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How to Write a Computer Science Resume (Resume w/ CS Background)

A good computer science resume shows tech recruiters you have the skills and education to succeed as a professional.

A degree in computer science can open many doors. But how do you show that off on a computer science resume?

It’s a highly desirable qualification, and it goes a long way towards attracting potential tech employers in the job market. But to truly separate yourself in a competitive employment environment, you’ll first need to put a  quality  computer science resume together.

As we walk through the various steps, let’s follow the story of Ella, a recent computer science grad student ready to take the tech industry by storm.

Ella Hyde just finished her studies at the Computer Science Department of NYU Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences (say that three times fast!). She now needs to craft a resume that will help land her dream job in the tech industry.

Let’s join her as she learns how to write a computer science resume for a position at Microsoft.

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How to Write a Computer Science Resume

1. before writing your resume.

Before you start writing your resume for computer science, consider a few things in preparation.

First, what do you intend to do with this resume?

For example, do you want to apply for software developer or engineering jobs at a top startup? A strong CS resume can help you with this, but you need to have a clear goal in mind.

Once you have that goal figured out, look at your history and determine your greatest strengths. This will inform the resume format you adopt. You can choose to format it in reverse-chronological order or functionally.

Most resumes use a reverse-chronological framework, which is the one we recommend. In this resume format, you showcase your work experience, educational background, and other time-based sections in reverse-chronological order. For each, start with your last position and company, and work your way back.

For example, Ella worked as a software developer for an established tech company during one of her summer vacations. However, she didn’t like the environment because of how overly structured it could get, so she decided startup jobs would be a better fit than software engineering jobs at an established company. If you have a robust work history like our Ella, then go for the chronological resume format.

On the other hand, functional resumes highlight your abilities and critical skills and how you can use these abilities to be an excellent fit for the company you’re applying to. If you have gaps in your work history, are transitioning to a new career, or have changed jobs very often, a functional resume can help you start with the right foot forward.

After picking the best format, you should always tailor your comp sci resume to each company and vacancy. Go through the job description to identify keywords to use. This shows the company you care and want to become a valuable addition to their particular company.

Lastly, remember to leave plenty of white space throughout the document to make it easier and more pleasant to read for the reviewer. And, in turn, that helps ensure your resume actually gets read!

Read More :  Here’s How to Format a Software Developer Resume

2. Contact Details

The first part of your computer science resume is where you place your contact details, which is pretty straightforward.

Start with your first and last name. Below that, you can include a branding statement or your current job title. However, only do so if you feel that it is appropriate for the position and company you’re applying for. After this, you can state your address. This is not a necessity for remote positions, but it is helpful for location-relevant ones. For remote jobs, you may want to mention your time zone here.

Add your mobile number, ensuring you include your country code (you never know where a global company’s HR team might be located!). Record a professional-sounding voicemail greeting in case potential employers need to leave a message.

Following this, add your email address. This, too, should be professional, being some combination of your first and last name. Don’t include a messy email like  [email protected] .

Finally, provide links to relevant social media profiles, portfolios, or professional websites. It’s especially important to include a GitHub link if you have any developer projects there, so that employers can easily see your code and contributions.

Avoid including any sensitive information, such as your birthday or social security number. Doing so might place you at risk of identity theft or other security threats. Similarly, do not state any political or religious affiliations you might have. Not only is this inappropriate, but it places you at risk of falling afoul of reviewers’ conscious or unconscious biases.

Let’s see how Ella approaches her contact details section in the following computer science resume example:

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Read More :  Avoid These Common Remote Interview Mistakes!

3. Introductory Paragraph/Summary Statement

Your next order of business is to craft an impactful and memorable introductory paragraph. Recruiters  spend an average of 7.4  seconds looking at CVs, so this needs to capture their attention. If it doesn’t, then they won’t read the rest.

Your summary statement should be at the top of your CV and should be concise yet comprehensive.

Write all the relevant points in no more than three to five sentences. Additionally, specifically tailor the statement to the job you’re applying for, directly referencing the company and position in question. Include relevant keywords. These should cover your education, skills, professional experience, and similar areas and reflect the software engineering job advertisement’s wording.

Including numbers as evidence of your accomplishments is a particularly effective way to demonstrate your value as an employee. For instance, rather than saying you “improved team efficiency,” specify that you “increased team efficiency by 56%” where possible.

As we can see from Ella’s computer science resume sample, she has a concise and attention-grabbing statement:

Read More : How to Be a Software Engineer (Complete Guide)

4. Work Experience

Once you’ve caught the recruiter’s attention, it’s time to reel them in further with your work experience. This is the core of your computer science resume and needs to highlight the crowning achievements of your career so far.

With each entry, put your job title first. Then, under this, write the organization’s name, where you were based, and the dates of your employment. The month and year alone will do. Following this, you should clearly explain your responsibilities and your achievements.

As with your introductory paragraph, use numbers to add weight to your accomplishments. Finally, put your most recent role at the top, then list each job before that in turn.

Ella’s first entry should give you a good understanding of how to structure this:

Work Experience Software Engineering Intern Google, San Francisco, CA January 2020 – January 2021

• Supported multiple projects covering desktop and web applications, mobile apps, network systems, and operating systems.
• Designed, tested, and maintained software solutions on an ad hoc basis.
• Proposed and implemented strategic productivity measures , which increased team efficiency by 13% in six months.

5. Academic History

Next, you’ll have the opportunity to demonstrate your academic achievements. Recruiters hiring for software developer jobs, data scientist jobs, and other similar roles are keen to see your educational accomplishments.

When writing these out, put your qualification first. Follow this with the name of the educational institution and its location. After that, write the dates you attended, followed by all the relevant pieces of coursework that you undertook.

If you have achieved any Latin honors, then these should be listed at the end. Bear in mind that you should write them in lower case and italics because these are in Latin. You may also want to consider including your GPA, particularly if it’s excellent.

To include your GPA, write it in parenthesis after your major. However, if you have achieved Latin honors, then you should write it directly after this.

To illustrate this, let’s take a look at some resume examples. Firstly, let’s see how candidates should display their master’s and bachelor’s degrees:

If you haven’t yet completed your degree, just include information on when you started and the expected graduation date. For example: “September 2019 – June 2023 (expected graduation date)”.

To add your high school diploma, follow the same structure as detailed above. Here you might also list extracurricular activities if they are relevant to the post you’re applying for. Add this below the other details, and it should look like the following example:

The skills section of a computer science resume is vital. You should include a range of keywords here because recruiters will expect candidates to demonstrate certain abilities, including:

• Mathematics
• Artificial intelligence/AI
• Computer and technology knowledge
• Database administration
• Machine learning/ML
• Best programming languages
• Software development
• Computer hardware engineering
• Data analysis skills
• Data science
• Information systems management
• Technical writing

You shouldn’t list all of these keywords, of course, as you need to be tailoring your resume by including skills keywords that are relevant to the role. You can easily discern which ones to use by carefully reading the job advert.

If you choose, you can also indicate the degree of expertise you possess with each skill. You can achieve this by arranging the skills according to your proficiency. These can range from expert to novice. For example:

Remember, though, that even though this is a computer science resume, you still need to demonstrate soft skills. Abilities such as “teamwork and cooperation,” “excellent organization,” and “good communication” are necessary for all roles, and particularly valuable as a remote software developer.

Read More :  Important Hard Skills and Soft Skills to Include in a Software Developer Resume

7. Certifications

For computer science roles, certifications can sometimes be even more valuable than the technical skills you just listed. If you have one of the following, for example, then they should be included in your resume:

• Artificial Intelligence: Implications For Business Strategy  (Offered by MIT)
• Machine Learning with TensorFlow  on Google Cloud Platform Specialization
• Machine Learning  (Offered by Stanford)
• Computer Science for Web Programming  (Offered by Harvard)
• Data Analytics Using Python  (In Collaboration with GitHub)
• IBM Applied AI Professional Certificate  (Offered by IBM)
• Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate
• Building Interactive Web Applications for Data Analysis

Add these by listing the award name, then the awarding organization, followed by the year obtained. Use the computer science resume example snippet below as a guide:

Certifications

• “Building Interactive Web Applications For Data Analysis,” Harvard University, 2020

8. Other CS Resume Sections

You may also benefit from including other sections in your computer science CV if they add value to your application. These may include:

Organization Memberships

If you’re a member of any computer science professional organizations, you should include these here. For instance, you might be a member of the IEEE Computer Society, the Computing Research Association, or the Association for Women in Computing. If so, including these details could help set you apart.

Volunteer Work

If you have done any relevant volunteer work, it can demonstrate additional valuable skills and provide some insight into your character. An example of relevant computer science volunteer work could be Microsoft’s Technology Education and Literacy in Schools program.

(Human) Languages

Employers always appreciate additional languages, especially in a remote-first or hybrid working environment. Make sure to list these here, where applicable.

Hobbies & Interests

Any number of hobbies and interests may help your computer science resume to stand out. For instance, you could include that you code games or manage websites in your spare time.

Computer Science Projects on a Resume

If you have relevant computer science projects, you can add these, if you prefer, especially if you have a more entry-level computer science resume. However, if your resume is quite long, then it might be better to provide a link to the project profile or your work portfolio instead.

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Great Computer Science Resume Tips to Remember

1. establish a clear goal first.

It’s vital to establish why you’re creating a resume in the first place. This will determine whether you use a chronological or functional format. Are you making a career switch, or are you re-entering the workforce after a period of absence? Do you have the level of experience required? Ask yourself these types of questions to establish a solid foundation for your resume.

2. Be honest and upfront

Lying or even stretching the truth on your resume is never a good idea. It will only come back to bite you, either during an interview, background check, or post-hiring. Authenticity is critical. Employers will appreciate a candidate who is upfront about specific weaknesses and actively works towards improving more than someone who overstates or makes up their technical skills and abilities.

3. Demonstrate a willingness to learn

Employers value coachable workers who are open to developing new skills and progressing in their careers. Showing an eagerness to learn demonstrates that you are self-motivated to tackle different challenges , grow in your role, and positively contribute to team and company-wide success.

4. Keep your resume as short as possible

A computer science resume should be concise enought while still having everything they need to consider you for the job. Remove any extraneous information. Every sentence and word should be relevant to the position and add value to your application. While the length will ultimately depend on your career to date, recent graduates’ resumes and resumes with no experience generally shouldn’t be longer than a single page.

5. Add your resume to your LinkedIn profile

You should always tailor your resume to each specific job you apply for. However, it’s worth adding a more general one to your LinkedIn profile. This allows prospective employers and headhunters to conveniently download a PDF to look through. Anything that facilitates bringing you to the attention of a potential employer is useful.

6. Write an engaging cover letter

Make sure you include a great  computer science cover letter . A cover letter is a powerful tool to use in your quest to land a tech interview. Just be sure it doesn’t repeat everything already mentioned in your resume!

That’s How To Write A Computer Science Resume

We hope we left you with everything you need to know about how to write a resume for computer science jobs! Apply the key points you’ve learned here to help you land your dream role.

If you have any questions about writing a computer science resume, then please leave a comment below. We will reply as soon as we can. Thanks for reading, and good luck with your job hunt!

Read More : How to Write a Software Engineer Resume  or  How to Write a Web Developer Resume  or  How to Write an IT Resume

The Arc team publishes insightful articles and thought leadership pieces related to software engineering careers and remote work. From helping entry-level developers land their first junior role to assisting remote workers struggling with working from home to guiding mid-level programmers as they seek a leadership position, Arc covers it all and more!

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Further reading

How to Build a Powerful Web Developer Portfolio (With Examples!)

How to Build a Software Engineer Portfolio (With Examples & Tips)

10+ Important LinkedIn Best Practices for Remote Software Developers

How To Write a Full Stack Developer Resume (Step-by-Step With Tips)

What to Include on a Resume for Software Developer Jobs (w/ Examples!)

Free Resume Templates: 8 Best Sites for Software Developers

Computer Science Resume [2024] - Guide & Examples

As a computer scientist, you probably have a lot of skills and qualifications to your name. 

On the downside, this can make writing a computer science resume even more complicated. 

We get it. The more things you have to include on your resume, the more of a mess it can become. 

But, actually, it doesn’t have to be so hard – or so cluttered. 

To help you write a flawless computer science resume, we’ve put together a complete guide, including the following sections:

• Computer Science Resume Example
• Step-by-Step Guide to Write Your Computer Science Resume
• 24 Skills to Put On Your Computer Science Resume

So let’s cut down to the chase!

Computer Science Resume

Here’s what makes this computer science resume such a prime example to follow:

• It uses the reverse-chronological format. The reverse-chronological format is one of the most popular resume formats in the world.
• Provides relevant and complete contact information . Recruiters will have no difficulty getting in touch with this applicant.
• Short and sweet resume summary . The summary does a great job of highlighting the applicant's experience and ambitions.
• Includes a thorough list of relevant skills. This computer science resume includes both hard and soft skills that recruiters would be looking for in a candidate.
• Achievements-oriented work experience section. This computer science resume example focuses on achievements, setting the candidate apart from other applicants.
• Short education section. As someone with plenty of work experience, this candidate keeps their education information short.
• Additional sections. This application includes additional sections such as volunteer experience and interests, which can help set the candidate apart from other applicants with similar skills and work experience.

Applying for a specific position in the computer science field? Check out more of our resume examples here:

• Software Engineer Resume
• Web Developer Resume
• Java Developer Resume
• Artificial Intelligence Engineer Resume
• Data Scientist Resume
• Data Analyst Resume
• Engineering Resume
• Data Entry Resume

How to Write a Computer Science Resume

Now that you’ve seen what a great computer science resume looks like, let’s go through all of the steps and tips to help you write one that’s just as good!

#1. Format Your Resume the Right Way

The very first thing the recruiter will notice is the resume format. 

We recommend you use the chronological format . This format lists your work experience in reverse-chronological order. This means your most recent job comes at the top of your work experience section.

Most importantly, this is the most popular format among recruiters and HR managers worldwide, so you can be sure you’re on the safe side using it. 

Here’s what the reverse-chronological resume looks like:

The other two resume formats include: 

• The functional . This is also known as the skills-based resume. This format focuses more on your skills rather than your work experience and it’s recommended for recent graduates with little to no experience to show for.  
• The combination format. This is sometimes called the hybrid format and puts equal focus on both skills and work experience. 

Once you’ve dealt with the formatting part of your computer science resume, it’s time to get to the layout and style. 

Specifically, this involves: 

• Keep it under one page. Unless you’re a professional with 10+ years of experience, or you’re applying for a job in academia, your resume shouldn’t be longer than one page. Keep in mind, recruiters receive hundreds of applications a day and don’t have time to read long resumes. A 1-page resume consisting of your skills and work experience is more than enough. 
• Use straightforward headers . Many companies use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to look for the headings in your resume. Writing “previous work” instead of “work history” can lead to your resume being overlooked.
• Use a catchy font that stands out. For example,  Ubuntu, Roboto, or Overpass are interesting enough to catch the recruiter’s attention while still maintaining a professional look. 
• Save your resume in PDF format. Unless specifically directed otherwise, make sure to save your resume as a PDF file. That way, you can be sure recruiters will be able to open and read it by any device and OS. 

For more information, check out our guide on resume formatting and layout . 

Use a Resume Template

Writing, designing, AND formatting a resume can take a lot of time and work. In fact, creating a really effective resume from scratch can take hours of your precious time. 

Why go through all of that, when you can use one of Novoresume’s free, plug and play resume templates ?

Our templates were created in collaboration with a team of professional recruiters. They are designed to be eye-catching, easy to read, and easily scannable by applicant tracking software. 

See for yourself how good our resumes look compared to the standard black and whites ones:

#2. Include the Right Contact Details

Though the contact information section seems like an easy, straightforward section, you shouldn’t undermine it.  

It is super important to get this part right, with no mistakes or typos (for obvious reasons). 

First, you want to make sure the recruiters can actually get in touch with you should they want to bring you in for an interview. And second, you don’t want to look sloppy. 

Other than that, structuring this section is very easy. All you need to include are:

• Phone number
• Social profiles such as Dribble or GitHub
• Location (city and state/country)

Jane Holland

Software Developer

202-918-2132 

[email protected]

github.com/novoresume 

Boston, Massachusetts 

#3. Write a Memorable Resume Summary/Objective

Your resume summary or objective can make a big difference in your computer science resume, as It’s the perfect opportunity to give recruiters a snapshot of your professional history or goals and show them you’re a relevant candidate from the get-go.

But which one should you use for a better impact? Well, that depends entirely on your work experience. 

A resume objective is better if you are applying for an entry-level position and don’t yet have too much experience to talk about. Instead, you can focus on what you, as the job seeker, are looking for and can show the recruiter how goal-oriented and ambitious you are. 

Seeking challenging work opportunities that allow me to continue learning and developing as a computer scientist alongside a team of some of the best professionals in the field. 

A resume summary , on the other hand, is better for more experienced applicants and it aims to provide hiring professionals with a quick overview of your qualifications and work history. 

Software Engineer with 11+ years in the industry. Experienced in leading large teams, and working with professionals from a variety of disciplines. Developed a work tracking software tool that increased productivity by 44%.  

#4. Describe Your Computer Science Experience

Unless you have no professional experience whatsoever, work experience is a must on any resume . This can be especially true in highly technical fields like computer science where you never really stop learning or developing throughout your career. 

To properly format your work experience:

• List the work entries in reverse chronological order. 
• Include your title, the company name, and location, and the years attended.
• Add 3-5 achievements and responsibilities underneath each work entry (with fewer bullet points for older jobs).

Now, simply formatting this section the right way isn’t enough. 

Your computer science work experience should set you apart from other candidates, which is why we recommend that (whenever it’s possible) you should prioritize your achievements over your work responsibilities . 

Think about it - the recruiter already has a solid idea of what a computer scientist’s work responsibilities are. 

Write and program software…

Improve interaction between people and computers…

So, what they’re really looking to find out is exactly how YOU excelled at the job. 

Another thing to remember when listing out your responsibilities is to make them as quantifiable as possible . 

After all, it’s one thing to say you did something and another thing completely to prove it. 

Look at the two examples below:

• Led a team of 5 software developers from the conceptualization all the way through to the launch of new financial management software that raised company profits by 25% in one year. 
• Increased company profits with my team.

The first example shows the candidate has leadership abilities, as well as describes the actions taken, a timeframe, and results. 

In the second example, on the other hand, the candidate might have done that and more, and the recruiter will never know.

Use Laszlo Bock’s formula to easily quantify your achievements. It basically is “accomplished [X] as measured by [Y] by doing [Z]”. 

What If I Don’t Have Work Experience?

Though work experience is a huge plus on a computer science resume, no one is born with work experience, unfortunately. This means that those of you who are recent graduates likely have nothing to add to this section. 

So what do you do?

The good news is, recruiters don’t expect students or recent graduates to have any work experience. Instead, they want to learn more about your skills, such as programming, mathematics, critical thinking, or teamwork. 

Alternatively, you can create a portfolio to include all these skills in one place. Your computer science portfolio can consist of: 

• Academic projects 
• Personal engineering projects (e.g. games you’ve designed for fun) 
• Online contests
• Any freelance work

To learn more, check out our guide on writing a resume when you don’t have any work experience . 

#5. List Your Education

The education section is as important as ever and, as such, it should be included on your computer science resume. However, compared to the work experience and skills sections, it doesn’t need as much space or attention. 

All you really need to do is provide information about:

• Your degree 
• Name and location of your university 
• Years you attended 

Check out our example for a simple guide:

BSc in Computer Science

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge 

08/2011 -  05/2015

Feel free to add any academic achievements or extracurricular activities in bullet points in this section, to add value to your resume (especially if you have just recently graduated and have no work experience whatsoever). 

#6. Write Relevant Skills

As we mentioned before, the skills section is one of the most important parts of your computer science resume, especially if you are applying for an entry-level position and don’t have much work experience yet. 

In fact, a 15 to 20-word skills section has been shown to improve an applicant's chances of getting hired . 

However, don’t make the mistake of listing all the skills you can think of. That will just crown your resume with unnecessary information and make it look sloppy. 

Instead, you should list industry-relevant skills and specifically, those required by the position (if you have them, that is). 

So, make sure to check the job ad and see whether any of the required skills match yours, and definitely include them in your skills section. 

24 Computer Science Skills to Put On Your Resume

Hard skills for computer science resume.

• Mathematics
• Problem-solving
• Experimentation
• Computer and technology knowledge
• Programming languages
• Technical writing
• Software development
• Computer hardware engineering
• Data analysis
• Information systems management
• Linear algebra
• Discrete mathematics

Soft Skills for Computer Science Resume

• Attention to detail
• Teamwork & cooperation
• Organization
• Communication
• Training and teaching
• Time management

#7. Use These Additional Sections

When it comes to a computer science resume, there’s no doubt that the work experience, skills, and education sections are the most important (usually in that order). However, additional sections can also bring a lot of value to your resume . 

If you have little to no work experience, they can be a great way to add more meat to your resume.

On the other hand, if you’re a seasoned professional, they can help you stand out from other applicants with similar skills and experience.  

So what sections should you add to your computer science resume?

• Awards & certifications: There’s a lot of competition these days in programming and computer science. One way to prove to recruiters that you’re ahead of the other applicants is by showing what awards and certifications you’ve received. 
• Projects: Another great way to tell recruiters you’re not just another applicant with a generic resume is to show them the most interesting projects you’ve worked on. This doesn’t necessarily have to be work projects, but can be school assignments or personal projects you’ve worked on. 
• Hobbies & Interests: Though this section isn’t the most important, it can still provide super useful insight to recruiters. For example, if you list designing your own games, they will know that you are really passionate about programming and even spend your downtime honing your skills. 

Awards & Certifications

• Outstanding Contribution Certificate, 2020
• Computer Entrepreneur Award, 2019
• Seymour Cray Computer Engineering Award, 2017: for the most creative and innovative contribution to high-performance computing. 
• Worked with a team of three programmers to create an e-Authentification system using a combination of QR code and OTP. 
• Designed and built a website for the final project at MIT.

Hobbies & Interests

• Puzzle-based video games
• Designing and programming mobile games
• Hiking and mountain climbing

#8. Attach a Cover Letter to Your Resume

While there are a few career coaches and hiring professionals who might disagree, we (along with most other professionals) always recommend that you attach a cover letter to your resume. 

The majority of recruiters expect a cover letter and will not take your application seriously without one. Besides, writing a cover letter gives you the opportunity to explain anything you couldn’t on your resume (like gaps between jobs).  

A cover letter should include the following components:

• Header - This section should list your contact information, along with the contact information of the hiring manager you are addressing. 
• Greeting the hiring manager - Add a personal touch by researching the recruiter’s name (usually be the head of whichever department you are applying to). Showing you’ve gone the extra mile will set you apart from candidates who include a generic “Dear Sir/Madam” greeting.
• Opening paragraph - Here you really want to grab the hiring manager’s attention and impress them with your top 2-3 achievements. 
• Body - You should convince the recruiter that you’re the perfect candidate for the job. Explain exactly what sets you apart from other applicants and what makes you a good fit for their company culture. You can also use this to say anything you couldn’t in your resume (e.g. explain a career gap).  
• Closing - You want to leave a lasting impression with the closing paragraph. Make it memorable so the hiring manager won’t forget you by including a call to action (e.g. it’d be great to discuss this more in-depth in an interview). 

For more tips on how to write a great cover letter, make sure to check out our complete guide . 

Key Takeaways

Now you’re finally ready to start writing your computer science resume and advance in your career. 

Just remember the steps and tips we gave you to help you along the way:

• Use the right resume format - we recommend the reverse-chronological format.
• Enter your contact details carefully - make sure the recruiters can contact you and you don’t look sloppy. 
• Include an effective resume summary or objective - help the hiring professionals get a better picture of who you are and what to expect. 
• Focus on your computer science experience - put more emphasis on experience and accomplishments rather than responsibilities. 
• List your education - make sure to add the relevant educational background. 
• Include relevant skills - list only the skills that are relevant to the position you are applying for. 
• Include additional sections when relevant - when appropriate, add sections that can add value to your resume, especially when you don’t have much experience. 
• Attach a cover letter - don’t forget to include an impactful letter that will set you apart from other applicants. 

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16 Computer Science (CS) Resume Examples for 2024

• Computer Science (CS) Resumes
• CS Student Resumes
• CS Resumes by Experience
• CS Resumes by Role

Writing Your Computer Science Resume

When you’re a computer science student looking for an internship or your first full-time role as a developer, deciding what to include in a  good resume  and how to format it correctly can be challenging.

We analyzed countless computer science resumes and chose the top 16 examples to help you get started. No matter if you’re looking for your first real-world coding job or are a seasoned campaigner, we have a computer science cover letter and resume designed to match where you’re at in your career.

The hardest part of resume writing is figuring out how to do a resume. Our  resume tips ,  resume maker,  and free  Word resume templates  have helped developers  get interviews at companies like Facebook and Microsoft,  so they’re a great place to start.

Computer Science Resume Example

Microsoft Word

Google Docs

Why this resume works

• If you’ve already had an internship or related work experience (as a research assistant, for example), you want to highlight that experience at the top of your computer science resume. Lead with your strengths, and if you have the experience, that’s a real asset.
• Hiring managers review a lot of resumes for CS internships and entry-level roles. Don’t be afraid to let your personality shine! Your activities outside the classroom can help you stand out if you have a unique interest.
• Starting with a  resume outline example  can help guide you in how to include a project or two on your final resume.

Computer Scientist Resume Example

• Your computer scientist resume should build upon any related experience, perhaps as an entry-level computer support specialist. Your experience coupled with a four-year degree can open a career path for you.
• Use any previous education and experience as a launchpad to land your next computer science role. 

Computer Science Student Resume Example

• Browse through our  free resume templates  on Google for some inspiring designs suited for little to no experience. 
• Employers understand that people looking for their first programming role won’t have relevant work experience to discuss. In this case, strive to demonstrate your interest in computer science through personal projects and what you did outside of class during your school years.
• At this point, your education is your greatest strength, so be sure to list all the relevant classes you’ve taken that make you a great fit for the role to which you’re applying.

Computer Science Internship Resume Example

• Don’t list too many skills. A hiring manager wants to know your strengths. It’s much better to list two to three languages or tools you’re really strong in than ten you wouldn’t be able to answer questions about in an interview.
• List work experience, even if it’s not directly related to computer science. It shows you can handle responsibility and are reliable. Combining this with the  technical skills on your resume  can give you an advantage over the competition.

Computer Science Major Resume Example

• The CS courses you’re studying will give an employer a better picture of what theoretical knowledge you’re well versed in and can bring to your first job.

Computer Science No Experience Resume Example

• The details of a personal project—like one where you designed and developed a portfolio website—are a great addition to your computer science no experience resume.

Entry-Level Computer Science Resume Example

• This means finding a  professional resume template  that includes your education, relevant skills, projects you’ve worked on, and any relevant internship experience, plus leveraging a cover letter generator to complement your application.
• To make the case you’ll have a real impact as a full-time developer, you should quantify the impact of your internship achievements. Numbers make a much stronger case than words, so using them will set your resume apart.

Entry AGS Desktop Publisher Resume Example

• As a desktop publisher, you use publishing software to create various documents and products, including financial reports, business proposals, books, newspapers, newsletters, packaging, tickets, and business cards. You format and combine text, numerical data, photographs, illustrations, charts, and other visual elements.
• Analyze locally available job descriptions and take note of consistent skill requirements. These requirements serve as a physical roadmap of what to include in your resume.
• Specialize using the physical roadmap from the local analysis mentioned above to create an aspirational checklist of what to learn/continue learning to be maximally effective.
• Career objectives  exist to support and enhance whatever work experience you list. Instead of opting for a lengthier resume that includes irrelevant experience, your entry AGS desktop publisher resume can use a career objective to instill confidence in the reader and prove that you have a proven, albeit short, history of driving value.

Entry-Level Android Developer Resume Example

• As an aspiring developer, your  entry-level Android developer resume  has options for showcasing your available skillset.
• The key here isn’t reinventing the wheel but creating something dynamic and unique that can’t be easily replicated with a few Google searches and a video tutorial.
• Some internships require a fully completed degree to be in hand before starting. Although this is becoming more uncommon with the introduction of online coding trade schools (boot camps), research needs to be done regarding individual markets and locations.

Senior Computer Vision Scientist Resume Example

• Your senior computer vision scientist resume should be steeped in well-documented data and reporting. When updating the  resume skills  list on your resume, there are two primary sources from which you can collect data.
• The first source is the company’s list of required skills from the job description. This list provides the exact skills needed to excel in the role.
• The second way is to look at desired job titles in a specific geographic location. After evaluating the market’s desired skill requisites, adjustments can be made to showcase expertise to the general “heartbeat” of what employers in the area are seeking.
• Emphasize specific bullet points with KPIs that complement and enhance the general “heartbeat” of the desired market.

Computer Programming Resume Example

• So, what else can you do to ensure that your computer programming resume impresses recruiters? Well, an elegant template with subtle color accents would add flair to your application. Also, this format gives your piece the room to balance text and white spaces for a formal outlook.

Computer Engineering Resume Example

• Take this direction, and demonstrate your numbers in production errors and hardware costs (cue: 27% reduction in production errors and reducing hardware costs by 18%).

Computer Technician Resume Example

• Be sure to highlight these achievements in your resume all while integrating quantifiable metrics to add credibility to your achievements, making yourself a strong candidate.

Computer Science Teaching Assistant Resume Example

• Your  computer science teaching assistant resume  should contain the key sections recruiters need to see. It may be tempting to include other sections, many projects, or even non-relevant work experience when writing your academic resume, but that can greatly hurt your chances of being interviewed.
• The most important sections are skills, work experience, education, and relevant projects.
• For example, “Engaged with industry to maintain 100% fluency in the area of focus and provide opportunities for students to work on industry projects.”
• In the eyes of the reader, this bullet point means you will not need a lot of training and will bring immediate value to the company when hired.

Computer Science & Engineering Teacher Resume Example

• Adding a summary gives you the chance to reinforce your abilities with software engineering, curriculum development, and teaching, overall increasing your chances of landing an interview.
• Don’t forget to customize your  skills section  in addition to the other sections on your resume; check the job description for skill keywords you can include to catch any recruiter’s eye.

Computer Science Tutor Resume Example

• For example, you could include experience that involves working with students, colleagues, and school administration.
• You should also include soft skills, even though they’re difficult to quantify. Scan the job description to find soft skill keywords you can use in your  skills section  or work experience.
• Projects are a good way to demonstrate your tech knowledge, especially if you have limited work experience. However, projects are formatted slightly differently than work experience; use our  resume outline example  to show you how to add relevant projects to your resume.
• Your skills section is vital for demonstrating your technical abilities – include the software and tools you’re comfortable using and especially include any tools that are listed on the job description.

Related resume guides

• Data Analyst
• Data Science Resume
• Java Developer
• Data Engineer

Early in your computer science career, you must keep your resume to one page. As such, real estate on your resume is valuable. You should only include a  resume objective  if it adds value and increases your chances of getting an interview.

So, what is a resume objective for a computer science student? It’s a statement that succinctly states your skills, what you’re looking for in the job you’re applying for, and how you’ll add value in that role.

That sounds like a lot, but it’s not that bad in practice. You should keep it to two to three sentences and customize it to each role for which you apply. Here are a couple of examples from the resumes above:

• “I’m looking for an internship where I can utilize my experience with natural language processing and building web apps for non-technical users to further the mission of Coursera in democratizing education across the world.”
• “Industrious recent computer science graduate with a zeal for innovation. Seeking a position at Sikka Software, where the strategic focus on delighting users aligns with my creativity and desire to enhance social events through technology.”

Alternatively, if you’ve built some valuable experience, you may want to consider a  resume summary statement . Only include one if you can successfully and specifically highlight your greatest career accomplishments. 

Projects on your computer science resume

When you’re looking for a computer science internship or your first full-time role as a developer, projects are a must-have on your resume.

These can either be projects you completed as part of a class or something you went out and built on your own. Projects are the best way to show a potential employer that you can take what you learned in class and apply it to the real world.

More than that, they’re a great way to demonstrate your interest in coding outside of your classwork. In your projects, mention exactly what you built and the languages/ libraries you used. Here are some examples:

Social media scheduler

• Built a responsive web app using Django and Node that allowed users to schedule social media posts across Instagram and Twitter
• Utilized the Twitter API and Instagram API
• Built features using scikit-learn in Python that learned what time of day maximized engagement with social media posts which increased the overall user engagement rate by 15% 
• Released app for free for University of Pittsburgh students, and it quickly grew to over 500 monthly active users
• Used: Javascript, Python, SQL, HTML/CSS

Poker simulation

• Built a full-stack web app to allow users to simulate and visualize outcomes of poker hands against opponents of different play styles using open-source cards.js on the front-end
• Utilized sci-kit learn in Python to simulate possible outcomes under different scenarios that the users chose

• • Took extra tuition in Probability & Statistics, Python Development, Linear Algebra and Machine Learning
• • Won 2 university-level hackathons as part of the official 3-person team in 2017 and 2018
• • Performed over 200h of exploratory data analysis for identifying high value candidate features and gaining insight into the efficacy of features
• • Presented findings and business suggestions to industry executives using Tableau and PowerPoint, resulting in fixing over 20 bugs and removing features that slowed down the software
• • Tackling close to 100 data analysis per month
• • Utilized Java, Python, and SQL to develop and maintain over 40 customized algorithms that meet customer and business needs
• • Rearranged and added more than 300 contract files to the company database
• • Improved database performance with 20% by using materialized views and stored procedures
• • Performed over 300h of data analysis, data migration, data preparation, graphical presentation, and statistical analysis
• • Completed 100 hours of training in Python

4 Computer Science Resume Examples & Guide for 2024

Customize this resume with ease using our seamless online resume builder.

All resume examples in this guide

Computer Science Internship

Entry-Level Computer Science

Junior Computer Science

Computer science cover letter

Resume Guide

Formatting Tips

Resume Header

Resume Summary

Computer Science Experience on Resume

Education Resume Tips

Computer Science Skills

Resume Certifications

Additional Resume Sections

Cover Letter Tips

Key Takeaways

By Experience

Even though the number of people majoring in CS was in decline just a few years ago, the number of CS undergraduates in 2019 has doubled from that of 2017.

So how do you apply for, say, Amazon or Google, knowing that about a few thousand of your peers will probably do the same?

There’s only so many decent tech companies to work for. Naturally, it all comes down to how good your computer science resume is .

In this computer science resume guide, you will:

• Study 14 computer science resume samples and templates;
• Learn what recruiters pay attention to when scanning a resume;
• Learn how to write computer science resume with no experience;
• Understand how to write a computer science student resume or entry-level computer science resume;
• Learn what resume sections to prioritize.

Looking for related Computer Science resume guides?

• IT Intern resume examples
• Entry-Level Software Engineer resume examples
• Entry-Level Network Engineer resume examples
• IT Support resume examples
• Data Scientist resume examples
• Web Developer resume examples

Choose a fitting format for your computer science resume

Level of expertise and practical experience will dictate which of the many resume formats you select.

If you have more than 5 years in the industry, use the reverse-chronological resume format . Recruiters love it because the layout is traditional and easy to scan.

But if you’re a college grad with no more than 2-3 years of work history, opt for the hybrid resume format .

This one presents a balanced overview of both your skills and relevant projects you’ve done. It’s also a suitable layout for professionals who are switching careers.

Alternatively, if you’re applying for your first internship, check out the functional resume format . Its aim is to emphasize the range of your skills and how you acquired them.

Whichever layout you select, keep in mind to:

• Check for any extra formatting requirements listed in the job ad. Some companies have specific rules on resume design and styling.
• Fit everything on one page. Unless you have a good reason to expand any of the sections on your resume, don’t go too overboard.

Speaking of sections, let’s discuss the actual layout of your resume.

A while ago we decided to test how various resume formats performed against ATS tools. Apart from avoiding basic mistakes, like typos, pay attention to the:

• Colors and Design : Some companies allow for creative designs. Research your potential employer before you choose the style of your resume.
• Fonts : ATS software works with all the trending Google fonts, so it’s all a matter of personal preference. Make sure it’s readable and goes well with the overall design.
• Section Headings : Remember to name your sections accordingly. ATS tools respond to keywords and these include section headings.
• Length/Columns : Condense your resume to a single page. But feel free to divide it into a few columns, if you think it will present your information better.
• File Format : ATS software reads a variety of file types. But we suggest saving your resume as a PDF file because it preserves all your formatting and design settings.

Recruiters want to see that you’re active in the tech industry. Your projects will prove your inquisitiveness and ability to stay up to date with current trends.

Reference your GitHub and portfolio in the resume header

If you had only 2 seconds to:

• Display examples of your work
• List tech stack you’re working with
• Prove you’ve been continuously contributing to various projects

… what would you do?

You show them your GitHub or your portfolio. Whichever is more relevant for the position.

The resume header is the perfect place to share them, because it’s the first section recruiters check.

Once you add your:

• First and last name
• Job title and/or specializations (e.g. Certified AWS Cloud Practitioner)
• Phone number
• Professional email

… add your GitHub profile. Let your work speak for itself.

This is how to do it:

Outline top achievements in your computer science resume summary

A good way to show your work ethic and attitude towards your career is to write a quality resume summary .

This is a short paragraph of 5-6 sentences which helps you:

• Highlight your proudest CS accomplishments
• Emphasize some of the key skills you have, especially if you are a fresher

ATS tools read resumes from top to bottom. This means that if you list your core tools near the top, there is a higher chance of your resume being flagged as relevant to the job.

There are three main components you must add to build a good resume summary:

• The amount of experience you have, expressed in years
• Titles, abilities, tech stack and qualifications
• 1-2 of your best career achievements

The following examples will show you how to frame your summary, regardless of your experience:

Cite the tools you use in the computer science experience section

Having wowed hiring managers with your resume summary, it’s time to display a more detailed view of your work history.

As such, you mustn’t merely cite the tools you use on a daily basis, share how you’ve applied them.

An excellent experience section delves into how you’ve solved problems with all the tools you have at your disposal. Quantify your achievements and provide context.

For instance, you can reference any awards you’ve won:

Voted Best Tutor at the Pasadena Summer Coding Camp for being the instructor with the highest student success rate (89%) for Java and Python-related courses.

Or you describe a well-received CS project you’ve done:

Developed an emergency alert software for the local blind and deaf community as a pro bono project, which reduced cases of climate-related cases of missing people by 77%.

Hiring managers love to see contributions to open source projects, too. There are many chances to shine.

Remember that for each entry, you must:

• Display your past positions in a reverse-chronological order
• List the name of the company, its website, as well as a short description about its business focus
• State your job title and dates of employment
• No more than 5 bullet points with career milestones you’ve reached during your tenure

When you combine everything together, you should have an entry similar to the one below:

• • Improved data generation and reporting using Python and NumPy, which resulted in $70 million revenue increase for 2022.
• • Migrated and merged over 19 databases with Liquibase, which improved data analysis by 41% and streamlined operations by 80%.
• • Reduced the income of new tech support tickets by 62% by updating old FAQ manuals and writing supplementary documentation.
• • Prevented a $4.7 million loss after fixing a bug, which could have led to a data breach, involving more than 800,000 customers, if found and exploited.

State your GPA when listing your education

If you’re a recent college grad, mention your GPA . While this may seem like a minor detail, it showcases your diligence and ability to work on long-term projects.

But if more than 5 years have passed since you graduated, put an emphasis on the type of academic background you have. Remember to add the:

• Name and level of your degree
• Name and location of accrediting institution or college
• Years of attendance
• Relevant majors and student projects (if you’re a fresher)

You can use the following example to structure your own education section :

Showcase relevant computer science skills

Something to keep in mind at all times is that you have to be comfortable being interviewed in any of the tools and languages you list.

This is one way recruiters vet candidates who stuff their resume with keywords before they reach the interview stage.

You are free to mention hard skills you are not particularly savvy in, but only if:

• They make sense for the context you’ve provided
• Show that you actually have practical experience with the mentioned instruments

Most importantly, you shouldn’t rely on tech talents alone. Diversify your skills section with industry-relevant soft skills .

By creating a balanced overview of your abilities, you will pass the ATS tools’ test and win recruiters’ hearts.

That said, as a CS specialist, your main concern will be which tech skills to add and why.

We’ve prepared a list with the most popular tech talents for 2024. But before you include any of them on your resume, determine which are relevant for the job ad.

50 fundamental technical skills for computer science specialists:

While hard skills can be tested on the spot, social abilities are sometimes very difficult to measure and frame in terms of data and numbers.

The way you solve this problem is by providing the right context. Present a challenge and describe how you solved it and what the results were.

For example:

As you can see, one of the entries in the table mentions inquisitiveness. Anyone can say they are curious.

Yet, the entry proves that the individual’s inquisitiveness has helped them achieve some success at work.

Think about your professional contributions. Talk about how your work has impacted others around you.

Take a look at the table below. It holds some of the trendiest social talents for CS experts. Use them to brainstorm some ideas for your resume:

35 quintessential soft skills for computer science specialists:

Highlight your specialty with your computer science certificates.

Having a CS degree shows that you know your basics. But what would really make you stand out among other candidates is what you specialize in.

Even better if you have a certificate to support your claims.

This is why the certificates section on your resume is crucial. Don’t forget to:

• State the name of your certificate accurately
• List the name of the issuing organization
• Mention the year of obtainment or expected time of completion
• Date of validity (if applicable)

There are tons of certificates you can list. If you have many, don’t include all of them. Stay relevant to the job description.

But if you’re a recent college grad and you’re not sure which ones will get you noticed, here are some recommendations:

20 essential computer science certificates for your resume:

• Network and Systems Professionals Association (NASPA)

Support your application with other relevant sections

By now you may be thinking that your resume will look like any other CS college grad out there. That’s why you should consider supplementing your resume with extra sections.

So far we’ve discussed contributions to open source projects. Other noteworthy mentions for your resume are:

• Club and association memberships
• Side projects , products and services you’ve worked on
• Competitions, hackathons and awards
• Papers, patents , and conference presentations

Again, take into account what’s relevant to the available position by reading the job offer.

Pair your computer scientist resume with a compatible cover letter

This is another trick to make your resume outstanding.

Writing a cover letter is your chance to appeal directly to the company and the hiring managers.

Explain why you want to work for them and how they can benefit from your experience.

Generally, the cover letter is divided into three main section:

• Like the resume summary, the first paragraph focuses on your top professional achievements.
• The second section elaborates on your talents, your relevant qualifications and credentials.
• The final paragraph includes a call to action. Invite the hiring manager to a further discussion of your application. Remember to mention when you are available to talk.

Finally, don’t forget to thank the recruiter for the job opportunity.

Key takeaways

Computer science resume examples.

Explore additional computer science resume samples and guides and see what works for your level of experience or role.

Looking to build your own Computer Science resume?

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NIGHTMARE SUPPLY CHAIN ATTACK SCENARIO —

What we know about the xz utils backdoor that almost infected the world, malicious updates made to a ubiquitous tool were a few weeks away from going mainstream..

Dan Goodin - Apr 1, 2024 6:55 am UTC

On Friday, a lone Microsoft developer rocked the world when he revealed a backdoor had been intentionally planted in xz Utils, an open source data compression utility available on almost all installations of Linux and other Unix-like operating systems. The person or people behind this project likely spent years on it. They were likely very close to seeing the backdoor update merged into Debian and Red Hat, the two biggest distributions of Linux, when an eagle-eyed software developer spotted something fishy.

Further Reading

Researchers have spent the weekend gathering clues. Here's what we know so far.

What is xz Utils?

xz Utils is nearly ubiquitous in Linux. It provides lossless data compression on virtually all Unix-like operating systems, including Linux. xz Utils provides critical functions for compressing and decompressing data during all kinds of operations. xz Utils also supports the legacy .lzma format, making this component even more crucial.

What happened?

Andres Freund, a developer and engineer working on Microsoft’s PostgreSQL offerings, was recently troubleshooting performance problems a Debian system was experiencing with SSH, the most widely used protocol for remotely logging in to devices over the Internet. Specifically, SSH logins were consuming too many CPU cycles and were generating errors with valgrind , a utility for monitoring computer memory.

Through sheer luck and Freund’s careful eye, he eventually discovered the problems were the result of updates that had been made to xz Utils. On Friday, Freund took to the Open Source Security List to disclose the updates were the result of someone intentionally planting a backdoor in the compression software.

It's hard to overstate the complexity of the social engineering and the inner workings of the backdoor. Thomas Roccia, a researcher at Microsoft, published a graphic on Mastodon that helps visualize the sprawling extent of the nearly successful endeavor to spread a backdoor with a reach that would have dwarfed the SolarWinds event from 2020.

What does the backdoor do?

Malicious code added to xz Utils versions 5.6.0 and 5.6.1 modified the way the software functions. The backdoor manipulated sshd, the executable file used to make remote SSH connections. Anyone in possession of a predetermined encryption key could stash any code of their choice in an SSH login certificate, upload it, and execute it on the backdoored device. No one has actually seen code uploaded, so it's not known what code the attacker planned to run. In theory, the code could allow for just about anything, including stealing encryption keys or installing malware.

Wait, how can a compression utility manipulate a process as security sensitive as SSH?

Any library can tamper with the inner workings of any executable it is linked against. Often, the developer of the executable will establish a link to a library that's needed for it to work properly. OpenSSH, the most popular sshd implementation, doesn’t link the liblzma library, but Debian and many other Linux distributions add a patch to link sshd to systemd , a program that loads a variety of services during the system bootup. Systemd, in turn, links to liblzma, and this allows xz Utils to exert control over sshd.

How did this backdoor come to be?

It would appear that this backdoor was years in the making. In 2021, someone with the username JiaT75 made their first known commit to an open source project. In retrospect, the change to the libarchive project is suspicious, because it replaced the safe_fprint funcion with a variant that has long been recognized as less secure. No one noticed at the time.

The following year, JiaT75 submitted a patch over the xz Utils mailing list, and, almost immediately, a never-before-seen participant named Jigar Kumar joined the discussion and argued that Lasse Collin, the longtime maintainer of xz Utils, hadn’t been updating the software often or fast enough. Kumar, with the support of Dennis Ens and several other people who had never had a presence on the list, pressured Collin to bring on an additional developer to maintain the project.

In January 2023, JiaT75 made their first commit to xz Utils. In the months following, JiaT75, who used the name Jia Tan, became increasingly involved in xz Utils affairs. For instance, Tan replaced Collins' contact information with their own on oss-fuzz, a project that scans open source software for vulnerabilities that can be exploited. Tan also requested that oss-fuzz disable the ifunc function during testing, a change that prevented it from detecting the malicious changes Tan would soon make to xz Utils.

In February of this year, Tan issued commits for versions 5.6.0 and 5.6.1 of xz Utils. The updates implemented the backdoor. In the following weeks, Tan or others appealed to developers of Ubuntu, Red Hat, and Debian to merge the updates into their OSes. Eventually, one of the two updates made its way into the following releases, according to security firm Tenable:

There’s more about Tan and the timeline here .

reader comments

Promoted comments.

It should be noted that the attack only works because Debian and Redhat added functionality to sshd that is not present in it as distributed by its developers. The extra functionality adds systemd interaction, which requires libsystemd which requires liblzma, a component of the (compromised) xz package. One should be wary of distributions adding functionality. Often it increases the attack surface, not only because of the modifications/additions themselves, but also by adding dependencies.

So a prime reason this became potentially exploitable is libsystemd in OpenSSH. Need I say more.

The prime reason is a very well funded and capable attacker looked for a way in. if not xz or systemd then they would have attacked via the next candidate weak point.

"This developer persona has touched dozens of other pieces of open-source software in the past few years.". Well, I guess the Opensource community have some codes to review. Maybe the xz incident is only the tips of the iceberg.

Channel Ars Technica