Software engineering careers are highly sought after and in especially high demand for their technical and industry-specific skills in areas such as programming languages. When the time comes to prove these skills to a potential employer, a strong professional resume can help you land your dream job! In this resume guide, you will learn about job titles a software engineer may have and the skills that should be showcased on a software engineer resume. You will also find tips and examples to create a resume that stands out from the competition.
With rapidly changing technology, the role of a software engineer has also developed at a fast pace. Software engineers must possess several essential skills such as interpersonal skills, analytical thinking, and the ability to communicate effectively. Software engineers design, develop, and test software applications for companies. They also may work on troubleshooting software programs. There are several potential roles for software engineers, who are also often referred to as developers. Here are just a few job titles that a software engineer may have:
Junior web developer: The junior web developer usually has little experience and works with a more senior developer when building a website or web application. They may only work on small portions of a larger site. Even in this junior role, at least some experience with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript is needed.
Website developer: A website developer has several years of programming experience and writes complex code. They manage the performance and capacity and other technical aspects of servers. They must understand databases, multiple platforms, application programming interfaces (APIs), and much more.
Development team lead: A development team lead hires and manages several other software developers. They can either manage a single department or an entire company. They provide the overall direction of maintaining coding standards and recommending solutions.
Senior-level software engineer: A senior-level software engineer creates high-level system specifications. They usually manage a team of software engineers who create large enterprise-level applications for corporations. Senior-level software engineers usually are expected to have at least eight years of experience and a bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field.
By adding key skills that the recruiter listed in the job description, you will have a better chance of getting past applicant tracking systems (ATS). Here are just a few of the skills a software engineer will need:
Hiring managers use resumes to learn more about applicants and decide if they are a good fit. A resume should not only summarize your skills and work experience but also be easy to read. Here are some tips to keep in mind when writing your resume:
Hiring managers look for applicants that have the right skills and the right kind of work experience. In the work experience section of your resume, highlight your previous work experience. This will show your potential fit for the job. Include any relevant internships you completed, as well as volunteer work, work shadowing, and freelance jobs. Also, list any relevant skills or previous projects you worked on.
Hiring managers are busy when scanning resumes. A one-page developer resume ensures they see the essentials and it shows your best qualities. You are more likely to be called in for an interview if your resume is one page long. To reduce the length of your resume, use bullet points and concise phrases, and only include information that relates to the job description.
Read over the job posting before you write your perfect resume. Include the skills the employer wants most. If you list every skill you have, your resume will be too long and the recruiter may skip over it. Normally you only want to include 5-10 skills.
Along with keeping your resume to one page, it is important to keep the layout, style, and font straightforward and easily readable. Use some of our professional templates as a foundation for your own resume.
If you do not have much work experience, use the functional resume format and focus on skills and knowledge over employment history. Otherwise, you will want to use the chronological resume format or combination format, which places more emphasis on your work history.
Regardless of the resume format you choose, present your name and contact information, including any professional links such as your LinkedIn profile, in the resume header. In your work experience section, list up to the last 10 years of your professional experience. Present your work history in reverse-chronological order, with your most recent job listed first. And finally, add your degrees and certifications to the education section.
You can use the ResumeNerd resume builder to select a resume template and help you place all your information in the correct order.
Recruiters know when you use a “generic” resume, or even copy a resume directly from another job application. It is considered lazy and could cost you an interview. It is essential to tailor every resume and cover letter to fit the job posting. Use keywords from the job description in your skills section and your work experience section. For example, a job may require certain programming languages or particular technical skills. Your resume should address these keywords.
When applying for a software engineering job role, list the relevant experience you have. When choosing which work experience to include, consider the job posting. For example, some software engineering roles may be looking for the software solutions you have developed or your experience working with clients.
You don’t need years of experience to land an entry-level job. However, it helps to have worked on your skills. If you don’t have any work experience, you could include volunteer work or internships. Relevant coursework you completed as part of your computer science degree will also be helpful. Be sure to include programming languages you have experience in, such as Linux, and PHP. And if you have any certifications, such as those from Microsoft or Google, include those as well.
In general, describe your engineering skills and your hard and soft skills to grab the recruiter’s attention.
The resume summary or resume objective for a software engineer or software developer role should be 2-3 short sentences that showcase your most notable achievements. These can include highly visible projects you worked on or how you increased revenue or productivity by implementing your software. Back up your claims with numbers. Here is an example of a resume summary:
Detail-oriented software engineer with over 6 years of experience creating complex web applications. Excited to join ABC Company to create efficient and state-of-the-art software applications to continue expanding the company’s product line on a global scale. In previous projects, implemented coding standards that increased system processing efficiency by 28%. Also increased revenue by 10% quarterly by improving order processing.
