Australia’s technology industry is experiencing unprecedented growth, with the Australian Computer Society reporting strong demand for software developers across all major cities. From fintech startups in Sydney to gaming companies in Melbourne, and emerging tech hubs in Brisbane and Perth, opportunities abound for skilled developers. However, with increased competition and evolving technical requirements, your resume must effectively showcase both your coding abilities and problem-solving skills to stand out.

Software Developer Resume Examples and How to Write

A software developer designs, builds, and maintains applications, systems, and software solutions that power modern businesses and digital experiences. This comprehensive guide will help you create a compelling software developer resume optimised for the Australian tech market, complete with industry-specific examples and proven strategies that will help you secure interviews with leading technology companies.

Software Developer Resume (Text Version)

What is The Best Format for a Software Developer Resume?

The reverse chronological format is the most effective choice for software developer resumes in Australia’s tech industry. This format showcases your most recent and relevant experience first, allowing hiring managers and technical recruiters to quickly assess your current skill level and career progression. Australian tech companies particularly value this format as it clearly demonstrates your growth in technical complexity and responsibility.

Resume Parts and Formatting Guidelines:

Header: Include your full name, phone number, professional email address, LinkedIn profile, GitHub profile, and personal portfolio website. For developers, your GitHub profile and portfolio are crucial for showcasing your code quality and projects.

Summary: A concise 3-4 sentence professional summary highlighting your experience level, key technologies, and specialisations. This section should immediately convey your technical expertise and value proposition.

Experience: List your work history in reverse chronological order, emphasising software development roles and quantifiable achievements that demonstrate your impact on projects and business outcomes.

Education: Include relevant degrees, coding bootcamps, online certifications, and continuous learning initiatives that demonstrate your commitment to staying current with technology.

Other Sections: Technical skills, projects, certifications, open source contributions, and relevant professional development activities.

Technical Specifications:

Use clean, modern fonts such as Arial, Calibri, or Source Sans Pro. Your name should be prominently displayed in 18-20pt font, section headings in 14-16pt, and body text in 11-12pt. Maintain consistent margins of 0.75-1 inch and ensure adequate white space for readability. Always submit as a PDF to preserve formatting across different systems and ATS platforms commonly used by Australian tech companies.

What Experience Should Be on Your Software Developer Resume?

Your experience section should prioritise software development roles whilst highlighting transferable technical skills from internships, freelance work, or related positions. Focus on specific technologies used, problems solved, and measurable impact on projects or business metrics. Even if you’re transitioning from another field, emphasise any programming experience, technical problem-solving, or analytical work that demonstrates your aptitude for software development.

Key elements to include:

• Specific programming languages, frameworks, and technologies used
• Project outcomes and measurable business impact
• Collaboration with cross-functional teams and stakeholders
• Code quality improvements and technical optimisations
• Agile methodologies and development processes participation
• Leadership, mentoring, or technical guidance responsibilities

Entry-Level Software Developer Resume Samples [Experience]

For entry-level positions, focus on internships, personal projects, coding bootcamp experience, university projects, and any freelance or volunteer development work. Emphasise your learning ability, passion for coding, and familiarity with modern development practices and tools, even if gained through self-directed study.

How to Write the Education Section for your Software Developer Resume

The education section is important for software developers, particularly for new graduates or those with computer science degrees from recognised Australian universities. However, the tech industry increasingly values practical skills and portfolio projects over formal qualifications. Include relevant coursework, final year projects, academic achievements, and any additional learning through coding bootcamps, online courses, or self-directed study that demonstrates your commitment to continuous learning.

Software Developer Resume Example [Education]

How to Write the Skills Section for your Software Developer Resume

The technical skills section is crucial for software developers as it’s often the first thing recruiters and ATS systems scan for relevant technologies. Organise your skills by category (languages, frameworks, tools, etc.) and list them in order of proficiency and relevance to your target roles. Include 20-30 skills total, balancing core programming competencies with modern development tools, cloud platforms, and methodologies that reflect current industry standards.

Software Developer Resume Skills (Hard Skills)

• Programming Languages (JavaScript, Python, Java, TypeScript, C#, Go, Rust)
• Frontend Frameworks (React, Vue.js, Angular, Next.js, Svelte)
• Backend Frameworks (Node.js, Express.js, Django, Flask, Spring Boot)
• Databases (PostgreSQL, MongoDB, MySQL, Redis, DynamoDB)
• Cloud Platforms (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud Platform)
• DevOps & CI/CD (Docker, Kubernetes, Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI)
• Version Control (Git, GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket)
• Testing Frameworks (Jest, Mocha, Pytest, JUnit, Cypress, Selenium)
• API Development (RESTful APIs, GraphQL, WebSockets)
• Mobile Development (React Native, Flutter, Swift, Kotlin)
• Data Processing (Apache Spark, Apache Kafka, Elasticsearch)
• Machine Learning (TensorFlow, PyTorch, scikit-learn)

Software Developer Resume Skills (Soft Skills)

• Problem-solving and analytical thinking
• Team collaboration and communication
• Agile and Scrum methodologies
• Project management and time management
• Code review and mentoring abilities
• Adaptability to new technologies
• Attention to detail and quality focus
• Creative thinking and innovation
• Client communication and requirements gathering
• Continuous learning and professional development
• Technical documentation and knowledge sharing
• Cross-functional team leadership

How to pick the best Software Developer skills:

1. Analyse job descriptions in your target market to identify the most in-demand technologies and skills
2. Prioritise skills you can demonstrate through projects, work experience, or portfolio examples
3. Include a mix of foundational programming skills and cutting-edge technologies to show both depth and adaptability
4. Group related technologies together and list them in order of proficiency level
5. Include soft skills that differentiate you, such as leadership experience or domain expertise in specific industries
6. Keep your skills current by regularly updating based on new learning and project experience

Software Developer Resume Examples [Skills]

Should I Add Bonus Sections to My Software Developer Resume?

Additional sections can significantly strengthen your software developer resume, particularly in Australia’s competitive tech market where employers value well-rounded candidates who contribute beyond just coding. These sections help demonstrate your passion for technology, community involvement, and commitment to professional growth. However, only include sections that add genuine value and showcase relevant technical or leadership experience.

Valuable bonus sections include:

Projects: Essential for developers to showcase practical application of skills, especially personal or open-source projects. Certifications: Cloud certifications (AWS, Azure), framework-specific credentials, or professional development certificates that validate your expertise. Open Source Contributions: GitHub contributions, maintainer roles, or significant commits to popular repositories demonstrate collaboration and code quality. Technical Writing & Speaking: Blog posts, conference talks, or workshop presentations that show thought leadership and communication skills. Hackathons & Competitions: Participation or wins in coding competitions, hackathons, or technical challenges. Languages: Particularly valuable in Australia’s multicultural tech environment for working with diverse teams and international clients.

Software Developer Resume Examples [Other Sections]

Tip: You can include technical hobbies that demonstrate relevant skills (such as Arduino projects showing hardware-software integration), side projects that solve real problems, volunteer work involving technology (coding for nonprofits), or teaching and mentoring activities that show leadership and communication abilities.

How to write a Software Developer Resume Objective or Resume Summary

A compelling professional summary serves as your technical elevator pitch, providing hiring managers and technical recruiters with a concise overview of your programming expertise, experience level, and specialisations in 3-4 impactful sentences. For software developers, your summary should immediately establish your technical competencies, years of experience, and the types of problems you solve. This section is crucial as it often determines whether technical recruiters continue reading your application.

Key elements to include:

• Years of experience and primary programming languages
• Specific technologies, frameworks, and specialisations
• Notable projects, achievements, or business impact
• Technical leadership or collaboration experience
• Career focus or industry interests

Software Developer Resume Summary Examples

For entry-level positions, focus on an objective statement that emphasises your technical foundation, recent projects, and eagerness to contribute to real-world software development.

Entry-Level Software Developer Resume Summary Examples

How to Update Your LinkedIn Profile When Updating Your Software Developer Resume

LinkedIn is particularly crucial for software developers in Australia, as it’s heavily used by tech recruiters, startup founders, and engineering managers to discover and vet candidates. Many Australian tech companies prioritise LinkedIn profiles over traditional job applications, making it essential to align your profile with your resume updates. Your LinkedIn presence serves as an extended portfolio where you can showcase projects, share technical insights, and connect with the broader Australian tech community.

Unlike your resume, LinkedIn allows for more detailed storytelling about your development journey, technical challenges you’ve overcome, and your perspective on emerging technologies. Use this platform to demonstrate thought leadership, share learnings, and engage with technical content that showcases your expertise and passion for software development.

LinkedIn Headline Optimisation for Software Developers

Your LinkedIn headline should immediately communicate your technical specialisation, experience level, and current focus. Include key technologies and your location to improve discoverability by Australian tech recruiters searching for specific skills.

LinkedIn Summary vs Resume Summary: Key Differences

Your LinkedIn summary can be significantly longer and more personal than your resume summary, allowing for 4-6 paragraphs that tell your complete development story. Use first-person language and discuss your journey into programming, challenges you’ve enjoyed solving, and technologies you’re excited about. Include specific project examples and their impact, your approach to software craftsmanship, and what drives your passion for development.

For Australian developers, consider mentioning your experience with local tech communities, understanding of Australian business requirements, or familiarity with regulations relevant to your domain (such as privacy laws for fintech developers).

Showcasing Software Developer Experience on LinkedIn

LinkedIn’s experience section allows you to expand significantly on your resume bullet points. Include technical architecture decisions, challenges overcome, team dynamics, and lessons learned from each role. Use the media upload feature extensively to showcase code snippets, architecture diagrams, project screenshots, or demo videos. Add project sections for significant personal projects, open-source contributions, or hackathon submissions.

Consider including rich media content such as GitHub repository links, deployed application demos, technical blog posts you’ve written, or presentations from meetups or conferences. This multimedia approach helps differentiate your profile and provides concrete evidence of your technical abilities.

LinkedIn Skills and Endorsements for Software Developers

Focus on your core technical skills, listing 20-30 relevant technologies, frameworks, and methodologies. Prioritise skills most relevant to your target roles and actively seek endorsements from colleagues, fellow developers, and technical managers you’ve worked with. LinkedIn skill assessments are particularly valuable for developers – complete assessments for languages and technologies where you’re confident, as the “Skill Assessment Badge” significantly boosts profile credibility.

Regularly update your skills to reflect new technologies you’ve learned and remove outdated ones. This demonstrates continuous learning and keeps your profile relevant to current market demands.

LinkedIn Profile Tips for Australian Software Developers

Optimise for the Australian tech ecosystem by joining local developer groups such as “Sydney Java User Group,” “Melbourne Python Meetup,” or “Brisbane JavaScript.” Follow Australian tech companies, startup accelerators like Startmate, and tech leaders to stay connected with the local scene. Share content about Australian tech events, comment thoughtfully on posts from local tech leaders, and contribute to discussions about the Australian startup ecosystem.

Follow major Australian tech companies (Atlassian, Canva, REA Group, Seek), fintech companies (Afterpay, Zip), and emerging startups to stay informed about opportunities and industry trends. Share technical articles, contribute to coding discussions, and post about your learning journey or project successes. Always maintain professionalism and focus on technical content rather than controversial topics.

Creating an exceptional software developer resume is your gateway to joining Australia’s thriving technology sector. Remember that in the competitive tech landscape, your resume must not only showcase your technical abilities but also demonstrate your problem-solving approach and ability to deliver business value through code.

After perfecting your resume, complement it with a tailored cover letter that explains your passion for the specific role and company. For developers, consider including links to relevant projects or contributions that directly relate to the position you’re applying for.

Ready to accelerate your development career? Start exploring opportunities on specialised tech job platforms like Seek.com.au, LinkedIn Jobs, and Stack Overflow Jobs. Don’t forget to customise your resume for each application, highlighting the specific technologies and experience most relevant to each role.

For ongoing professional development and networking, consider joining the Australian Computer Society, attending local meetups and conferences, or contributing to open-source projects. The Australian tech community is collaborative and welcoming – engaging with it can significantly enhance your career opportunities and technical growth.