Programming roles differ considerably and vary from organization to organization depending on the ongoing project. In some cases, a programmer might be involved with maintaining the back-end technology whereas in others, he might be dealing with designing the front-end interface. In addition to this, an individual working in this domain might have worked on different projects and gained expertise in multiple programming languages. To be a successful candidate in a tech sector, the person has to be up-to-date with technical knowledge and show active interest in learning new technology. Also, the resume needs to be kept updated and tailored to every job you would apply for.
The programming field in IT industry is a diverse and offers a range of opportunities for individuals who are programming nerds. As a result, your resume must reflect the requirements of the target company if you want to make it to the group of shortlisted candidates and prompt the hiring manager to schedule your interview. To do this, you need to write an apt resume highlighting your programming skills and relevant work experience. Fortunately, the structure of programming resumes is very simple and consists of sections that every job seeker must include in the document.
Fix resume format:
Whenever you think of drafting a resume, you have two layouts to consider, namely chronological and functional. In the chronological format, it is expected to list all the employers you have worked for along with short, but brief description of your achievements. Whereas on the other hand, in the functional format, the focus is shifted to expertise gained in years, which could be a list of programming platforms you are familiar with or the type of projects you have launched. While any format of resume is written to sell the potential of a person to a prospective employer, hiring managers are more comfortable with the chronological layout.
Contact details:
Instead of writing this section in the last part, mention your basic contact details right at the beginning of your document. This makes it easier for a recruiter to search for a candidate in case he clears the initial step and makes it to the list of candidates who must be interviewed. Write your name, current residential address, contact number and email address at the top of the document. Include only a single phone number to avoid confusion and an email id that you regularly check and look professional.
Career Summary:
You need to catch the attention of the reader, compel him to read the entire document and seriously consider your application. As you are trying to communicate your candidacy for the position, there should be 3 - 4 sentences on what makes you the right fit. The unique selling point of your document would be a section that tells your prowess in different programming languages. Furthermore, add the big projects that you have profusely contributed in and to stand out from others mention your soft skills that add up to your personality and make you a comprehensive programmer.
Key skills:
The next section which follows a summarized introduction is your programming skills. This could be directly related to the programming work you have done in the past and goes in sync with the bullet points mentioned in the work experience section. The keywords mentioned in the job description must be mentioned under this section to ensure that your resume passes the ATS test. It could be the proficiency in multiple programming languages or other qualities like team player, leadership abilities or ability to interact with clients and understand their requirements. Any programmer resume is incomplete without the mention of computer languages like Java, Python, SQL, Perl, Ruby on Rails, R, MongoDB and others.
Work history:
To get mastery in any language, you need to work in several projects to understand their complexities and ensure the code works in real-time environment. Different companies handle projects depending on whether it is a product-based firm or service-based. You might have an extensible experience in programming and worked with multiple clients, but it is necessary to highlight the key projects on your document. In the employment history section, mention all the employers you have worked for, the time period you were with the firm and your job profile.
Programming achievements:
The next section which can help you sell yourself is the accomplishments you have got in your programming career. For an experienced candidate, there might be many big clients he has worked for. Try to include at least 5 major achievements in this section. Start your bullet points with action verbs like develop, design, code, launch, implement and many others. You can also create a portfolio and provide links to the websites/projects you have developed.
At the end, include educational qualification section that talks about your background. Mention the degree, the university you obtained it from and the year. This section must be included irrespective of the position you are applying for.
Apart from this, there can be other sections that tell about internship and other activities. If you are a fresher in this field and have nil experience, then showing an interest in being able to develop complex code, strong communication skills and teamwork can be helpful. We provide you with programming resume samples for different profiles. Tailor your resume for a particular profile with the help of samples present on our site.
Find some more Programmer Resume Examples
here.