A full stack developer is a software engineer that handles back-end and front-end code for web services. They use programming languages like JavaScript and Python to create the framework for functional, user-friendly web applications. Full stack developers create and maintain the front-end (what you can see and click on a web page) and back-end (the code that keeps the web page running) of a web product. They can work in web development teams or work alone to create simple web products.
In this article, you will learn how to structure your full stack developer resume and the best skills to include to improve your resume and shorten your job search time.
Because a full stack web developer needs to do so much, you need to highlight your knowledge and competency in a resume. You want to focus on your skills, the languages you are proficient in such as JavaScript, and your work experience. Plus, you’ll get bonus points if you can provide examples of websites that you were involved with. Let’s take a look at how you can structure your resume to impress hiring managers and stand out among the other applicants.
The way you structure your resume will depend on the resume format you use. There are three standard resume formats.
If you have several years of experience, the chronological resume format focuses on highlighting your work experience. If you have little to no work experience, the functional resume format focuses on highlighting your skills. However, if you have gaps in your employment history or you are changing careers, the combination resume format highlights both your skills and work experience. The resume format you use will help you relay certain information more effectively.
The following sections are elements you should always include in a professional resume.
Your header will contain simple contact information about yourself so the recruiters know who the application is from. If you look at multiple full stack web developer resumes, you’ll notice that this information goes at the very top. The header should include the following information:
The resume summary is a statement summarizing the most impressive aspects of your skills and experience. It should only be 2-3 sentences. Introduce yourself, and talk about your most impressive skill and your most impressive achievement. If you have any notable references from previous jobs, you can mention them here too.
In the skills section list all of your hard skills and soft skills. Hard skills are technical skills that can be learned and measured. These are abilities that can be taught in a classroom, like how to use Microsoft Excel. Soft skills are more about your quality as a person and how you interact with others.
Because anything related to software development is such a technical job, job seekers often forget to include their soft skills. However, soft skills are important, especially when applying for positions where you'll work in a team, which full stack developers often do. Here are some examples of soft and hard skills you can use in your resume:
In the work history section, showcase your years of experience by listing previous places you’ve worked or interned at. List professional experience that is as relevant to the job description as possible. For example, if the current job you’re applying for heavily focuses on the use of MySQL, mention your experience with that database, even if it was a simple internship.
In the education section, mention your certifications, academic achievements and completed courses. Full stack developers often have degrees in computer science or computer engineering, though a degree isn’t a strict requirement for this profession. Aside from software engineering courses, you can also mention other courses that are relevant to being a developer.
For example, full-stack developers work with software security engineers, so if you're trained to use common cyber security tools, you should include it on your resume. Even if you'll never work with these tools, knowing that you can communicate effectively with different engineers on the team gives you an edge over other applicants. You should only list your most recent and relevant achievements.
Yes, you need to include a cover letter. Cover letters help the recruiters learn more about you, your projects and your goals. In a cover letter, you can go into more detail about the skills and experience you mentioned in the resume. You can also request an interview.
If you don’t have a lot of experience as a full stack developer, write a resume objective instead of a resume summary. A resume objective is a statement detailing what you intend to do at the company. It focuses on your goals and unique vision instead of your professional experience. You should also use a functional resume format to highlight your skills instead of your work history.
To modify your resume, read the job description for each job posting. Identify keywords from the job requirements that you can add to your resume. Keywords are specific words that indicate what a hiring manager is looking for in a candidate. For example, if one job posting mentions AngularJS and not NodeJS, mention the former even though you’ve worked with both. If another job description talks about server-side operations, don’t mention client-side operations.
