Looking for Some Graduate Software Engineering CV Tips? You’ve Come to the Right Place!
If you are a graduate looking for your first software engineering job then you’re probably finding it tricky to land an interview and are in desperate need of some CV tips. We’ve got you covered.
You might know that software engineering roles require a considerable level of expertise. Fortunately for you, individuals with those skill sets are in high demand.
In this post we have some top tips for your graduate software engineering CV that will increase your chance of being noticed by prospective graduate employers.
1 – Showcase Your Skills and Achievements
One of the very first headings at the top of your graduate software engineering CV should be your skills and achievements. This is extremely important as it showcases to your potential employers what you can do.
Displaying your skills – such as which computer programme languages you are proficient in (e.g. JavaScript, Python, etc) – will allow you to show your potential employers what you can bring to their organisations. As a result, they will be more likely to hire you.
Also, please make sure that your graduate software engineering CV is achievement-based. This will allow you to showcase how you have put your skills into practice.
This can be achieved by explaining your accomplishments from previous work experiences or projects that you have completed in your spare time. If you are able to, it is good practice to include links to your past projects or portfolio on your CV so that graduate employers can view your work.
Where possible, also include statistics to back up your achievements in order to give a quantitative view of your impact.
If you feel that you are a bit light on software engineering skills and would like to develop some more, DigitalGrads offers a range of free online technical courses that could really help to boost the strength of your CV.
2 – Tailor Your CV to Each Role You Apply for
This may sound like a particularly obvious tip but you would be shocked at how many graduates do not do this.
If that role that you are applying for has a specific need then you should tailor your CV to demonstrate how you meet that specific need.
For example if a role that you apply for places particular importance on proficiency in Ruby, then you should adapt your CV accordingly.
This can be done by highlighting what you have achieved using Ruby and the skills that you have acquired from it.
This will show the employer that you meet the job specification, which will increase your chances of getting hired. Duh.
By doing this for every role that you apply for, you will ensure that your graduate software engineering CV is always relevant and as a result will be viewed favourably by graduate employers.
3 – Include Keywords
Different companies read CVs in different ways. Smaller companies who receive fewer applications will likely read through CVs straight away. But bigger companies with a larger pool of applicants are likely to narrow down their list of candidates by using software that scans for keywords.
In order to ensure that your graduate software engineering CV is viewed favourably when scanned, you need to include keywords that are relevant to the type of role that you are applying for.
Doing this will allow your CV to progress to the next stage where it will be read by a person. It is so important that your CV gets to this stage as the person reading your CV will be the one who judges if you are a good fit for the role or not.
But in order to get to this stage, you need to ensure that you include a good amount of keywords in your CV.
4 – Don’t Neglect Your Other Skills
It may be tempting to solely focus on your software engineering skills as it is a software engineering CV, but you should refrain from doing this.
Your software engineering skills are extremely important and relevant when applying to graduate software engineering roles – but your other skills are important too.
For example, if your CV can demonstrate that you have good communication and leadership skills then you will have an edge over candidates whose CVs do not show this.
This is because while you both might be qualified for a particular role, your additional skills will show the employer that you are better suited to working in a team which will make you more likely to get the job.
Your software engineering skills are always going to take up the bulk of your graduate software engineering CV – and for good reason! But if you can also add other skills like communication and leadership then you’re only going to increase your level of employability.
Summary
We hope that these tips have helped you identify where you can improve on your graduate software engineering CV.
By applying these to your CV, you are now more likely to stand out to graduate employers, which will hopefully allow your career to progress.
If you still feel that you need help with your graduate software engineering CV – or if you feel like this is a hell of a lot of work to do every single time you apply – there is another way.
At DigitalGrads we do things a little differently. Our grads make one stunning profile to use when applying for every job on our site. So save time and find you dream job with us!