Senior Software Engineer Sample

A Senior Software Engineer is a computer science specialist. With a background in web development, computer science, or engineering, you likely hold a Bachelor’s degree in any one of these areas. Whether you work remotely, in an office, or both, you know how to work independently and as a team player to complete assigned projects. You also have the ability to multitask and remain focused.

As a Senior Software Engineer, you know how to design software and programs that make the digital world around us possible. You may be assigned any number of tasks on the job, from developing new software applications from scratch and modifying current software applications to creating training manuals and designing and analyzing entire software systems. 

Suppose you're in the market for this kind of job. In that case, you'll need a resume highlighting your software engineering skills and the attributes that show you're uniquely qualified. Read on for tips, tricks, and more to create a Senior Software Engineer resume that gets the job done. 

How to write a resume

Many factors go into designing a Senior Software Engineer resume to land you an interview and job. First, it has to pass an employer’s ATS, or applicant tracking system, and from there, it needs to wow human readers. In this post, we cover:

• How to bypass ATS software

• The type of resume format to use

• How to make your work experience shine

• Why using standard practices matter

• The skills you often find on a Senior Software Engineer's resume

• Why hiring a resume writer makes sense in many instances

How to bypass ATS software

As a Senior Software Engineer, it's highly probable you're familiar with the term applicant tracking system. An applicant tracking system, also referred to as an ATS, is used by employers to support their hiring processes. One job of an ATS is to screen resumes to determine if they are relevant for the job posting and, from there, either reject or accept them. Obviously, you want to be in the latter category.  

To help your resume get past the ATS gatekeeper:

• Use a standard layout and format. Nonstandard options you choose to incorporate into your Senior Software Engineer resume might confuse an ATS and cause you to get rejected. The reverse-chronological format is typically best, as well as standard section headings, like Work Experience and Education. 

• Refer to the job description and ensure you're using any keywords that stand out and align with your skills and experience. Keywords help the ATS mark your resume as relevant to the job. 

• Even though they might look cool, don't include any tables, graphs, or images in your resume. Most applicant tracking systems can't read these and, therefore, won't parse the information correctly. 

• Use both the acronyms and the complete spelling of the abbreviation.

• Use a free ATS resume checker before submitting your resume. 

The type of resume format to use

Generally, job candidates choose from one of three US resume formats. They include:

• Functional

• Reverse chronological

• Hybrid

As previously mentioned, the reverse chronological format tends to work best for ATS software. Human readers also like this format because it's easy to locate relevant information. You might opt for one of the other formats based on your specific circumstances, though be sure to include ATS best practices when you do. 

How to make your work experience shine

For the most part, your work experience will fall under your Work Experience section heading and will make up the majority of your resume. Here are some key takeaways to showcase your work accomplishments on your Senior Software Engineer resume:

• Include your position, employer, and years employed. 

• Below each position, include three to seven bullet points that highlight your most notable achievements. 

• Use strong action verbs to begin each work accomplishment bullet point.

• Include as much quantifiable data as possible.

• Only include relevant information.

• Incorporate all competencies and achievements you have that align with the job description and requirements.

Another area on your resume where you can speak briefly about your most notable accomplishments is your resume summary. The summary falls at the top of your resume between your contact information and work history sections. It includes three to five brief and concise sentences that encourage the hiring team to keep reading. 

Use standard practices

There are a couple of reasons why it’s crucial to use standard US resume practices when writing your Senior Software Engineer resume:

1. Hiring teams are accustomed to seeing the use of standard practices on a resume, so anything that deviates from that can be confusing or unappealing. 

2. Applicant tracking systems can more easily read resumes and parse information from them when they incorporate standard practices. 

Here are some areas where you want to ensure you’re applying familiar, standard practices for your resume:

• Font type and size. Use a resume-friendly font with a size of 10 to 14, depending on the font you select. 

• Margins and line spacing. Select standard margins and line spacing when developing your resume. Apply one-inch margins all around, or, if you’re tight on space, you can go with a half-inch all around, but no less than that - the more white space, the better. For line spacing, select between 1.15 to 1.5 point spacing. 

• Section headings. When naming the sections of your resume, use easy-to-understand labels, like Work Experience, Volunteer Experience, Education, Credentials, and so on. 

• Content flow. Most resumes begin with contact information at the top, followed by a summary. After that, you should have work experience followed by education. Any additional sections you choose to add typically fall after your education.

Senior Software Engineer Resume Example

Now you have some tips under your belt to craft your resume so it lands in the hands of a hiring manager and helps you secure an interview. To help you further, here’s a Senior Software Engineer example. 

Key hard & soft skills for a Senior Software Engineer

As a Senior Software Engineer, you have ample hard skills to showcase on your resume. However, you also want to highlight your soft skills since they’re necessary for success in most jobs. 

A resume that lands interviews has a good blend of hard and soft skills. Below, you’ll find a list of hard skills and a list of soft skills to consider including in your Senior Software Engineer resume. 

Senior Software Engineer resume hard skills

Here are some of the hard skills you might find on a Senior Software Engineer resume. 

• Application Programming

• Database Design

• Code Conversion

• Technical Solutions

• Software Design

• Quality Assurance

• Project Planning

• Project Management

• Software Applications

• Object-Oriented Design 

• Debugging

• Computer Programming

• Software Testing

• Coding Languages

• Cloud Security

• DevOps

• IT Automation

Senior Software Engineer resume soft skills 

Soft skills tend to be highlighted in your work accomplishments vs. being directly spelled out on a resume like hard skills are. In other words, soft skills are more commonly inferred based on what you share about your experience and accomplishments. 

Here are some of the soft skills you might speak to on your Senior Software Engineer resume. 

• Communication

• Detail-Oriented

• Analytical

• Organization

• Time Management

• Problem-Solving

• Collaboration

• Adaptability

• Flexibility

• Teamwork

• Ability to Accept Feedback

• Leadership

Summary & last words

The goal of your resume is to land you an interview that eventually leads to a job. You’ll be well on your way if you write with an ATS in mind and follow the tips and example above. And if you still need support, you can always hire a professional resume writing service. 

Introduction to ZipJob: Professional Resume Writers

There's a delicate balance between creating a resume that's readable by an ATS while also standing out to recruiters and hiring managers. The good news is that you have access to a team of professional resume writers to guide you in writing your resume to achieve this balance. 

Why You Should Make Use of Our Resume Writing Services to Land Your Next Job as a Senior Software Engineer

As a Senior Software Engineer, you have an acute appreciation for software applications and design. But are you clear on the design required for a top-of-the-line resume? Sure, chances are good that with your intelligence and understanding of software requirements, you can write a resume for those challenging applicant tracking system filters. However, writing a resume to stand out and grab the attention of human readers takes a whole other skill set. That's what the team of ZipJob writers is here for - to ensure you get both an ATS-friendly and head-turning resume. 

Resume Writing Service for Senior Software Engineer: Let us write your resume

The ZipJob team has experience writing resumes across 65 industries, with over 30,000 resumes completed for satisfied candidates, including those in the software and technology fields. Our resume writing service provides you with the necessary support you need to craft a resume you can trust to pass an ATS and wow prospective employers. You can rest assured you’ll have a Senior Software Engineer resume to move forward in your career and land your next job.