Software engineers are computer scientists that build systems and applications and develop processes to test and improve them over time. They possess various programming language and management skills that have become highly regarded and valued in the modern digital age.
If you’re a software engineer and want to create an excellent resume for your next job application, we’ve created this page to help you. Let’s get started with the three primary examples of resume writing.
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Job Duties of Software Engineers
Software engineers have the power and ability to direct entire software systems by analyzing the needs of a product or industry and then making successive improvements. Even though a software engineer’s duties are never-ending,
their primary responsibilities include:
Augmenting software systems, checking for improvements, and providing recommendations or enabling future iterations.
Researching servers and mainframe systems.
Communicating with team members about layouts and designs.
Keeping up with new code languages.
Monitoring software performance.
Testing and debugging.
Writing technical specifications.
Developing subject-oriented designs.
Hiring backend and front-end development teams.
Median Salary for Software Engineers
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary of a software engineer is $107,510.
Top Skills for Software Engineers
Unlike preconceptions from popular culture, software engineers are not just automatons that code endlessly without having to talk to anyone.
They have to possess both hard and soft skills. But we have curated the top-five skills for this field. They are:
- Programming languages expert: ava, C, C++, Python, C#/.Net and Ruby are the top programming languages today, and engineers that can code in most or all of them are in the highest demand.
- Critical thinking: Problem-solving and logical reasoning distinguishes great software engineers from good ones. This goes beyond knowing how to troubleshoot and debug issues. It involves looking at data produced by engineering, looking at abstract or specific patterns, and figuring out, as the education news magazine EdSurge says, “what’s a trend versus what’s an outlier to the trend? Where do things correlate, and where can you find causal inference?”
- Solidarity: Teamwork is crucial for any job, especially in the computer software industry, which can be very competitive against other companies and teams that are sometimes supported by millions of dollars and people trying to build robust, useful systems. There should be companionship, respect and empathy for each other.
- Multitasking: Software engineers are required to take care of multiple tasks or projects without missing their deadlines. Sometimes they are managing a team of junior engineers, developing interface designs, coding for a separate project, and developing standards all at once. So you should have the ability to work efficiently in stressful environments.
- Documenting: You cannot conduct complex software systems and develop your team’s data structures and operating systems without knowing how to report it all so that others can replicate and build off of it.
Educational Requirements for Software Engineer Jobs
A degree
The typical entry-level education required for a software engineer is a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science with concentrations in Software Engineering and Systems Engineering. But most companies prefer master’s degrees in Computer Engineering, Computer Science or other related fields.Licensure
Most professional jobs require licensure to show the candidate’s adherence to the industry’s ethical norms. Software engineering does not abide by this requirement. When there was a reasonably small push towards licensure by the NCEES (National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying) in the 2010s, most industry experts rejected it, leading to few people receiving a license.
As Automatic Software developer Scott Willson mentioned on Quora, software engineering is not “a structured, predictable discipline with well-known reusable components/assets” for licensing tests. It is a practice whose practitioners are tested over and over again through on-the-job experience.Certifications
There are many certifications available to software engineers. Some are available directly from the tech companies whose software you have to use to develop your company’s codebase. For example, if you use the cloud backup platform of Amazon’s AWS, like Airbnb and thousands of other successful companies, a certification can make you an expert. Others are available from traditional educational institutions or for-profits that offer comprehensive or specific technical courses.
Here are some available company or tech-focused certifications:- Microsoft: Technology Associate Developer, Certified Solutions Developer, and Azure certifications. These are the most popular for people starting in the technology industry, especially if you’re developing apps for mobile devices or the web. They’re also set up to help you define your level of expertise in different techs, such as Azure’s cloud-based technologies. They all require several exams.
- Amazon: AWS Certified Developer-Associate and Certified Solutions Architect-Associate. The most important technology to create applications over the last 15 years is AWS. It allows software engineers to offload computing power on an a-la-carte basis to Amazon without paying for their servers.
- Oracle: Associate, Professional (OCP), Master (OCM), and Expert (OCE) level certifications (such as Application Express Developer Certified Expert or APEX), and Certified Professional MySQL 5.6 Developer. Oracle tech has helped engineers develop the connections between computers for more than a generation.
- Citrix: Virtualization certification. This one helps you learn about how to install and configure XenApp and XenDesktop 7.15 environments. You need to pass as many as 14 tests to receive this certification.
- Red Hat: The Red Hat Certified JBoss Developer and RHCJD developer certification. The long-time leader in Java development offers outstanding certificates that could boost your resume for jobs working with JEE platforms.
- There are many more tech-foundation company certifications, including from Cloudera, Google, and Puppet Labs.
Associations: - ITIL Foundation: If you want to work as an end-to-end engineer creating products at the cutting edge of tech, this certification pushes you to learn and develop your expertise.
- Scrum Alliance: The leading nonprofit association supporting the 20-year old engineering agile movement is also the only certifying body in this expertise. They offer nearly 20 certifications through different tracks, including as a scrum master, a developer or a product owner, in addition to management ones.
- The Project Management Institute: Project Management Professional (PMP) and PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) certifications. If you want to move up the ladder to manage teams, you should think about these and other certs available.
Schools: - Carnegie Mellon’s Software Engineering Institute (SEI): This well-regarded science institution has several certificates in complex security engineering, cybersecurity and AI. The institute has been working with government agencies like the Department of Defense (DOD) and private industries since 1984.
- The National Institute of Technology (NIT): Provides certificate courses on software engineering to help you achieve higher advanced skills and positions. The students graduate with entrepreneurial skills and solid competencies to satisfy the increasing demand from international employers in the sector.
Resume-Writing Tips for Software Engineers
- Highlight your previous projects by quantifying: You can emphasize previous projects by quantifying contributions and achievements, such as mentioning the number you did per semester or calendar year. If you are a newbie, include school projects relevant to the job.
- Flaunt your technical expertise: Skill sets play a significant role in software engineer resumes. Skills should also change according to each job description or company. Try to understand what the employers are looking for and draft the resume skills section accordingly.
- Tailored according to the employer’s taste: Showcase your potential in the company’s overall growth and make your resume applicant tracking system (ATS) friendly by including relevant terms and industry-specific keywords in specific places. Otherwise, the resume will get rejected before reaching the hands of the employer.
FAQ
How long should my resume be for a software engineer job?
For most people, we recommend one page. But if you have a successful career that includes management experience, you can opt for two pages.
What are hard and soft skills for software engineers?
Soft skills for software engineers include communication, helpfulness, accountability, mindfulness, creativity, and time management — all of which help you build relationships with other people at work. Hard skills include object-oriented design (OOD), networking basics, encryption and cryptography, and algorithms.
How many skills should you put on a software engineer resume?
There should be at least six skills in your resume, including soft skills and hard skills. Prioritize your professional skills since this is a technical position..