15 Software Engineer Intern Resume Examples for 2024

Landing an internship as a software engineer intern starts with a strong resume. This article provides examples and advice to shape your application. You’ll find what skills to include, how to list projects, and the importance of relevant coursework. Our focus is on clarity and relevance—the essentials that grab a hiring manager's attention. Follow these guidelines to present your background in a clear way that appeals to tech industry needs.

  Compiled and approved by Grace Abrams
  Last updated on See history of changes

  Next update scheduled for

At a Glance

Here's what we see in top intern resumes for software engineering.

  • Quantifying Impact: Strong resumes show results with numbers. They include code efficiency increase, bug resolution times, feature implementation speed, and system uptime percentages. Numbers give clear impact evidence.

  • Match Skills With Job Description: Include skills you have that are also in the job description. Examples are Python, Java, SQL databases, version control, and API development. Choose the ones that fit you and the job.

  • Understanding Industry Tools: Show you know current tools. Use phrases like familiar with Docker, experience in AWS, agile development practices. This shows you're ready to join the team.

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Positioning your education section

If you're applying for a software engineer intern position and are currently studying or have recently graduated, place your education section at the top of your resume. This immediately highlights your academic qualifications, which are critical for an intern role.

If you've been in the workforce for a while but undertook significant recent education, such as a coding bootcamp or specialized training, your education should still take precedence. This clearly informs hiring managers about your up-to-date skills and knowledge relevant to the field.

Demonstrate relevant skills

In the software engineering field, it's essential to demonstrate your practical skills. Include relevant projects you've worked on during your education, as a hobby or during previous internships. Outline what the project focused on, the coding languages used, and the outcome.

Furthermore, keeping up with new programming languages and tools is vital in the tech industry. Highlight any additional self-learning or courses that you've taken up to improve or broaden your skills, especially in high demand areas such as machine learning or cloud computing.

Optimal resume length

As a software engineer intern applicant, your resume should ideally be one page long. This ensures that the most significant details about your skills, experience and education are immediately visible to the hiring manager, without them having to sift through multiple pages.

If you find it challenging to maintain a one-page resume, consider changing your template to one that uses space more efficiently. In addition, focus on the most relevant experience and education while leaving out old or unrelated information.

Showcasing problem solving abilities

Hiring managers in the software engineering field are looking for candidates who excel at problem solving. If you've made significant contributions to a project, overcome a challenging bug, or brought a new perspective that increased efficiency, don't forget to include it in your resume.

Show how your logical thinking and technical skills have been used to create value. This will not only show your technical knowledge but also showcase skills like initiative, creativity, and resilience, which are highly valued in this field.

Understanding resume screeners

When you apply for a software engineer intern position, know that your resume may first be read by a computer program. These are called Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). They help hiring managers by sorting through many resumes quickly.

To pass an ATS, make sure your resume has the right keywords. Use words from the job description such as 'coding', 'software development', or 'debugging'. Also, list your skills clearly. For example, if you know programming languages like 'Python' or 'Java', make sure you include these.

Keep the format of your resume simple. Use standard headings like 'Education' and 'Experience'. Avoid images or graphics because the ATS may not read them. Your goal is to have an ATS-friendly resume that will also impress the hiring manager once it's passed the initial screening.

Match your skills to the job

When you apply for a software engineer intern position, you need to show how your skills fit the job. This helps the hiring manager see you're a good match. Make sure you know what skills the job asks for and tell about your experience with them.

  • Look at the software tools and technologies listed in the job post. Mention your experience with these in your resume. For example, if they ask for knowledge in JavaScript, show where you used it.
  • Many software intern jobs need teamwork. Talk about projects where you worked with others. Use phrases like collaborated on a team to show this.
  • If the job talks about problem-solving, give examples of when you solved a tough bug or found a way to improve code. Phrases like optimized existing code for better performance can be good to use.

Overlooking relevant experience

When you apply for a position as a software engineer intern, it's important not to leave out any relevant experience. Even small projects or classes that taught you useful skills should be on your resume. Make sure to include:

  • Any coding projects or tasks you have worked on, even if they were for school or just for fun.
  • Classes or workshops where you learned programming languages or tools that software engineers use.

You might think these details are not big enough to matter, but they can show you have practical skills and a real interest in software engineering. This can be strong evidence that you are a good fit for the job.

Use dynamic verbs for your resume

When you write your resume for a software engineering intern position, choosing the right verbs is crucial. Think about what you want to show with your experiences. Good verbs can make your work and projects stand out. Be specific and show how your actions added value.

Remember, you are trying to get the attention of hiring managers. You want to show that you are active and can make a difference. Here are some verbs that can help you do that:

  • To highlight your coding skills, use verbs like developed, programmed, built, crafted, and implemented.
  • If you worked in a team, verbs such as collaborated, partnered, contributed, supported, and coordinated show team effort.
  • To demonstrate problem-solving abilities, include verbs like resolved, debugged, troubleshooted, refined, and optimized.
  • For showing that you learned quickly, use mastered, grasped, adapted, expanded, and absorbed.
  • To illustrate your contribution to projects, use designed, engineered, analyzed, assessed, and evaluated.

Want inspiration for other action verbs you can use? Check out synonyms to commonly used action verbs like Motivated, Maintaining, Work on, Planned, Generated.

Show achievements, not tasks

You need to show what you have accomplished during your internships or projects. This is more impressive than just listing what you were responsible for. Your resume should focus on the specific results you've achieved and the impact you've had.

For example, rather than saying you 'wrote code for a new app,' a better way to phrase it could be 'developed a user-friendly app that increased customer engagement by 20%.' It is clear from the second example that you made a strong impact. Here's another:

  • Instead of 'tested software for bugs,' say 'conducted comprehensive software testing, resulting in a 15% reduction in user-reported issues.'
  • Rather than 'participated in team meetings,' you might write 'contributed to weekly team meetings by suggesting a new coding standard that was implemented across the project, improving code quality.'

Key technical skills for your resume

As a software engineer intern, you should show a mix of programming languages and tech tools you're familiar with. Here's a list to help you start:

  • Java
  • Python
  • C++
  • JavaScript
  • SQL
  • Git
  • Linux
  • HTML/CSS
  • RESTful APIs
  • Agile methodology

Include these skills in a dedicated section on your resume. This makes it easier for hiring managers to spot your technical capabilities quickly. Also, many companies use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) that scan for these keywords. If you're applying for a specific role that requires niche skills, such as mobile development or machine learning, make sure to include those as well.

Remember, you don't need to know every skill listed. Choose the ones that match the job you want and that you have experience with. It's better to have a few skills you're good at than many you barely know.

Showcase leadership and growth

If you're aiming for a software engineer intern role, showing that you can lead and have been recognized for your skills is key. You might think you don't have this experience, but here's how to find it in your background.

  • Reflect on any group projects where you took charge. Did you guide your team through coding challenges or make key decisions? Mention 'Led a team of X peers in developing a mobile app,' to show your leadership.
  • Consider times when you received more responsibilities. This could be during a part-time job, a club, or volunteering. Even if it wasn't a formal promotion, it counts. Use language like 'Entrusted with leading the new member onboarding process' to display growth.

Remember, even small examples can speak loudly about your potential. List them clearly and simply.

Quantify your impact

As a hiring manager, I can tell you that showing the impact you've had with numbers can make your resume stand out. When you apply for a software engineer intern role, you want to show potential employers not just what you've done, but how well you've done it. Here's how to do it:

  • Think about the times you've worked on a project. How much did your work speed up a process? For instance, if you improved an algorithm, estimate the increase in speed. You could say, 'Optimized algorithm to enhance processing speed by 30%.'
  • Consider any bugs or issues you've fixed. How many customer support tickets did this reduce? You might write, 'Resolved 20 recurring bugs, leading to a 15% drop in customer support queries.'

Remember, employers want to see the specific value you can add to their team. If you've worked on a team project, estimate your contribution to the overall result. For example, 'Contributed to a team project that cut down data processing time by 25%.' Or if you've helped create an application, you could say, 'Assisted in developing an app used by 500+ users monthly, resulting in 60% user growth over six months.'

Even if you're not sure of the exact number, a good estimate is better than no number at all. It shows you understand the importance of measuring success. Use numbers like code commits, test coverage percentage, or feature delivery time to show how you've contributed as a software engineering intern.

Showcase leadership in tech roles

When you apply for a software engineer intern role, showing evidence of leadership and any promotions is key. These details can set you apart from other candidates. Here are ways you can highlight your leadership skills:

  • Include any project management experience, such as leading a team project at university or a coding bootcamp. Use clear phrases like 'Led a team of 5 in developing an app for a school project'.
  • If you've had a role in a tech club or group, describe your responsibilities. For example, 'Coordinated weekly meetups for the Coding Club, growing membership by 20%'.

Even if you are unsure how to present your experience, think about times when you were trusted to make decisions or guide others. This can include:

  • Any time you've trained new members in a group or club, which can be written as 'Trained 10+ members in Java, resulting in a 30% increase in club project participation'.
  • Instances where you've received a higher level of responsibility, such as being chosen to present a project at a symposium. Mention it as 'Selected to present a group project at the Annual Tech Symposium'.

Remember to be specific about your role and the impact you made. These examples not only show leadership but also demonstrate your ability to work in a team and achieve results.

Tailoring for company size

When you're applying for a role as a software engineer intern, it's important to consider the size of the company. For smaller companies and startups like GitHub or Zapier, show how you can wear multiple hats and thrive in a dynamic environment. You might include phrases like 'adaptable to various tasks' or 'quick learner in fast-paced settings.'

On the other hand, if you're targeting larger corporations such as Google or Microsoft, emphasize your ability to work within structured frameworks. Highlight any experience with large-scale projects by saying 'experienced in structured project development' or 'familiar with collaborative team environments.'

In both cases, focus on specific skills relevant to software engineering such as coding languages you're proficient in, any collaborative projects you've worked on, and your problem-solving abilities. Remember to keep your sentences simple and your points clear for easy understanding.

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