Software Engineer CV Example & Template (2026)

Updated May 2026 · 6 min read

A strong software engineer CV proves impact with metrics, mirrors the job description's tech stack, and passes the ATS keyword scan. Here's what to include — with examples — and how to tailor it to any job in under a minute.

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Key skills employers look for

System designReact / TypeScriptCI/CDCloud (AWS/GCP/Azure)Automated testingCode review

List the ones that appear in the actual job description first — recruiters and ATS software both scan for an exact match.

ATS keywords to include

Applicant Tracking Systems rank you on keyword overlap with the posting. Common software engineer keywords:

REST APIsmicroservicesAgile / Scrumunit testingDockerGitSQLCI/CD

Example bullet points: weak → strong

✗ "Worked on the payments team and fixed bugs."

✓ "Cut checkout failures 38% by rebuilding the payment retry flow in TypeScript, recovering ~£120k/yr in lost revenue."

✗ "Responsible for the front-end."

✓ "Led a 3-engineer rebuild of the dashboard in React, cutting load time from 4.1s to 0.9s for 40k daily users."

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Common mistakes to avoid

Sending one generic CV to every job — ATS filters it out for low keyword match
Listing duties instead of measurable results
Burying the tech stack the job actually asks for on page 2
Dense paragraphs — recruiters scan for ~7 seconds, so use bullets

Frequently asked questions

How long should a software engineer CV be?

One page for under 8 years of experience, two pages maximum otherwise.

Should I list every programming language I know?

No — lead with the languages and frameworks in the job description, then a short "also familiar with" line.

Do I need a GitHub or portfolio link?

Yes, if it shows real projects. A clean repo or live demo is strong evidence for engineering roles.