As a software engineer, you’re constantly building the future with every role and project you take on. Yet, writing a resume still leaves you feeling overwhelmed. This guide to writing a software engineer resume is a breakdown of what you can expect to include in your resume to help bring the hiring manager’s attention your way.
Keep all of the information on one page for a well-received resume. If your career spans further than a decade, you can get away with a two-page resume. Keep in mind that resumes should be concise and targeted.
This is the flow of a resume you should follow:
As for formatting, these are the basics you need to know:
An overview of your professional background, qualifications and drive behind growing your career in this specific industry. Provide a glimpse into why you love what you do, or why you want to grow and develop skills further.
Example: 6 years of experience in mainframe developing and maintaining in the Technology industry. Spearheaded projects throughout all phases of the software development process with a focus on programming (C++ and Javascript).
When writing your work experience portion of your resume, there are two things to keep in mind: bullet points and specific experience.
#1 Bullet Points
#2 Specific Experience
1) The Job Description: Analyse requirements, design and develop functionalities based on the product requirements.
2) Your Experience: Implemented design and develop functionalities according to product requirements and analysis.
Even without any work experiences you can still craft a great resume as someone starting their career journey, after all everyone has to start from somewhere. Here’s what you can include instead of full-time work experiences.
Hiring managers are viewing dozens if not hundreds of resumes a day, if you want to stand out and grab their attention you’ll need to use action words. These are simply adjectives that are used to describe your achievements and experiences. Words like these are great action words to consider when writing your resume:
Since a resume is meant to be short and to the point, these three tips will help you avoid any possible mistakes.
In a separate piece of paper you’ll want to include the following to boost your chances at being selected for an interview. If you have a website with the following showcased, feel free to include your site under the contact information section of your resume.
If you’ve been meaning to up your value as a web developer, there are a handful of certificates you should look into regardless if you’re starting out or a veteran looking to sharpen your skills. Many are offered solely online with great time flexibility to work with your schedule and learning pace. Here are some certificates worth considering:
Awards are a great reminder of the achievements you’ve accomplished for your company or with your industry.
A cover letter is a terrific complement to any resume because it allows you to go into greater detail about why you're the best fit for the job. Instead of sending out generic resumes to each potential employer with an open position, a cover letter demonstrates your want to work for the company you're applying to. The structure of your cover letter matters as much as the content itself.
Ensure that the font size and spacing are both readable and easy on the eye. Use action words to emphasise your relevant skills to the position you wish to be hired for while explaining your achievements and experiences.
Need a few more details? Check out our in depth guides on writing a resume, CV and cover letter. All guides are suitable for any profession with tips for careers across the board.