Entry-Level Software Engineer Resume Examples and Templates for 2023

How To Write an Entry-Level Software Engineer Resume

To break into the high-demand software engineering industry, you’ll need to craft a strong, accomplishment-driven resume highlighting your background, such as helping with tech issues and designing software solutions. This can be especially challenging at the entry level, as you’ll only have limited work experience to showcase. We’ll provide expert tips to help you leverage your technical expertise and academic achievements to land your first software engineer job.

1. Write a dynamic profile summarizing your qualifications

Your profile section should show the hiring manager who you are and what kind of skills you have. Don’t sell yourself short, thinking you have nothing meaningful to put here because you’re at the entry level. You can list the skills you’ve learned through a degree or boot camp or focus on transferable skills from other jobs, such as troubleshooting tech issues with helpline customers or working as part of a team during an internship.

2. Add an accomplishment-driven professional experience section

If you’re applying for an entry-level position, you may not have much specific experience in the software engineering field to list, and that’s okay. For each job you’ve held, focus your description of your achievements and transferable skills. For example, maybe you identified potential cybersecurity risks or helped your team transition to a new project management software.

Even customer service experience can have value in some instances, especially if you’re applying for a job that involves interfacing with clients and non-technical users.

Also, make a point to quantify your accomplishments whenever possible. Hiring managers don’t want to see generic qualifications. They want to learn more about the experience specific to your background. If your application streamlined manual operations for a company, provide a number for how many work hours this saved every year. If you were creating custom software solutions for large customer accounts, attempt to quantify how much the client was valued at to create a sense of scope.

3. Include relevant education and certifications

If you’re looking for a job straight out of college, list your education on your resume. Many software engineers also gain experience and knowledge through coding boot camps and other nontraditional means, and this should also be listed here. Hiring managers may be looking for specific certifications, and if you have these — or are in the process of completing them — it’s a good idea to create a separate section for this so the reviewer can see at a glance you check that box.

4. List pertinent key skills

Even at the entry level, hiring managers look for candidates with specific skills. You may see job descriptions with a long list of technical proficiencies or programming languages. But don’t be scared off from applying if you don’t have every qualification. Instead, list your skills and remember that soft skills count too. Coding and programming can be learned, but knowing how to work within a larger team and communicate with stakeholders who may not understand development language can be a huge plus. Here are some common skills you may see in job descriptions for software engineers.

How To Pick the Best Entry-Level Software Engineer Resume Template

The main objective of your resume is to show the hiring manager what skills, qualifications, and experience you have — as quickly as possible. To do that, you need a template with a clean design that’s easy to skim. Look for one that is clearly organized, has headers for each section, and doesn’t look too crowded once all your information is added. Stick with a traditional font and size, and use bolding and italics to set apart text when needed.

Entry-Level Software Engineer Text-Only Resume Templates and Examples

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Frequently Asked Questions: Entry-Level Software Engineer Resume Examples and Advice

Frank Hackett

Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW)

Frank Hackett is a professional resume writer and career consultant with over eight years of experience. As the lead editor at a boutique career consulting firm, Frank developed an innovative approach to resume writing that empowers job seekers to tell their professional stories. His approach involves creating accomplishment-driven documents that balance keyword optimization with personal branding. Frank is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) with the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches (PAWRCC).