Software engineer resume examples for 2025

How To Write A Software Engineer Resume

Writing a resume can be a daunting task, but it’s doable when you know what parts and pieces you need to include.

In this article, we’ll go over what you need to include in your software engineer resume and give you some examples of resumes to base yours on.

Key Takeaways:

• Include your contact information, a summary statement, education, skills, work history, and certifications on your resume.

• Adapt your resume for every job you apply for, and include keywords and skills from the job descriptions in your resume.

• Make sure your technical skills, certifications, and education are easy for employers to find and skim on your resume.

What to Include in Your Software Engineer Resume

1. Your Name and Contact Information

   Hiring managers don’t want to have to work to figure out whose resume they’re looking at, so make it easy for them by putting your name in a prominent place at the top of the page. You don’t need to make it obnoxious, but using a font that is bigger or a different color than the rest of your resume is a good idea.

   Here is some additional information to put at the top of your resume:

   • Your address. Just your city and state are all you need.

   • Your email address. Use a professional email address – one that isn’t your current work email address.

   • Your social media. Your LinkedIn page is always a good idea, and include others if they’re applicable to the job you’re applying to.

   • Your online portfolio. If applicable, include a link to your digital portfolio so that hiring managers can see your work.

   Here’s what this section could look like:

   CODY FISHER
   Denver, CO | 720-333-4444 | codyfisher@email.com | codyfisherse.com

2. A Summary Statement

   Include a sentence or two under your contact information summarizing what you bring to the table professionally. Here’s an example:

   “Skilled software engineer with five years of experience developing new software and troubleshooting and modifying existing programs. Detail-oriented, organized, and skilled in SQL, Matlab, Python, and Javascript.”

   This summary statement shouldn’t rehash your entire resume, but it should give readers a quick idea of who you are and what you’d contribute to the company.

3. Your Relevant Education

   If you’re a recent graduate, this section should go at the top of your resume, as your education is one of your most valuable assets. If you’ve been in the workforce for a few years, often it’s better to put this section at the bottom of your resume, but use your judgment on how it looks and flows best.

   Wherever you decide to put it, your relevant education section should include:

   • The name of your school

   • The location of your school (just the city and state or country)

   • The month and year (or just year) you graduated

   • The name of your degree(s)

   You can also include:

   • Applicable minors or concentrations.

   • Your GPA (only if you recently graduated and you earned a 3.5 or above).

   • Academic awards (Magna Cum Laude, Dean’s List, etc.).

   • Professional, non-degree certificates or certifications.

   • Applicable academic research or projects (your senior project, thesis, dissertation, etc.).

   • Applicable courses you want to highlight.

   Here are some additional tips for making your education section look its best:

   • List your degrees in reverse chronological order or in order of descending rank.

   • Shrink your education section down as you gain more work experience to put on your resume.

   • If you haven’t graduated yet, you should still list your degree; just put “Expected graduation date” in front of the date of your graduation.

   Here’s an example of a simple software engineer education section:

   Education

   Master of Science in Computer Science | 2018
   The University of Texas at Austin | Austin, TX

   Bachelor of Science In Computer Science | 2016
   New Jersey Institute of Technology | Newark, NJ

4. Your Skills

   Usually, it’s a good idea to create a separate section for your skills so that readers can quickly scan it to find what they’re looking for. Take a look at the job description to see which skills they want, and you have, and make sure you list those in this section.

   Focus on your hard or technical skills as much as you can in this section, and allow your work history section to show off your soft skills. Here are some examples of technical skills that are good to list on a software engineer resume (as long as you actually have them, of course):

   • Python. Python is a programming language that many software engineers use for software and web development.

   • Java. Java is a programming language that app developers use to ensure their programs can run on a wide variety of platforms.

   • Software development/SDLC. Software engineers need to know how to develop software using the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) framework. This helps them create high-quality software on time and within budget.

   Other examples of hard skills include:

   • Procedures

   • Web services

   • GIT

   • Database management

   • Data analysis

   • Linux

   • C++

   • API

   • CSS

   • Scrum

   • HTML

   • Jenkins

   • SQL

   • Matlab

   • SDLLC

   • Data Structures

   These are just a few of the skills you could list on your resume. Whichever ones you do include, make sure you choose six to 12 of the most important and applicable ones, so you don’t overwhelm the reader – you can even rotate them out from position to position to ensure you’re highlighting the skills each company is looking for.

   Here’s an example of a software engineer's resume skills section:

   Skills

   • Python

   • Java

   • Database management

   • Scrum

   • Data structure

   • SQL

5. Your Work History

   This section is the bread and butter of your resume. It’s where you share your past work experience and show how it’s prepared you to step into the role you’re now applying for.

   Usually, the best way to arrange this section is by listing each job in reverse chronological order with bullet points detailing your responsibilities, accomplishments, and projects for each one. You should also include the name of the company and the dates you worked there. Here’s an example:

   Quality Assurance Tester | Accenture Services | Jan. 2018 - Present

   • Worked in partnership with the functional/technical/QA and PMO teams to enhance processes.

   • Performed Table, Gui, Database, and XML Check Points in Quick test pro scripts to check the validity of data.

   • Performed Back End Testing using SQL queries to verify the integrity of the company database.

   Associate Software Engineer | Cisco Systems | June 2016 - Jan. 2018

   • Analyzed test results data and generated test result reports.

   • Created a voice-interaction-supported customer-facing page with Java and JSP.

   • Assisted on database design project by creating user-defined functions.

6. Your Certifications

   There are a number of professional certifications available in software engineering, and even if a role doesn’t require any of them, hiring managers will likely consider you a more valuable candidate if you have any of these certifications:

   • Software Engineering Master Certification (SEMC)

   • Certified Scrum Master (CSM)

   • Oracle Certified Associate - Oracle9i Database Administrator (OCA)

   • Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist: .NET Framework 3.5, Windows Workflow And Applications (MCTS)

   • Microsoft Certified Application Developer (MCAD)

   • Certified Software Development Professional (CSDP)

   • Certified Systems Engineering Professional (CSEP)

   • Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)

   • ISTQB Certified Tester Foundation Level (CTFL)

   When it comes to putting these certifications on your resume, simply list them under a header that says “Certifications.” This will make them easy for hiring managers to skim.

Five Key Tips for Writing a Software Engineer Resume

1. Pay attention to keywords in the job description. Often your resume will pass through an automated applicant tracking system (ATS) before reaching a human reader.

   ATSs filter resumes based on keywords, so to give your resume the best chance of getting through, pay attention to keywords in the job description and incorporate them into your resume.

   Don’t lie or keyword stuff to the point it’s unreadable, but if the job description says it wants someone good at troubleshooting, use the word “troubleshooting” instead of “problem-solving” in your resume.

2. Tailor your resume to each job you apply for. As nice as it would be to be able to write one resume and forget it, this isn’t the most effective way to make an impact on hiring managers.

   Rearrange your resume so that it highlights the job experience and skills that are most applicable to this particular position. Swap out examples of projects you did to showcase how your experience has prepared you well for this particular position. You can even change the wording of your resume to match what’s on the job description.

3. Use quantifiable examples whenever possible. Numbers paint a picture, and pictures make an impact, so if you can quantify any of your accomplishments, do so. Explaining that you developed an application that allowed 50,000 users to share and access data is far more impactful than simply saying you developed a database.

4. Stick to applicable experience and skills. If you had a job as a grocery store cashier, that’s great, but it probably doesn’t belong on your software engineering resume. Highlight experience that shows why you’re the perfect person for this particular job rather than laying out your entire work history.

   If you don’t have much – or any – applicable experience, show how the skills you learned while working as a grocery store cashier will carry over to this position. For example, your experience quickly and calmly troubleshooting issues in the checkout line is a valuable skill for a software engineer to have, so highlight that in your resume.

5. Proofread, proofread, proofread. Before you submit it anywhere, run your resume through an automatic spelling and grammar checker, read it out loud, and read it backward. If you can, have someone else read it as well to check for clarity and typos.

   Nothing can tarnish the good impression your resume is making with hiring managers like a typo – “After all,” they’ll probably think, “If this person can’t take the time to make sure their resume is error-free, what does that say about the rest of their work?” Avoid this question by thoroughly proofreading your resume.