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Java programmer skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted experts

Dr. Y. Ken Wang,

Travis Mandel Ph.D.

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical java programmer skills. We ranked the top skills for java programmers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 14.2% of java programmer resumes contained java as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a java programmer needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 java programmer skills for your resume and career

1. Java

Java is a widely-known programming language that was invented in 1995 and is owned by Oracle. It is a server-side language that was created to let app developers "write once, run anywhere". It is easy and simple to learn and use and is powerful, fast, and secure. This object-oriented programming language lets the code be reused that automatically lowers the development cost. Java is specially used for android apps, web and application servers, games, database connections, etc. This programming language is closely related to C++ making it easier for the users to switch between the two.

Here's how java programmers use java:

Participated as Java developer on large project team creating an ERP-integrated web registration system for the University of Minnesota.
Developed a simulation application in Java for Eddy current measurements on Ferromagnetic material based on data collected from research.

2. Web Application

Here's how java programmers use web application:

Involved in developing Java/JSP/Struts based web application to implement screens to support various feature and provisioning activity.
Worked exclusively on Tomcat 7.2.x for managing performance and security optimization for Web Applications.

3. HTML

Here's how java programmers use html:

Experience in creating custom components with HTML, JavaScript and CSS, used Controls and Repeaters for data sets.
Developed the UI pages using Struts, Tiles, HTML, and CSS & JavaScript for search functionality.

4. JSP

JSP stands for "Java server page," which are used to create active webpages within a website. JSP differs slightly from ASP, which is Microsoft's "active server page," because the JSP pages are based on Java code where ASP are based on visual basic code.

Here's how java programmers use jsp:

Designed and Implemented MVC architecture using Struts Framework, Coding involves writing Action Classes/Forms/Custom Tag Libraries, JSP and EJB's.
Created most of the module specific JSP for the administration server with the implementation of HTML/DHTML, Custom Tags and JavaScript.

5. XML

XML is a medium for storing and transporting data that is independent of software and hardware. XML stands for eXtensible Markup Language. XML, like HTML, is a markup language that was created to store and transport data. It was created with the intention of being self-descriptive. There are no predefined tags in the XML language. Another feature is that XML is extensible.

Here's how java programmers use xml:

Designed and Developed multiple Java Configuration file along with XML Configuration file for Dependency Injection and Bin Wiring.
Determined user eligibility criteria by processing notification XML files and creating release file.

6. Web Services

A web service is software that is available on the internet and uses a specific messaging system. A web service is a kind of service that is not bound to any specific programming language or operating system. Web services help every device to communicate over the world wide web.

Here's how java programmers use web services:

Initiated and spearheaded the Web Services redesign efforts from requirements analysis through deployment.
Configured and Implemented web services specifications.

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7. CSS

Here's how java programmers use css:

Developed the user interface for the application using XHTML, JSF, JavaScript, CSS, JSTL and IceFaces.
Implemented customized CSS and used the same across the application at the time of performing the screen design.

8. Eclipse

Here's how java programmers use eclipse:

Utilized Eclipse to design and code required functionality into existing Pricing Cache application.
Conducted development under Eclipse integrated development environment (IDE).

9. User Interface

The user interface (UI) is the area or point where a person communicates with or transfers information to an electric computer or application. The user interface enables applications to offer precise product details to their intended customer without causing any misunderstanding. Customers want modern technology to behave in a certain manner for their convenience, so it is advised to create a user interface that is simple to use, precise, and predictable so that customers are fully pleased with its services. It can make a significant difference in converting visitors into customers.

Here's how java programmers use user interface:

Performed web testing on user interface, security and functionality.
Developed various user interface screens using customized swing controls.

10. PL/SQL

Here's how java programmers use pl/sql:

Transformed design into physical data structure and implemented Business rules using SQL, PL/SQL, Packages, Procedures and Triggers.
Developed SQL scripts and control files for loading data using PL/SQL and written complex queries to generate feeds.

11. MVC

Model-View-Controller (MVC) refers to the method of software development for creating user interfaces.

Here's how java programmers use mvc:

Project designed and implemented according to MVC model architecture.
Developed application based Spring MVC framework.

12. JDBC

Here's how java programmers use jdbc:

Implemented Database connectivity with JDBC for communication between application and Oracle 8i database.
Developed Business components using Java Beans and database connections using JDBC.

13. JQuery

Here's how java programmers use jquery:

Worked on JQuery, AJAX implementation for retrieving the content and display it without reloading the existing page.
Utilized various JavaScript and jQuery libraries bootstrap, AJAX for form validation and other interactive features.

14. Database Connectivity

Here's how java programmers use database connectivity:

Developed DAO pattern for Database connectivity.
Experience in writing Shell and Perl scripts for database connectivity and to retrieve data from different sources.

15. Application Development

Here's how java programmers use application development:

Led modules relevant to model-view-controller based application developments and integration with NoSqldatabases, Message Queuing framework and Search Engine.
Designed Business logic Components that formed the architecture for distributed application development.

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What skills help Java Programmers find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on java programmer resumes?

Dr. Y. Ken Wang

Associate Professor of Information Systems, Director of Computer Information Systems & Technology Program, Division of Management and Education, University of Pittsburgh - Bradford

We encourage our students to prepare their online portfolio starting from their first year at college. The projects they've done and the commits they've recorded on Github are the best presentation of their skills and experiences. We emphasize both technical and social skills. In terms of technical skills, we ask our students to take Linux operating system with Apache and PHP, two programming languages (C#, Python, PHP, Java, or Javascript), and a networking practicum class. These are the core competency we found competitive on the job market.

What hard/technical skills are most important for java programmers?

Travis Mandel Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, University of Hawaii at Hilo

Being comfortable with refactoring code is definitely one of the big ones here. Absolutely no one writes perfect code right off the bat - a good software engineer should recognize that and always be open and receptive to suggestions about improving their code. Even in the absence of such suggestions, a software engineer must be able to independently recognize that "the tower is about to fall over"! Meaning, if the code is turning into a real mess, a good software engineer will be able to realize that and independently begin refactoring it into a better state, even if that takes time away from implementing new features.

Another one I'll mention briefly is designing class inheritance diagrams to solve a new problem. The right structure here can allow components to be easily re-used and extended. But the wrong structure can lead to disastrous consequences, so it requires a lot of thought about how things will likely evolve in the future.

What soft skills should all java programmers possess?

Travis Mandel Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, University of Hawaii at Hilo

Although computer science seems like a highly technical field, soft skills are really what differentiates software engineers. One of the most important qualities of any software engineer is explaining their code clearly at various levels of technical depth and explaining why certain design decisions were made. You could write code that does amazing things, but if that code consists of snippets you pasted from StackOverflow without really fully understanding them, it will be a huge headache for anyone who needs to come into the codebase later and maintain or update it.

Another one is asking the right questions. Imagine you are dropped into a huge codebase and asked to add a new feature (very common!). There's no time to understand everything that is going on, but on the other hand, you need to understand enough of the code to do your task effectively, which involves asking questions. A failure to ask questions will likely result in you wasting a huge amount of time working on something that is ultimately not useful, for instance, re-implementing a complex function that already exists somewhere in the codebase.

What java programmer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Anmol Dash

Adjunct Professor in Information Systems + Software Engineer (My full time job), University of Phoenix - Maryland Campus

I have seen mixed responses on this, but in general it is important at each stage of your career, some may say that it is always better to jump ship and job hop every 2-3 years but that is not always the case, sometimes staying at a company, assuming you are seeing growth and are being valued for your leadership, may also pay dividends. There is no one size fits all, but always make sure that you are being fairly valued at your current employer.

What type of skills will young java programmers need?

Dr. Ted Junseok Song

Associate Professor of Engineering, John Brown University

As it always has been, the ability to communicate with others would be a critical skill for college graduates. Additionally, it will be more necessary for professionals to work cross-culturally, as the U.S. is becoming more diverse.

What technical skills for a java programmer stand out to employers?

Maria Larrondo Petrie Ph.D.

Professor, Florida Atlantic University

The potential employee needs to be comfortable and flexible to learn different technologies needed to be successful in the virtual work environment. More importantly than the technical schools are the soft skills that give the employee the self-discipline and communications skills to be effective and productive in a virtual work environment. The non-technical major needs to be computer literate and have the mindset to learn new technical skills.

Do you want to know more?

List of java programmer skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a java programmer resume and required skills for a java programmer to have include:

Java
Web Application
HTML
JSP
XML
Web Services
CSS
Eclipse
User Interface
PL/SQL
MVC
JDBC
JQuery
Database Connectivity
Application Development
API
Front End

Tomcat
Spring Framework
J2EE
Maven
WebSphere
UI
Html Css
Ajax
Linux
SQL Server
Version Control
Spring Mvc
JMS
Unix
JSON
Struts Framework
Application Server

Design Patterns
ANT
UML
SVN
Sequence Diagrams
Scrum
Debugging
Apache Tomcat
JPA
Spring Boot
Unit Test Cases
JBoss
EJB
SDLC
Web Pages
GUI

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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