Recommended software engineer CV sections
Choose sections based on your experience level. A student or career changer can put projects and education near the top; an experienced developer will usually lead with a concise profile and relevant employment history.
- Contact and links: professional email, phone, location, GitHub, portfolio and LinkedIn where relevant.
- Professional summary: your role or level, strongest technical areas and the kind of engineering work you do.
- Technical skills: group languages, frameworks, databases, cloud platforms and tools instead of writing one long sentence.
- Experience: describe the product or system, your contribution and the outcome.
- Projects: include selected work that demonstrates skills relevant to the role.
- Education and certifications: include relevant qualifications and dates.
Example project entry
Use a structure like this and replace it with work you actually completed.
Built a [type of application or system] using [language, framework and database]. Implemented [specific feature or technical contribution], tested [important behavior] and documented the setup in a public repository. Technologies: [technology 1], [technology 2], [technology 3].
Write technical bullet points that show evidence
Start with a specific action and explain the engineering work. Avoid bullets that only say you were responsible for a technology.
- Weak: Worked with Python and databases.
- Stronger: Developed a Python API that validates submitted records and stores them in a PostgreSQL database.
- Weak: Helped improve the website.
- Stronger: Reworked the product listing interface to reduce repeated requests and make filtering easier to use.
Tailor the CV to the job description
Prioritize the languages, frameworks and engineering practices the role asks for, but only include skills you can discuss confidently. Use the same standard terminology as the job description when it accurately describes your experience. Do not add keywords that you cannot support in an interview.