Get Your Dream Project-Based Job with a Well Structured Software Engineer Resume

Have you already applied to several openings and haven't been selected? The problem isn't that you lack the skills; you lack the right resume to get you noticed. There is a saying that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but hiring managers do judge you by your resume.

After all, your resume is the first impression they have of you. From your resume, the hiring manager will determine whether you would be a good fit for the position and deserve their time for an initial interview. Your job is to give them an impeccable software engineer resume that provides confidence in your abilities and opens the door for further conversations. 

As specialized engineering recruiters, we have learned valuable insights that we have gathered after years of recruiting. In this article, we are going to share some of them.

What a Hiring Manager Looks for on a Resume for Software Engineers

The first thing you need to understand is the time constraints of most hiring managers. In addition to the projects they oversee for their company, they are also fielding resumes and scheduling interviews. On average, a hiring manager will spend as little as six (6) seconds scanning a resume. 

Your resume should highlight your experience as a software engineer and attract their attention in six short seconds.  What does this mean? Your resume should contain the use of relevant keywords and should also include:

• Organized information that is easy to scan
• Use a software engineer resume template to create a professional-looking resume that grabs their attention
• Choose a font type and size that is easy to read, even on mobile devices 

As with any resume, a strong software engineer resume should contain:

• Education
• Experience
• Personal projects
• Skills and certifications
• Freelance projects

Now that you understand why your resume is so important let's review how to write a killer software engineer resume.

The Essential Information You Must Include 

Think of your resume as a virtual candidate. It should speak on behalf of you. Your resume presents the hiring manager with an idea of what value you can provide their organization. Listing your skills or providing a list of keywords may not be enough for you to be considered. Whenever in doubt, utilize your network for examples of resumes that have successfully landed an interview. 

Education

Most roles that you will be applying to require a specialized degree. You want to be sure to include a complete educational background on your resume. Mention the latest form of education you have graduated from and focus only on degree or certification programs you've completed. 

Be sure to include:

• Name of the institution
• Specialization 
• Diploma
• Years 
• Notable awards and mentions you have won during your studies

It is also a good idea to include courses or specializations you are currently taking. This shows you are determined to stay up to date with your field's latest knowledge and are committed to becoming a successful professional.

Work Experience & Skills 

Work experience and skill summaries are crucial to writing a good software engineer resume. It is also one of the most challenging parts of the resume to write. Your resume should begin with a summary of your skills. This summary should be concise and categorized. Break technical skills into hardware, software, languages, applications/OS, protocols, and so on. It would be best if you were sure to include which skills were used for which projects. 

Your resume should provide an in-depth write-up about past and current projects relevant to the job requirements you are applying for. 

While providing details about the functions you performed is important, it is just as important to include quantifiable data, such as what you accomplished and your work's end result. Give precise numbers such as the length of time or a percentage of time saved due to your work. 

Be sure to include action words such as managed, created, led, developed, and interfaced related to the project. For example, if you are applying for a Verification Engineer position, you will want to use verbs such as analyzed, designed, developed, tested, implemented, created, etc. 

Start by listing the most recent work experience for the past ten years, if possible. 

Personal Projects

Personal projects are a vital piece of a killer software engineer resume. Especially for new graduates looking for their first opportunity. Including relatable projects helps provide details about your ability to apply your learnings in real-life scenarios. Other items to consider including would be:

• Freelance projects you've won on specialized platforms
• Coding boot camps
• Hackathons
• Coding demonstrations or speaking engagements at industry-related conferences 

This may not seem a lot, but personal projects demonstrate your enthusiasm and dedication to the career path you've chosen. 

Additional Tips for Making a Great Resume

Writing an attention-grabbing software engineer resume can seem daunting, but keeping a few things in mind can help make writing your resume a little easier. 

Here are a few things to avoid when writing your resume:

• Do not include specialized acronyms – those three-four letters may make sense to you and people you work with, but they don't mean anything to the recruiter
• Do not merely list a title and a few skills under your work experience. This will not solicit attention and is not enough detail to demand attention

A killer software engineer resume is: 

• Concise –  one or two pages are sufficient to include relevant information about your educational background and work experience
• Free of errors. Use an online proofreading tool to check for spelling and grammatical errors. 
• Organized content
• Quantifiable data and statistics regarding the functions you performed
• Languages and programs you are proficient in 

Conclusion

Getting good projects and advancing your career is highly dependent on how you present yourself. Your software engineer resume is the first point of contact they have with you. It is like the proverbial first meeting with someone when you form an opinion of them in a few seconds.

Even if this is the first resume you are writing, with the tips we showed you in this article, you have the foundation you need to write a software engineer resume that gets you noticed. And if you need more help, our team at Game7Staffing will take the time to review your resume and coach you on best practices through the entire hiring process.