Working as a web developer is your dream, we know! But getting to the point where you’re able to land that dream job depends a lot on your resume and how you present yourself and your skills to possible employers. And that perfect resume will depend heavily on your desired role, experiences, and skills. So, how can you create it? Before we get into the specifics of resumes for web developers, let’s talk about resumes in general, their importance, and their purpose.
Resumes: What Are They?
Resumes (or CVs) are formal documents that consist of five major sections: contact details, introduction, education, experience, and skills. In simple terms, it’s a summary (hence the French word resume!) of everything you bring to the table. These five sections cover the following information:
Contact details: your full name, phone number, and email address; if you want, you can link to your LinkedIn profile.
Tip: you might be tempted to list your city or current address, but if you’re applying to jobs in a different city, it’s best to leave that information off your resume.
Introduction: a concise and brief summary of who you are and what you offer; it shouldn’t be more than 2-3 sentences.
Tip: use action verbs and highlight your biggest accomplishments
Education: your educational background, GPA (optional), majors/minors, and awards; list your most recent degree first and include those that are relevant.
Tip: if you are new to the field or the workforce, feel free to include relevant coursework in this section. If you have lots of experience to share, there’s no need to share course/high school information.
Experience: your work experience including the name of the company, summary of tasks, the location, and length of time you worked there.
Tip: use action verbs and numbers in your job description to prove your positive impact.
Skills: a list of both hard and soft skills that you bring to the table, always relevant to your prospective job.
Tip: mix both your certifications with personal skills to show that you’re a well-rounded candidate.
Why are resumes important?
In the days of LinkedIn profiles, portfolios, and cover letters, you may be wondering why resumes are so important and listen, we get it! Between updating your resume and your LinkedIn profile, along with your portfolio, you may feel like you’re constantly working on your job application packet. But resumes are quite crucial to the job search process and here’s why:
Resumes outline your skills and what you can offer to the company.
Lots of companies that receive tons of resumes use AI or machine learning to select candidates to follow up with; using the right keywords and phrases can help set you apart from the competition.
They provide an easy-to-read and digestible summary of you and your experience, leading recruiters to contact you for an interview.
Resumes for Web Developers
We know why you’re here and it’s to find out how to create that perfect resume for your dream web development role. If you’re thinking ‘hey, web development jobs are in high demand! I don’t need to spend that much time on my resume!’ we’re here to tell you that while yes, web development is a field in rapid growth and there are lots of available roles, landing that dream job will depend largely on your resume. After all, maybe you’re the world’s best web developer, but if recruiters don’t know that, how can they decide to hire you?
Creating that perfect web development resume could be the difference between:
An average web development salary and one that blows your mind
A completely remote or flexible job and an in-person role
A company you’re passionate about and one that you aren’t obsessed with
We could keep going, but we’re pretty sure we’ve summarized it nicely. Working on your ideal resume can help you land the job that fits your needs and wants; if you just take any old role, you may not be happy in a few months.
Types of resumes in web development
Ultimately, the style and design of your resume is up to you. However, there are three common types of resumes in web development; check them out here:
Reverse-chronological resumes: it’s just like it sounds; this very common type of resume lists your achievements, starting with the most recent. This is a great way to easily communicate your current role to prospective employers; however, if you’ve frequently changed jobs or have lots of gaps in your resume, it will be quite noticeable.
Functional resumes: this type of resume focuses on what you bring to the table and not your experiences; you’ll start by defining your past roles without specifying the company name, dates of employment, or location; you’ll provide that information farther down the page later. If you’ve moved around a lot or have a wide range of experience, this might be the best option for you.
Hybrid resumes: do both of these seem like something you’d be interested in? Well, great news: a hybrid resume lists your previous experience reverse-chronologically while outlining your skills in greater detail.
Different sections of your web developer resume
Now that you’ve decided which type of resume best suits you, it’s time to get down to the nitty gritty and discuss the meat of the resume–you! Now, we’ll summarize these four sections: professional summary, professional experience, educational background, and your skills.
Professional summary
Not all resumes will boast a professional summary and whether you choose to or not is completely up to you, but if you do decide to include one, make sure you set yourself apart from the competition. How? Well, everyone and their mother lists themselves as having “excellent communication skills” and “works well on a team,” but can everyone boast “identifying high-priority company needs” or provide actual data backing up their claims? Use your specific experiences to create a two or three sentence summary of what you bring to the table.
Tip: you may be tempted to include a quick summary of your current role, but there’s no need! Recruiters have your resume in front of them; don’t waste valuable space repeating information that’s just a few inches down the page.
Professional experience
In this section, it’s time to show your work experience and provide the name of the company, your role, your duties, location, and dates of employment. It seems straightforward, no? Well, the tough part comes when listing your responsibilities and achievements. You know what you’ve accomplished, but it can be hard to put that into words. Use descriptive and captivating language to showcase your talents; use numbers and figures to provide even more detail.
Tip: Create a master resume where you outline absolutely every aspect of your experience; when you’re applying for a specific role, you can copy and paste your relevant experience into a resume that’s cultivated specifically for that position and doesn’t waste time on things in which the recruiter isn’t interested.
Educational experience
You may doubt the importance of including this section in your resume; after all, everyone will have a similar section, right? While this is true, this is your time to provide additional information that helps support your claim to expertise. Include papers you wrote or assisted on, any internship or TA experience you’ve had, and any relevant student organizations of which you were part.
Tip: the general rule of including your GPA on the resume is that you should only if it’s over a 3.8; you’re free to do as you please, of course, but most recruiters don’t look too closely at this number, especially if you’re a skilled professional with lots of experience.
Skills
Below these three sections falls a very important one: your skills. Employers frequently search for candidates based on technical skills, so listing your skills can help show off your abilities in a concise and clear manner.
Technical skills to include: Java, JavaScript, C, Python, Ruby, Frameworks, React, HTML, knowledge about a specific Cloud provider such as AWS or Microsoft Azure
Soft skills to include: leadership skills, teamwork, communication skills, problem solving, time management, project management
Tip: you never know what may catch the eye of a recruiter! Even if you have skills that fall outside the scope of the position, include them! There may be another job that fits your skill set or the recruiter will simply be impressed with your range of skills.
Alright, we think we’ve covered it all! Creating the perfect web development resume can seem like a daunting task at first, but take it section by section and you’ll soon be hearing from recruiters. And if you’re interested in getting into web development so that you can soon create your own web development resume, check out our bootcamp!
