Software engineer CV, examples, and templates

How to write a software engineer CV

Whether you’re a front-end developer, full-stack engineer, or DevOps specialist, your software engineer CV needs to do more than just list programming languages. It should highlight the value you bring to a team, your ability to build reliable solutions, and your contribution to real-world projects.

With employers relying on ATS software and increasingly competitive roles, your CV must combine strong technical evidence with smart structure and clean formatting. Follow the guide below to write a job-winning software engineer CV from top to bottom.

1. Start with professional contact details

Place your contact information at the top of your CV. This includes:

• Full name
• Phone number
• Professional email address
• City or region (e.g. Manchester, UK)
• LinkedIn profile (if well maintained)
• GitHub or portfolio site (essential for software developers). Make sure all links work and showcase clean, relevant examples of your code or contributions.

2. Write a focused personal statement

Your CV profile or personal statement should sum up who you are, what you do, and what makes you a strong hire. Keep it to 3–4 sentences. Include:

• Your job title and years of experience
• Programming languages or frameworks you specialise in
• Industry focus (e.g. fintech, health tech, e-commerce)
• A quantified achievement

For example:

3. Showcase key software developer skills

Your software engineer CV should include a dedicated skills section, with both hard and soft skills. Include 8–12 relevant skills. You can also weave top skills into the experience section for a stronger impact. You can also create a separate section for “technical skills” where you’ll just showcase your expertise in the most important programs and coding languages.

Some of the more popular hard skills include:

• JavaScript / TypeScript
• Python, Java, C++
• React, Angular, Vue
• Node.js, Django, Spring
• SQL, MongoDB
• Git, Docker, Jenkins
• AWS / Azure / GCP
• CI/CD pipelines
• RESTful APIs, GraphQL
• Unit testing (Jest, Mocha)

Popular software engineer soft skills include:

• Problem-solving
• Team collaboration
• Agile / Scrum adaptability
• Communication skills
• Time management
• Attention to detail

4. Add your professional experience

This is the most critical section of your software engineer CV. It’s where you prove your technical competence and real-world impact. Whether you’re applying for a junior developer position or a senior engineering role, structure your work experience clearly and concisely. For each entry, include:

• Job title — e.g. Software Engineer, Front-End Developer, DevOps Specialist
• Company name — or client name (if freelance)
• Location — city or “remote”
• Employment dates — month and year (e.g. Jan 2022 – Present)
• Bullet points — 4–6 per role

To write these bullet points:

• Start with an action verb (developed, led, optimised, refactored, etc.)
• Include specifics — what tech, which features, how it helped
• Highlight measurable results — improvements in speed, usage, uptime, etc.

See these sample bullet points:

Even if you’re early in your career, include internships, university projects, open-source contributions, or freelance jobs. Treat them with the same structure — clear titles, dates, and results.

5. Highlight your education

Your education section proves your foundational knowledge — but it can also help position your specialisation (e.g. AI, full-stack, mobile dev). Tailor this section depending on your career level:

• Entry-level or recent grads: Include degree name, school, graduation date, and relevant modules or projects
• Mid/senior-level professionals: List degree(s) more briefly unless highly relevant (e.g. MSc AI for a ML role)
• Bootcamp grads or career changers: Emphasise projects, tech stack, and outcomes of your training

See this example:

6. Include bonus sections to stand out

Bonus sections give your software engineer CV extra depth and help you stand out from equally qualified candidates. These optional sections allow you to showcase relevant achievements, interests, and capabilities that don’t always fit under work experience or education.

They’re especially useful if you want to highlight continuous learning, side projects, or transferable strengths. some bonus sections for a software engineer CV include:

• Certifications and technical training
• Programming projects or GitHub portfolio
• Open-source contributions
• Hackathons or coding competitions
• Publications or technical blogs
• Awards and honours
• Volunteering or mentoring
• Spoken languages (with proficiency level)
• Hobbies & interests (relevant to tech or problem-solving)

7. Format your software developer CV for readability and ATS

Your software developer CV should be clean, logical, and scannable by both humans and applicant tracking systems. Here is a formatting checklist:

• CV length: 1–2 pages
• Font for a CV: Sans-serif like Calibri or Arial, size 11–12
• Margins: 1 inch (2.5 cm)
• File format: PDF unless stated otherwise
• Layout: Use clear headings, bullet points, consistent spacing