On this page 8 sections
Short answer: A good developer resume is one page, starts with your name and links (GitHub, portfolio, LinkedIn), then lists skills, experience or projects with measurable results, and education. Use simple formatting that applicant tracking systems can read, tailor it to each job, and lead every bullet with what you built and what it achieved.
The structure that works
- Header: name, city, email, phone, LinkedIn, GitHub, portfolio
- Summary (optional): two lines about what you do and want
- Skills: grouped and relevant
- Experience: jobs, internships, freelancing
- Projects: especially for students and freshers
- Education: degree, university, years, CGPA if strong
- Extras: certifications, awards, open source, hackathons
Write bullets that show impact
Weak:
- “Worked on a website using React”
Strong:
- “Built a React booking dashboard for a clinic, cutting manual scheduling time by about 5 hours a week”
- “Developed a WordPress plugin that filled 1,200 missing meta descriptions with AI, used on 6 client sites”
Formula: Action verb + what you built + tools + result.
Skills section
Group them so they are easy to scan:
- Languages: JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, PHP, Java
- Front end: React, Next.js, HTML, CSS, Tailwind
- Back end: Node.js, Laravel, REST APIs
- Data: MySQL, PostgreSQL
- Tools: Git, Docker, Figma
Only list what you can discuss in an interview.
For freshers and students
No job experience? Projects are your experience.
- Put Projects above Education
- Include freelance and university projects with real users
- Link to live demos and GitHub (Git guide)
- Add a portfolio website
ATS-friendly formatting
- Simple one-column layout
- Standard headings (Experience, Projects, Education)
- No text inside images or complex tables
- Save as PDF unless asked otherwise
- Use keywords from the job description naturally
Copy-paste template
YOUR NAME
City, Country · email · phone · linkedin.com/in/you · github.com/you · yoursite.com
SKILLS
Languages: ...
Front end: ...
Back end: ...
Tools: ...
EXPERIENCE
Role, Company (Month Year to Month Year)
- Built ... using ..., which resulted in ...
- Improved ... by ...
PROJECTS
Project Name (live link · GitHub)
- What it does, tech used, result or users
EDUCATION
BS Software Engineering, University Name (Year to Year) · CGPA x.xxCommon mistakes
- Two or three pages for a junior role
- Photos, age and personal details that aren’t needed
- Listing every technology you have ever touched
- Typos and broken links
- One generic resume for every job
Frequently asked questions
Should a developer resume be one page?
Yes for students and developers with under about five years of experience. Senior engineers can use two pages.
Should I include my CGPA?
Include it if it is good or the employer asks for it, especially for fresh graduate roles.
Do I need a cover letter?
Not always, but a short, specific message about why you fit the role helps, especially for remote jobs.
Should I mention freelancing on my resume?
Yes. Freelance projects with real clients show you can deliver, communicate and handle responsibility. Read how to become a software engineer in Pakistan for the full career path.
Written by Syed Imran Murtaza
Freelance software engineer and web developer in Karachi, Pakistan (also known as CtrlAltImran). I build websites, web apps, custom WordPress plugins and AI tools for clients worldwide. About me · Hire me · My work