Programmer Resume Examples to Help You Build Yours

Technical skills are the name of the game when it comes to getting a new job in the programming field. Software engineering is complex, and there’s not necessarily the “perfect way” to get the job done. You may be able to program a specific function hundreds of different ways. As a programmer, it’s up to you to decide the best way to do something while also not breaking any of your preexisting code. Hiring managers want to see someone who’s able to craft these solutions as easily as possible. Using programmer resume examples and these tips, you can create a great resume.

Your resume structure will depend on the resume format that you choose. You can choose the chronological resume which emphasizes work history, the functional resume which emphasizes skills or the combination resume which emphasizes both. Many resume templates start with a chronological resume. Regardless of the resume format you choose, you’re going to include these sections:

Header

Your programmer resume header is the top section of the resume. Typically, it includes your full name, phone number, email address and any job networking profile links such as LinkedIn. This placement at the top of your resume ensures that a hiring manager knows how to contact you for an interview if needed.

Resume summary/Resume objective

The resume summary or resume objective gives hiring managers a brief overview of your specific skills and work history. It is typically 2-3 sentences highlighting your best points. Since it’s positioned at the top of the resume, it’s a great place to begin showing why you are the right candidate for this programming job.

Relevant Skills

You’ll generally want to list at least 5-6 relevant skills on your programmer resume. Here are a few of the programming skills that you’re likely to use:

• EProgramming languages (Python, HTML, JavaScript, SQL, PHP, VisualBasic, Perl)
• EOperating systems (iOS, Windows, Linux)
• EWeb development (MySQL, ASP.NET, Oracle)
• EMethodologies for different languages
• EKnowledge of data structures
• EProblem solving skills
• EDebugging
• EProject management
• ETroubleshooting

Of course, in programming, a significant number of the skills are hard skills, not soft skills. Although some soft skills are important, like problem solving skills, the general overwhelming number of skills on your list will revolve around your actual technical knowledge.

Work history

If you have previous programming experience, you’ve worked for information technology (IT) or you have other related experience, you will include it in the work history section of your resume. Work history is the best way to showcase that you are qualified, in addition to your certifications. You can optimize your resume by making sure that it includes all relevant previous work experience.

Education

Although not all programmers have an extensive education section, always include your top accreditation, such as a bachelor’s degree in computer science. Don’t list your GPA unless requested, but do list any honors you graduated with. Remember, your education doesn’t guarantee you’ll get the job, but it can be a solid addition to your resume.

Do:

• Use a programmer resume sample to work from when creating your resume. Follow the examples’ lead in how the resume is structured, and which skills and experiences are featured.
• Concentrate on your skills section. Most of the time, a hiring manager is most interested in the specific skills you bring to the table.
• Include a “Key Projects” section if you have many projects to showcase. You can include multiple bullet points and include keywords that match requirements in the job description, such as “proficiency in Unreal Engine”.

Don’t:

• Feature super obscure programming languages. These can be an interesting quirk, but they probably won’t help you get a job.
• Assert that you did everything for a job that you had team members help you with. Instead, explain how you’re good at collaborating on a team.
• List your work history in chronological order. Instead, use reverse chronological order, with the most recent job first.