

A full-stack guide to writing a software engineer resume that’d put Linus Torvalds to shame. With easy to code tips to make your next job application a cinch.
You might be confident in code, but when it comes to applying for a job, the recruitment process can feel like a language you’ve never learned. Hiring managers are long on expectations and short on time. They’re looking for a perfectly structured resume that shows off your software engineering cred at a glance.
Meeting those high expectations can be daunting.
But you’ll be pleased to know that writing a good software engineer resume is surprisingly similar to writing good code. It should contain sentences as well-constructed as effective functions, be bug free, and adaptable to new requirements.
And you’re about to learn how easy that is to achieve. You’ll even get software engineer resume examples, so you can see exactly how it’s done. Read on, and you'll see how to write a job-winning resume for software engineer jobs that’s as robust as your finest code.
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Software engineer resume made with our builder—See more templates and create your resume here.
Looking for advice for other IT career advice? Check out our related resume guides:
Tim Janssen
Software Engineer
202-555-0110
tjanssen_zety@gmail.com
linkedin.com/in/tjanssen_zety
Diligent software engineer with 5+ years experience in commercial application development. Eager to join Cyclone Inc. to build innovative and cutting edge business solutions for the impressive suite of clients within its global reach. In previous roles, slashed downtime by 25% and ensured 98% on-time project completion. Also identified and dealt with a significant process bottleneck that boosted coding efficiency by 35% when resolved.
Experience
Software Engineer
CirroStratus Inc.
May 2016–present
Key achievement: Maintained maximum uninterrupted flow of business-critical ops. Cut downtime by 25% and costs of warranty by up to 45%.
Software Engineering Intern
Kell Tech
September 2015–May 2016
Key achievement: Identified and dealt with a significant process bottleneck that boosted coding efficiency by 35% when resolved.
Education
Bachelor of Computer Science
Carnegie Mellon University
2012–2015
Skills
Certifications
Languages
You’ve just seen a perfect software engineer resume template. Now it’s time to learn how to do it yourself.
Every software engineer worth their salt hates messy spaghetti code. Likewise, recruiters hate messy, poorly structure resumes. They expect everything to be just right, so they can read quickly and easily. Here’s how to do it right.
These are the sections a software engineer resume should have, from top to bottom.
And a final formatting tip for you. Save it as a PDF unless you’re specifically told otherwise. PDFs keep your structure intact and they’re readable on pretty much any device.
Find out more about resume formatting here: Resume Formats: How to Choose the Best One For Your Needs
Now I’ll let you in a little secret. Don’t start with your resume introduction, you’ll just get stuck. Start off with your work experience and leave that first section until last.
Your work experience section is the most important of all. Get it wrong and it’s like a fatal exception error, it’ll abort your chances of success. Here’s how to get it right.
Now let’s see how it works in practice.
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Lead Software Engineer OysterTech Inc. June 2016–Present
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Lead Software Engineer OysterTech Inc. June 2016–Present
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That’s the same candidate but a completely different story when it comes to the impression that their work experience section makes. The first is energetic, achievement driven and number rich. The second is like expecting Windows 10 but getting a command prompt instead, it’s got basic functionality but otherwise it’s a boring disappointment.
Find out more about creating a powerful work experience section: Top Tips for a Job-Winning Resume Work Experience Section
When making a resume in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building your resume here.
When you’re done, Zety’s resume builder will score your resume and tell you exactly how to make it better.
It’s just your education section, nobody really pays attention to it right? Wrong. Recruiters still want to see you’ve got food qualifications for your software engineering resume. This is how to ensure your education section is just right.
Here are two examples, first from an experienced candidate.
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2013–2016 University of Wisconsin-Madison B.Sc., Software Engineering |
And here’s an example for a less experienced candidate.
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2019–2022 (expected graduation date) University of Oregon B.Sc., Software Engineering
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See more about writing an A-grade education section: How to List Your Education on a Resume
As with the rest of your resume, don’t be generic. Recruiters hate it. They want to see you have the skills needed for this job. Not just any old software engineering gig. So here’s how to write a software engineer resume skills section that’ll make you the answer to their prayers.
Soft Skills
Hard Skills
Programming Languages
Find out more about including skills on your resume: 99 Key Resume Skills: Best List of Examples
Your skills section is the last of the “standard” software engineer resume sections. But if you want to get noticed you need to give hiring managers a little something extra.
Think of extra sections as something like an easter egg. It’s not strictly necessary to make the software function, but it’s a heck of a nice surprise for the user. And if you get your additional sections right you’ll give recruiters a pleasant surprise too, and more reason to interview you!
Conferences
Volunteering
Find out more: What to Put on a Resume: Good Things to Include
Now that you’ve reached the end of your resume it’s time to go back to the start. Your resume summary or objective acts as the introduction to your resume and should help to hook the hiring manager from the outset.
A resume summary statement is for experienced candidates and describes relevant skills, experience and accomplishments. A resume objective statement is for those just starting out and outlines your most relevant skills while stating your career goals. But you can use the same strategy to write both.
Here’s how to start your resume:
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Creative software engineer with 8+ years of experience. Eager to join Toggle Switch Inc. to help develop reliable products for e-commerce businesses. Previous accomplishments include increasing code-efficiency of J & B’s payments portal by 60%, and helping to boost client retention by 55%. Led a team honored with the 2018 Oregon Tech Trends Award for security in cloud computing. An empathetic team player and mentor, and an innovative creative thinker. |
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Software engineer with 8+ years experience, programming skills include ASP.NET, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, Python and PHP. Looking to work as a lead software engineer. |
That’s the same candidate, yet the difference is night and day. The first example is powerful, energetic and features stand out achievements to impress the hiring manager. The second is just going to make them move straight on to the next software engineer resume in the pile.
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Passionate software engineering graduate with a hands-on, high energy approach, well-developed skills in Agile methodology, and an unapologetically user focused philosophy. Have developed several android and web apps, including a voice-controlled IOT home automation system using Google Assistant and Raspberry Pi. |
WRONG |
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Seeking work as a software engineer to complement my computer science degree. Familiar with common programming languages. Hard-working and reliable. |
The first example leaps off the page. Even without much experience the candidate really shines as a solid prospect. It’s eager and features skills that are very much in demand. The global market for IOT is set to reach $1.6 trillion within the next four years.
The second is just plain lazy. That could describe absolutely any recent computer science graduate. There’s no fizz, nothing compelling at all. And remember, above all else you need to stand out as the best candidate from the outset.
More experienced candidates could also try writing a summary of qualifications. Find out how to do it here: 20+ Summary of Qualifications Examples for Your Resume
I’ll be honest with you, some employers want to see cover letters and some don’t. Most surveys of employers put the split at 50/50. And that’s the problem, you just don’t know who wants one and who doesn’t. It’s better to always write one and cover your bases. If you come across an employer who demands one then it might just be the deciding factor. If they don’t then they can just ignore it.
Here’s a quick guide on what to include in a cover letter.
See a more detailed guide here: Software Engineer Cover Letter Examples
Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:
See more cover letter templates and start writing.
Here’s your tl;dr step-by-step cheat sheet:
Thanks for reading. You’re ready to write the best software engineer resume. Now it’s your turn to comment.
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