When you’re a computer science student looking for a placement or your first full-time role as a developer, understanding what is a resume, deciding what to include in a good resume , and how to format it correctly can be challenging.
We analysed countless computer science CVs and chose the top 21 examples to help you get started. Whether you’re looking for your first real-world coding job or are a seasoned professional, we have a computer science cover letter and CV designed to match where you are in your career.
The hardest part of CV writing is figuring out how to create a CV. Our resume tips, resume maker, and free Word resume templates have helped developers secure interviews at companies like Facebook and Microsoft, so they’re a great place to start.
Enhance the bullet points
- Don’t fall into the trap of writing unquantified work experience bullet points. Including numbers shows potential employers the tangible effects of your work.
- Whether it’s identifying problems in a system, building solutions, deploying applications, or automating repetitive tasks, include metrics wherever possible.
- For example, instead of writing “Developed machine learning models to solve business problems,” say, “Developed 3 machine learning models to solve recurring business problems, which helped the company save over £4,945 every year.”
Outline career progression
- As you continue developing technical solutions over time, it’s only natural to progress in your role and receive a promotion. Therefore, let employers know that you mean business by highlighting your impressive career progression.
- Be smart and choose the reverse chronological resume format. You’ll have your most recent experience at the top and oldest at the bottom.
- Had a variety of jobs? Select the three best ones that demonstrate your ability to develop apps, test new programmes before release, troubleshoot systems, and generally be a great tech person to work with.
Show off your certificates
- Here’s a pro resume tip to show hiring managers that you’re a tech expert: List credible certificates.
- IT is a vast field, so it’s better to include certificates for programming languages and software that the job requires.
- For instance, if you’re applying to be a software developer where proficiency in Python is essential, then add a Certified Associate in Python Programming achievement. Similarly, for a software engineer role that requires expertise in C/C++, try including something like the CPA – C++ Certified Associate Programmer certificate.
View more computer science internship resumes >
Adding context
- When you apply for a job that requires expertise in certain skills like Python for data extraction or Jenkins (Java) for automated testing, don’t just add them to your skills section and leave employers guessing.
- Discuss how you’ve applied them in real-life situations. For instance, consider mentioning how many web scrapers or ETL pipelines you’ve developed using Python and the effect this had on the business.
- Similarly, discuss using soft skills such as communication or teamwork in a project where you collaborated with cross-functional teams.
Let education speak
- We know that tech-based employers are very welcoming to self-taught professionals who can deliver results. However, that doesn’t mean they’ll always prefer them over those who have studied computer science in a traditional classroom setting.
- If you’re applying for a role where minimum educational qualifications are a requirement, use a resume builder to place your education section on the left/right side of your CV towards the top.
- Have extra space? Try adding in relevant or specialised courses like Data Structures, Software Engineering, and Machine Learning.
Understand the company
- Before applying for your next job, take a good look at the company you’re applying to. Do they adhere to strict corporate culture practices? Or are they more relaxed and informal?
- For example, if the company you are joining has an office in a different region and requires tech employees to travel and use their in-office equipment/setup, then mention that you’re willing to relocate in the location section.
- It’s fine to include additional information like your hobbies if they’re permitted, but keep things formal and to the point for the important ones.
Create a career objective
- A career or resume objective is a welcome addition to any computer science CV. However, you should know how to use it correctly.
- Make the most of your career objective to outline your motivation, ambition, technical skills, and future goals at a new company.
- Consider drawing inspiration from this: “Recent graduate with high proficiency in Python, Java, AWS, and Rust aiming to join XYZ company and develop innovative digital solutions.”
Impress with CV format
- Previous software development experience and programming skills aren’t the only things modern employers want to see. If you present them with a wall of text, chances are you won’t make the cut.
- Don’t be afraid to experiment with resume templates and see which design best suits your profile. However, as a general rule, avoid using ones that create a cluttered mess.
- As long as you check your resume and ensure that all your tech-based experience, skills, and computer science degree(s) are readable with a hint of warm colours, you’re good to go.
Use customised template
- A computer science CV can include a variety of elements such as project/work experience, skills, personal hobbies (if needed), and profile details.
- Instead of compromising your career details to fit a specific design, use a resume template that provides enough space to add your tech-based roles, programming skills, and any software qualifications.
- Build a resume from LinkedIn to edit/arrange any sections, change the font size/family, and add various colours.
Use ready-made template
- Your technical skillset is truly impressive—the recruiter hasn’t been this impressed for quite some time. Now, how about highlighting your range of soft skills in your master’s in computer science CV? That will present you as the complete package, a well-rounded candidate ready to bring more than just intelligence to the team.
- Ready to enhance one of the side columns of your CV with a list of your soft skills? Hold on a moment! Save that for your technical proficiencies and instead demonstrate them in your masterpiece. For example, a flawless contact section indicates you’re attentive to detail, while a tidy format highlights your exceptional organizational skills. And action words like spearheaded and developed? Those show you’re the type who takes charge.
Indulge in skills
- A degree in computer science opens up a wide range of job opportunities. The catch? You need to be well-versed in different programming languages, deployment tools, and data structures.
- Now, you don’t need to learn every programming language that exists, but having widely used ones like Python, JavaScript, C/C++, and SQL on your skill set will help.
- Additionally, it’s a good idea to categorise skills as languages, frameworks, database management tools, etc., to stay organised.
Do homework on Employer
- Every time you shop for clothes, don’t you gravitate towards those that seem tailor-made for you? Well, hiring managers exhibit the same habit, which makes tailoring your computer science LaTeX CV a smart move to win them over.
- Customising your sales pitch proves that you and the potential employer are a perfect match. But how? Demonstrate evidence that you have exactly what they need (consider skills and experiences). Take Caisus, for example; he outlines previous applications of Python and TensorFlow, which could be a requirement specified in the job advert.
Utilise past successes
- The recruiter has a large pool of potentially excellent candidates with outstanding skill sets and relevant educational backgrounds. So, how can you make them choose you above all others? It’s a doddle—send a computer science research CV demonstrating that you know the ropes and could be a real asset if given the opportunity.
- Charles provides an excellent template to follow. He begins his work history section with his achievements as a computer science researcher, conveying the message that he’s well-qualified for the role. Notice how he doesn’t just list those successes; he goes on to quantify them, clearly demonstrating his value.
Add all important info
- When the hiring manager opens your computer science design CV, the header is what immediately grabs their attention, so how about ensuring it’s spot-on before clicking send?
- Your CV header is better equipped with your full name (which can be in capitals), updated phone number, current location, a hyperlink to your LinkedIn profile, and email address. Regarding the latter, choose something professional, such as [email protected], without random numbers, special characters, or flirtatious names or nicknames.
Explain employment gaps
- You may not be hired by a tech company every month and that’s fine. Whether they were planned or unplanned, be completely honest about your CV gaps.
- For planned breaks, include what you achieved during this time. Was it a new programming skill? Personal software development project? Or perhaps a new computer course certificate? Ensure these are clearly labelled with dates.
- If your unexpected break lasted only a few months, you can be a bit crafty and omit the month, only mentioning the year of employment in each work experience.
View more computer science tutor resumes >
Discuss your skills
- Not all tech jobs are strictly related to developing applications or extracting insights from raw datasets. If your next potential job is a fusion between computer science and another field, then be smart with your CV’s skill set.
- Roles such as a computer science teacher require the skills of a programmer and teacher, so maintain a fine balance between your abilities to act as both.
- You can include the programming languages you’re an expert in while listing teaching skills such as communication, patience, and differentiated instruction.
View more computer science teaching assistant resumes >
Adhere to the job specification
- Rather than being just another generic candidate, ensure you thoroughly review the job description and check your resume to identify areas for improvement.
- Look at all the skills and experience the company is asking for. Got extra programming languages in your skills section that aren’t relevant? Take them out.
- Does the job require a minimum period of experience in a specific responsibility such as developing Java-based applications? Include all previous positions where you’ve used Java to create applications.
Making it ATS-friendly
- A large number of companies use an applicant tracking system (ATS) that can completely disregard your application if you don’t speak its language.
- To make your CV ATS-friendly, include all keywords from the job description such as proficiency in Rust or Certified Entry-level Python Programmer certificate. Ensure these are all on your CV in the right places.
- Also, avoid including extras like pie charts, graphs, or acronyms.
Utilise action words
- Want to demonstrate your technical prowess to potential employers from the outset? Make it a habit to use strong action words at the beginning of each bullet point.
- When it comes to a computer science CV, using words like Deployed, Built, Leveraged, Developed, Led, and Released demonstrate your initiative to take charge of daily job responsibilities.
- Avoid those generic sentence starters and personal pronouns like “I was responsible for using Java.” Instead, try something like “Built applications using Java” or “Utilised Java frameworks for unit testing.”
Define your skills
- While companies may find real-world work experience more appealing, you can utilise university projects if you’ve only just entered the IT industry.
- Remember, if you’re adding projects then mention all programming languages or software you used and what problem it solved. If you’ve led a team project, discuss your leadership. If not, detail your contributions as a member which align with the job responsibilities.
- Use points like “Led a team of 9 to create a Python web scraper that helped teachers extract information from the internet 34 minutes faster.”
Highlighting your achievements
- For an employer who’s already dealing with a busy day, sending a generic CV is not even an option.
- If you’re looking to secure sought-after jobs like software engineer or data scientist, then focus on achievements more than your daily responsibilities. These can include demonstrating financial impacts through technology or automating tasks to save time.
- Here’s an example: “Used AWS for building 3 Android applications which helped the company expand its customer base by 28%.“
Related CV guides
How to Write a Computer Science CV
You must write a strong computer science CV to stand out in the fiercely competitive tech job market. Here, we’ll show you the key elements of an effective CV, including highlighting key skills, relevant work experience, and academic projects in a clear, concise, and impactful way to secure a job.
Begin with an engaging professional summary
Early in your computer science career, you must keep your CV to one page. As such, space on your CV 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 CV objective for a computer science student? It’s a statement that succinctly outlines your skills, what you’re seeking 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 tailor it to each role for which you apply. Here are a couple of examples from the CVs above:
- I’m looking for a work placement where I can utilise my experience with natural language processing and developing web applications for non-technical users to further Coursera’s mission of making education accessible to everyone worldwide.
- Hardworking recent computer science graduate with a passion 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 gained 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 achievements.
Computer science CV summary
Experienced software and cloud systems developer with over 10 years of experience. Managed a platform overhaul, which boosted performance by 63% and reduced downtime by 41%. Proficient in Python, Java, and AWS. Committed to creating scalable, efficient solutions that drive innovation.
Showcase computer science-relevant Jobs
As a computer science professional, you have a wide range of career choices, so include your top three roles where you excelled beyond everyone else.
From software development to a systems architect, as long as you work with computers, you can include it. But don’t just stop at mentioning roles; quantify the results of your contributions. A few examples include:
- Tested 9 software features before release, reducing recurring user complaints by 22% within one quarter.
- Mentored three junior colleagues in agile methodologies, ensuring 98% of features were released on time.
- Managed the company’s IT infrastructure, maintaining 99.4% uptime for critical systems.
Add computer science CV projects
When you’re looking for a computer science internship or your first full-time role as a developer, projects are essential on your CV.
These can either be projects you completed as part of a course 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 learnt in class and apply it to the real world.
Moreover, they’re an excellent way to show your interest in coding beyond your coursework. In your projects, specify exactly what you created and the languages or libraries you used. Here are some examples:
Social media planner
- Developed a responsive web app using Django and Node that enabled users to schedule social media posts across Instagram and Twitter
- Utilised the Twitter API and Instagram API
- Developed features using scikit-learn in Python that determined the optimal time of day for maximising engagement with social media posts, resulting in a 15% increase in overall user engagement rate.
- 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
- Developed a full-stack web application enabling users to simulate and visualise the outcomes of poker hands against opponents with different playing styles, using the open-source cards.js on the front end.
- Utilised sci-kit learn in Python to simulate possible outcomes under different scenarios that the users chose
- Used: Javascript, Python, SQL, HTML/CSS
Unleash those technical skills
This is one of the most challenging aspects of creating a technical, more specifically, computer science CV. There’s so much you can include, but only limited space. So, be strategic.
Focus on skills that are genuinely in demand (and no, “vibe-coding” is not a real skill, save it for social media, not your CV):
- Python
- C++
- Git
- React
- AWS
- REST API
- Agile methodologies
- Machine learning
- Algorithm design
- Technical writing
List your qualifications
This is an obvious point but can be easily missed. Always list your Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or an equivalent qualification (Information Technology, Data Science, etc). If you’re a freelancer who has completed a boot camp and has sufficient industry experience, you can make do with certifications such as CompTIA Security+ or Professional Cloud Architect Certification (Google).
Freshers need to focus on this section more than working professionals, so make sure you:
- Mention your degree classification (only if it is a 2:1 or above, though)
- Include coursework related to the job you’re applying for.
The key is to make this section work for you and not the other way around, even if you’ve got no experience.
Computer Science (CS) CV FAQs
A standout computer scientist CV clearly, concisely, and compellingly presents your technical and professional qualifications. It highlights problem-solving skills, programming proficiency, and ability to work on real-world projects.
It should also demonstrate how those skills have been applied through practical work experience, such as placements, research, or projects. Lastly, it should be well-organised, easy to read, and tailored to the specific job you’re applying for. Such a document has a high chance of impressing recruiters.
At the top goes the header with your name, personal phone number, professional email address, and, if relevant, your LinkedIn link.
Then follows a professional summary or objective, briefly describing goals and qualifications.
Education is next and includes degrees earned, universities attended, and graduation dates. A skills section is also important and lists programming languages, tools, and software proficiency.
Finally, you showcase work experience, placements, and academic or personal projects, with descriptions that focus on responsibilities, achievements, and tools used.
A computer science CV should be one page for entry-level candidates due to limited professional experience. This ensures the most essential information is presented efficiently.
On the other hand, a two-page CV is acceptable if you have several years of relevant work experience or advanced degrees, as long as the content remains relevant and well-organised. The goal is to showcase qualifications without overwhelming the hiring manager.
The best format for a computer science student CV is reverse chronological. This format allows you to list your most recent coursework, placements, or volunteer work at the top. If you’re short on experience, create a section to add any university projects or hackathons you’ve participated in.
Here’s a senior computer scientist CV summary example:
“Senior Computer Scientist with a decade of experience in Java, Python, and cloud (AWS, Azure). Led microservices migration reducing deployment time by 64%. Skilled in CI/CD and team leadership. Committed to building scalable, high-impact systems.”
Summarise your computer science projects in 4–5 bullet points, each highlighting a unique aspect and your contribution. Refer to specific tools you’ve listed in your skills section and how you utilised them to achieve measurable outcomes.
