Software Engineer Resume

Software Engineer Resume – Samples & How-To Guide

As the demand for computers and smartphones continues to increase, so does the need for software engineers. In general, people in this profession design, develop, test, and deploy computer programs and software applications.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), software engineering jobs are projected to increase by 21% from 2018 to 2028, which is much faster than the growth of most other occupations. Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and California are all states with a high concentration of software engineering jobs as well as a high median salary.

How to make your software engineer resume stand out?

As with any resume, you will want to tailor your resume to each job application. Be sure to include keywords that have been used in the job posting and explain how your specific experiences will translate to success in that position.

It is also important to provide hyperlinks to work you have completed in the past. For example, many job applicants include a link to their GitHub, a source code hosting platform where users can put their projects on display for recruiters and hiring managers. Some job applicants also put a link to their StackOverflow profile, a website where users can showcase their technical prowess by answering other users’ questions.

Highlight your experience and explain why it is relevant.

When writing the experience portion of your resume, be sure to explain what skills you have developed throughout your time at each of your previous positions. Then address the needs of the software engineering job you are applying for and how your previous experience gives you insight into this role. By doing this, you are demonstrating your understanding of the job and helping the hiring manager picture you in this role.

List your skills

Ultimately, a job in software engineering means developing software. Thus, it is important for hiring managers to know exactly what technologies you are proficient in. Be sure to clearly list out the programming languages, applications, operating systems, and technologies that you are familiar with on your resume.

Emphasize interpersonal skills

While you will be working with computers the majority of the time, it is important that you can also relate to people. Hiring managers want software engineers who can listen to and understand the needs of the user, and then create programs to match. As such, good communication is key in this role. It is also important that you blend into and enhance the workplace culture, and great interpersonal and emotional intelligence skills make this more likely in the eyes of the hiring manager.

How should you structure your software engineer resume?

Formatting your resume properly is vital to success. Your resume should be neatly organized and easy to read, as most hiring managers only have a few seconds to glance at each resume. It sometimes helps to have a professional summary placed at the top, followed by headings like “Skills,” “Certifications,” “Professional Experience,” and “Education.” Oftentimes organizing the information under each heading in chronological order is helpful. This enables the hiring manager to see your professional trajectory, and the growth you have made within the software engineering field.

Writing a software engineer resume can a tall task. If you think you can’t write as well as you code, check out a list of resume writing services to consider.

What should you emphasize in the professional summary of your resume?

When you craft your professional summary, keep it short and sweet. Generally, these summaries are no more than four or five sentences and should reference the number of years you have been in the industry, any notable skills you have, and, if available, some quantifiable content that demonstrates your proficiency in the software engineering field. Ideally, this final statement could describe a project you completed that saved your user a measurable amount of time, money, or other resource.

How to prepare for your software engineer interview?

Preparing for your software engineering interview is of the utmost importance. To begin the process, do extensive research into the company with whom you are interviewing. Be sure to take notes and write down any questions you may have. Also study the company’s website, related news articles, and any other information you can find, especially regarding software. Try to figure out precisely what technologies they use at their firm. Think about how you would fit into their company culture and how you could benefit them.

Many interviewers in the software engineering industry like to ask technical questions during the interview. They may ask you to write code to solve a particular problem, give you a tricky math question, or even throw a few brainteasers at you. You should practice these types of questions by searching for examples online and doing them at home, pretending that you are in an actual interview.

On the day of your interview, review your notes. If the interview is in person, try to dress in the same attire as most people in the office. Perhaps you can look for photos on the company website to help you figure out how most of their employees dress. If the company culture tends to favor t-shirts and jeans, you don’t want to show up in a two-piece suit! That might give off the impression that you’d be a poor fit for the company environment.

And of course, it should go without saying that you should arrive early and be kind to everyone in the office. You never know who will have influence on the hiring process.

During the interview, be upbeat, excited, and personable. Exude excitement about the position of software engineer and highlight your skills using specific examples from your resume. You will likely be asked about your coding abilities, programming languages you have used, and how you review code, so make sure to think about your answers to these beforehand.

If your interviewer asks you any technical questions, stay calm and do your best to talk through your thought process out loud. That way, even if you don’t manage to arrive at the completely correct answer, your interview will still be able to see that you are able to think about and reason through the problem in an intelligent way.

At the end of the interview, you will be given the opportunity to ask questions. Now is the time to demonstrate the time and research you put in during the interview preparation stage! Ask a couple well-founded questions to exemplify your interest and excitement about the software engineer position. Finally, close by graciously thanking the hiring manager for his or her time. For an extra touch, write a thank you email and send it over later that day. Include something personal that stood out to you during the interview and thank the hiring manager again for taking the time to talk with you.

Here’s the text version of the sample resume:

At the end of the day, writing is likely not going to be your strongest attribute. You’re a software engineer after all! Factoring that in, you can potentially benefit a lot from having your resume written by professionals. Consider taking advantage of our resume writing services to ensure you get the tech job you want. No one wants to lose a chance of at a job interview simply because their resume isn’t up to par to where it should be.

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