Software engineer fresher resume: a sample, a checklist and what to cut

A software engineer hiring team reads a fresher resume for three things: can this person code, have they finished something real, and is the resume easy to scan. You do not need years of experience to show the first two. You need projects described clearly and a skills list that matches the job.

This page gives you a sample, a checklist and the mistakes to avoid. When you are ready, put it in the free resume builder (no sign-up, PDF and Word download). The Fresher template puts Education and Projects before Experience, which is the right order for you.

The one-page layout

1. Header: name, phone, email, city, GitHub link, LinkedIn link. A portfolio link only if the site is finished.
2. Summary: two lines. Your degree and year, the kind of role you want, and one thing you have built.
3. Education: degree, college, year, CGPA or percentage.
4. Projects: two or three, each with the stack and what it does.
5. Skills: grouped by type, not in one long run.
6. Internship, hackathons, certificates: only what is real and relevant. If you have an internship, put it above Projects.

If it spills onto a second page, cut a project before you shrink the font. The builder's Compact template fits more on one page, but a shorter resume reads better.

A sample (replace every detail with your own)

This is an illustration of wording and structure. The names, numbers and links are made up. Never copy a number into your own resume unless it is true for your project.

SUMMARY
Final-year B.Tech CSE student who builds web apps with React and Node.js. Built and deployed a notes-sharing app used by classmates. Looking for a junior software engineer role where I can learn from code reviews and ship features.

EDUCATION
B.Tech, Computer Science | 2022 – 2026 | Sample Institute of Technology | 8.1 CGPA after 6 semesters

PROJECTS
Notes Exchange (React, Node.js, Express, MySQL) | github.com/yourname/notes-exchange
- Built login, upload and tag search so students can find notes by subject.
- Wrote 14 API tests with Jest and fixed three bugs found while testing.
- Deployed the app on a free hosting plan; link in the README.

Library Fine Calculator (Java, SQL)
- Designed three tables and wrote the queries that calculate late fines from issue and return dates.
- Added input checks so a return date before the issue date is rejected.

SKILLS
Languages: Java, JavaScript, SQL, Python (basic)
Web: React, Node.js, Express, HTML, CSS
Tools: Git, GitHub, Postman, VS Code
Subjects: Data structures, DBMS, operating systems, OOP

CERTIFICATES
Name of the course, platform, year (only if it is relevant to the role)

The checklist

Go through this before you send the resume.

• Every project has a stack and a purpose. "Built an app" is not enough. Say what it does and what you used.
• Every project has something checkable. A link, a README, a deployed page or a test count. If you cannot show it, say less about it.
• Numbers are true. Users, tests, response times, lines of code: use a number only if you measured it. A smaller true number beats a large invented one, and interviewers ask.
• Bullets start with a verb. Built, wrote, fixed, added, tested, deployed.
• Skills are grouped (languages, web, tools, subjects) and match the job post's words.
• Only skills you can talk about. If you list SQL, expect a SQL question. If you cannot answer one, move it to "basic" or remove it.
• GitHub works. Open your own link in a private window. Pin your best two repositories and write a README that says what the project is and how to run it.
• One column, plain text. No tables, icons or skill-rating bars. See ATS-friendly resume.
• File name Firstname_Lastname_Resume.pdf. The builder names the file this way for you.

How to tailor it in five minutes

Two job posts for "software engineer" can ask for very different things: one wants Java and SQL, the other React and TypeScript.

1. Read the post and underline the languages, frameworks and tools it names.
2. Move the matching skills to the front of each skills line. Keep only those you really have.
3. Put the most similar project first.
4. Paste the post into the job match box of the builder. It lists the skills the post asks for that your resume does not mention. See how to match a resume to a job description for the full method.

Do not add a skill because the post lists it. Add it only if you have used it.

What to cut

• Four or five thin projects. Two good ones beat five that each have one line.
• Tutorial clones with no change. If you followed a course, say what you changed or added. See how to describe projects on a student resume.
• "Hard-working team player" and other lines that anyone could write.
• Personal details such as date of birth, father's name and the declaration at the bottom. See the fresher resume format.
• A skills graph with bars for "Java 80%". Nobody can say what 80% means.

For campus and off-campus applications

Campus drives often use a standard form plus your resume, so keep the resume short and the CGPA visible. For off-campus applications and referrals, the first thing a reader opens is usually your GitHub or LinkedIn link, so make sure both are ready before you apply.

For B.Tech branch-wise samples beyond computer science, read the B.Tech fresher resume guide.

Frequently asked questions