Software Engineer Resume: Complete Guide + 5 Examples That Got Hired

You know the drill.

You're a software engineer. You can architect scalable systems, debug complex issues, and ship production code.

But writing your resume?

That's somehow harder than solving LeetCode Hard problems.

And I get it. You're not a writer. You're an engineer. Your code speaks for itself...

Except it doesn't. Because before anyone sees your code, they have to see your resume.

And if your resume looks like everyone else's?

You're getting filtered out before you even get to the technical screen.

Here's what I'm going to show you:

• What tech recruiters actually look for (hint: it's not just your tech stack)
• The exact resume structure that gets past ATS systems
• 5 real examples from engineers who landed offers at Google, Amazon, early-stage startups
• How to showcase side projects without looking junior
• The keywords that matter (and the ones that don't)

No fluff. No generic advice like "tailor your resume" (duh).

Just the actual playbook that works.

Let's build you a resume that gets interviews.

What Makes a Software Engineer Resume Different

First, let's address the elephant in the room.

Your Resume Isn't a Code File

I've reviewed thousands of engineer resumes. The most common mistake?

Treating your resume like documentation.

❌ This is not helpful:

"Utilized React framework with TypeScript to implement component-based architecture following SOLID principles and design patterns including Singleton, Factory, and Observer patterns for state management using Redux middleware with Thunk and Saga for asynchronous operations while maintaining 95% test coverage with Jest and React Testing Library."

Cool. I fell asleep halfway through.

✅ This is what works:

"Built real-time chat feature serving 100K+ daily users, reducing message latency by 67% through optimized WebSocket implementation"

See the difference?

One lists everything you know. The other shows what you achieved with what you know.

Recruiters Spend 6 Seconds on Your Resume

Here's what they scan for (in this order):

1. Company names - Did you work at recognizable companies?
2. Technologies - Do you have the tech stack we need?
3. Impact numbers - Did you move metrics that matter?
4. Recency - Is your experience current?
5. Education - Do you have a CS degree? (less important than you think)

That's it. Six seconds.

Your resume needs to communicate "I can code AND I deliver results" in those six seconds.

The Perfect Software Engineer Resume Structure

After analyzing resumes from engineers at FAANG, unicorn startups, and successful small companies, here's the structure that consistently works:

The Optimal Layout

┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│ [NAME]                              │
│ [Location] | [Email] | [LinkedIn]  │
│ [GitHub] | [Portfolio]             │
├─────────────────────────────────────┤
│ PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY                │
│ 2-3 lines showcasing your value    │
├─────────────────────────────────────┤
│ TECHNICAL SKILLS                    │
│ Organized by category               │
├─────────────────────────────────────┤
│ PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE             │
│ Company | Title | Dates             │
│ • Achievement with metrics          │
│ • Achievement with metrics          │
│ • Achievement with metrics          │
├─────────────────────────────────────┤
│ PROJECTS (if early career)          │
│ Project name | Tech stack           │
│ • What you built + impact           │
├─────────────────────────────────────┤
│ EDUCATION                           │
│ Degree | School | Year              │
└─────────────────────────────────────┘

Why this works:

• ATS systems can parse it easily
• Recruiter finds info in expected places
• Technical skills are immediately visible
• Impact is emphasized over responsibilities

What NOT to Include

❌ Skip these (seriously):

• Objective statement ("Seeking a challenging position..." - no one cares)
• Soft skills section ("Team player, excellent communicator" - show, don't tell)
• Every technology you've ever touched (if you used jQuery once in 2015, leave it off)
• References available upon request (it's assumed)
• Hobbies unless relevant (no one cares that you like hiking)
• Photo (US standard practice)
• Your full home address (city and state is enough)

Section-by-Section Breakdown

Let's build each section the right way.

Contact Information & Links

The Basics:

Alex Chen
San Francisco, CA | alex.chen@email.com | (555) 123-4567
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/alexchen | GitHub: github.com/alexchen
Portfolio: alexchen.dev

Pro tips:

• Use a professional email (firstname.lastname@gmail.com)
• If your GitHub has actual projects, include it (if it's empty, skip it)
• Portfolio site is a huge plus for frontend/full-stack roles
• Location: Just city and state (you don't need your full address)
• Add LinkedIn only if it's complete and current

Professional Summary (Optional But Powerful)

Most engineers skip this. That's a mistake.

A good summary gives context to everything below it.

❌ Generic and useless:

"Passionate software engineer seeking challenging opportunities to utilize my skills in a dynamic environment."

✅ Specific and valuable:

"Full-stack engineer with 4 years building scalable web applications. Specialized in React and Node.js, with experience serving 1M+ users. Reduced API latency by 60% at TechCorp and architected microservices handling $2M in daily transactions at StartupCo."

The formula:

• Role + years of experience
• Specialization (what you're best at)
• Measurable impact (1-2 impressive numbers)
• Notable companies (if recognizable)

Length: 2-3 lines max. If you can't make it impactful, skip it entirely.

Technical Skills (Critical Section)

This is where ATS systems look for keywords. But dumping every technology in a paragraph won't work.

❌ The keyword soup approach:

"JavaScript, Python, Java, C++, React, Angular, Vue, Node.js, Express, Django, Flask, MongoDB, PostgreSQL, MySQL, Redis, AWS, GCP, Azure, Docker, Kubernetes, Jenkins, Git, Agile, Scrum..."

This looks desperate and makes recruiters skeptical of your actual depth.

✅ The organized approach:

Languages: JavaScript (ES6+), TypeScript, Python, SQL
Frontend: React, Next.js, Redux, TailwindCSS, HTML/CSS
Backend: Node.js, Express, Django, REST APIs, GraphQL
Databases: PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis, Prisma
DevOps & Tools: AWS (EC2, S3, Lambda), Docker, Git, CI/CD, Jest

Why this works:

• Easy for ATS to parse
• Recruiter can quickly find what they need
• Shows depth without overwhelming
• Categories demonstrate understanding of the full stack

What to include:

• Proficient (you could interview on this today)
• Production experience (you've used it in real projects)

What to exclude:

• Technologies you only used in tutorials
• Outdated tech (unless job specifically asks for it)
• Obvious things (seriously, don't list "Microsoft Word")

Professional Experience (The Money Section)

This is where you prove you can deliver.

The formula for each bullet: [Action Verb] + [What You Built/Did] + [Technologies] + [Impact with Metrics]

❌ Bad example:

"Worked on frontend features using React"

✅ Good example:

"Built real-time dashboard in React and WebSocket serving 50K users, reducing data lag from 5s to 200ms"

Let's break down what makes a great experience bullet:

Technical Achievement Examples

Backend/Infrastructure:

"Architected microservices handling 10M+ daily requests, reducing response time by 45% and improving system reliability to 99.99% uptime"

"Optimized database queries and implemented caching layer, reducing API latency from 800ms to 120ms for 2M+ monthly users"

"Designed and deployed auto-scaling Kubernetes infrastructure on AWS, cutting cloud costs by $50K annually while handling 3x traffic growth"

Frontend:

"Rebuilt checkout flow in React with TypeScript, increasing conversion rate by 18% and generating $2.3M in additional annual revenue"

"Implemented server-side rendering with Next.js, improving initial page load from 4.2s to 1.1s and boosting SEO rankings by 40%"

"Led accessibility overhaul achieving WCAG 2.1 Level AA compliance across 200+ components, expanding user base by 15%"

Full-Stack:

"Built automated deployment pipeline with GitHub Actions and Docker, reducing deployment time from 2 hours to 15 minutes"

"Developed internal admin tool used by 50+ team members, eliminating 20 hours of weekly manual work"

"Created real-time analytics dashboard processing 500K events/day, enabling data-driven decisions that increased user retention by 23%"

Mobile:

"Shipped iOS app with 4.8-star rating averaging 10K daily active users, with 95% crash-free sessions"

"Optimized app performance reducing startup time by 60% and decreasing battery consumption by 40%"

The Numbers That Matter

Always quantify. But use numbers that actually mean something:

Good metrics:

• Users impacted (50K daily users)
• Performance improvements (reduced latency by 60%)
• Business impact ($2M in revenue)
• Scale (handling 10M requests/day)
• Time saved (cut deployment time by 75%)
• Cost savings (reduced cloud costs by $40K)
• Team impact (unblocked 5 teams)

Weak metrics:

• Lines of code written (no one cares)
• Number of commits (meaningless)
• Features shipped (without context)

5 Real Software Engineer Resume Examples

Let me show you what actually got people hired.

Example 1: Senior Full-Stack Engineer (7 Years Experience)

Result: Offer from Google ($220K total comp)

What worked:

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Google | Senior Software Engineer | 2022 - Present
• Led redesign of ads serving pipeline processing 50M+ requests/day, 
  improving ad relevance scores by 28% and increasing revenue by $15M annually
• Architected real-time bidding system using Go and Kubernetes, reducing 
  latency from 300ms to 45ms while handling 2M QPS
• Mentored 4 junior engineers, with 3 promoted within 18 months

TechCorp | Software Engineer II | 2019 - 2022
• Built microservices in Python/FastAPI serving 5M users, achieving 99.97% 
  uptime over 2 years
• Designed caching layer with Redis reducing database load by 70% and 
  cutting infrastructure costs by $80K/year
• Implemented comprehensive monitoring with Datadog, decreasing mean time 
  to resolution by 60%

StartupXYZ | Full-Stack Developer | 2017 - 2019
• Created React/Node.js platform from scratch, growing to 100K users and 
  $1M ARR in first year
• Optimized database queries, reducing load times by 85% (from 6s to 0.9s)
• Established CI/CD pipeline with automated testing, increasing deployment 
  frequency from weekly to daily

Why it worked:

• Every bullet has a measurable impact
• Mix of technical depth and business value
• Shows progression (promotion, mentorship)
• Technologies are embedded in achievements, not just listed

Example 2: Frontend Engineer (3 Years Experience)

Result: Offer from Airbnb ($165K total comp)

What worked:

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

MediaTech | Frontend Engineer | 2022 - Present
• Rebuilt video streaming interface in React/TypeScript, increasing user 
  engagement by 34% and watch time by 12 minutes per session
• Implemented lazy loading and code splitting, reducing bundle size by 
  60% and improving Lighthouse score from 45 to 92
• Collaborated with design team to create accessible component library 
  used across 8 product teams

AgencyXYZ | Junior Frontend Developer | 2021 - 2022
• Developed responsive websites for 12+ clients using React and Next.js, 
  with average Lighthouse performance scores of 95+
• Integrated headless CMS (Contentful) enabling non-technical teams to 
  manage content, saving 15 hours/week
• Improved accessibility standards achieving WCAG 2.1 AA compliance across 
  all client sites

Why it worked:

• Focus on frontend-specific metrics (Lighthouse scores, bundle size)
• Shows user-centric thinking (engagement, accessibility)
• Demonstrates collaboration and impact on other teams
• Clear growth from Junior to mid-level

Example 3: Backend Engineer (5 Years Experience)

Result: Offer from Stripe ($195K total comp)

What worked:

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

FinanceApp | Senior Backend Engineer | 2021 - Present
• Architected payment processing system handling $10M+ in daily 
  transactions with 99.99% uptime and PCI DSS compliance
• Optimized PostgreSQL queries and implemented connection pooling, 
  reducing database CPU usage by 75%
• Built event-driven architecture with Kafka processing 2M events/day, 
  enabling real-time fraud detection

DataCorp | Backend Engineer | 2019 - 2021
• Developed REST APIs in Node.js/Express serving 1M+ requests/day with 
  p95 latency under 100ms
• Implemented rate limiting and caching strategies, reducing database 
  load by 60% during peak traffic
• Designed data pipeline processing 500GB daily, reducing ETL time from 
  6 hours to 45 minutes

Why it worked:

• Emphasizes scale and reliability (critical for backend roles)
• Shows understanding of distributed systems
• Includes compliance and security considerations
• Performance metrics that matter (latency, throughput)

Example 4: New Grad / Entry Level (0-1 Year Experience)

Result: Offer from Amazon ($120K total comp)

What worked:

PROJECTS

E-Commerce Platform | React, Node.js, MongoDB | github.com/username/project
• Built full-stack shopping platform with cart functionality, user 
  authentication, and Stripe payment integration
• Implemented REST API handling 1,000+ test transactions with 99.5% 
  success rate
• Deployed on AWS using Docker and EC2, achieving 300ms average response time

Real-Time Chat Application | WebSocket, Redis, PostgreSQL
• Created chat app supporting 100+ concurrent users with message 
  persistence and online status tracking
• Optimized message delivery reducing latency to 50ms using Redis pub/sub
• Wrote comprehensive test suite with 85% code coverage using Jest

INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE

TechStartup | Software Engineering Intern | Summer 2024
• Developed user analytics dashboard in React processing 10K daily events, 
  used by product team for feature decisions
• Fixed 15+ bugs across frontend and backend, improving app stability
• Participated in code reviews and sprint planning with 6-person team

Why it worked:

• Projects section demonstrates real skills (not just coursework)
• Shows ability to build complete features end-to-end
• Includes metrics even for personal projects
• Internship experience proves ability to work on a team

Example 5: Career Changer (Former Teacher → Software Engineer)

Result: Offer from mid-size startup ($110K)

What worked:

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

FreelanceABC | Full-Stack Developer | 2023 - Present
• Built 8 responsive websites for small businesses using React and Next.js, 
  with 100% client satisfaction
• Automated deployment workflows with Vercel and GitHub Actions, reducing 
  deployment time by 80%
• Migrated legacy PHP sites to modern JavaScript stack, improving 
  performance by 65%

PROJECTS

Task Management App | TypeScript, React, Node.js, PostgreSQL
• Created productivity app with authentication, real-time updates, and data 
  visualization serving 200+ beta users
• Implemented RESTful API with JWT authentication and role-based access 
  control
• Achieved 90+ Lighthouse scores across all categories

Learning Platform | Python, Django, SQLite
• Developed educational platform with progress tracking and quiz system
• Built admin dashboard enabling content creation without coding knowledge
• Deployed on Heroku with CI/CD pipeline and automated testing

PREVIOUS CAREER

High School Math Teacher | 2017 - 2022
• Developed curriculum for 150+ students, adapting teaching methods to 
  diverse learning styles
• Created data tracking system in Excel reducing grading time by 40%
• Collaborated with 8-person department team on student success initiatives

Why it worked:

• Leads with tech experience (even if it's freelance/projects)
• Shows transferable skills from previous career (collaboration, data)
• Demonstrates self-teaching ability and drive
• Proves ability to deliver for real users/clients

How to Showcase Side Projects (Without Looking Junior)

Here's the thing about side projects:

They're gold when you're entry-level or switching careers.

They're optional when you have 3+ years of solid experience.

When to Include Projects

✅ Include if:

• You're a new grad or have < 2 years experience
• You're career-changing into tech
• You have impressive projects with real users/metrics
• You're applying to startups that value builder mentality
• Your work experience doesn't showcase certain skills you have

❌ Skip if:

• You have 5+ years of strong professional experience
• Your work experience already shows all relevant skills
• Your projects are just tutorials or coursework
• You're targeting very senior roles

How to Write About Projects

❌ Amateur approach:

"To-Do List App Used React and Node.js to make a to-do list where users can add and delete tasks"

✅ Professional approach:

"Task Management Platform | React, Node.js, PostgreSQL | 500+ Active Users • Built full-stack productivity app with user authentication, real-time sync, and data visualization • Implemented RESTful API with JWT auth handling 10K+ requests/day • Achieved 95+ Lighthouse score and deployed on AWS with automated CI/CD pipeline"

Key differences:

• Treats it like a real product, not a toy
• Includes metrics (even for personal projects)
• Shows technical depth and best practices
• Emphasizes user impact

GitHub Tips for Engineers

Your GitHub is your portfolio. Make it count:

✅ Do:

• Pin your 3-4 best projects
• Write detailed READMEs with setup instructions
• Include screenshots or demo GIFs
• Add live demo links if possible
• Keep commit history clean and meaningful
• Maintain at least a few active projects

❌ Don't:

• Leave your profile empty and link it anyway
• Pin tutorial projects or forks you didn't modify
• Have a README that just says "My project"
• Commit with messages like "fixed stuff" or "asdf"
• Let all your projects be 3+ years old with no updates

Pro tip: ATSBreeze's resume builder automatically formats your GitHub projects with the right emphasis on impact and technical depth.

The Keywords That Actually Matter

ATS systems scan for keywords. But not all keywords are created equal.

High-Value Keywords (Include These)

Languages (pick yours):

• JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, Java, C++, C#, Go, Rust, Swift, Kotlin

Frontend:

• React, Vue.js, Angular, Next.js, Svelte
• HTML5, CSS3, Sass, TailwindCSS
• Responsive design, accessibility, WCAG

Backend:

• Node.js, Express, Django, Flask, Spring Boot
• REST API, GraphQL, Microservices
• Authentication (JWT, OAuth)

Database:

• PostgreSQL, MongoDB, MySQL, Redis
• SQL, NoSQL, Database design, Query optimization

Cloud & DevOps:

• AWS (EC2, S3, Lambda, RDS), Google Cloud, Azure
• Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CD
• Jenkins, GitHub Actions, CircleCI

Important concepts:

• Agile, Scrum, Git, Test-driven development (TDD)
• Performance optimization, Scalability
• System design, Data structures, Algorithms

Low-Value Keywords (Skip These)

These sound impressive but don't help:

• "Passionate" (show, don't tell)
• "Team player" (prove it with your bullets)
• "Fast learner" (your experience shows this)
• "Proficient in Microsoft Office" (not relevant)
• "Excellent communication skills" (demonstrated by your resume quality)

The Tech Stack Dilemma

Question: Should you list every technology?

Answer: No. Only list what you'd be comfortable interviewing about today.

If you touched MongoDB once in a tutorial 3 years ago, leave it off. If a recruiter calls and asks you MongoDB questions, you'll look foolish.

Rule of thumb:

• Proficient - Used it in production recently, could start working with it tomorrow
• Familiar - Have significant experience but not recent
• Learning - Currently studying it

Only list "Proficient" on your resume.

ATS Optimization for Tech Resumes

Let's make sure your resume actually gets seen by humans.

ATS-Friendly Formatting Rules

✅ Do:

• Use standard section headers ("Experience," not "Where I've Worked")
• Stick to common fonts (Arial, Calibri, Helvetica)
• Save as .docx or PDF (check job posting)
• Use standard bullet points (• or -, not fancy Unicode)
• Keep formatting simple (bold and italics are fine)
• Include keywords from job description naturally

❌ Don't:

• Use tables or columns (ATS can't parse them)
• Add headers/footers (information gets lost)
• Use text boxes or images
• Get creative with fonts or colors
• Hide keywords in white text (systems detect this)
• Rely on visual charts or graphs

The Job Description Hack

Here's what experienced engineers do:

1. Copy the job description

2. Highlight key requirements:

   • Technologies they mention
   • Years of experience needed
   • Specific responsibilities

3. Mirror their language in your resume

   • If they say "Node.js," don't say "NodeJS"
   • If they emphasize "scalability," use that word
   • If they want "REST API" experience, mention it

4. But stay honest

   • Don't claim skills you don't have
   • Don't exaggerate your experience level
   • Don't copy their description verbatim

Example:

Job says: "Looking for engineer with React and TypeScript experience building customer-facing applications at scale."

Your bullet could be: "Built customer-facing dashboard in React and TypeScript serving 100K+ users, improving performance by 40%"

See how that naturally includes their keywords while being 100% truthful?

Common Resume Mistakes (And How to Fix Them)

Mistake #1: The Technology Dump

❌ Wrong:

"Technologies: JavaScript, TypeScript, React, Redux, React Router, Styled Components, Material-UI, Axios, Jest, React Testing Library, Webpack, Babel, ESLint, Prettier, VS Code, Chrome DevTools, Git, GitHub, npm, yarn..."

This is resume spam.

✅ Right:

"Frontend: React, TypeScript, Redux, Material-UI, Jest Tools: Git, Webpack, npm"

Keep it clean and grouped.

Mistake #2: Listing Responsibilities Instead of Achievements

❌ Wrong:

"Responsible for maintaining the frontend codebase and fixing bugs"

So... you did your job? Cool story.

✅ Right:

"Improved frontend code quality by implementing TypeScript and establishing testing standards, reducing production bugs by 45%"

Now you've shown impact.

Mistake #3: No Context for Numbers

❌ Wrong:

"Reduced latency by 500ms"

Is that impressive? I have no idea.

✅ Right:

"Reduced API latency from 800ms to 300ms, improving user experience for 2M monthly active users"

Context makes the number meaningful.

Mistake #4: Outdated or Irrelevant Experience

If you're a senior engineer, nobody needs to know about:

• Your high school computer science award
• Your college GPA (after 3+ years of work)
• That internship from 7 years ago (unless it was at Google)

Keep your resume focused on recent, relevant experience.

Rule: Your resume should be:

• 1 page if you have < 3 years of experience
• 2 pages if you have 3-10 years of experience
• 2 pages if you have 10+ years of experience (seriously, don't go to 3)

Mistake #5: Generic Resume for Every Application

The engineers who get the most interviews don't send the same resume to every company.

They customize. Not by rewriting everything, but by:

• Adjusting the order of bullet points (most relevant first)
• Emphasizing different projects based on the role
• Mirroring keywords from the job description
• Tailoring the professional summary

This takes 10 minutes per application. And it doubles your response rate.

Your Action Plan (30-Minute Resume Upgrade)

Let's fix your resume right now:

Step 1: Content Audit (10 minutes)

Go through your current resume and highlight:

• [ ] Any instance of "responsible for" or "worked on"
• [ ] Bullets that don't have numbers or metrics
• [ ] Technologies you're not comfortable interviewing about
• [ ] Passive language instead of action verbs

Step 2: Rewrite for Impact (15 minutes)

For each bullet point, ask:

1. What did I build or improve?
2. What technologies did I use?
3. What was the measurable outcome?
4. Who benefited (users, team, company)?

Rewrite using this formula: [Action Verb] + [What] + [How/Technologies] + [Impact with Numbers]

Step 3: ATS Check (5 minutes)

• [ ] Are my section headers standard?
• [ ] Am I using a simple, single-column layout?
• [ ] Did I save as .docx or PDF?
• [ ] Are keywords from the job description present?
• [ ] No tables, images, or fancy formatting?

The Final Word

Look, you're a great engineer.

You've built things. Solved problems. Shipped code that users actually use.

But if your resume doesn't communicate that in 6 seconds?

You're losing opportunities to engineers who aren't any better than you. They just have better resumes.

The good news? This is fixable.

You don't need to hire a $500 resume writer. You don't need some fancy template.

You just need:

• Clear, achievement-focused bullets
• Metrics that prove your impact
• Keywords that get past ATS
• A format that's easy to scan

ATSBreeze does all of this automatically. We've optimized specifically for tech roles. Just enter your experience, and we'll suggest impactful ways to phrase your achievements, ensure your tech stack is properly highlighted, and guarantee your resume gets past ATS systems.

Build your software engineer resume in 15 minutes - it's free to start, and you can export when you're ready.

Or do it manually using this guide. Seriously, both work.

Just do it.

Because that dream job you want? Someone's going to get it.

Make sure it's you.

---

Now go update that resume.

And then go get those interviews.

You've got this. 🚀