Entry-Level Software Engineer Resume

Entry-level jobs in software engineering are often the most difficult to get. If you’re a recent graduate or just starting your career, you’re faced with fierce competition from candidates who likely have similar qualifications to you.

That means if you want to get hired, you’ll need a standout resume that shows you’re the right candidate for the position.

Follow these four simple tips for writing a strong entry-level software engineer resume and you’ll be on your way to an interview in no time.

Highlight your software engineer resume skills

Technical skills are essential for even the most basic software engineering role. As an entry-level applicant, your resume needs to put your coding and project management capabilities front and center.

Use the skills section of your resume to effectively present your best qualities and technical expertise to future employers.

Avoid simply listing programming languages and specialties. Instead, write down how long you’ve been working with certain platforms and languages to demonstrate your level of experience with each relevant skill.

Here are just a few of the relevant hard skills that you may consider listing in your skills section:

• JavaScript, Angular
• Python, Django
• Git
• C++
• Amazon Web Services (AWS)
• CSS and HTML
• Mobile app development
• SQL (Postgre, Oracle)
• Artificial intelligence and machine learning
• Algorithms
• Analytical thinking
• Teamwork

Write a strong software engineer or computer science education section

If you’re a recent graduate and lack professional experience, your education is your greatest professional asset. Don’t be afraid to highlight it with a detailed resume education section.

Include basic information like your:

• Institution’s name
• Type of degree
• Years attended
• Relevant coursework
• Honors or awards

Create a projects section

Software engineers are usually expected to have a projects section on their resume, or a link to an external portfolio like Github. List towards the bottom of your resume, your projects section is a chance to show employers what skills you’ve applied to make a project come to life.

As an entry-level applicant, you may be thinking you don’t have anything to put in this section. But think again.

Coding projects you carried out for your education are great additions to your projects section.

In fact, any projects you list here will prove to the employer you have the engineering skills needed to complete projects from beginning to end, even if you don’t have formal work experience.

Here’s an example of how to include software engineering projects on your resume:

Resume Projects Example

PROJECTS

Quicksilver Booking | Developer

Description: A mobile hotel booking solution for iOS. Pulls and compares the best hotel prices in a geographical area.
Used: Swift, Javascript, C++

• Worked across the development lifecycle to build and maintain code, eliminating 150 unique bugs.
• Developed dynamic components for the app and created a new landing page that streamlined customer experience.
• Built a new feature using Swift to automatically compare competing discount offers.

Tailor your entry-level software engineer resume to the job post

One of the easiest ways to quickly show an employer you have the skills necessary is to add information from the job listing to your resume.

When you can connect your own interests to the company’s vision, or your past experiences to the responsibilities of the role, it shows you’re interested in this particular job.

Tailoring your resume also means removing any unnecessary information. As an entry-level applicant, you’re likely to have experience that isn’t directly related to the requirements of the position. However, make a point of connecting these experiences to your qualifications as a software engineer.

Once your resume is ready, complete your job application with a cover letter. A software engineer cover letter should succinctly highlight your most relevant achievements for the position you’re applying for.