Whether you're applying to a large tech company, a startup, or a mid-size SaaS company, your resume may be collected and reviewed in an applicant tracking system (ATS) before or alongside review by a person. Systems and employer settings vary, so the practical goal is a resume that is clear for software and for the people who read it.
This guide covers formatting, skills sections, and keyword tailoring for software engineering, product management, data science, and design roles. The skill lists and bullet examples below are illustrative: use only your own verified experience.
A Clean Tech Resume Format
A common structure for a tech resume:
- Header — Name, phone, email, LinkedIn, GitHub/portfolio
- Professional Summary — 2-3 sentences matching the role's key requirements
- Technical Skills — Organized by category
- Work Experience — Reverse chronological, impact-driven bullets
- Education — Degree, university, graduation year
- Certifications (if applicable) — AWS, GCP, PMP, etc.
Formatting Guidelines
CareerOneStop: Resume formatting recommends keeping a resume to 1-2 pages, using a readable font in the 10-12 pt range, and using conventional headings. Workday's documentation notes that resume parsing results can vary based on resume format and order of words, so simple, consistent formatting is a sensible default.
- Single-column layout (no sidebars or multi-column designs)
- A readable, standard font
- Simple bullet points (• or –)
- Avoid tables, text boxes, images, and icons
- Follow the file type the employer asks for in the posting
Technical Skills Section (by Role)
A dedicated skills section makes it easy for a recruiter, or any search tool an employer uses, to see your tools at a glance. Organize by category and list only skills you can speak to. The lists below are examples of categories, not a checklist:
Software Engineering
- Languages: Python, Java, TypeScript, JavaScript, Go, Rust, C++
- Frontend: React, Next.js, Vue.js, Angular, HTML/CSS, Tailwind CSS
- Backend: Node.js, Django, Flask, Spring Boot, FastAPI, Express.js
- Cloud & DevOps: AWS, GCP, Azure, Docker, Kubernetes, Terraform, CI/CD
- Databases: PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, Redis, DynamoDB, Elasticsearch
- Tools: Git, GitHub, Jira, Confluence, Datadog, Grafana
Data Science / ML Engineering
- Languages: Python, R, SQL, Scala
- ML/AI: TensorFlow, PyTorch, scikit-learn, Hugging Face, LangChain
- Data: Pandas, NumPy, Spark, Hadoop, dbt, Airflow
- Visualization: Matplotlib, Seaborn, Tableau, Power BI, Looker
- Cloud ML: AWS SageMaker, Google Vertex AI, Azure ML
Product Management
- Methodologies: Agile, Scrum, Kanban, Lean, Design Thinking
- Tools: Jira, Asana, Confluence, Figma, Miro, Notion, Amplitude
- Analytics: SQL, Mixpanel, Google Analytics, A/B Testing, Cohort Analysis
- Skills: Roadmap Planning, Stakeholder Management, User Research, PRDs, OKRs
Writing Impact-Driven Experience Bullets
A useful pattern: Action Verb + Technical Scope + Measurable Result. Include a result only when you can confirm it from your own records.
Illustrative examples only. The bullets below show structure only. Do not copy them; replace every detail with your own verified facts.
Software Engineering (illustrative)
- "Architected microservices migration from monolith, reducing API latency by [your verified %] and lowering infrastructure costs by [your verified amount]"
- "Built real-time data pipeline using Kafka and Spark, processing [your verified volume] events/day"
- "Led adoption of CI/CD with GitHub Actions, reducing deployment time from [before] to [after]"
Data Science (illustrative)
- "Developed churn prediction model using XGBoost, improving retention by [your verified %]"
- "Created automated dashboards in Looker/Tableau, reducing reporting time by [your verified %] across [number] business units"
Product Management (illustrative)
- "Defined product roadmap for B2B SaaS platform serving [number] enterprise clients"
- "Led cross-functional team of [number] engineers + [number] designers through 0-to-1 feature launch, reaching [your verified adoption figure]"
Keyword Mapping: Job Description → Resume
A simple process for tailoring your resume to a posting:
- Copy the full job description into a separate document
- Highlight every technical skill, tool, and qualification mentioned
- Note which ones repeat; skills mentioned several times may matter more to the employer
- Map each skill to your resume — where does it appear? If it doesn't, and you have the experience, where can you add it truthfully?
- Use both acronyms and full terms: "Amazon Web Services (AWS)," "Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD)"
- Run a resume check — paste your tailored resume and the job description into FilteredIn for feedback on content and keywords
Mistakes Tech Candidates Make
1. Listing Every Technology You've Ever Touched
A very long list of technologies can look unfocused. Prioritize the ones that are relevant to the role and that you can discuss in an interview.
2. Using a Portfolio Template as Your Resume
Creative portfolio sites are great for design roles. But your actual resume submission should be a clean, simple document — not a screenshot of your website.
3. Skipping the Summary
A short 2-3 sentence summary gives recruiters immediate context: your experience level, primary expertise, and key achievement.
4. Not Tailoring Per Application
If a posting asks for "React and TypeScript," use those terms where they truthfully describe your work, rather than only a general phrase such as "frontend development."
5. Forgetting to Review
You wouldn't deploy code without testing it. FilteredIn's free resume check lets you paste or upload your resume (PDF or TXT) and, optionally, a job description, and returns feedback on content and keywords. The score is product feedback, not a prediction of any employer's ATS or hiring decision.
Your Pre-Submission Checklist
- ☐ Single-column format, readable font, no graphics
- ☐ Technical Skills section organized by category
- ☐ Every bullet uses the Action + Scope + Result pattern, with results you can verify
- ☐ Keywords from the job description used where they are true
- ☐ Both acronyms and full terms included
- ☐ 1-2 pages
- ☐ Resume reviewed with FilteredIn
- ☐ Saved in the file type the employer requested
Run your tech resume through FilteredIn's free resume check →
Sources
- CareerOneStop (US Department of Labor): Resume formatting.
- Workday documentation: Concept: Resume Parsing.