You’ve mastered the ins and outs of your programming languages of choice, and you’re feeling ready for a new adventure. Setting your sights on Google proves you’re confident in your knowledge of algorithm design, coding, data structures, and Google’s product stack.
Jobs at Google are known for being difficult to get, so to get your foot in the door, you need to create a cover letter and craft an effective resume.
Good news: we’ve helped experts like you land their dream jobs at Google before! Check out our Google software engineer resume examples and resume tips to level up your career.
Why this resume works
- Seven seconds—that’s how much time you have to make the recruiter go “Wow! ” with your Google software engineer resume. Take it as your cue to bust out the reverse chronological layout in your piece.
- So, here’s how you do it. Put your latest gig right at the top of your resume and let the journey unwind backward from there. It’s like telling a story that gets more interesting by the minute, compelling enough to turn the recruiter on to invite you for an interview.
Why this resume works
- From developing next-generation technologies to implementing premium cloud-based products, you know that you’re the Google software engineer your dream company is hunting for. But does your resume format nudge the recruiter to give you a chance or pass you over? Choose wisely!
- Contrary to popular belief, you can still win the recruiter’s favor without fancy formats; a simple, one-page, one-column Google software engineer resume with only a few sections providing the necessary info (we’re talking the header, work history, education skills, and certifications) will do.
What Matters Most: Your Software Engineering Skills & Experience
Whether you utilize your mastery of Java to develop scalable applications, or perhaps your JavaScript knowledge to deploy responsive web apps, you’ve got skills that Google is always looking for.
It’s important to show your diverse skillset in your resume. This is the first thing recruiters scan, so try to hit all of the most important buzzwords.
Be highly specific here. Instead of a vague “programming languages,” dive into what exactly you’re at, such as JavaScript and its frameworks, like Angular or React.js.
Similarly, talk about the tools you use on a daily basis, be it Visual Studio Code or Git. Don’t forget to flaunt your knowledge of Google’s own systems, like the Google Cloud Platform or Google Cloud Storage.
9 best Google software engineer skills
- Java
- Python
- Google Cloud Platform
- Git Version Control
- SQL/NoSQL
- Docker Containers
- Google Cloud Armor
- TensorFlow
- Kubernetes
Sample Google software engineer work experience bullet points
Recruiters now know you’re proficient in Python or familiar with Google Cloud Armor, but how did you utilize those skills? Your work experience fills out the blanks.
Much like with skills, try to get super specific and rely on data to tell the full story. Google recruiters know the intricacies of software development, so simply telling them that you “worked on an SQL project” doesn’t suffice.
Instead, emphasize the benefits of your work. You can do this by rephrasing that to “Optimized data retrieval operations using SQL, reducing database load by 17%.”
Tie this in with your skills section and create a cohesive resume that tells Google you know what you’re about and that you’ve already got your fair share of achievements to prove it.
Here are a few examples:
- Led the migration of a critical application from on-premise to Azure cloud infrastructure, reducing operational costs by 32%
- Leveraged Docker and Kubernetes to reduce errors by 29% by streamlining the deployment process
- Pioneered and developed a machine learning model using TensorFlow, resulting in a 21% increase in recommendation accuracy
- Re-designed and optimized a web application with JavaScript, ensuring mobile optimization and improving web traffic by 8% over 3 months
Top 5 Tips for Your Google Software Engineer Resume
- Show your knowledge of Google’s tech stack
- Many people dream of working at Google, so your skills alone might not get you all the way there—it’s important to also show passion and commitment. Use both your resume and your cover letter to express your intimate knowledge of Google’s products, such as Android, GCP, or Kubernetes.
- Your portfolio is crucial
- On a similar note, a portfolio that shows that you have a real love for software engineering can go a long way, too. Make sure to put your personal website or GitHub repository near the top of your resume and fill it with relevant projects, like a deep learning model you’ve built using TensorFlow.
- Highlight teamwork
- In a massive company like Google, the ability to work well in a team is important—and yet, you should never put “teamwork” under your list of skills. Instead, use one of your work experience bullet points to describe the cross-functional teams you’ve worked with and the resulting software solutions.
- Don’t go overboard
- You might want to fill your resume with all the programming languages Google usually seeks, which means Python, Go, Java, JavaScript, and C++. However, it’s best to include things you have no problem showing off during a technical interview. It’s better to master two languages than have a slight knowledge of five.
- Tailor your resume
- If you’re already using a resume template when applying to other jobs, you might be tempted to re-use it. Short advice: don’t. Read the job description carefully and build a resume online, specifically with a Google software engineer job in mind.
Highlight the projects you’ve participated in! Fill your GitHub repository with projects relevant to Google, such as a cross-platform mobile application built in React.
Your work experience is more important, but certifications are great to add. Google has plenty of certifications under the Google Certified Professional umbrella, such as the GCP-PCA, PDE, PCD, CNE, or CSE.
Make it concise and easy to read, with a strong focus on technical skills, like Java, Python, or MongoDB. Attach relevant data, like a reduction in product deployment time, to show your greatest achievements.
