Programmer
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Build my resume Kathy knew how to test, troubleshoot, configure, and code to carve out a niche within her team. She’d been fortunate enough to snag a good internship right after her computer science degree, and had one programming job under her belt after that. Kathy couldn’t wait to launch her career even further—maybe one day she’d be working for a household-name software company!
Using research skills gained during troubleshooting and project research sessions, Kathy found us. She sighed with relief, seeing the exact guidance she needed in our resume templates and free cover letter generator. With her ambition, it didn’t take long to make a resume and ace the interviewing process to land her next dream job.
Don’t miss our programmer resume examples and tips to find success like Kathy!
Why this resume works
- As a programmer, you need to list your top technical skills in the resume skills section, but you also need to demonstrate those skills in the context of any jobs or personal projects on which you’ve worked. Your programmer resume can also use color around how you can use your skills on projects.
- If you’re a recent graduate (less than three years), it’s okay to talk about any extracurricular experience you had in school that might be relevant to the role to which you’re applying.
- If you have less than 10 years of work experience, strive to keep your resume to one page. Hiring managers get 50 plus applicants for any given role, so they don’t spend much time reviewing each resume. Make their job as easy as possible to maximize your chances of getting an interview. Check out our how-to-write-a-resume guide for expert resume-writing tips!
Why this resume works
- When you’re an entry-level programmer and don’t have much work experience to draw upon, you should expand the “education” section of your resume to include any relevant classes you took in school that demonstrate your skill set.
- Play to your strengths on your entry-level programmer resume. If that’s your education, that’s okay. Just expand on that section.
- As a programmer, talk about meaningful projects you’ve worked on, whether for a class assignment or on your own. Projects demonstrate interest and the ability to start a project from nothing. Both are very valuable to a prospective company.
Why this resume works
- When you’re more senior in your programming, you must demonstrate an increase in responsibility and complexity of the projects you’ve worked on throughout your career. Your senior programmer resume can do a great job of that. If you need help with these details, take advantage of a free AI resume checker!
- Remember, the person reviewing your resume will be quickly scanning it (the average recruiter spends six seconds reviewing a resume), so the more numbers you can include on the page, the better. In the context of work experience, numbers are a quick way to make a convincing case that you’ve had a meaningful impact in your past roles.
- More than just demonstrating your impact, numbers draw a reader’s attention. They’ll increase the time the employer will spend considering your candidacy, which increases your chances of getting an interview.
Why this resume works
- In a job where automation is everything, you can convince your employer that you’re the best fit by adding high-performing metrics in luxurious brands.
- Enrich your CNC programmer resume with the mention of brands like Rolls Royce. However, working at an A-list company isn’t going to be enough. Highlight how you’ve maintained high product quality and customer satisfaction rates using automation software like Siemens NX CAM.
Why this resume works
- Can ChatGPT write a resume and help you with discrete sections like an objective? Combined with the right prompts and Ava’s example for creating a stellar career objective in your SAAS programmer resume, it’s more than possible.
- Start by adding how you’re ready to apply your previous work experiences in this job to succeed. Don’t just call it quits after adding past roles though. Go on and state your expertise in various programming languages and link it to your commitment to helping the company keep growing or maintain its current stature.
Why this resume works
- Developing new algorithms and features for a website/mobile app are key elements to add to a computer programmer resume.
- If you’ve managed systems that have handled high volumes of traffic or data, make sure to add them too! Experiences that show your ability to collaborate with other branches in the same company will also help you highlight your communication skills.
Why this resume works
- In such a highly competitive industry, you must add experiences that show you’ve directly contributed to improving the user experience in your programmer analyst resume.
- Companies will also look out for candidates that have worked with higher-ups to reach a certain business goal. Mention in your resume and write in your programmer cover letter about any software developments you’ve led that have met a company’s goal and made profits.
Why this resume works
- When you’re applying for a more specialized programming role like a Python programming role, you should have the title on your resume (below your name) exactly match the job title of the position to which you’re applying.
- Your Python programmer resume can do a great job of demonstrating the context of how you’ve used Python (and Django) in your work projects.
- Real estate is valuable on a resume since you should keep it to one page. Only include a resume objective if you think it will stand out to the resume reader.
- Notice how your resume can explicitly list the programming languages and tools used in each project in which you’ve worked. This simplifies the recruiter’s job reviewing the resume by showing which skills you’ve used in real-world projects.
- Always strive to make the resume reader’s job easier! This will increase your chances of leaving a positive impact and landing an interview.
Why this resume works
- Your previous Java programmer role titles should precisely match the position for which you’re now applying. Often, programmers don’t have exact titles within a company, so it’s okay to change your past titles based on the role you’re applying to, as long as you’re not stretching the truth.
- Your Java programmer resume skills should not be a long list. Only include skills for which you’d be comfortable being interviewed.
- Be sure to mention all the frameworks you have experience with when applying for a specialized programming position like a Java or Python developer. If this process sounds daunting, feel free to use our resume builder to put your best foot forward!
Related resume guides
4 Pointers for Your Programmer Resume
A programmer creates web applications or programs or makes improvements to existing software through coding and markup writing. While the terms “web developer” and “web programmer” are often used interchangeably, programmers also tend to focus on troubleshooting and maintaining applications’ code. Programmers use several programming languages to develop applications, such as Python or JavaScript.
Applying for a programmer role can be daunting, especially if you don’t have a programmer resume. A well-structured resume is essential to ensuring potential employers give you the time of day and shortlist you for an interview. But if you don’t perfect your programmer resume, so it best highlights your skills and experience, you might not stand out from the crowd.
In this article, we’ll take a look at four ways to perfect your programmer resume:
- Including the right programming skills
- Formatting your programmer resume
- Leveraging your metrics to best quantify your impact
- Adapting your resume to each job
Choose your programmer skills wisely
The skills section on your programmer resume helps recruiters and hiring managers determine whether you could be a good match for the job vacancy. However, not including the right ones could pull you out of the game before your application is even viewed by a human, especially for more competitive roles.
Most companies use automated applicant tracking systems (ATS) that rely on algorithms to scan resumes for certain keywords, such as required skills. Without the right type (or amount) of skills, the ATS will reject your resume.
To ensure that doesn’t happen, use bulleted keywords in your skills section to highlight your hard skills, so the ATS will move you on to the next round. Make sure only to include skills you’d be comfortable being interviewed about, and try to have no more than 10.
To beat the ATS consistently, you need to customize your resume for all the jobs for which you apply—based on the job description. By carefully reading the programmer vacancy, you can make sure to include the skills employers want to see while best highlighting your capabilities and knowledge.
Let’s look at a fictional example of a job vacancy excerpt, so we can look at some possible skills to include on your programmer resume.
The senior Python developer will develop back-end components and write scalable code. Must have experience in cloud technologies and implementing Agile methodologies. They will also improve existing systems’ functionality and regularly test and debug programs. Should have a deep knowledge of Python and relevant frameworks and at least one other back-end language and database management skills.
For a programmer job description like the above example, you could include the following skills:
- Python
- Django
- AIOHTTP
- Falcon
- React.js
- R
- JavaScript
- AWS
- SQL
- Git
Since this is a specialized programmer role, it’s important to include several Python-related skills, such as the language and relevant frameworks. The vacancy also emphasizes skills in another back-end language, so it makes sense to have JavaScript and React.js. You should also include at least one cloud technology (in this case, AWS) and then one or two relevant tools to provide a well-rounded overview of your expertise in other skills, like database or coding management.
Even though you should customize your programmer skills section to each job description, some skills will pop up in most vacancies, which means you should probably include at least some of them on your resume.
While not an exhaustive list, some of the top in-demand skills include:
- Python (Django)
- Ruby (Ruby on Rails)
- HTML
- CSS
- SQL (MySQL, NoSQL, etc.)
- Cloud technologies (AWS, Azure, etc.)
- Git
- PHP
Notice the specific job title listed beneath the applicant’s name in a simple, classic font.
Deciding whether you need a resume objective or summary
One last point: what’s the difference between an objective and a summary? While they’re both about two or three sentences long and go at the top of your resume beneath your contact info, there are some important differences.
Objectives explain why your interests and experience are a good match for the vacancy you applied to, while summaries provide a high-level recap of your work history and accomplishments. You could use an objective if you’re transitioning into programming from another field or if you’re applying for an entry-level position. Meanwhile, a summary is great if you’ve got years of knowledge and niche expertise.
That said, you should only include either if it’s a strong, customized summary or objective that truly adds value. Recruiters spend just a few seconds reading your resume, and if it’s just fluff, it’s best to skip the statement.
Example
Experienced programmer with knowledge of several programming languages, frameworks, and database management tools. Strong affinity for creating and troubleshooting applications.
This summary, while it uses nice vocab words like ‘affinity,’ is very generic and says nothing that a recruiter wouldn’t already expect from a programmer.
Instead, try:
Seasoned programmer with 12+ years of experience, having developed and maintained 150+ applications and 110+ software artifacts in 4 different languages. Have managed 13 junior programmers and am passionate about mentoring early-stage programmers.
With this summary and the example below, you provide a quick overview of your biggest achievements and a snapshot of your work history—all with quantifiable facts to keep recruiters invested in your resume.
Returning to the objective, don’t write something like this: Seeking a Python programmer role to deepen my expertise in Python, Django, and other frameworks. Passionate about code maintenance and development.
Again, this objective adds no new information; this is all something a recruiter would quickly glean from the rest of your resume.
Compared with:
Experienced freelance programmer with 4+ years of experience in Python, Django, and other frameworks supplemented by 6+ years of data analysis skills. Looking to transition into a Python programmer to design scalable, user-friendly solutions at Deloitte.
This objective and the example below clearly show how your experience can transfer into the specific role you’re applying for while quickly stating your expectations, thus, adding value, not fluff.
Leverage metrics in your programmer resume
The best way to concretely showcase your accomplishments on your CV is by leveraging metrics to quantify your impact. Including hard data and statistics will help you avoid a generic and vague resume while also helping your achievements stand out to your potential employer.
Not sure what metrics you should quantify? Consider:
- Solutions: Give a concrete number of applications, projects, features, etc., you’ve developed, worked on, or maintained.
- Revenue: If your solutions increased a company’s revenue, include it.
- Management and collaboration: If you ever managed a team or worked with other stakeholders and departments, quantify it.
- Other activities: From estimations, tickets, project designs, or code reviews, include a number (or an honest estimate if you’re not exactly sure).
Let’s look at one job description bullet point you could write for each of the above based on the resumes on this page.
- Solutions: Developed and maintained 100+ applications using Microsoft, Ruby on Rails, and CSS.
- Revenue: Crafted 4 new tools to assist in big data analysis, increasing revenue by 10%.
- Management and collaboration: Collaborated with 20+ business users and the core technology team on system designs, reducing total development time by 15%.
- Other: Participated in 80+ project designs and planning and proposed 12 solutions to potential bottlenecks and product roadblocks.
If you take the time to quantify your programming accomplishments, you’ll be well on your way to getting shortlisted for that interview.
Make a Unique Resume for Each Programmer Job App
If there’s one point we’re trying to get across, it’s the importance of customizing your programming resume for each job vacancy. By submitting a unique, well-formatted resume, you’ll significantly increase your chances of getting the job.
Don’t worry; we’re not saying that you need to create a new resume from scratch every time. Instead, adjust, include, or add certain details to ensure it matches the vacancy to which you’re applying. Some of the sections you can customize to each programmer application include:
- Resume objective/summary: Let’s say you’re applying for a Python programmer role. Suppose you mostly worked in general programming positions. In that case, you could use the objective to highlight specific expertise in Python frameworks and any niche nice-to-have skills in which you’re proficient.
- Skills: It goes without saying that you should list required skills and any preferred requirements in which you’re knowledgeable. Don’t just mention languages or frameworks, but also include tools and stacks, such as Selenium or Django stack.
- Job description: A good place to include soft skills is in your job descriptions. For example, if a job ad is looking for someone with great innovation skills, you could highlight projects you’ve worked on that required an inventive mindset and creative skills like those shown in the example below.
Now, let’s make this a bit more practical and look at how you could tailor various programmer resumes depending on the job vacancy.
Programmer resume
- Include a diverse range of skills you have experience in as long as you’re comfortable being interviewed on them. Try to keep it balanced between front- and back-end skills, frameworks, and other tools.
- Make sure you leverage quantifiable metrics and soft skills throughout your job descriptions.
- Keep it to one page. Unless your objective/summary is absolutely invaluable, skip it.
Entry-level programmer resume
- Use your objective to showcase how your strengths and skills make you a great fit for the role, even if you’re short on experience.
- Include programming projects you’ve worked on, whether for college or as a personal project.
- Even adding relevant hobbies or interests to your resume could be appropriate.
- Mention relevant courses you’ve taken, and consider including your GPA as a strength.
Senior programmer resume
- Make sure there’s a clear progression in your increase in the level of responsibility throughout your resume.
- All of our resume templates use the reverse-chronological format by default, making it a snap to concentrate on increased responsibility.
- Include a good amount of metrics for more challenging achievements you’ve accomplished, so recruiters can quickly see your expertise.
- If you have a lot of skills, consider grouping them into categories, such as languages, databases, frameworks, and other tools.
Python programmer resume
- Use your objective/summary to highlight experience, and showcase why you’re a great fit for a Python programmer role.
- Focus on Python frameworks in your skills section.
- Clearly show how you’ve used Python and Django throughout projects in your job description.
Java programmer resume
- Add the title of the role directly under your name, and make sure it matches the job position to which you’re applying.
- Include relevant JavaScript frameworks in your skills section.
- Use the job description to weave in other Java-related hard skills you may not have had room for in the skills section.
The synopsis
It’s been a journey, but you’ve made it to the end of our guide on improving your programmer resume. While it can be challenging to create a resume for programming job apps, you’re well on your way by taking it seriously and putting your best foot forward.
You’re now well-equipped to:
- Choose the best programmer skills
- Choose the right resume format
- Quantify your experience
- Customize your resume
Our resume tips will help you create a great programmer resume that’ll get you shortlisted for an interview sooner rather than later. If you need help starting your resume, leverage a free AI resume builder. Already have a resume, but need a sanity check? Use our free resume checker to get AI-powered tips, so your resume is at its very best.
That’s it: you’re good to go. Good luck (not that you need it because knowledge is empowerment) landing your next programming job!
