Top software engineer resume examples

senior software engineer jobs

A good software engineer resume shows a combination of technical skills, leadership, and adaptability. But how do you accomplish this on one to two sheets of paper? By checking out the examples and tips we have in this resume guide.

Once you learn these tips, check out some of the senior software engineer jobs you can find at EPAM and apply!

4 sections every software engineer resume should have

A software developer resume has a lot of information. Following a standard resume format will help that information come across easily.

Before you start, know that your professional resume must include the following four sections.

1. Software engineer resume summary

All good resumes start with a summary of your skills and qualifications. The summary takes from your deeper resume, explaining why the hiring manager should consider you and your resume objective.

Here's a breakdown of what you might include:

• The relevant years of experience you have in the target job.
• Different business domains you've contributed to (banking, e-commerce, etc.).
• Any career highlights appropriate to the position.
• How your skills contribute to the needs of the company.

The summary should be no more than a few sentences or bullet points. Your goal is to convince the resume reader to keep reading.

You can improve this further by taking keywords directly from your target job title. This helps you overcome applicant tracking systems (ATS) so that an automated system won't filter you out.

2. Software engineer skills

As a software engineer, you know you have many amazing skills. However, if you want to list them all, your resume might look clunky.

To effectively showcase your relevant skills, you need to organize them. Typically, the best way to sort your skills is to put the job description's highest priority first. Otherwise, you can sort skills by experience and proficiency.

Here's a list of technical skills, including programming languages, that many software engineer resumes have:

• JavaScript
• Front-end development
• Computer science
• Python
• Java
• DevOps on AWS
• Agile
• CSS
• MySQL
• GitHub
• Scrum
• PHP
• Machine learning
• Full-stack development
• Software development life cycle
• Back-end work
• Debugging
• Code review

You might not have all the above skills, and that's okay. This is just a list of skills you might include.

3. Work experience section

Ideally, the years of experience you bring to the table include your past jobs in reverse-chronological order. Work experience is valuable in proving a combination of technical and soft skills.

Include experience based on what's most applicable to the job. A senior software engineer resume specializing in JavaScript should include a multi-year JavaScript experience.

Pay special attention to jobs where you have references. Later, these companies might call your contacts, proving your expertise.

If you’re an entry-level software engineer, you might have volunteer experience. Good developer resumes can include relevant passion projects, such as open-source contributions. If you don't have the experience, start working toward your passions.

To display that work experience in action, check out our article on how to create your software engineer portfolio.

4. Education section

Software developers with strong educational backgrounds are great. These institutions teach you the basics of programming in a standardized format.

Display the first step in your journey as a software engineer by including your education. You can also use this to show your aptitude if you have a high GPA.

Certifications can also prove your passion for learning to be the best at your job. These certifications can be based both on hard and soft skills. When adding certifications to your resume, be sure they come from respected organizations.

Senior front-end software developer resume sample

Our first example shows an experienced software engineer resume sample. Notice how the summary is built in bullet points, along with most of this resume. These points make the resume easier to read, as you can see here:

Explore more front-end software developer resume samples

• Full-stack developer resume

Senior back-end software engineer CV sample

Our next sample is one from a back-end software developer. It has a standard resume summary example focused on relevant experience. If you’re hungry for more, check out our .

Explore more back-end software developer resume samples

• Golang developer resume examples

Data engineer resume sample

Next, we look at a resume from a more specialized field: data engineering. Notice how the work experience focuses on specific projects. You can also find more examples through our .

Explore more resume samples for data engineers

• Machine learning resume examples

Software test engineer resume sample

Test engineers include another specialized field in software development. Notice how this resume focuses on how the applicant's testing benefits the business. You'll want to include statements like these that you can find in this example:

Explore more test engineer resume samples

• Functional QA resume examples

Get a free software engineer resume template

Now that you have a few examples to get inspired from, where do you get started? Thankfully, our awesome team at EPAM has whipped up a software engineer resume template for you to take a look at.

Use this template to complete and tweak your resume until it's perfect. Click below to get started.

The dos and don'ts of writing a software engineer resume

Now that you have a template and an idea of the simple things to include in your software engineer resume, let's dig deeper. Below, you'll find a list of simple tips to improve your resume and things you need to avoid.

Use numbers and data to demonstrate your impact

A hiring manager's ultimate goal is to find someone who can bring their company results. By using numbers and data, you connect those results through measurable impact.

Quantified data includes anything that connects to a measurable change. For example, you might've created a testing platform that resulted in 10% fewer customer complaints for your software.

If you can connect your actions to project results, you've got the hiring manager's attention. However, you don't want to focus on the team's contribution. Instead, focus on what you as an individual bring to the table.

Keep it short and simple

A CV, or curriculum vitae, is a traditional multi-page review of your work history, skills, and education. You might be tempted to include everything you can, but you'll lose the hiring manager's interest if you do.

If you manage to get through the ATS, the person reading your application likely has 50 other job seekers’ applications to go through. If your application takes more than three minutes to understand, they won’t take the time to read it at all.

Huge resumes show a lack of organizational skills. It also shows a lack of respect for the reader's time, so keep your resumes short and sweet.

Link to your portfolio

A great way to show your real-world expertise is through your portfolio. Every software engineer should have a portfolio, as it's a public record of the work they've done in the past.

Like your resume, your portfolio should be broken down and organized. This way, it's easy for the hiring manager to find skills important to the company they represent.

You'll also want to keep the design neat, simple, and easy to manage. A complex website that looks like it was built in the ‘90s won't prove your skills.

Optimize your resume with keywords and industry-specific vocabulary

Industry-specific keywords and vocabulary show the hiring manager that you have solid skills and understanding. You'll want to drop a few terms to display your knowledge.

Thankfully, the job description will do a lot of the work for you. Take some of the keywords specifically mentioned in the description. This indicates that you’ve thoroughly read the description and also helps you overcome ATS blockages.

Many of these terms will come across in your skill sets and work experience, but be careful to avoid complex jargon. You want to show that you’re part of the industry, not that you have an operating manual handy.

Check out our Flutter developer resume samples for more inspiration on including keywords to help you get the job.

Don’t include irrelevant personal information

It's great that you have hobbies, including skiing, going out with friends, and playing video games. However, including all of this information in your resume isn’t as great.

While having hobbies gives you and the job poster something to discuss, it doesn't help you get the job. You aren't applying to be the hiring manager's friend; you want to be the company's next top star.

Don’t exceed two pages

To respect the reader's time, stick to resumes between one and two pages. If you can show your skills without getting lengthy, it's a sign of good communication skills.

Earlier, we mentioned a CV — a long-form version of your resume. You can keep this handy, plucking work experience from there as appropriate. The job poster might also want a copy. However, don't include the CV as your opening resume.

Don’t lie about your experience and skills

There's a saying — "fake it until you make it." While that's great for trying new things, you don't want to do this on a resume. Lying about your experience and skills is a quick way to lose the respect of any job recruiter.

Even if you were to get the job with your over-embellished resume, it won’t take long for the company to catch you out. Software engineers are skilled people who need strong technical skills. If you don't have them, it won't take long for others to figure this out.

Don’t use small fonts

You might be tempted to use smaller fonts to fit more of your experience or skills. However, small fonts are inconvenient for the job poster, causing them to squint to see everything.

A good font size for your resume is 12 pt for the body text and 16 pt for headers. You'll also want to stick with normal font styles, like Times New Roman.

If your font includes 8 pt Comic Sans, your resume won't impress the recruiter.

Don’t add a photo

While we’re sure you’re beautiful, looks won't get you most jobs (unless you’re a model). A photo takes up space and distracts the recruiter from what matters: your skills and work history.

Photos are generally seen as unprofessional, so by including one, you’re telling the recruiter that you lack a general understanding of what goes into a resume.

Wrap-up

Now that you have the format, template, and some dos and don'ts for your resume, use these tips to ace your next job application. By keeping things simple and professional, you'll stand out with what matters: amazing skills, great work ethic, and excellent leadership.

You can use these tips when applying for software engineer jobs on EPAM. Good luck and happy job hunting!