Software Engineer CV Examples & Templates

Kellie Hanna, CPRW
By Kellie Hanna, CPRW, Career Advice Expert Last Updated: September 19, 2023

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The curriculum vita you turn in to a recruiter can potentially get you a dream job by elevating your qualifications over your peers’. Accomplish this by taking enough time to articulate your content in an organized, concise and effective way to highlight the skills and traits that make you an undeniable choice.

This complete software engineer CV example is an excellent guide to reference as you create your own. Filled with detailed examples for each section, tips for writing your own and a brief job description, you can know exactly the type of information to include.

Use this CV of a software engineer template or explore the rest of our designs on our CV templates page.

Software engineer CV example (text version)

Chris Ware

San Jose, CA 95008
555 555 555
(555) 555-5555
example@example.com

Summary Statement

Experienced software engineer with a passion for developing innovative programs that expedite the efficiency and effectiveness of organizational success. Well-versed in technology and writing code to create systems that are reliable and user-friendly. Skilled leader who has the proven ability to motivate, educate and manage a team of professionals to build software programs and effectively track changes. Confident communicator, strategic thinker, and innovative creator to develop software that is customized to meet a company’s organizational needs, highlight its core competencies, and further its success.

Core Qualifications

  • Code reviews
  • Program testing software
  • Web-based software engineering
  • Software documentation control
  • Programming languages
  • Team collaboration
  • Attention to detail
  • Time management

Relevant Skills

  • Well-versed in software tools including HTML, JavaScript, CSS, BackBone and JQuery, among others.
  • Skilled at reading and writing code using viable inputs and outputs after an accurate assessment of pre- and post-conditions.
  • Experienced at designing unit tests to measure the effectiveness of software programs, backend services and user interfaces.
  • Confident problem-solving abilities to overcome glitches with creative solutions that are strategically designed to last long-term.
  • Strong communication skills and the ability to listen carefully to user feedback to determine modifications for optimal user function.

Education

  • June 2018
    San Jose State University San Jose, CA
    Master of Science Informatics
  • June 2012
    San Jose State University San Jose, CA
    Bachelor of Science Computer Engineering

Work Experince

November 2020 – Current
Intel – San Jose, CA
Software Engineer

  • Develop and design three critical software programs for financial tracking and reporting.
  • Revise, modular and update old code bases to modern development standards, reducing 40% of operating costs.
  • Oversee a team of four software developers and lead weekly discussions to brainstorm ideas in software development and to track changes made in existing programs.

September 2015 – October 2020
CyberCoders – San Jose, CA
Software Developer

  • Participated in creating scalable systems for three primary departments, including human resources, marketing, and supply chain.
  • Optimized the system structure by distributing system deployment to reduce the response time by 30%.
  • Gave quarterly reports to executive management regarding current developments, and tracked changes in existing software.

June 2012 – August 2015
Cisco Systems, Inc. – San Jose, CA
Associate Software Engineer

  • Maintained 75% of a system for documenting code and keeping track of software developments.
  • Researched primary technological developments to determine whether implementation into organizational processes was efficient and feasible.
  • Debugged code and located root causes of problems by reviewing configuration files and logs, decreasing loss by 35%.

Hobbies and Interests

I enjoy volunteering weekly at the local Boys and Girls Club, where I teach youth how to write code. I am an animal lover and enjoy frequent horseback trips with my family. I also appreciate a good book or tennis match.

Languages

  • English
    Native or Bilingual
  • French
    Professional Working

Top 4 characteristics of a best-in-class software engineer CV

  1. Professional summary

    The professional summary of your software engineer CV should mention your top skills and work accomplishments related to the job. Before writing, read the job description and look at the list of desired qualifications and job responsibilities. From here, pick out the most important ones and feature them in your professional summary if they apply.

  2. Skills

    Skills should be listed using bullet points. Like our software engineer CV example, include a mixture of hard and soft skills. Hard skills are abilities learned through training or on the job, while soft skills are personal characteristics and traits that speak about how you approach your job. If you need an idea of skills to feature, read our Top Skills article.

  3. Work history

    The experience section tends to be the longest and most detailed part of a CV. Start with your current or most recent position. For each job, include the title, the name of the company, and the years you held the position. See our software engineer CV sample for an example of how to format this information. Read our How to Write a Perfect Work Experience for more on the work history section.

  4. Education

    List out your credentials using bullet points. If you graduated more than 10 years ago, you don’t need to include the graduation date. You can also include any certifications or training you have completed.

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Do’s and don’ts for your software engineer CV

  • Use measurable achievements to describe your software engineering skills and experience.
  • Use action words to make an impact on your software engineer CV.
  • Tailor your CV to your target software engineer job.
  • Use keywords from the job description throughout your software engineer CV.
  • Format your software engineer CV so that it is easy to read by ATS software and human eyes.
  • Lie about your software engineering experience and skills.
  • Boast about your “incomparable” software engineering abilities.
  • Include irrelevant personal information such as your ethnicity and age.
  • Add skills and experience that do not pertain to software engineering. 
  • Forget to proofread. A software engineering CV with errors is unprofessional.

Top 4 tips for interviews for a software engineer job

  1. Find out the interview format.

    Research the company and find as much information as possible about their preferred interview format. Beyond a phone screening and an in-person interview, there’s a high chance that they will test your skills. Are they going to quiz you on-site? Will you have to complete an online coding assessment or take home an assignment? 

    Decide on a programming language you want to use and start practicing.

  2. Prepare for questions and coding.

    As a software engineer, your interview will go beyond behavioral questions, but you should prepare for both. Practice coding and do mock interviews with another software engineer that can give you feedback. The same goes for behavioral questions. 

    We highly recommend you read our article about the STAR method to prepare for these questions and go in ready to assure the employer that you know how to rise to the occasion and handle unforeseen situations. Some common questions include:

  3. Ask the interviewer questions.

    There’s a high possibility that the hiring manager will open the floor for you to ask questions at the end of the interview. Instead of shrugging your shoulders and saying that you don’t have any questions, prepare a list ahead of time. It’s good to look interested in the company and the job opportunity. Some questions you can ask include:

    • What are the biggest challenges someone in this position will face?
    • What metrics or goals will my performance be evaluated against?
    • How could I impress you in the first three months?
  4. Create a separate list of professional references.

    References generally aren’t added to your CV unless a recruiter or hiring manager requests them. You’ll often see them sent as part of an email or in a separate document. 

    However, if you need to list them in your CV, you can do so at the bottom of your submission. Remember to check with your references for the best contact information and to ensure they’ll give you a good review.

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