How to Write a Winning Software Engineer Resume [+ Sample]

As technology evolves, new opportunities for software engineers will continue to emerge. From there, it only depends on if you know how to write an effective software engineer resume and how to present your qualifications to potential employers. This critical skill can draw the line between successful software engineers and those stuck in one office for years with no bright future ahead of them. 

Software engineering is one of the fastest growing industries today. With 3.4 million of software developers in the US, fresh and promising job opportunities will continue to appear. The problem is that the number of qualified specialists is expected to grow as well making the competition on the jobs market tougher than ever. That said, a well-written software engineer resume can make all the difference. 

4 Software Engineer Resume Writing Tips to Make a Difference

Software engineers are the bright and creative minds behind computer programs and software applications. The nature of this role varies depending on the industry as well as the company’s needs – one can create software applications, while others can develop the underlying systems controlling networks and running devices. These facts make writing a software engineer resume all the more difficult. However, with a little bit of professional guidance, you will be able to ace it. Here are key things to keep in mind:

1. Focus on relevant technology skills. If you’ve been in this role for a long time, it means you’ve got plenty of skills to show off. However, if you are after a particular job opportunity, focus on the needs and wants of the potential employer. Putting too many skills may result in HRs assuming you are a jack of all trades with no deep knowledge to do specific things at a high level. Therefore, check what the job listing says and focus exclusively on those skills. 

2. Highlight achievements. It is a good tone to list your technology skills at the beginning of a resume (either in the summary or the next section). However, listing your programming languages, databases, and software isn’t enough. If you are serious about your resume, then you should show what you did using all of those skills. It is OK if you can’t quantify your accomplishments – sometimes it is really hard to do that in the context of software engineering. However, it is NOT OK if you don’t demonstrate your value to former employers (how you used your knowledge and skills specifically in the past).

3. Include soft skills. Although software engineers are people who spend most of their time sitting behind a computer screen, it doesn’t mean that they work independently from others. No software engineer works in a vacuum even though sometimes it certainly looks like it. For some reason, most job seekers don’t put any soft skills on their resumes because they think they are not so important for this type of job. However, most employers have a different take on the matter. Therefore, showing that you can easily collaborate with others (both verbally and in writing) can be very appealing to employers. 

4. Add a link to your portfolio. Developing a great resume is only half of the way. The remaining half is showing your examples of work. That’s why you need to a) have an updated portfolio and b) include the link to it on your resume. If you have an extensive list of projects, you don’t need to include all of them. Just select those that demonstrate your skills in the best light. An online portfolio will let interested decision makers take the next step on their own. 

Software Engineer Resume Sample

The engineer resume sample below is a good example of how to list one’s experience and skills on a single page in a way that will attract employers’ attention. 

Why Does This Software Engineer Resume Look Good?

1. It contains an effective summary section outlining key qualifications and proficiencies.

2. The resume has a link to the portfolio with all relevant projects.

3. The skills section is placed at the beginning of the document and divided into 3 subcategories which makes it easier for HRs to navigate through the skills.

4. The work experience section is listed in reverse-chronological order and contains only selected responsibilities/accomplishments relevant to the job requirements.

5. Key soft skills are mentioned.