Lead with relevant engineering experience
Use a short summary to establish your focus, such as backend services, frontend development or infrastructure. Put recent, relevant engineering work first and include a portfolio or GitHub link when it adds evidence that you can share publicly.
For each role or project, identify your contribution, the technologies involved and the result. Explain ownership accurately: distinguish between leading a change, implementing part of it and supporting a wider team. For early-career applications, substantial personal or university projects can sit near the top.
Write quantified bullets you can defend
Use a baseline and a measurement where possible: latency before and after a change, test runtime, error volume or manual work removed. Explain the scope so a result from a local benchmark is not mistaken for a production-wide improvement.
The fictional examples below demonstrate wording, not Make.CV performance claims. Replace every number with your own measured result. If you lack a trustworthy metric, describe the behavior you improved, the tests you added or the users your change supported.
Make the skills section easy to scan
Group skills into a few relevant categories, such as Languages, Frameworks, Data and Testing. Prioritize the technologies requested by the job description, provided you have used them. Avoid progress bars and long lists of tools you only recognize by name.
Connect important skills to evidence in your bullets. For example, listing PostgreSQL is more convincing when an experience bullet explains a query or schema change. Keep confidential implementation details out of public CVs and share only code you have permission to publish.
Choose a readable template and review the export
Give experience and project bullets enough space, use consistent dates and retain standard headings. A simple template helps technical keywords and results remain easy to find. Check the application instructions before selecting the final file format.
Use Make.CV to preview your content and download a free PDF. Review line wraps in technology names, test portfolio links and verify the exported text. Browse the templates page to choose a layout that fits the amount of experience you need to show.
Frequently asked questions
Should I list every programming language I know?
Prioritize languages relevant to the role that you can use and discuss confidently. Demonstrate your strongest technologies through experience or project bullets.
What if I cannot share production metrics?
Use approved, non-confidential measures or explain the scope and outcome without numbers. Never disclose restricted information or invent a metric.
Do personal projects belong on an experienced engineer’s resume?
Include them when they show relevant skills or ownership that your work history does not. Keep project details concise and prioritize recent professional evidence when it is stronger.