How to tailor your resume for SWE roles. Technical depth meets business impact.
Common terms in engineering job descriptions. Tailor to the specific stack.
See what separates forgettable bullets from memorable ones.
Transform vague descriptions into compelling technical achievements.
Developed backend services using Python and worked on database optimization
Built Python microservices handling 50K req/sec; optimized PostgreSQL queries reducing p95 latency from 800ms to 120ms
Why it works: Added scale metrics and specific, quantified performance improvement
Created React components and improved frontend performance
Architected React component library (40+ components) adopted by 3 teams; reduced bundle size 60% via code splitting
Why it works: Scope of impact (library, multiple teams) plus measurable outcome
Worked on CI/CD pipeline and deployment automation
Designed CI/CD pipeline cutting deploy time from 45min to 8min; enabled 12 daily deploys (up from 2 weekly)
Why it works: Specific metrics showing before/after improvement and business impact
Paste a Software Engineer job posting and see how your profile matches.
No. Tailor your skills to the job. If they want React, lead with React—not jQuery from 2015. Group skills logically (Languages, Frameworks, Tools) and prioritize what's in the job description. Better to show depth in relevant tech than breadth in everything.
Match the audience. For engineering-heavy companies, include technical details (architecture decisions, scale metrics, specific technologies). For less technical recruiters, balance technical credibility with business impact. When in doubt, lead with impact and follow with how.
Yes, especially for earlier-career engineers or career changers. Quality over quantity—one deployed project with real users beats five tutorial clones. Include GitHub links, live demos, or metrics if you have them.