As the world yearns for more persons who can solve challenging problems through technology, the demand for Software Engineers has increased significantly in recent times. Yet, a lot of software developers are not latching unto this wave opportunity to secure their dream job. This is not because they lack the technical skills needed to compete effectively, rather it is a result of their inability to properly communicate their ability to an employer through a CV.
No matter how good your technical skills are, your CV will most times interact with a potential employer first, before you ever get the opportunity to meet with the employer. The average developer just wants to write code and build amazing stuff, so it’s understandable why they loath the idea of putting together a CV for job application. Just before you get the chance to speak with someone who understands what a command line is, find below, top 7 tips that will help you write the ultimate CV that will land your dream job.
- Introduction
First, all great Software engineering CV template must start with a brief introduction of the developer. The introduction comprises of the Header section and the career summary section. The header is the section that has your name and your designation. A lot of people get confused here as to what they should be described as, Software developers or Software engineers. Well, even though there a thin line between a Software Developer and A software Engineer, most companies or recruiters use them interchangeably. So, we advise that you stick with the designation used by the recruiter. You can also take it further by defining your specialty e.g. Front-end developer, Back-end developer, or full-stack developer.
The career summary section, or what some may prefer to call career purpose is a good place to sell yourself in two or three sentences. That section is to you, what an elevator pitch is to start-up founders. It must be able to communicate your passion, track record, short and long term goals succinctly. This must resonate with the culture and values of the organization you are seeking to work with. So, it’s ok to always rewrite it depending on who you are sending the CV to. You should be able to articulate quickly, who you are (job title), years of experience, your biggest achievement, and the resulting impact. Make sure that this information is related to the job application you intend to apply to.
- Technology Stack
Usually, a recruiter will outline the technology stack or technical requirement for the role been advertised. Ensure that you represent your technology stack properly on your CV. It is great if your Technology stack aligns with the technical requirements for the job, but most times, it doesn’t always align. Do not leave any technical skill out, unless you feel it won’t be needed in the job role.
According to Adele Weeks “ As a full stack engineer, your résumé should demonstrate that you’re skilled in a range of technologies including server-side scripting languages, databases, client-side support, and servers and systems engineering, all of which are required for project completion.”
Most employers are always on the lookout for developers with a wide range of expertise or knowledge. So, you must itemize all the stacks and tools you are familiar with. The technology stacks in demand today include programming languages (Java, Javascript, Python, C++, C#, PHP, Dart,), frameworks (Spring MVC, Django, Flask, React, Flutter, Vue, and Angular), scripting languages (HTML, CSS, and Bootstrap), database tools (SQL, Postgress, Mongo DB, Firebase), Version control tools (Git, CVS, Mercurial), Project management tools (JIRA, SCRUM), Continuous Integration and Continuous Development tools (Jenkins, AWS CodeBuild, Azure DevOps,). There are many ways to showcase your technical skills on your CV, but here’s a great example of how you can segment the technology stack you have experience with.
- Projects
A lot of Software engineers have not had the privilege of working with an organization before. Most are fresh out of school. That is why the ‘projects, section is a very important segment of your CV. Ensure that you outline the personal projects that you have worked on. Even though the projects might not be relevant to the role you are applying for, it creates a good impression of your work ethics and discipline. You can also be a part of other people’s projects. This is why young developers need to imbibe the culture of contributing to open source projects. This will allow the developer to be a part of a real-life project that is big. It makes your CV great when you outline these projects accordingly and highlight your contributions to each of them. This could suffice as a work experience for you.
- Work Experience
Employers want to see your track record. They want to see your work experience, the organizations you have worked for, and the role you have played. Do not leave any stone unturned in outlining your major highlights in your previous organizations. If you have been a part of a project team that delivered a super product, mention it. If you have led a team of other developers, talk about it. If you have solved a bug or a task that is worth mentioning, feel free, and talk about it.
Your career trajectory is a reflection of your track record, work ethic, and skill set. In this section, outline your most important work experiences from either the most relevant to the least relevant or from the most recent to the earliest. By importance, we refer to work experiences that are relevant to the role you are applying for.
Whatever choice of CV structure you wish to follow, ensure that you answer the most basic questions that the hiring manager would be looking out for:
- What company have you worked for and on what team?
- What was your individual contributions on projects you worked on?
- What were the technical skills required to accomplish the projects?
- Have you demonstrated enough transferrable skills that would be useful on the job for which the hiring manager is recruiting for?
- What about your soft skills? Can you communicate properly within a team and do you have leadership potential?
Below is a snapshot of a CV that answers some of these basic questions. Does your CV do the same?
- Soft Skills
Many developers do not place so much importance on soft skills. Yet, it plays a major role in deciding who gets hired between two good engineers. If you must land your dream job as a software engineer in a structured organization, you must cultivate some soft skills and also outline them on your CV.
There are several soft skills an employer wants to see in your CV. These include,
Interpersonal Skills: Software development jobs entail that you must work in teams. No software engineer in any organization builds and delivers a product alone. You must work in teams and sometimes. Learn how to work with others to achieve a common goal.
Critical Thinking: A lot of your tasks as a developer will require critical thinking. Of course, your job is to develop the best algorithms and critical thinking plays a major role in developing algorithms. Learn how to think critically and let it reflect on your CV.
Self-management: The ability to manage oneself and work with less to zero supervision is a soft skill in high demand in the tech ecosystem. This is because there are more remote jobs today and it will keep increasing. Employers need Software engineers that have that discipline to work with less supervision. Do not fail to communicate this in your CV.
Presentation and Public Speaking Skills: Please do not be caught in that cobweb of nerds who lack effective presentation skills. Your ability to work on projects and present your thoughts, ideas, solution, and challenges to a team or clients is a top skill every employer wants to see in your CV.
These are the top 5 things that get the attention of an employer in your CV. Remember that you can recreate your software engineering CV on reventify with ease. Do not forget that your CV must be very flexible. You should always be ready to tweak and update it to meet the different needs of different employers. Most times, it could be the same thing, said differently. Just make sure that what your CV is communicating aligns with the requirements of the prospective employer. Embrace the reventify tech CV template and close the deal on your dream job.
