Technical Resume: 30+ Examples, Templates and Writing Tips

There are a lot of smart people out there.

To get the job, your tech resume needs to stand out like the IBM Summit in a world of Raspberry Pi’s.

But don’t worry.

All you have to do is 1) know the technical skills they want, and 2) show how you’ve used them to do great things.

The technical resume sample below will give you the schematic.

This guide will show you:

• A tech resume example better than most.
• How to make a good technical job description for resumes.
• How to write a tech resume that would wow Elon Musk.
• Why you can’t just list your technical skills (and what to do instead).

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Need a specific kind of technical resume? Looking for specific tech resume? See our dedicated guides:

• Architect Resume
• Biology Resume
• Career Change Resume
• Computer Engineer Resume
• Computer Science Internship Resume
• Computer Science Resume
• Data Scientist Resume
• DevOps Resume
• Engineering Internship Resume
• Engineering Resume
• Engineering Student Resume
• Entry Level Mechanical Engineer Resume
• Entry Level Software Engineer Resume
• Forklift Operator Resume
• Help Desk IT Resume
• HVAC Technician Resume
• Industrial Engineer Resume
• IT Resume
• IT Technician Resume
• Lab Technician Resume
• Machine Learning Resume
• Machinist Resume
• Maintenance Technician Resume
• Manufacturing Engineer Resume
• Mechanical Engineer Resume
• Network Administrator Resume
• Network Engineer Resume
• Program Manager Resume
• Quality Assurance Resume
• Salesforce Resume
• Science Research Resume
• Science CV
• Software Engineer Resume
• Technical Writer Resume
• UX Designer / UI Developer Resume
• Web Designer Resume
• Web Developer Resume
• Welder Resume

Haven't found what you're looking for? Check all our Resume Examples.

Tech Resume Template You Can Copy and Use

Now here’s how to write a technical resume they’ll love:

1. Start With the Best Tech Resume Format

Technical workers handle complex jobs that need a high degree of training and competency. They work in subjects like computers, information, programming, science, engineering, and math. A technical resume needs to narrow the field and focus on skills and achievements wanted by a particular employer.

The first step?

Showing you can deliver to specs.

That’s why the best tech resume templates (like the one above) follow these resume format rules:

Technical Resume Templates

• Start with the reverse-chronological format.
• Work with resume fonts like Georgia or Lato in 10–12pt.
• Use white space as a buffer, and 1-inch margins.
• Deliver a one-page resume to most technical job openings.
• Cover these resume sections: Header, Summary, Experience, Education, Skills, and “Additional.”

Expert Hint: Save your technical skills resume as a PDF file. PDF resumes don’t cause usability issues on different devices. Check the job ad first for warnings against them.

2. Write a Technical Resume Summary or Objective

Most technical resumes get ignored.

Here’s why:

Because tech hiring managers aren’t machines. After a while, the tech resumes they read start to look like redundant code.

How can you make them read yours?

With a strongly-typed technical resume summary or resume objective.

Include:

1. One adjective (solution-driven, hard-working, efficient)
2. Job title (Software Engineer, Data Scientist)
3. Years of experience (2+, 4+)
4. How you’ll help (deliver powerful code, supply deep business insights)
5. Best few achievements (increased client satisfaction by 20%...)

These technical resume examples give the requirements:

Technical Resume Summary—Example

Solution-driven software engineer with 5+ years of experience and strong Java and cloud skills. Seeking to deliver powerful code for Netflix. At Softsmasher, led team that received the 2018 ACT Software System Award. Increased client satisfaction by 20% in 6 months. Cut security risk 53%.

Hard-working, enthusiastic software engineer, highly skilled in Java, C, C#, C++, Python, Perl, Ruby, Ruby-on-Rails, SQL, and pairs programming. A solid team player who is goal-oriented and can be relied on to work to meet client goals. Very dependable and a good listener.

Schrödinger, meet cat.

The first of those technical resume samples could get you in at a unicorn.

The second is a donkey with a papier-mâché horn. It’s bereft of concrete details.

Technical Resume Objective—Example

Writing an entry-level resume for technical jobs?

Don’t panic.

You can use freelance work, volunteer work, or personal projects, like this:

Productive programmer with skills in software development and Java, seeking to generate effective code for Softsmasher. Built working calendar app that has been downloaded over 1,000 times. Wrote a real-time currency conversion app in Java.

Expert Hint: Each achievement in your technical resume should exactly match what the hiring team advertises in the job ad. That’s called tailoring a resume. I’ll show how next.

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3. Write a Solid Job Description for Your Tech Resume

God is in the details.

But the details are in your resume job description.

It must be short (or they won’t read it).

But make it punchy (or they won’t care).

Do both by first reading the job ad, then plugging in your technical achievements and resume keywords that match.

This tech resume examples crack the code:

Technical Job Description for Resume [Sample]

Job ad wants these technical skills: (1) full stack software development (2) security (3) automation.

Senior Software Engineer

2017–2019

Softsmasher, Inc.

• Led team of 9 software engineers driving full stack software development for 22 client projects. Raised customer satisfaction by 20% in 6 months.
• Led team that received 2018 ACT Software System Award.
• Cut security breaches 53% by enacting assessment, testing, and repair loop.
• Decreased meeting times 5 hours a week per person through automation.
• Slashed lead times 18% by giving more power to team members.

• Led team of 9 software engineers.
• Responsible for complete software development life cycle of major B2B commercial products.
• Used pairs programming ton increase efficiency of coding teams.
• Worked directly with clients during the specifications-gathering phase.

That’s binary.

The second of those technical resume examples doesn’t pass validation. It’s technically fine, but it’s not tailored to the job posting.

Writing an entry-level technical resume? See this:

Entry-Level Technical Resume Job Description [Sample]

Job ad wants these technical skills: (1) app development (2) wearables programming (3) Java (4) C.

Freelance Software Engineer

2018–2019

• Developed working calendar app with functionality to add images. Syncs across multiple devices and accounts. Was downloaded 1,273 times.
• Built and programmed a wearable fitness tracker using a Raspberry Pi and a strain gauge.
• Developed a real-time currency conversion app in native Java.
• Used Java to upgrade strongbox open source app to Jackson 2.9.9.0.
• Used C to build automation for common tasks in neovim.

Waiter

Olive Garden

2014–2019

• Worked hard to ensure high level of client satisfaction.
• Never took a sick day in 5 years.
• Employee of the month 5 times.

Remember that.

You must show you’ve at least dabbled in the skill sets the hiring team wants.

So—look at the sample skills to put on a resume, but focus on the ones in the online posting.

Technical Skills to Put on a Resume

• Computer skills: MS Office, email, Google Drive, PowerPoint, spreadsheets
• Web skills: HTML, CSS, Content Management Systems, Javascript, WordPress
• Programming skills: Java, C, C#, C++, Objective-C, XML, Python, PHP, MySQL, SQL, Perl, ASP.NET, Ruby, AJAX.

• Engineering skills: STEM skills, design, CAD, prototyping, testing

• IT: Agile, UI/UX, debugging, cloud management, data synchronization

• Collaboration: Trello, Slack, Jira
• Project Management: Scrum, planning
• General: Math, logic, troubleshooting
• Other: Technical writing, research

Expert Hint: Add numbers to your work history to drive home your tech resume. A technical skill like “automation” is more believable if you used it to slash 5 meeting hours per week.

4. Turn Boring Education to a Reason to Hire You

You didn’t skimp on education.

But that doesn’t mean they’ll like you.

You need to make this hiring team care about your schooling.

Do that by hard-wiring it to their needs.

These technical resume examples show the syntax:

Technical Education—Example

Let’s say they care about Java, machine learning, cloud computing, and security.

Education

University at Buffalo, BS, Software Engineering

2010–2014

• Maintained 4.0 average in 7 Java coding classes.
• President of student machine learning club.
• Completed scholarship project to build working cloud server.
• Created YouTube channel on cloud security that got 25,000 subscribers.

See that?

You didn’t just say “graduated in x with y degree and z GPA.”

You showed accomplishments that fit the role and that why this tech resume will get you the interveiw.

Expert Hint: If you just graduated, give your resume education section more space on the page. Split it into projects, classes, and clubs, with emphasis on skills in each.

5. Build Your Technical Resume With Bonus Sections

Here’s the killer app.

Hiring managers don’t want an algorithm. They want a person.

Give them one by adding “bonus” sections to your technical resume:

• Additional Activities
• Your Portfolio Site
• Professional Associations (like DSA or IEEE)
• Certifications (like AWS DevOps or CompTIA A+)
• Volunteer Work
• Programming Languages
• Conferences
• Freelance Work
• Awards & Honors
• Continuing Education
• Publications
• Foreign Languages

These two examples show how to make your tech resume stand out:

Tech Resume—Extra Sections

Additional Activities

• Vice President, Jackson Coding Club. Increased membership 25%. 
• Member, Association for Women's Computing (AWC)
• Nominated for SIGSOFT Early Career Researcher Award for AI work.
• Led session on security in cloud computing at DeveloperWeek 2018.
• Lead annual session in machine learning at HackState hackathon since 2015.

Additional

• Water skiing
• Winter hiking

Wow.

The first of those technical resume samples could be the next Jeff Bezos.

Its “other” sections show off massive technical skills and passion.

Expert Hint: Writing a cover letter for technical jobs is more than necessary. Many technical hiring managers will delete your resume if you don’t have one. Use it to show why this job means so much to you.

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Key Points

For the best technical resume that gets jobs:

• Use the technical resume template up top. It downloads your skills to the hiring team at terabit speeds.
• Put technical achievements in your resume summary, experience, education, and “bonus” sections to prove you’re no self-taught noob.
• List the best technical skills. You won’t find them in an online list. They’re in the hiring team’s own job posting.
• Write a technical cover letter. Show you “get” the job’s needs. Then add a couple of tech accomplishments that prove you’ll deliver.

Got questions on how to write a great resume for technical jobs? Not sure how to show technical skills on a resume? Leave a comment. We’ll be happy to reply!

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