Although the technology industry continues to grow rapidly, you still need a powerful resume to capitalize on the most lucrative opportunities. This is especially true at the entry-level, where you’ll need to find ways to compensate for a limited work history. The key is to emphasize your ability to deliver elegant code and build scalable applications through your internships and academic projects. Over the course of this guide, we’ll help you translate your technical background into an accomplishment-driven resume that stands out to potential employers.
Key takeaways:
- Highlight your technical expertise: Emphasize your advanced knowledge of programming languages, development frameworks, and project management methodologies using tangible examples from your internships or academic projects.
- Quantify your accomplishments: Incorporate hard numbers and metrics whenever possible to enhance the impact of your bullet points.
- Optimize for the ATS: Feature keywords from the job description to ensure alignment with applicant tracking system (ATS) filters, such as REST APIs, quality assurance, cloud technology, and application development.
Most Popular Entry-Level Software Engineer Resumes
Entry-Level Software Engineer Resume Example
Why This Resume Is a Great Example
Taylor’s resume showcases direct contributions to software development projects and highlights collaboration and problem-solving. The clear profile, quantifiable experience, and attention to tools used align well with employer expectations. For help organizing your resume effectively, see best resume formats.
Entry-Level QA Software Engineer Resume Example
Why This Resume Is a Great Example
Alex’s resume features an in-depth experience section with contributions that directly affected product quality and team workflows. It also shows familiarity with test automation tools and agile practices. Learn how to strengthen your own profile by reviewing resume keywords.
Entry-Level Java Software Engineer Resume Example
Why This Resume Is a Great Example
Jordan demonstrates Java-specific development experience along with the ability to communicate technical information clearly. The structure blends both internship and project work to build credibility. If you’re unsure how to frame school projects, see how to write your first job resume.
Entry-Level Software Test Engineer Resume Example
Why This Resume Is a Great Example
Morgan’s experience section reflects growing competence in testing methodologies and tools. By featuring both academic and practical experience, the resume gives hiring managers confidence in Morgan’s readiness. Learn how to list volunteer work and experience to further enhance your own.
Junior Mobile App Developer Resume Example
Why This Resume Is a Great Example
Casey’s resume balances practical internship work with academic accomplishments in mobile development. The profile highlights relevant technologies, and each section reinforces technical depth and user-focused design. Want to know how to organize your education properly? See how to list your education on a resume.
Entry-Level Front-End Web Developer Resume Example
Why This Resume Is a Great Example
Jamie’s resume shows strong command of front-end tools and emphasizes accessibility and responsiveness—two qualities in high demand. The experience section is clearly focused on real-world application. For more ideas on structuring your content, check out how to make a resume.
Software Support Analyst Resume Example
Why This Resume Is a Great Example
Cameron focuses on end-user support and systems analysis with examples of collaboration, documentation, and results. The resume also includes a certification relevant to IT processes. See how to emphasize key qualifications in your own resume at resume personal statement examples.
Junior DevOps Engineer Resume Example
Why This Resume Is a Great Example
Drew’s resume is highly relevant for DevOps roles and clearly highlights foundational tools like Docker, CI/CD, and scripting. The academic project gives insight into real DevOps challenges. For more help highlighting tech skills, visit technical skills in IT resume.
Junior Game Developer Resume Example
Why This Resume Is a Great Example
Riley blends hands-on academic work with internship experience, highlighting both technical and creative strengths. The resume also demonstrates teamwork and problem-solving in collaborative projects. Discover more about organizing early projects in our guide.
Junior Data Engineer Resume Example
Why This Resume Is a Great Example
Pat’s resume focuses on core data engineering concepts—ETL, SQL, Python—and includes tangible deliverables from both academic and professional work. To structure your projects with impact like this, check out work experience on a resume.
Software Engineering Intern Resume Example
Why This Resume Is a Great Example
Taylor pairs strong technical fundamentals with real-world experience gained from a relevant internship. The resume is clean and focused, with each section clearly supporting the job title. Learn how to write your first job resume with similar precision.
IT Project Assistant Resume Example
Why This Resume Is a Great Example
Alex provides a clear look into project coordination responsibilities and tools while backing it up with collaborative coursework. The resume also shows initiative and organization—ideal traits for this career path. Explore more resume action words to sharpen your bullet points.
Junior C++ Developer Resume Example
Why This Resume Is a Great Example
Morgan’s resume is tailored for performance-driven C++ roles. It stands out by showing results in technical environments and highlights specific language versions and optimizations. Learn more about tailoring resumes with career advice: resume job description.
Cloud Support Associate Resume Example
Why This Resume Is a Great Example
Jordan’s resume reflects a strong technical foundation in cloud platforms and the ability to support real users with issue resolution and automation. The certification and project show initiative. Learn how to reinforce these traits by reviewing how to make a resume with no experience.
Junior Python Developer Resume Example
Why This Resume Is a Great Example
Jamie’s resume provides a focused view of Python development for real-world use, including automation and API integration. The mix of projects and internship experience offers strong context for entry-level hiring. Learn how to showcase skills like these using how to list skills on a resume.
QA Automation Analyst Resume Example
Why This Resume Is a Great Example
Cameron highlights both theory and practice in QA automation. The test framework project and internship experience are well explained, giving hiring managers a full view of their testing approach. For additional polish, learn how to write a convincing resume profile.
Systems Analyst Trainee Resume Example
Why This Resume Is a Great Example
Drew effectively highlights analytical thinking, business communication, and systems planning—core to systems analyst roles. It also showcases initiative with visual documentation and real analysis work. For more structure tips, read resume outline examples.
Junior Software Architect Resume Example
Why This Resume Is a Great Example
Pat’s resume shows deep understanding of system-level design even at an early career stage. The inclusion of architecture terms, tools, and diagrams gives credibility. For more on building job-specific resumes, see job title examples for your resume.
UI/UX Engineer Trainee Resume Example
Why This Resume Is a Great Example
Riley clearly understands UX principles and applies them in a practical way with both testing and design tools. The portfolio experience and certification make this resume strong for entry-level UI/UX roles. Want to enhance your resume’s appearance? See best-looking resumes.
Entry-Level Embedded Systems Developer Resume Example
Why This Resume Is a Great Example
Taylor’s resume demonstrates domain-specific technical knowledge, hands-on work, and a clear progression from project to internship. It balances hardware and software skills effectively. For tips on balancing sections, explore resume and career guide for people with disabilities.
Entry-Level Software Engineer Text-Only Resume Examples and Templates
How To Write an Entry-Level Software Engineer Resume Example
Before crafting your content, you need to select an ideal resume template that allows you to present your professional experience and academic projects effectively. Opt for a clean layout that prioritizes clarity over aesthetics. Avoid overly decorative design elements and distracting visuals that might clutter your document. Be sure that your template always includes the following sections:
- Contact information
- Profile
- Key skills
- Professional experience
- Education and certifications
1. Share your contact information
Give your full name, phone number, email address, location, and a URL for your LinkedIn profile. You can also provide a link to your GitHub or personal portfolio, as these can be especially valuable for entry-level software engineers looking to break into the industry.
Example:
Jordan Kim
[email protected] | (123) 456-7890 | Austin, TX | LinkedIn | GitHub
2. Write a compelling profile summarizing your software engineer qualifications
In a highly competitive job market, hiring managers have limited bandwidth to review each resume thoroughly. To make a positive impression quickly, it’s important to lead with a powerful opening summary that captures your unique talents as a technology professional. Start with a sentence that includes your title, years of experience, and three to four technical skills that match the posting.
Round off your profile by highlighting what you’ve accomplished during the early stages of your career. For example, if you collaborated with a team to develop a new application or automate testing processes during an internship, be sure to feature this information directly in your summary.
Entry-level profile example:
Software engineer with experience developing scalable full-stack web applications and mobile tools using JavaScript, Python, and React. Adept at applying object-oriented design and Agile principles to streamline development cycles and improve code efficiency. Passionate about clean code, solving complex problems, and collaborating in cross-functional teams.
3. Add an accomplishment-driven professional experience section
If you’ve already cultivated some professional experience through an internship or entry-level role, this will be the focal point of your resume. Be sure to provide insights into what you accomplished at these previous organizations, rather than simply listing daily job responsibilities. However, if your work history is limited, you’ll need a different approach to show hiring managers that your technical knowledge would be an asset to their team.
Instead of focusing on professional experience, prioritize your most impressive academic or independent projects. For instance, say you developed and built a mobile application in Python. Describing how you created the UX design and back-end functionality is a great way to show employers that you excel in full-stack development.
Entry-level professional experience example:
Software Engineering Intern
CodeCraft Labs | Orlando, FL | June 2024 to August 2024
- Built and deployed a React-based internal dashboard to track KPIs, reducing manual reporting time by 30%
- Integrated third-party APIs with Firebase for user authentication and live data syncing, enabling secure, real-time access across platforms.
- Wrote and implemented unit and integration testing, increasing code coverage by 40% and improving overall system reliability.
Resume writer’s tip: Quantify your experience
Numbers grab attention. Say what you built, how you built it, and what it improved.
Do
- “Developed a scheduling feature that reduced user onboarding time by 20% across three company platforms”
Don’t
- “Worked on scheduling features as part of a team”
Resume writer’s tip: Tailor your resume for each job type
To advance to the next phase of the hiring process, you need to get through the initial screening. Start by carefully reviewing the job description and identifying tech stacks, tools, programming languages, and methodologies that the company is looking for. Be sure to highlight how you utilized these skill sets in real-world situations rather than simply listing them in the skills section.
What if you don’t have experience?
You don’t need a job title to prove you can code. Add projects from coursework, coding bootcamps, or GitHub. Highlight your role, the technologies used, and the value your solution delivered. A solo mobile app or a team-based web app can demonstrate just as much as an internship.
4. Include relevant education and certifications
Education and certifications are a great way to demonstrate your formal technical knowledge, especially at the entry-level. In addition to your bachelor’s degree, highlight your GPA and advanced coursework to show employers that you excelled academically. Consider pursuing industry certifications to demonstrate your commitment to continuous learning within your field, such as an AWS Certified Developer or a Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) credential.
Education example:
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Computer Science | June 2025
University of Texas | Austin, TX
Certifications example:
AWS Certified Developer – Associate | Amazon Web Services | July 2025
Meta Front-End Developer Certificate | Coursera | March 2024
5. List pertinent key skills
Your skills section serves two distinct purposes. The first is to satisfy ATS requirements by integrating keywords directly from the job description. The second is to show hiring managers that you have technical knowledge to succeed in the position. Your technical skills should be organized into different categories that the reader can easily navigate, such as programming languages, platforms, and development frameworks. You should also feature project management and interpersonal skills, as it’s important to demonstrate that you can excel in team-based environments.
| Key skills | |
|---|---|
| Agile development | Application performance optimization |
| API integration | Debugging and troubleshooting |
| Git version control | HTML/CSS |
| JavaScript | Object-oriented programming (OOP) |
| Python | React |
Resume writer’s tip: Use common action verbs
Using strong action verbs is a great way to add depth and clarity to your bullet points. Proactive language provides a greater sense of ownership over your accomplishments. Conversely, passive verbiage and phrases such as “responsible for,” and “assisted,” give the impression that you were in a purely supporting role. Below, you’ll find a list of action verbs you can use to craft the work history section of your software engineer resume:
| Action verbs | |
|---|---|
| Achieved | Analyzed |
| Built | Collaborated |
| Conducted | Created |
| Delivered | Deployed |
| Designed | Developed |
| Drove | Enhanced |
| Evaluated | Identified |
| Implemented | Improved |
| Integrated | Led |
| Managed | Optimized |
| Oversaw | Refactored |
| Researched | Spearheaded |
| Tested | |
How To Pick the Best Entry-Level Software Engineer Resume Template
When choosing a resume template, go with structure over flair. Avoid flashy colors or graphics that might distract from your technical qualifications or disrupt ATS readability. Use a clean, organized format with distinct sections for profile, skills, experience, and education. And if you’re applying in a more design-forward company, consider adding a splash of color, but keep it minimal and professional.
Frequently Asked Questions: Entry-Level Software Engineer Resume Examples and Advice
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, software engineering occupations will increase by 17% between 2023 and 2033. This equates to over new 140,100 openings each year. While there's no shortage of opportunities available on the open market, securing a position at the top tech companies can be extremely challenging. To maximize your odds of landing the interview, it's essential to align your resume with the job description.
For example, say a company is looking for a software engineer who excels in fullstack development. In addition to developing APIs and overseeing backend functionalities, highlight your ability to design user interfaces using Python or JavaScript. This demonstrates that you can execute complex projects on both the front and backend.
Reverse chronological is typically the ideal format for software engineers, as it places your most recent work history towards the top of your document, allowing the hiring manager to quickly view your career progression. However, at the entry-level, a combination format may be the better option, especially if you lack any formal experience. This approach allows you to prioritize your academic and independent projects to illustrate your technical expertise.
Include a cover letter with your resume
Although a cover letter isn’t always required when applying for software engineering roles, taking the time to include one can help bolster the strength of your application. This allows you to explore different aspects of who you are as a technology professional that wouldn’t normally fit into a resume. Be sure to mention something specific about the company’s reputation, mission, or products and why you’re interested in the opportunity.
Check Out Related Examples
Resume Templates offers free, HR approved resume templates to help you create a professional resume in minutes. Choose from several template options and even pre-populate a resume from your profile.