What Should an Entry-Level Software Engineering Resume Look Like?

When you’re creating your first resume for an entry-level job, it can feel very intimidating. But resume writing doesn’t have to be difficult. We’ll walk you through every section that should be in an entry-level software engineering resume, as well as offer tips for strengthening your resume.

What Sections Need to be in an Entry-Level Software Engineering Resume?

Here are the essential sections in an entry-level software engineering resume:

Personal Information

At the top of your resume, you should clearly state your name, address, phone, and email so that the employer can easily contact you. Pro tip: if your email address is a nickname or some other silly name, you may want to consider creating an email address that is your name.

For example: don’t use skisandfleas@gmail.com. Create a professional email like Laurensmith@gmail.com.

Objective

The objective section should come below your personal information. In this section, you’ll state the position you’re applying for and why you want to join this team. This section should be personalized to each employer. Pro tip: Highlight skills or achievements that qualify you for this position.

Example:

As an ISWE Best Coding App 2022 Winner and Tech I.S. Certification program graduate, I would love to be a part of CompanyName’s software engineering team utilizing my proven skilling in JavaScript and Python.

Education

When listing your education, you’ll want to list all college, technical school, or advanced degrees you’ve earned. Specify your major if it relates to software engineering. If you earned any awards, publications, or achievements while in school that are relevant to software engineering, you’ll want to state them here.

About 20% of software engineers don’t have an undergraduate degree. While a college degree in software engineering isn’t required for employment, you should expect it to be more challenging to secure a job without a degree. You’ll want a strong portfolio or connections within the industry network to offset the lack of a degree.

At Tech I.S., we have strong partnerships with over twenty blue-chip corporations to help our graduates expand their network and make industry connections to get that first entry-level position.

Work Experience

Work experience is a critical element of your resume. When you are applying for an entry-level job, the employer understands that you may need more experience. You want to list your most recent position, including job title, the company, location, and dates you worked there.

You’ll want to include detailed job responsibilities and achievements during your employment. You want to list responsibilities and achievements that could apply to the software engineering job you are applying for.

Main Responsibilities

When describing the main responsibilities of your employment, use power verbs and quantifiable details. Do not use generalities. This should be three to six bullet points.

Key Achievements

List any milestones or achievements you earned while employed. You can present the achievement by describing a problem you solved through specific actions and highlighting the results of your actions.

What if I don’t have Any Work Experience as a Software Engineer Yet?

If you don’t have relevant work experience, you should list projects, freelance work, GitHub projects, or relevant coursework that applies to software engineering. You can also list personal programming projects you created. Just be sure to list your skills utilized and any measurable results from these projects.

Skills

Man shaking hands for getting a software engineering job

Listing your technical skills is another critical element of your resume when applying for an entry-level software engineering position. Employers will be looking for a checklist of technical skills you need for the position. All relevant technical skills must be articulated in an easy-to-read bullet list.

You should list skills you’re proficient in and apply to software engineering, such as:

Programming languages
Software programs
Debugging programs and skills
Web development languages
Databases
Data analysis
Open source experience

At Tech I.S., we can help you certify in various software engineering programming languages. Sign up today to strengthen your resume.

What Skills Should be Included in an Entry-Level Software Engineer Resume?

Python and JavaScript will remain the most in-demand languages for software engineers in 2023. Employers expect entry-level software engineers to be proficient in 3-5 coding languages. The most used programming languages in 2022 are:

JavaScript
HTML/CSS
SQL
Python
TypeScript

Other relevant in-demand programming languages you should consider learning:

Java
C#/ .NET
Mean
Ruby
Golang
PHP
Kotlin
Matlab
Scala
Swift

In addition to these programming languages, software engineers should be proficient in the following:

Object-Oriented Design (OOD)
Software Testing and Debugging
Problem Solving and Logical Thinking
Communication Skills
Teamwork

Certifications and Awards

If you’ve earned any certifications or awards relevant to software engineering, you’ll want to list them in this section. You can also list affiliations with professional software engineering organizations.

At Tech I.S., we offer coding certification for the following languages and programs:

Web Programming: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React, Python, Django, MySQL, Git

Data Science: Python, NumPy, Pandas, Matplotlib, Seaborn, SQL, and Git

Ready to certify for a career in software engineering? Sign up for one of our successful six-month certification programs.

Hobbies and Interests

This last section on your resume should highlight things you enjoy as extracurricular activities. This helps the employer learn a little about your personality. Pro tip:

Be calculating about what you list here.
Be honest.
Don’t list any off-putting hobbies or interests like collecting toenails or scabs.

Tailor Your Resume to Highlight Your Experience and Skills

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts job demand for software engineers will continue to grow by 22% between 2020 and 2030. But with demand comes competition. To be hired for an entry-level software engineering position, you’ll need a resume that highlights your relevant experience, skills, and achievements. Getting certified in specific programming languages can set you apart from the competition.

Sign up for our six-month international certification programs for a fast track to programming certification in web development or data science. At Tech I.S., we help you gain the certification, experience, and industry network to secure an entry-level position in software engineering.
Related Link: Software Careers with High Salaries 2023