4 Software Engineer Resume Examples + Templates 2024

A software engineer is responsible for designing, developing, testing, and maintaining software applications and systems. They work closely with other engineers, developers, and stakeholders to ensure that software solutions meet the specified requirements and are of high quality. Software engineers must possess strong problem-solving skills, proficiency in programming languages, and the ability to work collaboratively in a team environment. Writing an excellent software engineer resume is essential to showcase your technical skills and experience effectively to potential employers. 

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Software Engineer Resume Example

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Entry-Level / Junior Software Engineer Resume Example

An entry-level or junior software engineer is typically new to the field and is gaining experience in software development. They’re eager to learn and contribute to the team while developing their skills. Below is a resume sample for an entry-level software engineer.

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Middle Software Engineer Resume Example

A middle-level software engineer has a few years of experience in the field and is proficient in developing software applications independently. They have developed a good understanding of software engineering principles and can handle more complex projects. Below is a resume sample for a middle-level software engineer.

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Experienced / Senior Software Engineer Resume Example

A senior software engineer has extensive experience in the field and is highly skilled in managing complex software development projects. They are capable of leading teams, implementing advanced software solutions, and improving overall software quality. Below is a resume sample for a senior software engineer.

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Resume Templates for Software Engineers

 To help you make a good decision, we’ve analyzed 11 million resumes created using our builder. Here are the top three choices of software engineers' resume templates.

Cascade

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For software engineers, I think the Cascade resume template is an excellent choice. Its clean, dual-column layout highlights personal information on the left and professional experience on the right. The contrasting sidebar adds a touch of elegance, making it easy for hiring managers to find key details. This minimalistic resume template is ideal for presenting technical skills and career achievements in a structured format that stands out.

Concept

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In my opinion, the Concept resume template is perfect for software engineers who want a modern yet practical design. The single-column layout ensures clarity, while the left sidebar neatly organizes contact information and key skills. The subtle use of color gives it a polished look, making it easy for recruiters to focus on your professional experience and technical expertise. This eye-catching resume template is great for showcasing a detailed career narrative.

Diamond

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From my perspective, the Diamond resume template offers a sophisticated and clean design that is perfect for software engineers. The two-column layout effectively separates personal information and a professional summary from detailed experience, education, and skills. The diamond-shaped bullet points and ample white space provide a visually appealing structure. 

How to Write a Software Engineer Resume:

1. Create a Solid Software Engineer Resume Sample Structure

Every software developer worth their salt hates messy spaghetti code. Likewise, recruiters hate sloppy, poorly structured resumes. They expect everything to be just right so they can read quickly and easily. Before choosing one of the perfect software engineer resume templates, here's how to structure your document right:

• Use reverse-chronological format.
• Create an eye-catching resume header that includes your contact information.
• Use elegant and readable resume fonts, set your resume margins to an inch on each side, and set your line spacing to 1.15.
• Divide it into clear resume sections, emphasizing each with a resume header set at a font size larger than your body text. 12 points for the body and 14–16 for the headings is ideal.

These are the sections a software engineer resume should have, from top to bottom.

1. Header with contact info
2. Summary statement/career objective
3. Work experience 
4. Education
5. Skills
6. Additional sections (certifications, hobbies and interests, projects, etc.)

Here's a final formatting tip: Save your resume as a PDF unless you’re specifically told otherwise. PDFs keep your structure intact and are readable on almost any device.

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.

Find out more about resume formatting here: Resume Formats: How to Choose the Best One For Your Needs

2. Get Started With a Work Experience Section on Your Software Engineer Resume Sample

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:

• Use reverse-chronological order, your most recent job first.
• Include the basic details of each post, your job title, company name and location, and dates of employment. 
• Write up to six bullet points describing the job for each entry. Start them off with a resume power word to help make them pop. Make sure they’re targeted to the job requirements and write results-based statements, not a plain shopping list of duties.
• Use the PAR or STAR method to structure your resume bullet points. Don’t be put off by those acronyms. They just mean problem or situation/task plus action and result. It’s how you explain how you’ve used your skills to solve problems and achieve results at work.
• Quantify your achievements with numbers wherever possible. Talk about percentage increases or decreases, cost savings or profit increases, and even numbers of team members. In short, if there’s a metric, add a number.

When crafting your resume for a software engineer position, highlight your technical expertise and project experience. Here are some examples of responsibilities for a software engineer resume:

Software Engineer Keywords for a Resume

• Develop and maintain web applications, ensuring optimal performance and user experience.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to define project requirements and technical specifications.
• Write clean, scalable, and efficient code in various programming languages.
• Conduct code reviews to ensure adherence to best practices and coding standards.
• Design and implement robust software solutions to meet client needs.
• Perform unit testing and debugging to identify and resolve software defects.
• Utilize version control systems to manage code changes and collaboration.
• Optimize application performance and scalability.
• Document software design and development processes for future reference.
• Stay updated with the latest industry trends and technologies to incorporate innovative solutions.

Remember to use powerful action verbs to convey your contributions and achievements effectively in your software engineer resume. Check out the examples below:

Software Engineer Resume Action Verbs

• Developed
• Collaborated
• Designed
• Implemented
• Optimized
• Tested
• Debugged
• Documented
• Analyzed
• Deployed

Find out more about creating a powerful work experience section: Top Tips for a Job-Winning Resume Work Experience Section

3. Add Education to Your Software Engineer Resume

It’s just your education section; nobody really pays attention to it, right? Wrong. Recruiters still want to see you’ve got good qualifications for your software engineering resume. This is how to ensure your education section is just right:

• If you have two or more years of experience, stick to the basics. Name your school, list your degree and your dates of study.
• If you’re still studying or writing a recent college graduate resume, add more details. Consider listing relevant coursework or extracurricular activities. Academic achievements, such as being on the Dean’s list, also look great on your resume.
• Also, add an expected graduation date if you’re still in school. Only include your GPA if it’s 3.5 or above and you graduated within the last two years. 

See more about writing an A-grade education section: How to List Your Education on a Resume.

4. Include Software Engineer Skills Tailored to the Job

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 development gig. So here’s how to write a software engineer resume skills section that’ll make you the answer to their prayers:

• Read the job ad carefully and make a note of all the skills-related resume keywords you see. Now, review your education and work experience sections, note the skills shown there, and think of other relevant examples from your work history and training. 
• Use that information to create a master list of your software engineering skills, see which of those match the job requirements, and choose 5–10 to include on your resume.
• Don’t stop there, though. Check your work experience section again. Does it help to back up your skills? If not, consider a rewrite. You need it to strengthen and back up your expertise.
• Remember to include a mix of soft and hard skills. Computer skills, IT skills, and programming languages are obvious choices. But don’t neglect soft skills (like interpersonal communication) over expected software developer skills. It’s well established that soft skills are often overlooked in the tech industry, so make sure you address that need.

Software Engineer Skills for Your Resume

Programming Languages

• JavaScript
• Python
• C, C++
• Java
• R
• Kotlin
• PHP
• Go
• Solidity
• SQL

Soft Skills

• Time management skills
• Organizational skills
• Communication skills
• Teamwork skills
• Conceptual skills
• Creative thinking skills
• Decision-making skills
• Problem-solving skills
• Leadership skills

Hard Skills

• Computer skills
• Project management skills
• Technical skills
• Software development
• App development
• Cybersecurity
• AI
• Coding
• Machine learning
• Debugging
• Agile development methodologies
• Object-oriented programming
• IoT

And regarding the Internet of Things, I have some interesting data for you: the global market for IoT is set to reach $1.6 trillion in 2025!

Pro Tip: When listing skills for a software engineer resume, consider checking the top skills recruiters look for this year and in the future.

5. Add Extra Sections to Your Software Engineer Resume

Your skills section is the last of the “standard” resume sections. But if you want to get noticed, you need to give hiring managers a little something extra. 

Think of additional information on your resume 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 also give recruiters a pleasant surprise and more reason to interview you! 

• Projects on resumes are a great idea for additional sections. Volunteering experience and certifications look great on any resume.
• For candidates with less experience, a hobbies and interests section can work well too. Just keep it relevant and relatable.

Find out more: What to Put on a Resume: Good Things to Include

6. Summarize the Best Parts into an Objective or a Software Engineer Resume Summary

Now that you’ve reached the end of your resume, it’s time to go back to the start. Your resume summary or objective is the introduction to your resume and should help hook the hiring manager from the outset.

A resume summary statement is for experienced candidates and describes relevant skills, experience, and professional 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:

• Read over what you’ve written in your resume already. There’s a hint in the name. Your resume summary or objective summarizes your selling points as a candidate.
• Choose 2–3 of your best achievements and skills from your experience and skills sections.
• Use this formula to construct your summary/objective:

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.

7. Remember to Write a Software Engineer Cover Letter

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, so it’s always better to write one and cover your bases. If you come across an employer demanding one, it might just be the deciding factor.

Here’s a quick guide on what to include in a cover letter:

• A cover letter complements and enhances your resume. It shouldn’t just be a rehash of what you’ve already written. Include additional information about your achievements to help sell you as a potential employee.
• Make sure you have a cover letter that’s short and to the point. The ideal cover letter length is no more than one page at most.
• Incorporate a hook into your cover letter opening. Grab the hiring manager’s attention and keep them reading with one of your best and most compelling professional achievements.
• Use the middle of your cover letter to add even more proof of your abilities.
• And in your cover letter ending, say thank you and include a call to action. Ask for the chance to discuss the role further and throw in one last tidbit about what you can offer, so they can’t help but want to get in touch. 

See more detailed guides here: Software Engineer Cover Letter Examples and Software Developer 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:

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See more cover letter templates and start writing.

Looking for advice for other IT jobs? Check out our related resume guides:

• Senior Software Engineer Resume
• Entry Level Software Engineer Resume
• Software Engineering Internship Resume
• DevOps Resume
• Full Stack Developer Resume
• Computer Science Resume
• Computer Engineer Resume
• IT Resume
• Programming Resume
• Best Resume Examples for All Jobs

About Zety’s Editorial Process

This article has been reviewed by our editorial team to make sure it follows Zety's editorial guidelines. We’re committed to sharing our expertise and giving you trustworthy career advice tailored to your needs. High-quality content is what brings over 40 million readers to our site every year. But we don't stop there. Our team conducts original research to understand the job market better, and we pride ourselves on being quoted by top universities and prime media outlets from around the world.

Sources

• https://www.csustan.edu/sites/default/files/groups/Career%20Services/full-time3/resume_writing.pdf
• https://www.westmonroepartners.com/perspectives/signature-research/it-soft-skills
• https://www.statista.com/statistics/976313/global-iot-market-size/

Frequently Asked Questions about How to Write a Software Engineer Resume

How to write a software engineer/developer resume?

To write a good SDE resume:

1. Choose a resume format.
2. Write a resume summary.
3. Describe your software development work experience.
4. Mention your academic background in the education section.
5. Add a list of your professional skills.
6. Include extra sections for additional information in your resume.

For more tips, check out: What Makes a Good Resume?

How to make a resume for a junior/entry-level software engineer?

A resume for an entry-level software engineer will follow a typical resume structure with minor tweaks:

• Write a resume objective instead of a resume summary.
• Add 1–2 bullet points to your resume under your Education section for prominent academic achievements.
• Include transferable skills in your Skills section.

You can find more tips here: How to Write a Resume With No Experience

How to describe an internship on your resume for a software engineer/developer?

To describe an internship on a resume for a junior software engineer:

• Verify that it’s relevant for the position by studying the job ad.
• Treat it as a regular job and add it to your Work Experience section, stating that you were an intern.
• Add 1–3 bullet points and a key achievement.

You can also provide more details regarding your internship experience in a software engineer cover letter. 

If you’re willing to get one, write a resume for a software engineer internship. Here’s how: Software Engineer Internship Resume: Guide & Sample

Should a software engineer resume have a summary?

Yes. A profile summary serves as a resume introduction. It’s a mandatory section that contributes to writing an ATS-friendly resume, and it's something hiring managers expect to see. Think of it as your elevator pitch—a good resume summary will ensure that you get the recruiter’s attention.

What are the top software engineer skills to put on a resume?

In order to decide what skills you should put on a resume as a software developer or engineer, study the position requirements. That will give you a solid foundation and prompt the hard skills that are most relevant. Remember to add some soft skills, too—you’re working with people, after all. 

How to mention training in a resume for a software engineer?

Your training can be mentioned in various parts of your resume:

• Mandatory education section of your resume (for a college/university degree).
• Additional sections. You can have a dedicated segment for certifications on your resume, conferences you’ve attended, coursed you’ve completed, programming projects, etc.

How long should a software engineer resume be?

The question may be two-fold:

• As for how long the resume should be: 1 page, 2 for very experienced candidates. 
• As for how far back the resume should go (applies to a senior software engineer resume): 10–15 years of relevant experience; you don’t necessarily have to list all the job titles you had.