Software Engineer Resume - Examples & Writing Guide (India 2026)
Resume examples and writing guide for software engineers, SDE-1, SDE-2, and full-stack developers applying to Indian IT companies, startups, and MNCs.
Key skills to include
List only skills you can discuss in an interview. Match the exact wording from the job description - ATS systems do keyword matching.
Achievement bullet examples
Weak bullets describe responsibilities. Strong bullets describe outcomes. Every bullet should follow: Action verb + what you did + measurable result.
Weak: Worked on the backend of a payment gateway.
Strong: Built and deployed a Node.js payment gateway integration handling ₹40L+ transactions/month, reducing checkout failure rate from 8% to 1.2%.
Weak: Fixed bugs and improved performance.
Strong: Reduced API response time by 60% by replacing N+1 database queries with batch fetching and Redis caching across 5 core endpoints.
Weak: Led a team of developers on a project.
Strong: Led a team of 4 engineers to deliver a React + Node.js internal dashboard in 6 weeks, replacing a legacy Excel-based workflow used by 120 employees.
Section-by-section tips
Skills
Split by category: Languages, Frameworks, Databases, Cloud, Tools. No proficiency bars.
Projects
2–4 projects with GitHub links, tech stack, and 2–3 impact bullets each.
Work Experience
Quantify: latency improvements, feature delivery speed, users served.
Education
Include CGPA if above 7.0. No need to list all coursework.
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Frequently asked questions
Should I list all programming languages I know on my SDE resume?
No. List languages you can interview in. If you list Python but struggle with Python interview questions, it hurts you. Include 3–5 languages you are genuinely strong in, plus frameworks you have used in real projects.
How do I write a software engineer resume with no work experience?
Lead with projects, not experience. 2–4 projects with GitHub links, built with real tech stacks, are worth more to a hiring manager than a blank experience section. Open source contributions, hackathon wins, and NPTEL/Coursera certifications also help.
What resume format do Indian IT companies like TCS and Infosys prefer?
Single-column, plain text, ATS-parseable PDF. Avoid tables, multi-column layouts, and decorative templates. TCS iEvolve and Infosys InfyTQ use ATS screening - a poorly formatted resume will not pass even if your skills are excellent.
Should I include a GitHub link on my software engineer resume?
Yes, always - especially if you have active projects or contributions. Pin your best 3–4 repositories and add READMEs. Recruiters at startups and product companies will check your GitHub before calling you.
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