Software Engineer resume keywords

The skills, tools and credentials that commonly appear in software engineer job ads, plus example bullets. Upload your resume to see which you already use.

Hard skills

  • data structures
  • algorithms
  • system design
  • REST APIs
  • microservices
  • unit testing
  • code review
  • CI/CD
  • debugging
  • agile
  • object-oriented programming
  • performance optimization

Tools and software

  • Python
  • Java
  • JavaScript
  • TypeScript
  • React
  • Node.js
  • SQL
  • Git
  • Docker
  • Kubernetes
  • AWS

Certifications and licences

  • AWS Certified Developer
  • Microsoft Azure Developer Associate
  • Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD)

Job title variants

Software Developer · Backend Engineer · Full Stack Developer · Frontend Engineer

Check your resume against this list

PDF, DOCX or TXT, up to 8 MB. Or drop it here.

Example software engineer bullets

  • Rebuilt the checkout API in Node.js, cutting p95 latency from [X] ms to [Y] ms
  • Added CI/CD pipelines with GitHub Actions, reducing release time from days to hours
  • Wrote unit and integration tests that raised coverage from [X]% to [Y]%

Bracketed values are placeholders; use your real figures.

Tip for software engineer resumes

List languages and frameworks exactly as the ad spells them (Node.js, not Node; PostgreSQL vs Postgres), and tie each to a project bullet.

Then run the full ATS resume checker for parsing, structure and an estimated score, or turn rough duties into bullets with the bullet point generator.

Questions people ask

What keywords should a software engineer resume include?

Start with the job ad. Common ones for software engineer roles include data structures, algorithms, system design, REST APIs, microservices, tools such as Python, Java, JavaScript, TypeScript, and credentials like AWS Certified Developer. Only include what you can back up.

Where do I put keywords on a software engineer resume?

In a plain skills section for quick matching, and again inside experience bullets that show how you used each skill. Use the job title the ad uses if it accurately describes your work.

Is this list the same for every employer?

No. These are widely listed skills for the role, not any employer’s screening list. Each posting differs, so paste the actual ad into the keyword scanner for a precise comparison.