Software Engineer Resume Examples & Templates
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Software engineers are in demand. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, this career has 25% projected growth during this decade. With 153,900 yearly job openings, you need a great software engineer resume to stand out.
With this guide and software engineer resume examples, you can update your current resume or start a brand new one to highlight your interpersonal skills, programming language expertise and impeccable documentation.
Start by editing this software engineer resume sample template or explore our 40+ resume templates to find the best one for you.
Software engineer resume example (text version)
BROOK HOPKINS
City, State, Zip Code
000-000-0000
email@email.com
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
Knowledgeable Software Engineer evaluates and integrates software throughout sales cycle to drive meaningful solutions and increase sales. Collaborates with developer team, project managers and salespeople to implement application designs supporting customer needs and technical challenges. Offers product training, testing and continuous improvement for cost-effectiveness and market leadership.
SKILLS
- Web-based software engineering
- Database programming
- Virtualization technologies
- Code reviews
- Software applications
- Database management software
WORK HISTORY
Lendios . Company Name, City, State
Senior Software Engineer | 05/2017 – Current
- Tested troubleshooting methods, devised innovative solutions, and documented resolutions for inclusion in knowledge base for support team use.
- Worked with project managers, developers, quality assurance and customers to resolve technical issues.
- Built outstanding and dynamic team of software engineers and developers which significantly boosted overall success of organization.
Leidos . Company Name, City, State
Software Engineer | 04/2013 – 03/2016
- Installed and configured software applications and tested solutions for effectiveness.
- Worked with project managers, developers, quality assurance and customers to resolve technical issues.
- Interfaced with cross-functional team of business analysts, developers and technical support professionals to determine comprehensive list of requirement specifications for new applications.
Scribe Technologies . Company Name, City, State
Development Associate | 10/2006 – 02/2012
- Identified training needs and developed content while evaluating existing programs.
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Science: Computer
Engineering Technology, City, State
Important sections for a software engineer resume
Contact details
Start with the basics: a bold header for your contact details. Include your full name, city, state and ZIP code, followed by phone number and email address. Finally, add your portfolio, Github or professional membership profile. If you have LinkedIn, you can include it here.
Personal statement
The professional summary of your software engineer resume is your introduction. In no more than five sentences, highlight your strongest job-relevant abilities. Include how long you’ve been in the industry, one or two professional accomplishments and your job-relevant skills. Always tailor this section to the software engineer job description.
Skills
Software engineering is a highly technical field that requires a diverse set of skills. Your software engineer resume skills section should reflect what you bring to the table and how you work with others.
Use hard skills, like debugging, testing and design, and soft skills, like time management and leadership.
Include keywords from the software engineer job description to capture the hiring manager’s attention. If this is your first job as a software engineer, you can include transferable skills from other employment, training or school.
Work history
Your work history, more than showing where you’ve worked, shows what you’ve accomplished. Tailor the software engineer job description for your resume to highlight accomplishments.
Start with your current or most recent position and include the employer’s name, dates worked and the location. If you’ve had more than one role within the same organization, list them separately.
Under each role, include three bullet points with your quantifiable accomplishments, as seen on our software engineer resume example.
If this is your first job, you can include other relevant work experience, like volunteer experiences, community services, professional projects and more.
Education
Your resume for a software engineer should have a complete education section, however that looks for you. Start with your highest degree and include the school’s name, degree and graduation date — if it was 10 years ago or less.
No degree? No problem! Include your high school and any other courses you’ve completed, like a boot camp or certification.
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Action words for a standout software engineer resume
Action words add power to your work accomplishments. It helps present you as a proactive and results-oriented candidate.
Here’s a sample of action words for a software engineer resume:
- Design
- Optimize
- Develop
- Configure
- Debug
- Deploy
- Perform
- Launch
- Resolve
- Diagnose
- Prevent
- Implement
Our Resume Builder can quickly build your resume with powerful action words. It also has expert content suggestions and professionally designed templates. See the finished product in our 800+ resume examples and create your perfect resume for a software engineer.
Top skills for a software engineer resume
Software engineers need a variety of programming, development and interpersonal skills. Build a balanced skills section using bullet points and include top skills for a software engineer resume.
Your skills might include:
- Oracle
- MongoDB
- MySQL
- Azure
- Linux
- Windows
- AWS
- Programming languages
- Frameworks and libraries
- Time management
- Collaboration
- Foreign language and level of proficiency
Match your skills to those in the job description, and include other useful skills for the role and industry.
Certifications for a software engineer resume
Software engineers who get certified can stand out from the competition in their area of expertise.
These are a few examples of certifications you could get and include in your software engineer resume.
- MEAN Stack Development
- Certified Professional in Web Development
- Android Certified Professional (ACP)
- iOS Certified Developer (ICD)
- Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA)
- Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD)
- Certified Software Engineer (CSE)
- Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
- Certified ScrumMaster (CSM)
- CompTIA A+
- MTA: Software Development Fundamentals
Remember to include the issuing organization and expiration date when you include a certification on your software engineer resume.
Pair your resume with a matching cover letter
FAQ
How do I make a good resume for a software engineer?
To make a good resume for a software engineer, focus on highlighting your technical skills and experience, as well as your education and work history. Here are some tips to follow:
- Start with a summary that highlights your hard and soft skills and relevant experience.
- List your technical skills and the programming languages, frameworks and tools you have experience with.
- Detail your work experience, including the projects you have worked on and the technologies you have used.
- Use numbers and metrics to quantify your achievements.
- Include your education and any relevant certifications or training.
- Showcase your soft skills, such as communication and problem-solving.
- Tailor your resume to the job you’re applying for.
- Keep your resume concise and easy to read.
- Proofread and edit your resume carefully.
Follow these guidelines to create your perfect software engineer resume.
How do I write an objective in a resume for a software engineer?
When writing a resume objective for a software engineer, keep it brief and focused.
- Start with a strong opening statement that highlights your skills and experience as a software engineer.
- State your career goals and what you hope to achieve in your next position.
- Mention the specific skills and technologies you have experience working with.
- Emphasize the value you can bring to the company and how you can contribute to their success.
- Keep it short and to the point, ideally no more than three sentences.
What should my software engineer resume look like?
A resume must be legible and professional. It needs to fit in all your information and leave enough white space to guide the reader’s eyes through your skills and experience. We have a vast template collection you can choose from to build a professional and stylish resume. Our templates can pass the ATS-test to ensure your software engineer resume template gets to the hiring manager.
What format should a software engineer resume use?
There are three resume formats. Choose one according to your years of experience:
- The chronological resume format is great for candidates with 10+ years of experience, as it focuses on your work experience.
- The functional resume format works for candidates starting their career as it focuses on skills and abilities while downplaying any lack of experience.
- The combination resume format is ideal for candidates with three to nine years of experience. It balances the skills and experience sections.
Best practices for software engineer resumes
- Use measurable achievements to describe your software engineer resume skills and experience.
- Use action words to make an impact on your software engineer resume.
- Tailor your resume to your target software engineer job.
- Use keywords from the job description throughout your software engineer resume.
- Format your software engineer resume so that it’s easy to read by ATS software and human eyes.
- Lie about your software engineer experience and skills.
- Boast about your “incomparable” software engineer resume abilities.
- Include irrelevant personal information such as your ethnicity and age.
- Add skills and experience that do not pertain to a software engineer resume.
- Forget to proofread. A software engineer resume with errors is unprofessional and will be discarded.
Interview tips
Research the company before your interview.
Learn more about the company before your interview. Use their official website, the news and current or former employees you may know to delve deep into their work culture, niche, reputation and other relevant details that are good to know beforehand. This research will help you answer the manager’s questions regarding the specifics of the company and role, and help you formulate your own questions for the interview.
Practice at home.
Prepare for any scenario by practicing an interview with the help of a friend or relative. Start by reviewing the most common interview questions, such as:
- Why Did You Choose This Career?
- What’s Your Experience with Suggesting Process Improvements?
- When Have You Had to Make Work Decisions With Limited Information?
- What Two or Three Things Are Most Important to You in Your Job?
- Tell Me About a Time When You Were Forced to Think on Your Feet.
Find other possible interview questions and an interview partner, someone whose feedback you trust. Do a mock interview with them and ask them for improvements on your answers and body language. This practice will prepare you for the big day and help your nerves.
Be proactive and ask questions.
You are also interviewing the employer. Prepare at least three questions that will help you learn more about the company, the role and how this career move fits into your plans.
Start with these examples:
- What specific technologies or programming languages do you use?
- What is the typical development process or methodology followed by the team?
- How do you handle code reviews and collaboration with other developers?
- Can you describe a recent project or challenge the team faced and how it was overcome?
- What opportunities are there for professional development and learning within the company?
- How are performance evaluations conducted and what metrics are used to evaluate success?
- What is the company’s approach to work-life balance and employee wellness?
Use open-ended questions and allow the interviewer to answer before moving on to the next one. You can bring a small notebook or piece of paper with your questions written down.
Also, remember that, as you progress in the interview process, you will eventually have to study for the practical final interview. Be sure to ask the interviewer what you can expect from any further interviews and how to best prepare for what’s to come.
Gather your references.
References are an important aspect of the job application process, as they provide potential employers with insight into your professional abilities and character. It’s a good idea to reach out to former managers, colleagues or mentors ahead of time to ask for their permission to use them as references. Let them know if they should expect a phone call or email.
If this is your first full-time job as a software engineer, you can request a reference from a mentor or instructor, an individual that can vouch for your skills.
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How we reviewed this article
Since 2013, we have helped more than 15 million job seekers. We want to make your career journey accessible and manageable through our services and Career Center’s how-to guides and tips. In our commitment to bring you a transparent process, we present our Editorial Process.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Software Developers, Quality Assurance Analysts, and Testers
- Pluralsight, Top Software Developer Certifications
- CareerFoundry, 10 of the Best Software Engineer Certification Courses Out There in 2024
- Springboard, Best Software Engineering Certifications [2024 Guide]
- Redline, 5 Key Skills You Need To Be a Software Engineer
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Engineer Resume Example
Kellie is a Certified Professional Resume Writer with extensive experience in digital media. She is passionate about helping job seekers navigate their careers. She earned a B.A. in English and writing from Temple University.
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