Software Developer Resume Template for MS Word
CONTENTS
Introduction
An effective resume can spell the difference between getting noticed by employers and slipping through the cracks. Serving as your introduction to hiring managers, a strong resume can boost you to the top of hiring lists and help land the coder career you’ve always wanted. The following software developer resume template for Word and writing guide serve as starting points in coming to grips with the formatting and content. Together, they will break down each section one by one, focusing on the summary statement, skills, work history, and education portions.
Writing Your Summary Statement
As the first thing readers see, your summary statement is a vital component of your resume, consolidating your career objectives, experience, and skills into a concise three-line statement or bullet list. You want your summary to be engaging, informative, and succinct, providing a clear picture for hiring managers.
When applying for software developer roles, it’s important to include relevant expertise that highlights your strengths as an employee, such as coding proficiency and computer design. This requires assessing your accomplishments and capabilities without embellishing. Achieving these goals can be challenging at first. However, you can use the software developer resume template for Word when creating your own resume. When writing, be sure to bear in mind the following practices:
Incorporate experience, skills, and valuable personal traits into a succinct 3-phrase statement
Use first-person verb forms without pronouns (“Manage” instead of “I manage”)
Utilize sentence fragments to keep the statement concise
Here are some example software developer summary statements that may be relevant to you:
Example 1:
Experience software developer with 7 years in market research and sales strategy. Integrated market analytics into dashboard platform, providing real-time data streaming and consumer metrics. Meticulous and self-monitoring.
Example 2
Software developer with 3 years’ experience in software system testing direction and strategy. Coordinated company-wide system installation, debugging, and beta testing. Communicative and efficient.
Example 3
Software developer:
5 years’ experience
Facilitate digital business infrastructure improvements
Innovative
Example 4
Data Mining Software Developer:
15 years’ experience
Design, develop and integrate data mining technology
Proficient in statistics
Writing Your Skills Section
The second part of the software developer resume template for Word is the skills section. Here, you will list the relevant hard and soft skills needed for the role. The skills section is important because it allows you to present your expertise to readers in a clear, succinct manner. Expect to include at least 3-4 points but no more than 7-8. Use short, concise phrases, touching briefly on how these skills play a role in your work.
Finally, be sure to stay relevant. Avoid including areas of expertise relating to other fields, such as cooking or truck driving. Additionally, incorporating targeted keywords can help draw recruiters to your resume. Here are some reminders to help put your skills section together:
Use short descriptions in sentence fragments
Include at least 3-4 entries per column
Insert targeted key phrases to attract recruiters and ATS searches
Here’s a list of some of the top skills for a software developer that may be useful to you:
Proficient with computers and electronics
Fluent in operating system software (Linux, Unix, Windows)
Trained in metadata management software
Programming proficiency and coding literacy
Complex problem-solver
Writing Your Work History Section
The bulk of your resume consists of the work history section. Here, you provide the reader with a summary of your relevant career positions, including past roles, notable accomplishments, and professional duties. Under each job title, your entries should combine a mix of both the responsibilities involved and the ways in which you excelled.
Using the guidelines provided in the software developer resume template for Word, you can construct a work history that captures the attention of employers, formatted properly and succinctly. When writing, don’t forget to
Provide 5-8 bullet points under each job title
Start with your most recent position and proceed in reverse chronological order
Highlight roles with increased responsibility
Incorporate specific performance metrics when possible
Use present tense for current roles, past tense for former positions
To provide a clearer picture of what a successful software developer work history entails, take a look at these job description examples:
Analyze user needs, generating feedback reports for design team
Evaluate system performance standards, increasing efficiency 35%
Implement and archive system backups
Supervise programmers, technicians, and IT personnel in software development strategy
Writing Your Education Section
Finally, the education section provides readers with a brief history of your professional and academic training. This includes postsecondary degrees, training certificates, completed coursework, internships, and degrees in progress. Take a closer look at the software developer resume template for Word to get a better idea of the formatting, then use these practices when assembling your education credentials:
Begin with the most recent credential and proceed backward
Do not include your GPA unless you’re a recent graduate
Include the expected completion date if coursework is in progress
Here are two examples of completed education sections to help you write yours:
Example 1
IBM Certified Application Developer – 2017
IBM Corporation
Bachelor of Science, Computer Science – 2012
University of Delaware – Newark, DE
Courses included: C+ Programming, Data Storage Development
Example 2
Software Engineering Master Certification – 2012
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers – Atlanta, GA
Associate of Computer Programming – 2010
Atlanta Technical College – Atlanta, GA
Courses included: C++ Programming, Java Programming
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