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Software Developer Resume Examples to Help Your Resume Stand Out

With these software developer resume examples, create a document that shows off your developer skills as well as your ability to create a strong resume.

Donna Wright Profile
By Donna Wright 5 minute read

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Tips for our software developer resume example

Software development is a quickly growing field. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that software engineer jobs will expand by 22% in the decade ahead, which is much faster than average. If you’re interested in computer science and or developing computer programs, then you might want to be a software developer or software engineer. A software engineer resume might seem tough to build from scratch but we have plenty of tips to help you write the best resume for any software developer position.

Here’s an impressive software developer professional resume example to help you fashion a compelling resume.

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What’s the difference between a software developer and a software engineer?

While the roles may seem similar, the required knowledge, skills and experience for a software developer position is different than those for a software engineer role.

What is a software developer?

A software developer is responsible for designing application software and computer systems. Developers are often the people creating the frameworks of new software or important systems and work in a more independent setting.

A software developer resume needs to emphasize programming languages like JavaScript, Python and Oracle, any professional experience in the field, and any related software engineering skills you might have. Refer to our example of a software developer resume on this page for inspiration and a jump start to crafting your resume.

Skills of a software developer:

  • Programming languages like Python, Java and C++
  • Write and test code
  • Creativity
  • Verbal and written communication
  • Presentation skills
  • Web design development
  • Time management skills

What is a software engineer?

A software engineer works on more intensive projects that include designing, developing, and testing the computer system and software for the infrastructure of the entire business. Software engineers work in a team setting and may require project management experience because of project complexities.

Skills of a software engineer:

  • Wider range of programming languages
  • Software development
  • Computer operating systems
  • Debugging software and systems
  • Mathematics
  • Leadership
  • Project management skills

Take a look at our ResumeHelp software engineer resume sample page for more on how to create a rocking software engineer resume.

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The right format and design for your software developer resume

Before you begin creating your resume, you need to decide which of the three resume formats will effectively highlight your job qualifications. Here are the formats you can use for your software developer resume:

  • Chronological resume: Sets up your work experience in reverse-chronological order, placing emphasis on work history. Good for job seekers with more than a few years of experience.
  • Functional resume: Emphasizes your skills rather than work experience. Good for job seekers with less than a few years of work history, recent graduates or job candidates with little relevant experience for the job.
  • Combination resume: Also known as the hybrid resume, this format combines the emphasis from both the chronological and functional resume formats, equally focusing on an applicant’s relevant skills and work experience.

Follow these resume formatting tips to craft the most professional looking resume:

  • Select a professional font like Arial, Times New Roman or Helvetica.
  • Keep the margins consistent on your software developer resume. Stick to 1-inch margins all around.
  • Use an easy-to-read font size so the hiring manager can read your resume smoothly. Set your name at the top of the resume in a 16 or 18-point size, headings at 14 or 15-point size and the resume body wording in an 11 or 12-point size.
  • Use consistent line spacing – single or 1.5 spacing works effectively.
  • Download in the file format that is requested in the job posting based on the employer’s requirement. Typically, it will be a PDF or MS Word format.
  • If you need a bit of extra guidance, use one of our professional resume templates. They’re recommended to use for software developer resumes and made by experts to pass applicant tracking systems (ATS).

Look at our software developer resume samples to write your professional resume. To create a quick and very professional resume, use our Resume Builder, which will provide you with step-by-step instructions and dozens of resume templates to choose from.

How to write a software developer resume

Header and contact information

The header is placed at the top of your software developer resume and should contain all your contact information, including:

  • Your full name
  • Phone number
  • Email address
  • Portfolio link or LinkedIn profile link (If applicable)

Resume summary or objective

Below the header, you’ll position your resume summary or resume objective. While each presents a two- to three-sentence introduction that highlights your best skills and experience, each has different purposes based on the longevity of your experience. You can refer to software developer resume profile examples for inspiration on writing your opening statement.

Resume summary

A summary is utilized for more experienced job seekers, as it provides an overview of your top skills and career achievements to date. It should contain top hard skills and soft skills you have that make you stand out against other candidates.

Resume summary example:

Award Winning software developer with more than three years of experience in industry-leading technology solutions. Member of developer team that won Developers of the Year award for reducing downtime by 35%, boosting coding efficiency by 40% and meeting a 99% on-time performance of completed projects. 

Resume objective

An objective is ideal for entry level job candidates or career changes that lack relevant job experience. It focuses on important skills and includes a statement about your career and intended job goals.

Resume objective example:

Aspiring to obtain a software developer position in an innovative and highly collaborative environment, to utilize my knowledge of programming languages including Python, C++ and Java, problem-solving skills and software knowledge to contribute to the success of the organization. Looking for a role that offers growth potential and career advancement opportunities.

Resume summary example:

Award Winning software developer with more than three years of experience in industry-leading technology solutions. Member of developer team that won Developers of the Year award for reducing downtime by 35%, boosting coding efficiency by 40% and meeting a 99% on-time performance of completed projects. 

Skills section

The skills section should be a short list of six to eight bullet points that goes over your best abilities that relate to the job. Here’s some examples of popular software developer skills:

5 top soft skills for a software developer position:

  1. Effective communication
  2. Attention to detail
  3. Problem-solving/critical thinking
  4. Organization
  5. Creativity

5 top hard skills for a software developer position:

  1. Backend, front-end or full-stack development
  2. Microsoft Office
  3. Programming languages you know
  4. HTML, sql server
  5. Mathematics

Work experience section

The work experience section needs to include all your relevant professional experience related to software development. Be sure to use action verbs, quantify your achievements and highlight accomplishments rather than mundane tasks. List your work experience to match specific responsibilities that the new job wants by referring to the job description to pull keywords and other relevant skills to match on your resume. Many resumes are run through an applicant tracking system (ATS) before they are read by recruiters, so knowing exactly what keywords that the employer is looking for, is key to getting your resume advanced to the next stage. Be sure your skill sets match the role you are applying for.

Your work experience can also include any previously-held positions or internships. If you are a recent graduate, elaborate on academic courses and projects related to software development.

Software developer resume examples: work experience

  • Handled IT software development and integrations for the organization.
  • Performed quality assurance and integration testing for more than five simultaneous projects to meet scheduled deployment.
  • Managed five team members including junior software developers to solve problems and come up with creative solutions.
  • Provided end user support to 100 employees with teamwork and clear communication skills.
  • Implemented new features on a monthly basis while maintaining existing code across a variety of internal and external products.
  • Worked proficiently with GitHub, Gleek, Codepen, Bootstrap and other industry-leading tools.

Education

In your education section, present your top academic credential (e.g., Bachelor’s Degree in computer science) along with the name and location of the institution you received the degree from. It’s important to  include licenses and certifications as well as college education. You can also add relevant coursework, honors or other notable academic work to this section if it pertains to the job description.

Education example:

Bachelor of Computer Science
New York Institute of Technology, Old Westbury, NY, May 2021 

Examples of software developer certifications:

  • Google Professional Cloud Developer
  • Oracle Certified Professional, Java EE 7 Application Developer
  • Microsoft Certified Azure Developer Associate
  • Certified Scrum Developer
  • AWS Certified Developer – Associate
  • CIW Web Development Professional
  • PMI’S Project Management Professional

Additional sections

If you have abilities that you want to be recognized for to stand out among other candidates, create additional sections for relevant certifications, awards, online portfolios, projects, publications and other important achievements, as long as they apply to the job at hand. You can easily create these sections using our Resume Builder.

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Junior software developer resume example

Below is a software developer resume example that you can use to craft the perfect resume for your next job search. Use this resume sample as a foundation for your own, filling it in with your own information and unique qualifications.

John Doe
(123) 456-7890
johndoe@example.com

Resume summary

Agile and resourceful software developer with one year of diverse coding and programming experience looking for an innovative role with growth potential. Strong knowledge of the software development life cycle and adept at several programming languages and HTML. Meets all projects and deadlines with professional enthusiasm.

Skills

  • JavaScript, Python, Oracle
  • Debugging coding errors
  • Full-stack development

Work Experience

Software Developer Intern, Example Company, Los Angeles, CA

  • Worked closely with the senior development team to implement coding changes and troubleshoot bugs.
  • Applied Agile development methodologies for prototype software under senior developers’ direction.
  • Developed code to drive cloud-based and cloud-native technologies.
  • Built APIs, libraries and tools to power engineers and operations.
  • Updated existing software to resolve errors and adapt it to new performance requirements.

Education

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Bachelor of Science, Computer Science
Graduated Cum Laude

The big takeaways

  1. Select the right format: Chronological, functional or combination (hybrid).
  2. Include your current contact information and email address.
  3. Write your resume summary or objective, work experience and skills to match the job ad.
  4. List quantifiable work experience, highlighting achievements not duties.
  5. Present experiences in bullet points to make accomplishments stand out.
  6. Add relevant additional sections with certifications, licenses, awards and more.
  7.  Keep your resume to one page so it’s quicker to read for busy hiring managers.
  8. Write a professional cover letter to show a glimpse into your personality.
  9. Proofread your resume before submitting to catch misspelling, typos or grammatical errors.
  10. Use the ResumeHelp Resume Builder to create an eye-catching resume that draws attention.

FAQ: Software developer resume examples

Have questions? We’re here to help.

To write a resume for a software developer, please include: 

  • A resume summary or objective that summarizes your skills and experience related to the position.
  • A mix of hard skills and soft skills that match those required on the job posting.
  • Work experience that demonstrates your ability to handle the role of software developer.
  • Any projects, licenses or certifications that will show the hiring manager your developer expertise. 

To learn to craft your resume sections to make you stand out among other job candidates, check out our software developer examples for inspiration.

On your software developer resume, you can describe software projects in your work history section or create a separate “Projects” section. To highlight the projects to stand out on your resume, use bullet points to describe the project type, description, project timeframe, and the tools and techniques that you used to successfully complete the project.

Include the most relevant soft skills and hard skills that match the skills required as noted in the job description of the role that you are applying to. Look at some software developer resumes examples to see what soft skills and technical skills other job candidates are including on their resumes. Here are some software developer skills you may want to consider:

  • Backend, front-end or full-stack development
  • Microsoft Office
  • Programming languages
  • HTML experience
  • Databases
  • Operating Systems
  • Cross-platform software
  • Leadership
  • Attention to detail
  • Problem-solving skills
  • Work ethic
  • Teamwork
  • Interpersonal skills
  • Critical Thinking
  • Time management

If you don’t have years of experience in the software development industry, then you can still apply for a junior software developer position. When resume writing add the following items to your resume examples software developer resume if you don’t have any experience in the field:

  • Computer science courses you took in college
  • Programs within the job description that you are familiar with
  • Personal coding projects you have worked on as a volunteer or in your free time

ResumeHelp has plenty of free resume templates, resume guides and other resume building tips on our blog. We also have our Resume Builder that can help you construct the perfect resume in just a few minutes.

Cover letters can be the recruiters’ first impression of who you are as an employee. Your resume tells them all about your experience, but recruiters are also interested in how you apply that experience. There is no better way to do that than with a formal cover letter. Some job descriptions will say that writing a cover letter is optional. However, it is always a good idea to include one anyway. This will make you stand out from other candidates who didn’t bother to write one.

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Donna Wright Profile
WRITTEN BY Donna Wright

Donna is a career expert with extensive experience in the fields of Marketing, Publishing, Direct Mail and Communications. She’s witnessed firsthand the importance of a powerful resume and cover letter to a job search, so she takes great pride in helping change the lives of job seekers by sharing expert career advice and tips to help land the perfect job.

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