{"id":11687,"date":"2023-06-03T04:13:30","date_gmt":"2023-06-03T11:13:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/?p=11687"},"modified":"2024-01-03T19:22:27","modified_gmt":"2024-01-04T03:22:27","slug":"how-to-create-the-perfect-software-engineering-resume","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.springboard.com\/blog\/software-engineering\/how-to-create-the-perfect-software-engineering-resume\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Awesome Software Engineering Resumes [+ Tips & Templates]"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Scan any job board, and you\u2019ll quickly see that there are lots of openings for software engineers. And that\u2019s not going to change any time soon. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment rate for software developers (including engineers) is expected to grow to 22% between 2020 and 2030, compared to 4% for all careers. That\u2019s great news for people who work in software development. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But it isn\u2019t enough that the software engineer skills are in high demand. You want to be among those who go from applying to open software engineer roles to actually landing the job. If that\u2019s your goal, then we have you covered with examples of great software engineer resumes and tips on creating your own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Important Is a Software Developer Resume?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"How<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A resume is the first level of screening that any company uses and it\u2019s the stage where the field is pared down the most. The average corporate job opening sees 250 resumes come in<\/a> but only between 4 and 6 candidates get an interview<\/a>. So a strong software engineer resume can give you the ability to become part of the top 2% of applicants to a job. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s also important to know how recruiters interact with resumes. Studies show that recruiters spend as little as 7.4 seconds on average<\/a> looking at each resume they receive. That\u2019s how much time you have to make an impression, so clarity and brevity are of the essence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Should You Include in Your Software Engineer Resume?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Software<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There are a few key pieces of information that you need to mention in your software developer resume. It also matters how <\/em>you present your software engineer skills to recruiters. Let\u2019s take a look at the elements that form a winning software engineering resume. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Name and Contact Information<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Most of the things you need to mention in this section are obvious. But there are a few nuances to keep in mind with how you present your basic information in any software developer resume. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Name<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Use the same name that all your other documents, such as your certificates and government IDs, mention. Also, ensure that the name you use on LinkedIn corresponds to the one that you have in your resume. You don\u2019t want to confuse recruiters about whether they have the right person\u2019s profile when they look you up online. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Email Address<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The email address you mention in your software engineer resume should be professional and ideally include just your name and last name. So don\u2019t use that email ID you made in middle school that was a combination of your favorite band at the time and your birthday. Create a new, simple email ID if you have to so that you can mention it in your resume. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phone Number <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some recruiters prefer to reach out to candidates via phone call rather than email. So mention your mobile phone number along with your country code, in case you\u2019re applying to a job taking applications from several locations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Address of Residence<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You don\u2019t need to mention your physical address in your resume in most cases. The only reason you might want to have it in there is if recruiters state a preference for people based in a certain area (close to an office, for example). But otherwise, the address is an unnecessary piece of information and shouldn\u2019t take up real estate on your resume. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

LinkedIn Profile<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A whopping 95% of recruiters use LinkedIn<\/a> to find or vet talent. Have a link to your LinkedIn profile right next to all your basic contact information so that the people hiring can access it easily. But before you do that, update your LinkedIn and highlight your skills and achievements as a software engineer. Do not link to any other social media profiles on your resume.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Github<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have a strong Github profile, then include a link to it in your contact information section. Software engineering recruiters like when candidates have contributed to open source projects. It shows that you can work collaboratively and communicate well with others. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Education<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Degrees that you\u2019ve earned from universities and certifications from bootcamps or online software development courses carry weight in the education section. Always mention degrees from any universities you\u2019ve attended first and then move on to bootcamps and MOOCs. Format each entry in the following way: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Degree<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first thing you should mention is the name of the degree you\u2019ve earned, like a \u2018Master of Science (M.S.) in Computer Science,\u2019 for example. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

School Information<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Write the name of the university and where it\u2019s located. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dates<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is where you mention the duration of the course. Use the same date format that\u2019s followed in the country where the company is located. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Relevant Coursework in Software Development<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This section gives you the opportunity to show that you\u2019ve taken classes that are relevant to the job. Since you\u2019re applying to a software engineer role, some of the classes you can mention include ones that have to do with algorithms, software architecture, programming languages, and machine learning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Technical Skills<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Software<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This section of your resume needs to be tailored to the role that you\u2019re applying for. You know that software engineers<\/a> come in many different forms, like devops engineers, front-end engineers, and security engineers. Read the job description thoroughly and mention only the skills that are relevant to the sub-niche of software engineering that the role deals with. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s say you\u2019re applying to a front-end engineer job. In that case, you\u2019d mention your skills in HTML\/CSS, Javascript, front-end frameworks like AngularJS, and responsive design<\/a>, among other things. Your knowledge of deployment automation or security controls is irrelevant to the role, so you\u2019d leave those out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remember that your entire software engineer resume plays a role in how recruiters judge your skills. Don\u2019t go too hard in this section and mention too many skills or sell yourself too enthusiastically. Simply group your relevant skills and put them under three categories: expert, advanced, and familiar. This shows recruiters your range of skills and level of proficiency in each skill, which they will appreciate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Employment History<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Software<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This is a section for software engineers who\u2019ve already worked in the field – and it’s an important part of your software engineer resume. Along with verifiable experience, it\u2019s an opportunity to demonstrate that you\u2019ve meaningfully contributed to business outcomes at other companies. List each of your previous jobs in reverse-chronological order and keep the following things in mind. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Format<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Start by writing your job title, followed by the name of the company that employed you. In the next line, mention the location of the office you worked at and the span of your employment there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quantify Contributions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Always quantify the results that your company was able to see from the work that you did as a software engineer. For example, saying that you \u201creconfigured the APIs on the checkout page\u201d of a company\u2019s website isn\u2019t very impactful. Stating that you \u201creconfigured the APIs making calls on the checkout page, thus improving load times by 20%\u201d makes a better impression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Position<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Place the employment history section up top on your resume if you\u2019re a mid- or senior-level software engineer with a lot of relevant experience. The less experienced you are, the lower this section should be positioned on your software engineering resume. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Projects<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This section of your software engineer resume matters more the earlier you are in your journey. If you\u2019re applying to your first job<\/a> or switching jobs for the first time, then it helps to list the personal projects and open-source contributions you\u2019ve made high up on your resume. It\u2019s evidence of initiative and a passion for the field. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your personal projects are much less important if you\u2019re a senior software engineer<\/a>. In that case, you would put the employment history section early in your resume and name only projects that are very relevant to the job you\u2019re applying to. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are a few key pieces of information to mention when you list a project<\/a>. That includes: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Title and description<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Write the name of the project along with the purpose of the application. For example, you might say, \u201cAndroid app to track daily calorie intake.\u201d You can hyperlink to a GitHub repo or website if the project has one dedicated to it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Skills applied<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is where you would list the software engineering skills that came into play when you worked on a particular project along with the tech stack that you used. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Awards and Recognitions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Software<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This is the part of the software engineer resume where you get to show off a little bit. It can also catch recruiters\u2019 eyes if you can show that you\u2019ve won awards from well-known organizations or stood at the top of a bootcamp class that\u2019s popular. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make sure that you\u2019re specific about the awards and certifications you\u2019ve received. \u201cWon the Tech Centre Hackathon,\u201d for example, is low on detail. Instead, you might want to say that you \u201cPlaced first in the Tech Centre Hackathon by building an app that sources information on stars visible in the night sky from any given location using the GeoStellar API and the MERN stack.\u201d That gives managers a better idea of what you built and why the recognition is noteworthy.<\/p>\n\n\n

Get To Know Other\tSoftware Engineering Students<\/h4>
\"Matthew<\/a>

Matthew Dillon<\/p>

Front End Developer at LaunchBadge<\/p><\/div>

<\/div>

Read Story<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/div>

\"Elena<\/a>

Elena Nurullina<\/p>

Junior Web Developer at G\/O Media<\/p><\/div>

Read Story<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/div>

\"Rafael<\/a>

Rafael Alvarado<\/p>

IT Support Engineer at Amazon<\/p><\/div>

Read Story<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Software Engineer Resume Examples<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s take a look at a few examples of software engineer resumes and assess whether they deliver the goods. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Entry-level Software Engineer Resume<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

What to Include: <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"Entry-level<\/figure>\n\n\n\n