As reported by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment of software engineers—along with those of quality assurance analysts, software developers, and testers—is predicted to increase by 22% from 2020 to 2030, which is considerably faster than the national average for all jobs. In addition to this, approximately 189,200 job vacancies for such posts are anticipated each year over a decade, and many of those job opportunities might be a result from replacing employees who embark on new and different careers or leave the workforce.
With these projections, it’s important that job seekers must grab this opportunity. That said; if you’re pursuing a career as a software engineer, it is highly recommended that you equip yourself with a software engineer resume first.
In this article, we’ll discuss the fundamentals of software engineer, what to include on your resume, and tips on how to write an interview-generating tool to help you land this position. Read on.
What is a Software Engineer?
As part of computer science professionals, software engineers are primarily responsible for designing and creating different computer systems and applications with the goal of solving problems using a combination of scientific, mathematical, and engineering principles. They play a key role in every company as they are also in charge of complex and large software systems that comprise an organization’s core systems.
Furthermore, software engineers possess in-depth knowledge of programming languages, software development, and computer operating systems. Aside from systems development and applications development, they also specialize in cutting-edge technologies, including cloud computing platforms, gaming, and virtual reality.
What are the Duties of a Software Engineer?
In addition to the primary duties of software engineers mentioned above, they also perform the following tasks on a regular basis:
- Develop and direct software system validation and testing methods
- Plan the process and approach in creating software
- Optimize software for speed and scalability
- Evaluate and test new and existing software programs
- Design and maintain software systems
- Conduct maintenance and software integrations for existing systems
- Oversee the software development life cycle
- Collaborate with technical authors to write operational documentation
- Test software to determine and fix errors
How Do You Become a Software Engineer?
In order to embark on a career as a software engineer, you’ll need to have the following skills, credentials, and qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in computer science, software engineering, computer engineering, or related discipline;
- Professional certifications including Certified Software Engineer, AWS Certified Developer, and Certified Software Development Professional;
- Experience in software and application development;
- Proficiency with programming languages and object-oriented programming;
- Knowledge of software engineering and best practices for full software development life cycle, such as coding standards, source control management, code reviews, build processes, testing, and operations;
- Experience in developing systems and high-volume transaction applications;
- Ability to learn new skills and technologies in a short period of time;
Expert Tip:
If you possess the abovementioned qualifications, it is highly recommended to include them on your software engineer resume to increase your chances of outshining other job candidates, especially if they are outlined in the job posting.
What to Include on Your Software Engineer Resume
When writing your software engineer resume, make sure that it contains all the key elements in order to catch the hiring managers’ attention. Moreover, including the following parts on your job search tool can help you beat the applicant tracking systems (ATS).
Contact Information
Located at the top of your resume, include your full name, along with your complete mailing address, phone number, and email address. Beside your name, you may also put your certifications, if there are any. Apart from these, including your LinkedIn profile URL and personal website is highly recommended, if you have one. Make sure that details on this part are correct and accurate to avoid missing job interview invites.
Specific Target Job Position
Since there are a number of IT posts available, specifying your target job position on your resume can help hiring managers determine what position you are applying for.
Qualifications Profile / Summary of Qualifications
Also known as resume summary, this section lets you showcase your skills, qualifications, expertise, and experience in a brief and concise manner. Keep in mind that recruiters and employers spend an average of seven seconds to review a resume. Hence, it’s important that you highlight what you can bring to the table. Three to five striking sentences can grab your readers’ attention.
Expert Tip:
Instead of writing a resume objective-type statement, using strong resume titles and headlines can help you take one step ahead of the competition.
List of Software Engineer Skills
Aside from the human eyes, companies nowadays use ATS to easily screen job candidates; and adding industry-specific and soft skills can give you an advantage to move forward to the next hiring process. Below are some of the skills you should put on your software engineer resume to win your job search.
Hard skills
- Machine learning
- Debugging
- Web development
- Data structures
- Cybersecurity
- Artificial intelligence
- Agile development methodologies
- Internet of things (IoT)
Technical skills
- PHP
- JavaScript
- Python
- C and C++
- Java
- Kotlin
- SQL
- R
Soft skills
- Creative thinking
- Decision making
- Problem solving
- Leadership and teamwork
- Time management
- Research
- Organizational
Work Experience
In addition to your skills, your work history serves as the main ingredient of your resume. This portion tells hiring managers that you have the experience to do the job and are perfect fit for the candidate they are looking for. Moreover, your work experience section helps recruiters determine and assess if your roles and duties are aligned with the job posting.
Expert Tip:
When presenting your work history, make sure it contains all the key elements: company names and their locations, your job titles, and inclusive dates of your employment. As for your job descriptions, accomplishments, and contributions, enumerating them using bullet points helps the readers easily review your job application tool.
Education
As a stepping stone to becoming a software engineer, you’ll need to obtain a degree relevant to the field. Take note that academic background is one of the most vital factors that hiring managers consider when hiring job hopefuls. Nonetheless, be sure to put your complete degree and course title, school name and its location, and your graduation date. Aside from these, including the awards, honors, recognition, and scholarships you received, if there are any, can add credence to your education section.
Certifications, Licenses, and Training
As stated above, professional certifications are one of the requirements in applying for this job. Hence, if you have certifications that include Certified Software Engineer, Certified Secure Software Lifecycle Professional, Certified Software Development Professional, or other related credentials, make sure you include them. Moreover, industry-related training, workshops, and seminars you participated in can add value to your job application.
Optional Details to Include on a Software Engineer Resume
Apart from the aforementioned sections, you may also consider adding other important details, such as your professional affiliations, activities, and projects to boost the chances of edging out other job candidates.
How to Write Your Software Engineer Resume
Now that you have an idea on what details to include on your software engineer resume, we’ve also listed the tips to heed on how to present them on a job application document. Read on.
1. Make use of simple, attractive design and layout.
Always remember that aside from the content, your resume layout and design are also integral aspects of your application tool. Hence, we highly discourage applying decorative designs, too much boarders, and fancy font styles. Rather, use simple yet engaging design that will help show off your best feats to the recruiters.
2. Pick the best resume format.
Resume formats help you highlight what you can bring to the table and for hiring managers to assess if you have the experience, skills, and qualifications they are looking for in candidate. Having said that; be sure to choose the right format that emphasizes your qualities.
Depending on your work history, career level, and credentials, you may use one of the four types of resume format: chronological, functional, targeted, and combination.
3. Showcase your software engineering skills.
One of the most effective methods to get the hiring managers’ affirmative response is by highlighting your skills and abilities related to software engineering. In addition to industry-specific skills, mentioning your soft skills is a plus.
4. Include resume keywords and action verbs.
Spreading resume keywords on your tool increases the chances of not only grabbing the hiring managers’ attention but also beating the bots. These terms help them easily screen whether the candidate is perfect for the job post. Therefore, it is highly recommended to review the details of the job post particularly the job descriptions, and take note of the keywords and phrases used in the job announcement.
On the other hand, use striking action verbs when enumerating your job descriptions and accomplishments; since doing so makes your resume more action-oriented.
5. Review, proofread, and edit.
Before you submit your software engineer resume to your target company and other job posting sites, don’t forget to review it over and over again. Doing so will help you spot and correct grammatical mistakes, inconsistency, and typos. You might also consider asking someone to proofread your document to make sure it is free from errors.
Looking for professional feedback? Let the experts from Resume Professional Writers evaluate your existing resume! Committed to assisting job seekers secure interviews, we offer free resume review to help you improve your tool.
Software Engineer Resume Example
To give you an idea how a job-winning resume should look like, take a look at a sample of a software engineer resume below. This was prepared by one of our professional resume writers to guide you in creating your own job application document.
Note: Check out our other information technology resume examples for more ideas.
Partner with Expert Writers to Snag Your Job Search
Still having a hard time producing your software engineer resume? Resume Professional Writers has got your back! We offer high-quality resume writing services to help you get interview invites and land your dream job as soon as possible. Our team is composed of seasoned writers and career coaches who will help you with your job search. Contact us today to get started!
