One CV challenge you may encounter as a junior software engineer is effectively showcasing your technical skills and projects to compensate for your lack of professional experience. Our guide offers tailored advice on structuring your CV and highlighting personal projects or contributions to open-source software to illustrate your capabilities and passion for the field.
- Answer job requirements with your junior software engineer CV and experience;
- Curate your academic background and certificates, following industry-leading CV examples;
- Select from +10 niche skills to match the ideal candidate profile
- Write a more succinct experience section that consists of all the right details.
Do you need more specific insights into writing your junior software engineer CV? Our guides focus on unique insights for each individual role:
Structuring your junior software engineer CV layout: four factors to keep in mind
There are plenty of best practices out there for your CV layout and design. At the end of the day, a clear format and concise CV message should be your top priority. Use your CV design to enhance separate sections, bringing them to the forefront of recruiters' attention. At the same time, you can write content that:- Follows the reverse chronological order in the experience section by first listing your most recent jobs;
- Incorporates your contact information in the header, but do skip out on the CV photo for roles in the UK;
- Is spotlighted in the most important sections of your CV, e.g. the summary or objective, experience, education, etc. to show just how you meet the job requirements;
- Is no longer than two-pages. Often, the one-page format can be optimal for your junior software engineer CV.
Before submitting your CV, you may wonder whether to export it in Doc or PDF. With the PDF format, your information and layout stay intact. This is quite useful when your CV is assessed by the Applicant Tracker System (or the ATS) . The ATS is a software that scans your profile for all relevant information and can easily understand latest study on the ATS , which looks at your CV columns, design, and so much more.
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Be mindful of white space; too much can make the CV look sparse, too little can make it look cluttered. Strive for a balance that makes the document easy on the eyes.
The top sections on a junior software engineer CV
- Technical Skills to show proficiency in required technologies.
- Work Experience highlighting relevant software development roles.
- Education focusing on computer science or equivalent degrees.
- Projects Section presenting coding projects, personal or academic.
- Certifications relevant to software engineering and technologies.
What recruiters value on your CV:
- Highlight relevant projects and technical skills, showcasing your proficiency in languages and tools that are in demand for junior software engineer positions, such as Java, Python, or Git.
- Emphasise your problem-solving abilities by describing challenging tasks or projects you have completed, demonstrating your analytical thinking and perseverance.
- Include any internships or work experiences that have provided you with practical industry knowledge, even if they were short-term or part-time, as they reflect your professional exposure to software development.
- Detail your educational background in computer science or related fields, focusing on coursework and projects that are directly applicable to software engineering roles.
- Present evidence of your ability to work in a team and communicate effectively by citing collaborative projects, open-source contributions, or any team-oriented workshops you have participated in.
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What information should you include in your junior software engineer CV header?
The CV header is potentially the section that recruiters would refer to the most, as it should include your:
- Contact details - your professional (non-work) email address and phone number;
- Professional photograph - if you're applying hinting at the value you bring as a professional.
Many professionals often struggle with writing their junior software engineer CV headline. That's why in the next section of this guide, we've curated examples of how you can optimise this space to pass any form of assessment.
Examples of good CV headlines for junior software engineer:
- Junior Software Engineer | Specialising in Web Development | Python & Django | BSc Computer Science, 2 Years Exp.
- Graduate Software Developer | Cloud Solutions Enthusiast | Azure Certified | Agile Methodologies | 1 Year Professional Experience
- Entry-Level Programmer | Full-Stack Development | JavaScript & React | BEng Software Engineering, 18 Months In-Field
- Aspiring Junior Software Engineer | Mobile App Development | Java & Kotlin Expertise | Computer Science Graduate
- Junior Software Engineer | Data Science Passionate | Python & SQL | MSc Information Systems, 6 Months Exp.
- Software Engineer (Junior) | UI/UX Focus | HTML, CSS, Adobe XD | Degree in IT | Progressive 3 Years Experience
Catching recruiters' attention with your junior software engineer CV summary or objective
Located closer to the top of your CV, both the summary and objective are no more than five sentences long and serve as an introduction to your experience. What is more, you could use either to entice recruiters to read on. Select the:
- Summary, if you happen to have plenty of relevant experience. Feature your most impressive accomplishments and up to three skills that are relevant to the job you're applying for;
- Objective, if you're just starting your career off. Provide your career goals and answer how you see the role you are applying for will match your professional growth.
Judging which one you need to add to your junior software engineer CV may at times seem difficult. That’s why you need to check out how professionals, with similar to your experience, have written their summary or objective, in the examples below:
CV summaries for a junior software engineer job:
CV objectives for a junior software engineer job:
Lacking professional expertise: how to write your CV to highlight your best talents
Don't count on your lucky stars when you're applying for a role, where you happen to have less (or almost none) professional experience. Recruiters sometimes do hire inexperienced candidates if they're able to present their unique value from the get-go. So, instead of opting for the traditional, CV experience section:
- List any applicable expertise you happen to have - no matter if it's a part-time job, internship, or volunteer work. This would hint to recruiters that your profile is relevant;
- Focus your CV on your transferrable skills or talents you've obtained thanks to your whole life and work experience. In effect, you'll be spotlighting your value as a candidate;
- Separate more space for your applicable academic background and certificates to show you have the technical know-how;
- Ensure that within your objective, you've defined why you'll like the job and how you'll be the perfect match for it. Always ensure you've tailored your CV to individual applications.
Looking for more good examples for your first job? We'll show you how other candidates, with less professional experience, have created their job-winning CVs.
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If there's a noticeable gap in your skillset for the role you're applying for, mention any steps you're taking to acquire these skills, such as online courses or self-study.
Mix and match hard and soft skills across your junior software engineer CV
Your skill set play an equally valid role as your experience to your application. That is because recruiters are looking for both:
- hard skills or your aptitude in applying particular technologies
- soft skills or your ability to work in a team using your personal skills, e.g. leadership, time management, etc.
Are you wondering how you should include both hard and soft skills across your junior software engineer CV? Use the:
- skills section to list between ten and twelve technologies that are part of the job requirement (and that you're capable to use);
- strengths and achievements section to detail how you've used particular hard and soft skills that led to great results for you at work;
- summary or objective to spotlight up to three skills that are crucial for the role and how they've helped you optimise your work processes.
One final note - when writing about the skills you have, make sure to match them exactly as they are written in the job ad. Take this precautionary measure to ensure your CV passes the Applicant Tracker System (ATS) assessment.
Top skills for your junior software engineer CV:
Programming Languages (e.g., Java, Python, C#)
Web Development (HTML, CSS, JavaScript)
Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)
Object-Oriented Programming (OOP)
Database Management (SQL, NoSQL)
Version Control (Git, SVN)
Unit Testing (JUnit, TestNG)
Frameworks (Angular, React, Node.js)
RESTful API Development
Agile Methodologies (Scrum, Kanban)
Analytical Thinking
Problem-Solving
Teamwork
Communication
Adaptability
Time Management
Attention to Detail
Creativity
Proactiveness
Continuous Learning
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If there's a noticeable gap in your skillset for the role you're applying for, mention any steps you're taking to acquire these skills, such as online courses or self-study.
CV education and certificates: your academic background as proof of your skill set
A common misconception about your junior software engineer CV education is that you only need it, if you have less professional experience. That is completely false. The CV education section serves to back up your technical (and sometimes personal) capabilities, fill in gaps in your work history, and show you have the initial industry background and know-how. When creating your education section:
- List your degrees in the reverse chronological order, starting with the most recent (and relevant) ones first;
- Include your degree and university names, start and graduation dates. It's optional to also denote you received a "First-Class Honours" for diplomas that are more relevant to the role;
- Curate your relevant university coursework, projects, or thesis work if you happen to have less professional expertise and need to integrate more job keywords and skills.
Your professional qualifications don't need to stop at your academic background. It's advisable to also select up to three of your most noteworthy (and relevant) industry certificates and feature them in a dedicated section. Once more, include the certificate name, the institution that issued it out, and the date you obtained it on. You could feature both hard skills and soft skills certificates, as in the examples below:
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Order your skills based on the relevance to the role you're applying for, ensuring the most pertinent skills catch the employer's attention first.
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Key takeaways
Write your professional junior software engineer CV by studying and understanding what the role expectations are. You should next:
- Focus on tailoring your content to answer specific requirements by integrating advert keywords through various CV sections;
- Balance your technical know-how with your personal skills to showcase what the unique value would be of working with you;
- Ensure your CV grammar and spelling (especially of your key information and contact details) is correct;
- Write a CV summary, if your experience is relevant, and an objective, if your career ambitions are more impressive;
- Use active language by including strong, action verbs across your experience, summary/objective, achievements sections.
