A software developer's CV is a different beast: write it in a way a non-technical recruiter can't understand and you'll get screened out; dump a dry technical list and you'll come across like a robot. This guide walks through concrete examples for junior, mid and senior roles, and how to strike the right balance.
The 6 Sections Every Developer CV Needs
- Header: Name, email, phone, GitHub URL, LinkedIn URL, location (city)
- Professional summary: 3-4 lines — your strongest stack + biggest achievement + target role
- Technical skills: Languages, frameworks, tools — grouped into categories
- Work experience: Most recent first, 3-5 STAR bullet points per role
- Projects / Open source: Optional for senior, critical for junior
- Education + certifications: Industry-recognised ones like AWS, GCP, Scrum
Junior Developer CV Example
For a 2026 graduate with 1 internship and 1-2 freelance projects behind them:
James Wilson
Junior Backend Developer · [email protected] · +44 7700 900000 · github.com/jwilson · linkedin.com/in/jwilson · Manchester
SUMMARY
Computer Science graduate (University of Manchester, 2026). On the side, I've been shipping freelance projects on a Python + Django stack for 2 years (the biggest being a note-taking app with 12K MAU). Now looking to move into a backend developer role at a startup with a strong team culture.
TECHNICAL SKILLS
- Languages: Python (advanced), JavaScript (intermediate), SQL (intermediate), Go (learning)
- Frameworks: Django, FastAPI, Express, React
- Databases: PostgreSQL, Redis, MongoDB
- Cloud / DevOps: AWS (EC2, S3, RDS), Docker, GitHub Actions
WORK EXPERIENCE
Freelance Backend Developer · Sep 2024 – Present
- Built an 18-endpoint content API with Django REST Framework for an EdTech company; 35K requests/day, P95 latency 180ms
- Denormalised 4 core tables in PostgreSQL, cutting listing query time from 1.2s to 140ms
- Reduced the client's AWS bill from $180 to $95/month (S3 lifecycle rules + RDS instance downgrade)
Software Engineering Intern · Ocado Technology · Jul-Sep 2024
- Optimised Elasticsearch query templates on the Search team — raised index hit rate from 62% to 84% across 3 query patterns
- Built 4 dashboard screens for an internal admin panel using React + TypeScript
PROJECTS
NoteFlow — github.com/jwilson/noteflow
Django + React note-taking app, offline-first PWA. 12K MAU, hosted at a live URL (not on the App Store).
EDUCATION
University of Manchester · BSc Computer Science · 2022-2026 · First Class Honours
Mid-Level Developer CV Example (3-6 years)
At this level it's about technical depth + product ownership + one or two big wins. Education moves to the background.
Sophie Bennett
Mid-Level Full-Stack Developer · [email protected] · github.com/sbennett · linkedin.com/in/sbennett · London
SUMMARY
Full-stack developer with 5 years' experience. For the last 3 years I've built payment/billing modules on a Node.js + React stack in B2B SaaS. My biggest win: a saga-pattern redesign that took a recurring 12-hour outage down to zero. Now looking for a staff-level role.
WORK EXPERIENCE
Senior Software Engineer · Monzo · Sep 2022 – Present
- Moved the subscription billing module out of the monolith into its own microservice (Node.js + PostgreSQL); deployment frequency went from once a week to 4 times a day
- Fixed a race condition in dual-provider payment switch logic that had caused a 12-hour outage, using a saga pattern
- Onboarded a new junior who merged their first PR in 4 days instead of 2 weeks (mentoring + clear docs)
- Ran a tech-debt sprint that lifted test coverage from 58% to 81% and cut build time from 8 min to 3 min
7 Common Mistakes on Developer CVs
- The "list every language I know" trap: A list of 15 languages → the ATS doesn't like it and recruiters don't trust it. Write your 4-6 strongest.
- Visual infographic templates: Colourful charts, radar-chart skill ratings — the ATS can't read them. Keep it plain.
- No GitHub link: Even for a backend role, always include a GitHub URL. An empty profile beats no profile.
- Experience written as a stack list: "Used Node.js, React, PostgreSQL" → so what did you do? What was the outcome?
- No numbers: Instead of "improved performance," write "API latency P95 850ms → 120ms."
- A hobbies section: "Listening to music, reading" — delete it, it's wasted space.
- Irrelevant skills like "Microsoft Office expert":Only list skills relevant to the role.
ATS Optimisation — Specifically for Developers
Large tech companies' ATS systems scan for these keywords in particular:
- Languages: Spell them out (TypeScript, JavaScript, Python, Go — don't use abbreviations like "TS" or "JS")
- Frameworks: React, Next.js, Vue.js, Express, Django (version numbers optional)
- Cloud: AWS (EC2, S3, RDS, Lambda), GCP, Azure
- DevOps: Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CD, GitHub Actions, Jenkins, Terraform
- Databases: PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, Redis, Elasticsearch
3 Extra Tips for Senior Roles
- System-design stories: An architectural decision + the trade-off + the outcome — show this on your CV
- Mentoring: Examples of onboarding juniors and shaping the code-review practice
- Tie technical decisions to the business: "To cut costs..." or "to meet the customer SLA..." → shows you're not just a technician but a product-aware developer
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