Tech Resume Optimization: ATS Tips for Software Engineers

Tech-Specific ATS Challenges

Technical resumes face unique ATS challenges:

• Rapidly changing terminology: React.js vs ReactJS vs React
• Version specificity: Python 3 vs Python 2 matters
• Framework proliferation: Hundreds of tools to potentially list
• Acronym overload: API, SDK, CI/CD, AWS, GCP...

Programming Languages and Frameworks Keywords

How to List Languages

Include both common variations:

• JavaScript (ES6+), TypeScript
• Python 3, Python
• C#, .NET, .NET Core
• Java, Kotlin

Frameworks and Libraries

Be specific about what you've actually used:

• Frontend: React, Vue.js, Angular, Next.js, Svelte
• Backend: Node.js, Express, Django, Flask, Spring Boot, FastAPI
• Mobile: React Native, Flutter, Swift, Kotlin
• Data: Pandas, NumPy, TensorFlow, PyTorch, Scikit-learn

Cloud and Infrastructure

• Cloud platforms: AWS, Azure, GCP (list specific services used)
• Containers: Docker, Kubernetes, ECS, EKS
• CI/CD: Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, CircleCI
• IaC: Terraform, CloudFormation, Ansible

GitHub Portfolio Integration

What to Include

• Link to your GitHub profile in contact section
• Pin your best repositories
• Ensure pinned repos have good READMEs
• Include contribution graph activity

Portfolio Projects That Impress

• Full-stack applications with deployment
• Open source contributions to known projects
• Projects that solve real problems
• Clean code with tests and documentation

What to Avoid

• Tutorial follow-along projects
• Incomplete or abandoned repos
• Code without any documentation
• Repositories with exposed credentials

Technical Skills Section Optimization

Organize by Category

TECHNICAL SKILLS
Languages: Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, SQL, Go
Frameworks: React, Node.js, Django, FastAPI
Databases: PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis, Elasticsearch
Cloud/DevOps: AWS (EC2, S3, Lambda, RDS), Docker, Kubernetes, Terraform
Tools: Git, Jira, Datadog, New Relic

Proficiency Levels (Optional)

Some engineers include proficiency levels, but use them carefully:

• Only rate yourself highly on things you can discuss in depth
• Avoid arbitrary scales (what does "4/5" mean?)
• Better approach: "Primary" and "Familiar" categories

Project Descriptions That Work

The STAR-T Method for Tech

• Situation: What was the context/problem?
• Task: What were you responsible for?
• Action: What did you build/implement?
• Result: What was the impact?
• Tech: What technologies did you use?

Example Transformation

Weak:

"Worked on the backend team to build APIs."

Strong:

"Architected and implemented RESTful APIs using Node.js and Express, handling 10K+ requests/minute with 99.9% uptime. Reduced response latency by 40% through Redis caching and query optimization."

Dealing with Constant Tech Stack Changes

Show Adaptability

• Highlight technologies learned on the job
• Mention quick ramp-up times
• Show breadth across paradigms (OOP, functional, etc.)

Focus on Fundamentals

Technologies change; fundamentals don't:

• Data structures and algorithms
• System design principles
• Software architecture patterns
• Testing and quality practices

Startup vs FAANG Resume Differences

Startup Resumes Should Emphasize

• Wearing multiple hats
• Full ownership of projects
• Speed and shipping ability
• Working with ambiguity
• Breadth of skills

FAANG Resumes Should Emphasize

• Scale (users, requests, data)
• Technical depth and specialization
• Cross-team collaboration
• Mentorship and technical leadership
• Measurable impact metrics

Tech Resume Red Flags to Avoid

• Listing every technology ever touched: Be selective
• No GitHub or portfolio: Show your work
• Only listing technologies, no impact: Tools are means, not ends
• Outdated technologies without modern ones: Shows you're not keeping up
• Buzzword overload: "Leveraged synergies through blockchain AI"

Final Tech Resume Checklist

• [ ] Skills section includes all relevant technologies with proper names
• [ ] Each role includes specific tech stack used
• [ ] Projects have quantified impact (performance, scale, efficiency)
• [ ] GitHub profile is linked and cleaned up
• [ ] No typos in technology names
• [ ] Both acronyms and full names included for key terms
• [ ] Resume passes ATS parsing test