction in response time.
• Implemented a software testing plan that increased test coverage by 40% and reduced the number of critical bugs by 50%.
• Provided technical guidance and mentorship to junior software engineers, resulting in a 20% improvement in their coding skills and a 15% increase in their productivity.
• Developed and maintained a codebase for a mission-critical software system, achieving a 99.9% uptime and ensuring uninterrupted service for millions of users.
• Researched and evaluated new software technologies and tools, leading to the adoption of a cloud-based infrastructure that reduced operational costs by 30%.
• Collaborated with cross-functional teams to troubleshoot and debug complex software applications, resulting in a 40% reduction in customer-reported issues and an improved user experience.
• Designed and implemented a scalable microservices architecture, enabling the company to handle a 50% increase in user traffic without any performance degradation.
• Developed and maintained technical documentation, ensuring that the software development team had up-to-date and accurate information, resulting in a 20% reduction in development time for new features.
• Monitored system performance and provided performance tuning and optimization, resulting in a 25% improvement in response time and a 15% reduction in server costs.
• Expertise in software design and architecture
• Proficiency in coding and programming languages
• Strong knowledge of microservices architecture
• Experience with cloud-based infrastructure
• Ability to develop and maintain a large codebase
• Skill in software testing and debugging
• Proficiency in performance tuning and optimization
• Ability to research and evaluate new software technologies and tools
• Experience in technical documentation and knowledge transfer
• Strong leadership and mentorship skills
• Ability to handle high user traffic systems
• Knowledge of system monitoring and maintenance
• Experience in reducing operational costs and improving system performance
• Strong problem-solving skills
• Excellent communication skills
• Knowledge of Agile and Scrum methodologies
• Understanding of DevOps principles
• Familiarity with containerization technologies like Docker and Kubernetes
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines
• Knowledge of cybersecurity best practices.

High Level Resume Tips for Software Engineers:

Highlight your technical skills: As a software engineer, your technical expertise is crucial. Emphasize your experience with software development methodologies, programming languages, and other technical tools and frameworks. Showcase your project experience: Highlight the projects you have worked on, the technologies you have used, and the results you have achieved. Be specific and quantify your accomplishments wherever possible. Highlight your software architecture skills: Software engineers must understand how to design software architectures that meet the needs of a business or organization. Highlight your experience with software design patterns and system architecture.

Must-Have Information for a Software Engineer Resume:

Here are the essential sections that should exist in a software engineer resume:

• Contact Information
• Resume Headline
• Resume Summary or Objective
• Work Experience & Achievements
• Skills & Competencies

Additionally, if you're eager to make an impression and gain an edge over other software engineer candidates, you may want to consider adding in these sections:

• Certifications/Training

Let's start with resume headlines.

Why Resume Headlines & Titles are Important for Software Engineers:

Software engineer resume headline examples:, strong headlines.

Experienced Software Engineer: 4+ Years of Technical Expertise

Innovative Software Engineer: Working with Emerging Technologies and Team Collaboration

Good headlines demonstrate the job seeker's hard and soft skills as they relate to the role they're applying for. The headlines demonstrate their value proposition in a concise and direct way. Additionally, good resume headlines incorporate industry-relevant keywords to ensure the content is tailored to the job description.

Weak Headlines

Software Guy with 4 Years of Experience

Just Looking for a Paycheck: Software Development

Weak resume headlines can be confusing, vague and uninspiring. They do not mention any relevant skills, nor do they portray the individual as a capable Software Engineer. Each headline fails to convey anything unique or valuable about the person. Additionally, resume headlines that make no reference to the context of the job which make the job seeker appear shallow.

Writing an Exceptional Software Engineer Resume Summary:

A resume summary is a critical component for Software Engineers, as it provides a valuable opportunity to highlight the skills, experiences, and accomplishments of your career in a brief and impactful way.

When written well, a resume summary can (and should) do the following:

• Quickly Showcase Relevant Skills: A well-crafted summary allows Software Engineers to quickly showcase their technical abilities, such as programming languages they are proficient in, as well as their ability to work in different development environments.
• Stand Out from the Crowd: In the extremely competitive world of software engineering, a killer summary can truly set your resume apart.
• Highlight Key Achievements: A summary provides a front-and-center place to showcase your most notable technical achievements and accomplishments as a Software Engineer, like contributing to the development of new software or resolving a complex technical problem.
• Impress the Hiring Manager: A strong summary will leave a lasting impression on the hiring manager and increase the chances of your resume being shortlisted for further consideration.

Here are some the key best practices to write an exceptional resume summary:

• Tailor it to the specific job you are applying for by highlighting relevant skills and experiences.
• Mention quantifiable achievements, such as successful project delivery or improvements to system performance.
• Use keywords related to the software development field to make your resume more attractive to both people and applicant tracking systems (ATS).
• Keep the summary concise and to-the-point, ideally under 4 sentences.
• Avoid generic statements and cliches and try not to repeat any information already included in other sections of your resume.

Software Engineer Resume Summary Examples:

Strong summaries.

• Highly-skilled Software Engineer with 4 years of experience in developing and deploying software solutions. Proven success in designing and developing software applications that meet customer requirements.
• Innovative Software Engineer with 4 years of experience in creating and optimizing software applications. Skilled in using a variety of software development tools and technologies to develop solutions for customers.

Why these are strong:

• These summaries demonstrate the Software Engineer's experience in developing and deploying software solutions, and in designing and developing software applications. They also demonstrate the Software Engineer's ability to use a variety of software development tools and technologies to create and optimize software applications for customers.

Weak Summaries

• Experienced Software Engineer with 4 years of experience in developing software applications. Experience in deploying software solutions.
• Skilled in developing and deploying software solutions.

Why these are weak:

• These summaries are too generic and lack specifics. They do not demonstrate the Software Engineer's ability to design and develop software applications that meet customer requirements, or to use a variety of software development tools and technologies to create and optimize software applications for customers. They also do not demonstrate the Software Engineer's experience in deploying software solutions.

Resume Objective Examples for Software Engineers:

Strong objectives.

Highly motivated Software Engineer seeking to join an innovative and creative team, with experience in web languages such as HTML and CSS, as well as coding in C# and Java.

Eager to apply expertise in software development to help the company reach the highest levels of efficiency, with the ability to work independently, or as part of a team, in a fast-paced environment.

• What makes the great objective great is that they provide concise information that showcases the Software Engineer's skills and attributes. The great objective also states the individual's desire to join an innovative team and to help the company reach higher levels of efficiency.

Weak Objectives

• I am looking for a job as a Software Engineer.
• Experienced Software Engineer who wants to increase their salary.
• What makes the poor objective poor is that they do not showcase the individual's skills, attributes, or any real ability to benefit the company. Furthermore, the statements are too generic and are not clear in their purpose.

Generate Your Resume Summary with AI

Speed up your resume creation process with the ai resume builder . generate tailored resume summaries in seconds., how to impress with your software engineer work experience:, best practices for your work experience section:.

• Highlight programming languages and technologies used in past roles: Specify the programming languages, frameworks and technologies used on projects/applications. Be as specific as possible.
• Reference technical roles in detail: Describe specific accomplishments in technical roles such as development, programming, engineering, data analysis, database administration.
• Showcase project-based work: List projects worked on in the past and detail the components involved in each one.
• Show problem-solving skills: Detail how technical challenges were solved, highlighting any areas of expertise used to resolve the issue.
• Demonstrate leadership skills: Describe accomplishments in team-based roles such as managing projects, leading technical initiatives, and developing relationships with stakeholders.
• Include achievements and results: Show any awards or recognition received as a result of the job and provide specific results of the work produced.
• Include organizational impact: Detail the big-picture impact of the work, the team, or the projects.
• Use quantifiable terms: Give details using specific quantifiable terms such as time saved, size of codebase, number of lines of code, etc.
• Describe unique challenges: Describe any unique or complex challenges faced and how they were solved.
• Include relevant courses or trainings: Cite any courses or specific trainings taken for continuing education or professional development.

Example Work Experiences for Software Engineers:

Strong experiences.

Built a microservices-based architecture for a customer management system, resulting in a 50% reduction in system downtime and improved scalability.

Developed a real-time analytics dashboard for a leading telecommunications company, providing key business insights and driving strategic decisions.

Led a cross-functional team of engineers, designers, and product managers in the delivery of a new cloud-based product, on time and within budget.

Contributed to the development of a machine learning-powered recommendation engine, resulting in a 20% increase in user engagement and revenue.

Developed and maintained an enterprise-level system for a major financial institution, ensuring high availability and security.

Mentored junior engineers in the team, sharing technical knowledge and contributing to the team's overall growth.

• The strong work experiences for a software engineer showcase technical skills, impactful results, and leadership qualities. They demonstrate a track record of delivering high-quality software solutions that drive business results and provide value to clients or customers. The examples highlight technical accomplishments such as designing and building microservices-based architecture, developing real-time analytics dashboards, and delivering new cloud-based products. They also showcase soft skills such as mentorship, cross-functional teamwork, and technical knowledge sharing.

Weak Experiences

Worked as a software engineer on various projects.

Assisted senior developers in coding and debugging.

Participated in code reviews and contributed to the development of technical documentation.

Worked as a software engineer on multiple projects.

Wrote code for various applications and modules.

Debugged and resolved technical issues.

• The weak work experiences for a software engineer are generic and lack detail and context. They do not showcase technical skills, results, or leadership qualities, and do not provide any information about the impact the individual had in their role. The examples simply list responsibilities without any metrics, achievements, or impact, making it difficult to evaluate the candidate's experience and potential value as an employee. They lack specificity and do not provide any insights into the candidate's technical skills, problem-solving abilities, or ability to drive results.

Top Skills & Keywords for Software Engineer Resumes:

Top hard & soft skills for software engineers, hard skills.

• Software development methodologies (e.g., Agile, Scrum)
• Object-oriented design and programming (OOP)
• Algorithms and data structures
• Web development (e.g., HTML, CSS, JavaScript)
• Relational databases (e.g., SQL, Oracle)
• Version control (e.g., Git, SVN)
• Software testing and quality assurance
• Cloud computing (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP)
• Operating systems (e.g., Linux, Unix, Windows)
• Integrated development environments (IDEs)

Soft Skills

• Strong Communication Skills
• Problem Solving
• Attention to Detail
• Adaptability
• Critical Thinking
• Organizational Skills

Go Above & Beyond with a Software Engineer Cover Letter

Software engineer cover letter example: (based on resume).

Dear Hiring Manager, I am excited to apply for the Software Engineer position at [Company]. With over [number of years] years of experience in software development, I am confident that my skills and expertise will contribute to the continued success of your company. In my previous role as a Software Engineer, I spearheaded the development of a large-scale software system that met regulatory standards and improved customer satisfaction by 25%. Additionally, I upgraded a critical server-side solution, enhancing security and process speed by 27%. My experience in developing custom software architectures, designs, and specifications has allowed me to meet customer requirements and exceed project deadlines consistently. I am well-versed in collaborating with cross-functional teams to design and deploy versatile and intuitive software solutions that have resulted in a 6% increase in customer loyalty. I have implemented cutting-edge database migration strategies, which improved database performance and reduced operational maintenance costs by 25%. Additionally, I have installed, maintained, and debugged third-party services to optimize software performance, resulting in improved system stability and reliability. As a mentor and technical guidance provider, I have successfully improved code quality by 15% and reduced software development bugs by 15% for my peers. I have also devised automated unit tests and integration tests to ensure software conformance with best practice standards, leading to a 20% improvement in team productivity. I am confident that my skills in software development, collaboration, and leadership will make me a valuable addition to your team. Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to discussing my qualifications further in an interview. ‍

Sincerely, [Your Name]

A cover letter is an essential tool for any software engineer looking to stand out from the competition. It's an opportunity to showcase your technical skills, highlight your relevant experience, and demonstrate your enthusiasm for the position.

While a resume provides a summary of your skills and experience, a cover letter allows you to personalize your application and connect with the hiring manager on a deeper level. It's an opportunity to explain why you're passionate about software engineering, and show how you can add value to the organization.

Here are some of the key reasons for pairing your software engineer resume with a cover letter:

• It demonstrates your technical skills: As a software engineer, technical skills are key. Your cover letter provides an opportunity to showcase your ability to write code, troubleshoot problems, and develop innovative solutions.
• It shows your enthusiasm for the position: A well-written cover letter can demonstrate your passion for the role and the organization. This can make a big difference in the hiring manager's decision-making process.
• It highlights your relevant experience: Your cover letter allows you to explain how your skills and experience align with the requirements of the job. This can help the hiring manager understand why you're a good fit for the role.
• It sets you apart from other applicants: A well-crafted cover letter can help you stand out from other applicants who may have similar experience and qualifications.

We understand that writing a cover letter may seem daunting, but it doesn't have to be. Remember that the cover letter is an extension of your resume, so you can use the same format and content as your resume. It's also a chance to address any gaps or questions that the hiring manager may have after reading your resume.

Tips for aligning your cover letter with your resume:

• Use the same header as your resume: This will help the hiring manager identify your application as a complete package.
• Align the content of your cover letter with the requirements of the job: Use the job description as a guide to highlight your relevant skills and experience.
• Use keywords from the job posting: Incorporate relevant keywords from the job posting to help your application get past applicant tracking systems (ATS).
• Keep your cover letter concise and focused: Aim for one page and avoid repeating information from your resume.
• Proofread carefully: Errors in your cover letter can undermine your credibility, so make sure to proofread carefully before submitting your application.

Resume FAQs for Software Engineers:

How long should i make my software engineer resume.

The ideal length for a Software Engineer’s resume should be two pages. Brevity is key - highlighting your software engineering experience, achievements, and education should be the priority. Any necessary additional information or details can be added after this. Try to focus on concisely presenting your most relevant expertise and accomplishments so as to keep the resume concise and in-depth.

What is the best way to format a Software Engineer resume?

For Software Engineers, the best resume format is one that emphasizes the candidate’s technical strengths and accomplishments, highlights their related experience and training, and excludes any irrelevant information. To provide an effective overview of an engineer’s skills, it is suggested to keep the design of the resume clean and efficient, relying on the most relevant, impactful bullets and relevant keywords to provide an organized and compelling story. Additionally, it is important to tailor the resume to each position by leveraging buzzwords and phrases found in the job description.

Which Software Engineer skills are most important to highlight in a resume?

Some of the hard skills that Software Engineers should include in a resume are: coding proficiency (in a variety of programming languages such as Java, JavaScript, Python, etc.), knowledge of development tools, experience with databases and SQL, ability to work with source control management, excellent problem-solving Skills, and ability to develop algorithms and debugging. Additionally, Software Engineers should be proficient in operating systems and software design, databases, eCommerce platforms, and cloud platform and associated technologies. Knowing various application and development frameworks such as NodeJS, Drupal, and API integration is also important for Software Engineers. Finally, Software Engineers should have experience in designing and implementing unit and integration tests and ensuring application security.

How should you write a resume if you have no experience as a Software Engineer?

If you have no experience as a Software Engineer, be sure to highlight any academic, technical and/or quantitative coursework that is relevant to the position. Also list any programming languages, systems or libraries that you have experience with. If you have relevant course projects, internship projects, or programming projects that you completed, include those in your resume too. Show your enthusiasm for software engineering by citing any certifications, awards, or other extracurricular activities you have been involved with. Finally, make sure to demonstrate your transferable skills, such as problem-solving, teamwork, and communication, and how you have applied in them in other areas. These can help distinguish your resume from others without software engineering experience.

Compare Your Software Engineer Resume to a Job Description:

• Identify opportunities to further tailor your resume to the Software Engineer job
• Improve your keyword usage to align your experience and skills with the position
• Uncover and address potential gaps in your resume that may be important to the hiring manager

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