Software Developer Resume & Writing Guide

On the hunt for a new Software Developer position? It is important to start checking out up-to-date and proven Software Developer resume samples.

Why? With hundreds of other Software Developers and Software Engineers looking for a new position every day, you want to make sure your resume stands out by being both informative and intriguing. Let's get started!

18 Software Developer Resume Downloads

The Software Developer Resume Guide:

The majestic resume guide with sample material for each resume section.

Resume Sections

1. Contact Information:

• Name, Last Name
• Address
• Cell Number
• Email
• Be sure to include alternative contact channels like your LinkedIn profile or Facebook URL details.

2. Profile:
1 – 3 sentences giving a broad overview of your background and years of experience in the industry. This should also include your areas of specialty, including your preferred development languages and types of applications you build.

3. Employment History:
Showcase your employment history and include a list of your daily responsibilities. Make sure to include the technologies and languages you used in each position. Also, include the type of application you were building and the purpose of the application for each position.

4. Education/ Certifications/ Coursework/ Training:
Although it is not necessary, most employers like to see that you have a Bachelor’s degree, preferably in Computer Science or a related field. In this section, you can also include any courses or training that you have taken in a classroom or e-learning environment, like Lynda or Coursera.

5. Key Skills:
List of critical skills that you possess.

What to Highlight

No matter how long you have been working as a Software Developer, or if you are beginning your career, there are a few important things that employers are looking for in your Software Developer resume.

The most important thing to highlight, obviously, is the type of development languages and technologies that you are proficient in. Feel free to add all languages and technologies that you master, even if you are experienced more in some than others, as long as you are transparent with your level of proficiency in the interview.

Next, employers want to know the types of applications you are familiar with developing. This could include mobile applications, web applications, or client-server applications. Besides, they will want to know if you are more of a backend, frontend, or full-stack developer.

Lastly, you need to explain the types of environments and methodologies you have worked in. There is a big difference between working in a startup with three other people versus working in a Fortune 500 company.

Nowadays, many companies are moving towards Agile development, rather than waterfall, so you will want to address if you are familiar with the Agile process too.

Tip Number 1: Showcase your Tech Stack XP. An easier way of showcasing is listing each stack under each described project on your resume. A link to a GitHub compilation also serves this purpose well. You want to convey your knowledge and experience to a recruiter in an instant. For digital experts like you, self-study is of high relevance to stay up-to-date. To showcase your hunger for knowledge and drive to learn, making a section on your resume “Self Study” can help you put just that information concise and to the point. Books, projects, podcasts, you name it, can join this list.

Tip Number 2: Action Verbs do the Trick. See our ‘Actions Verbs' section down in this article. Your next employer wants to be enchanted with words that work magic on their minds.  Action Verb Examples: “Improved”, “Compressed”, “Ensured”, “Collaborating” and “debugging”.

Tip Number 3: Adjust your resume to the position. Having a ‘full' version of your resume helps you to easily edit it into a more tailored version for specific positions. Having a good and extensive ‘full' version of your resume, allow you to take away ‘ALL' that seems unnecessary. Then easily tweak or add to the section of ‘Self Study' for a specified resume per position application.

Profile Summary

Your profile summary should, ideally, not go over two sentences. You cramp two sentences full of experience, knowledge, qualifications, and motivations. All this while repeating what the recruiter and your potential future department is looking for. A slightly catered summary for the position, with a reminder of your capabilities matching the, looked for candidate profile, should aid the hasty readers.

Software Developer Summary Examples:

3 Years of Experience

“Focused and quick-learning Software Engineer with 3 years of experience in computer science, programming, and UX design for various projects and clients.“

5 Years of Experience

“Passionate Software Engineer with 5 years of professional experience building web applications. Excelling in full-stack development, particularly the MEAN stack.“

8 Years of experience

“Leading Software Developer and Engineer with 8 years of work experience leading developing teams in different settings (including remote, international teams). I enjoy coding, testing, and integration. Seeking anew challenges and opportunities to leverage. I am an experienced Certified ScrumMaster (CSM), having successfully worked with service-oriented (SOA) architectures and web services. Holds a BS in CS with many recent study certifications.“

12 Years of Experience

“Skilled and results-oriented Software Engineer with more than 12 years of experience working in a variety of environments with a breadth of programs and technologies.“

15 years of Experience

“I am an active Pearl Developer and continuous learner with 15 years of experience. Including exposure to MySQL, Linux, JavaScript, CSS, Pearl, and AJAX. In after-work classes, I teach colleagues and students with great enjoyment to use AngularJS and my other coding skills.“

Software Developer Job Description and Responsibilities

No matter where you are in your Software Development career, try incorporating these responsibilities under your employment history:

Examples

General job descriptions and responsibilities

• Brainstorming with team members to come up with new ideas
• Gathering technical and functional requirements
• Working with Technical Leads to determine application architecture
• Participating in MVP and product demos
• Presenting ideas for system improvements
• Participating in morning standup meetings
• Peer-testing code with fellow team members
• Creating wireframes and mockups
• Utilizing automated and manual methods to test code
• Using programming languages to build platforms
• Documenting processes and code changes
• Actively contributing to all phases of the SDLC

Software Developer Internship / No Experience

• Shadowing senior team members to get a feel for their day-to-day responsibilities
• Taking on small software development projects followed by presenting my work to the managing team
• Assisting with process improvements, making suggestions on workflow changes where needed
• Brainstorming with team members to come up with new mobile application concepts
• Working with stakeholders to gather functional and technical requirements Creating wireframes and prototypes to test our ideas
• Writing code to develop iOS and Android applications, primarily using Java and Swift
• Participating in MVP and product demos
• Utilizing automated and manual methods to test our code
• Facilitating releases of software upgrades
• Testing of software to detect and correct errors, improve performance, and upgrade IX.
• Regularly consulted with clients regarding projects, proposals and development progress and challenges
• Prepared reports on specifications and activities for each client and project.
• Hosted sessions to determine the best design specifications and details.

Junior / Experienced Software Developer

• Utilizing the MEAN stack to enhance and maintain our eCommerce platform Conducting code peer reviews with other members in my team Participating in product demos
• Documenting all code changes, following XYZ's protocols
• Daily use of agile development methodologies and work with current networking technologies
• Implement code changes, test code changes, and document code changes
• Wrote Python scripts to load data and parse XML documents
• Participating in daily stand up meetings, led by our Scrum Master
• Showcasing progress to development management in biweekly meetings, led by our Scrum Master

Senior Software Developer

• Develop, upgrade, and maintain advanced  XYZ software.
• Coordinate the design and implementation of various applications with its stakeholders; project managers, client representative, and development teams.
• Provide mentoring services to junior developers and engineers when needed.
• The lead of the development of a foundational framework based on Java, JSP, Struts, CSS, HTML, JavaScript, Oracle, and MS SQL Server

Quantifying Your Resume

Employers love numbers because it makes your experiences feel more tangible. When writing your resume, if you can answer the questions, “How much?” or “How many?”, you should include that number on your resume. For instance:

• How many applications have you developed?
• How long have you been writing code?
• How many development languages do you know?

Software Developer & Engineer Skills

Common Certificate Examples:

The Importance of Soft Skills

In today’s market, soft skills are becoming more and more critical for Software Developers, especially when working in an Agile environment. To show employers that you have the soft skills they are looking for, try to incorporate these into your profile, key skills, and cover letter sections:

• Proactive
• Organized
• Team-Oriented
• Analytical
• Process-Oriented
• Friendly
• Personable
• Motivated
• Hardworking
• Creative

Action Verbs

Never make your employment history sound like a massive list of tasks. Instead, help potential employers envision you performing the job by using these Software Developer specific action verbs:

Related Cover Letters

Click here to see an example Software Developer cover letter.