How To Write an Effective Coding Resume

You did it! You found a computer programmer job description that looks awesome. It’s asking for the kinds of skills and qualifications you have, and the company sounds like a great place to work. Now comes the hard part: developing an effective coding resume. 

The truth is, building a resume is tough for a lot of people. It can be hard to brag about ourselves, and it might feel even harder if you don’t have a lot of professional experience in coding. But, with some tips and tricks, you can be on your way to piecing together a great resume that shows who you are, what your skills are, and why you’d make an awesome addition to a coding team.

What Should I Put on My Resume for Coding?

Before jumping into how to describe your skills and talents on your resume, let’s take a look at the framework of a coding resume. Like any good resume, a coding resume should include the following sections:

Header: Your header should include your name, email address, phone number, current location (you only need to list city and state—not your full address), and the link to your LinkedIn profile and/or digital portfolio.

Objective or Personal Statement: An objective or personal statement is like a professional snapshot of who you are and what your career goals are. Try to highlight at least two to three of your top skills.

Education: In the education section, list all of your certificates, certifications, and degrees, including the EFA course(s) you completed and any certifications you earned along the way—like CompTIA A+ or Network+. To really tie your education to the job you’re applying for, talk about some knowledge or experiences you gained at EFA—like having 300 hours of logged coding time.

Professional Experience: This section of your resume is where you show your workplace experience. You should list past jobs, including full-time and part-time positions. And, if you had a lengthy internship, you can include that, too. For each job, list the company, your job title, and your start and end date. Additionally, you should also include a bulleted list of 3-5 achievements that illustrate your strengths, skills, and achievements. Tie these bullet points back to the job you’re applying for.

Functional Skills: You should include a brief section covering the functional skills you have. These include things like problem solving, troubleshooting, project management, or creative thinking. Basically, they’re the skills you have that aren’t directly related to coding.

Technical Skills: You should also include a section of the technical skills you have and the tools you’re familiar with. Most people split their technical skills up into the following sections:

• Languages and libraries
• Cloud technologies
• CI/CD
• Databases/ORM
• Web technologies
• Styling libraries

Projects: For coding resumes, it’s fairly common to have a project section where you can list big projects you worked on, including providing a link for anyone viewing your resume to see the finished result. But don’t just list out your projects. Discuss which tools, languages, and libraries were used to develop these projects to further illustrate your competencies. 

Awards or Achievements: In this option section, you can include any professional awards or achievements you earned. Be sure to include who gave it to you and a brief description illustrating why the award is relevant to your resume.

How Do I…

Curious about how to take everything you know and put it effectively into the neat little sections laid out in the previous section? You’re not alone. Even the most seasoned professionals have difficulties creating their resume. We’ve compiled a few common questions we hear about how to make your coding skills stand out on a resume.

How Do You Describe Your Coding Skills on a Resume?

The first step in describing your coding skills on a resume is to determine which skills to actually list. Take a look at the job posting for the job you’re applying for and pull out any keywords, including specific programming languages or tools, workflows, and more, that are mentioned as required or preferred qualifications. To the extent possible, these keywords should be used in your resume. 

Now, in the long run that does mean you’ll have slightly different resumes for the jobs you’re applying for. But, you’ll be better off for it!

How Do You List Programming Languages on a Resume?

Start with a programming skills list, as discussed in the technical skills section above. But don’t stop there. Find ways to talk about those skills throughout your resume. Afterall, anyone can list their skills. A pro will show that they can actually use them. For example, if you list Python, be sure to include a project in your project section where you actually used Python. Or, if you have professional workplace experience with Python, you could list it as a bullet point. 

The basic point here is to do more than just list your languages and skills. Show that you’ve used them.

How To Include Work Projects in a Resume

Throughout your time with EFA, you should have worked on some projects you can include in your resume. In your Projects section, include a few of the ones you’re most proud of. List the project, the URL where the project can be found, and the pertinent skills you used while working on it. You can also include a link to your Github in your header to further illustrate your work.

Still Stuck? We’ve Got Your Back

At Eleven Fifty Academy, we’re here to help you achieve your career goals. Our career services team is always happy to help you build or refine your resume. We’ve even got a coding resume example packet we can show you to help you get started. Once your resume is polished, we can help connect you with top tech opportunities, too. Don’t be afraid to reach out. We love helping you succeed!