Arslan Ahmad

March 20th, 2025

10 Essential Tech Resume Writing Tips to Land a Job at a Top Tech Company

Master the art of writing a standout tech resume—from highlighting in-demand skills to formatting for quick scans—and catch the attention of recruiters at Google, Apple, and other industry leaders.

Dreaming of a job at Google, Apple, or another top tech giant?

You're not alone — these companies receive millions of resumes each year, and only a select few applicants ever get the callback.

Landing a job at a top tech company isn’t just about having the right skills; it’s also about showcasing those skills the right way on your resume.

In fact, your tech resume (or CV) often has less than 10 seconds to grab a recruiter’s attention before they move on. So, how do you make your resume stand out in a sea of tech talent?

In this guide, we’ll walk through 10 essential tech resume writing tips that will help you craft a standout resume.

Whether you’re an entry-level developer straight out of college, a mid-career IT professional, or a senior engineer with years of experience, these tips will supercharge your resume and increase your chances of landing an interview at a top tech company.

Let’s dive in!

1. Tailor Your Resume for Each Tech Job Application

One size does not fit all when it comes to tech resumes. It might be tempting to send the same resume to every company, but top tech companies expect to see that you’ve tailored your resume to their job description. Always customize your resume for each application:

Match the Job Description: Read the posting carefully and incorporate relevant keywords and skills they've listed. If the role asks for experience with Python and AWS, make sure those terms appear (assuming you have them!). This helps both the recruiter and the applicant tracking system (ATS) see you're a fit.
Highlight Relevant Experience: Emphasize projects and work experience that align with the specific role. For example, if you’re applying for a Front-End Developer position, your resume should spotlight your UI/UX projects, JavaScript frameworks, and any design collaboration experience, rather than unrelated work.
Speak to the Company: If possible, reflect the company’s values or tech stack in your resume. A startup might value versatility and broad skill sets, while a big company might look for deep expertise in a particular domain. Tailoring shows that you’ve done your homework and are genuinely interested in that role at that company.

Tailoring your resume for each tech job may take a bit more time, but it dramatically increases relevancy.

Entry-level candidates can tailor by focusing on relevant coursework or academic projects for each application.

Mid-career and senior professionals should tweak their professional summaries and key achievements to mirror what the job posting is seeking. This extra effort can be the difference between getting lost in the crowd and getting called for an interview.

Check out the ATS-friendly guide to land FAANG interviews.

2. Start with a Strong Summary or Objective Statement

The top of your resume is prime real estate – use it well. Begin with a brief professional summary (for experienced folks) or a targeted objective statement (for entry-level candidates) that immediately tells the reader who you are and what you bring to the table. This is your elevator pitch in 3-5 sentences:

For experienced candidates (summary): Offer a snapshot of your career highlights and key skills. For example: “Senior Software Engineer with 8+ years of experience in full-stack development. Proven track record in leading teams and delivering scalable cloud-based solutions at Fortune 500 tech companies. Expertise in Java, Python, and AWS, with a passion for optimizing user experience.” This summary packs in your role, experience level, domain expertise, and a highlight of skills – giving hiring managers a quick overview of your profile.
For entry-level candidates (objective): Focus on your skills, education, and what you’re seeking. For example: “Computer Science graduate skilled in Java, Python, and React, with internship experience in web development. Seeking a Software Engineer role at a top tech company where I can apply my project experience and continue to grow my skill set.” This shows your education, relevant skills, and enthusiasm for the role.

Make sure your summary or objective is concise and tailored to the job. Avoid generic statements like “seeking a challenging position to utilize my skills” – that doesn’t tell the recruiter anything useful.

Instead, be specific about your strengths and goals.

A strong opening summary sets the tone and encourages the reader to keep reading the rest of your resume.

3. Highlight Your Technical Skills Upfront

In the tech industry, specific skills and tools can be just as important as job titles. Recruiters often scan for a core stack of skills to see if you meet the basic requirements.

Make their job easier by presenting your technical skills prominently, ideally in a dedicated “Skills” section near the top of your resume.

List out the programming languages, frameworks, tools, and technologies that you’re proficient in and that are relevant to the job.

For example, you might include categories or a bullet list like Programming Languages: Python, Java, C++ • Frameworks: React, Node.js, Django • Tools: Docker, Git, AWS • Databases: MySQL, MongoDB. This structured layout gives a quick snapshot of your tech toolbox.

Find out how to list technical skills for a software engineer resume.

A few tips for your skills section:

Be Honest: Only list skills you are comfortable discussing in an interview. If you mention Kubernetes or TensorFlow, expect to be asked about them. It’s fine to include skills you’re currently learning, but don’t exaggerate your expertise.
Relevant Skills First: Prioritize skills that are mentioned in the job description or are generally in high demand for the role. For a data science role, put Python, R, or SQL front and center; for a front-end role, emphasize JavaScript, HTML/CSS, and relevant libraries.
Include Certifications (if any): If you have relevant certifications (e.g., AWS Certified Solutions Architect, Certified Scrum Master, etc.), you can list them in the skills section or in a separate Certifications section. They can boost your credibility, especially if you’re entry-level or switching into tech.

By highlighting your technical skills clearly, you ensure that both the ATS and the human reviewer quickly see your core competencies.

Entry-level candidates might not have much work experience, so a strong skills section (and projects section – we’ll get to that) is crucial.

Senior candidates should also make sure advanced or niche skills are visible, but there’s no need to list every tool you’ve ever used (focus on the important ones). The goal is to immediately communicate, “I have the technical chops for this job.”

4. Focus on Achievements, Not Just Responsibilities (Quantify Your Impact)

This is one of the golden rules of resume writing: don’t just tell recruiters what you did, show them what you accomplished. Tech companies love data and results, so back up your experience with quantifiable achievements wherever possible.

When detailing your work history (or projects), frame each bullet point as an achievement:

Think Results: Instead of writing something like “Managed cloud infrastructure,” enhance it to something like: “Managed cloud infrastructure for 50+ servers, improving application uptime by 15% by implementing automated monitoring and recovery.” This version shows the scope (50+ servers) and the result (+15% uptime) of your work.
Use Numbers and Metrics: If you improved performance, how much? If you led a team, how many people? If you completed a project, what was the impact? For example, “Optimized database queries, reducing load times by 30% and enhancing user satisfaction (reflected in a 10% increase in NPS score).” Numbers grab attention and give concrete evidence of your contribution.
Highlight Recognition (when appropriate): If your work earned you an award, promotion, or special recognition, mention it. e.g., “Awarded Employee of the Quarter for designing a feature that increased user retention by 20%.” This signals that others valued your contribution too.

By focusing on achievements and impact, you paint a picture of how you can add value. This applies at all levels: entry-level candidates can highlight achievements in internships or academic projects (e.g., "Completed capstone project 2 weeks ahead of schedule" or "Reached 1,000+ downloads for an app I developed as a side project").

Mid-career and senior professionals should emphasize larger-scale impacts (team accomplishments, process improvements, revenue or efficiency gains, etc.).

Remember, top tech companies want to know how you’ll benefit them – showing past achievements is the best proof.

5. Use Strong Action Verbs and Clear Language

The language you use in your resume matters. Start each bullet point with a strong action verb to make your experiences sound impactful. Words like “Developed,” “Led,” “Implemented,” “Optimized,” “Designed,” “Resolved,” etc., create a confident tone and immediately convey action. Compare these examples:

Weak: “Was involved in project to improve search functionality.”
Strong: “Improved search functionality by implementing a new indexing algorithm, reducing query response time by 40%.”

In the strong example, the verbs “Improved” and “reducing” make it clear that you took action and achieved a result. The phrasing is also more direct and concise.

Here are some quick tips for language and style:

Be Concise: Keep your bullet points to one or two lines. Avoid personal pronouns (“I”, “my”) – just jump straight into the action verb and outcome. Resumes are typically written in an implied first person without “I”.
Avoid Jargon and Buzzwords: While you should include important keywords (for ATS and relevance), don’t clutter your resume with buzzwords that don’t add value. For instance, saying you’re a “guru” or “ninja” in something is less effective than simply stating your expertise. Also, spell out or clarify any acronyms that might be unclear to a reader.
Use Parallel Structure: If one bullet starts with a past-tense verb, keep the format similar for others for consistency (e.g., all past roles use past tense verbs like “Developed,” “Collaborated,” “Managed”). Consistency makes your resume easier to read and more polished.

Using strong action verbs and clear, direct language will make your resume sound professional and dynamic. It grabs the reader’s attention and helps them envision you actively contributing in your past roles.

This tip is universal for all levels – no matter how much experience you have, how you write about that experience can make a big difference.

Don’t undersell yourself with weak language; show confidence in your contributions.

Learn how to build resume for FAANG.

6. Keep It Concise and Relevant (Quality Over Quantity)

When it comes to tech resumes, less is often more. Hiring managers and recruiters are busy people – they prefer a sharp, focused resume over a lengthy one that lists every job or skill you’ve ever had.

Aim to keep your resume concise, targeting about one page for most candidates (two pages if you have a lot of highly relevant experience).

Here’s how to trim the excess and keep only what matters:

Limit Your Work History: You don’t need to include every job you’ve ever held, especially if it’s not relevant to tech or to the role you’re applying for. Focus on your most recent and relevant positions. As a general rule, detail the last 10-15 years of experience. If you have earlier experience that’s very relevant, you can still mention it but you might not need bullet points for every early role.
Cut the Fluff: Remove filler content that doesn’t add value. This includes things like “References available upon request” (considered outdated to put on resume) or overly generic job duties that don’t highlight specific achievements. Also, if you’re listing common skills that almost every candidate has (like Microsoft Office or “Internet research”), consider omitting them unless they are specifically relevant – top tech companies assume proficiency in basic tools.
Tailor (Again): As mentioned in Tip #1, relevance is key. Any experience or skill that isn’t applicable to the job at hand might be taking up precious space. It’s better to have 5 great, relevant bullet points than 10 where half are tangential.

To keep your resume tight, consider removing or omitting:

Irrelevant jobs or old internships that don’t relate to tech or the position you want.
Long lists of technologies that you touched once or are outdated (focus on current, needed skills).
Personal details like photo, age, or marital status – tech companies (especially in the US) don’t require these and they can actually introduce bias. Stick to professional info only.

Also be mindful of resume length. Entry-level candidates and recent grads usually should stick to one page – you can achieve this by focusing on projects and education instead of padding out with unrelated work. Senior candidates might spill onto two pages, and that’s okay, but if you do, make sure page two is worth it (full of relevant info, not old irrelevant roles).

Every line on your resume should earn its keep. A concise resume that’s packed with relevant info will make a stronger impact than a lengthy one where key points get lost in the mix.

7. Format for Readability and ATS-Friendliness

Content is king, but formatting is the throne it sits on – a great story can be overlooked if it’s presented poorly.

For a tech resume, you want a clean, professional format that is easy to scan and ATS-friendly.

Many large tech companies use Applicant Tracking Systems to filter resumes, so your format should play nicely with both computers and humans:

Choose a Clean Layout: Stick to a simple design with clear section headings (e.g., Experience, Education, Skills, Projects). Use a standard font (like Calibri, Arial, Times New Roman) at a readable size (10–12pt). Use bold for headings or job titles, and bullets for listing achievements. Plenty of white space (margins, spacing) makes it easier on the eyes.
Use Bullet Points (Not Paragraphs): We touched on this earlier, but it’s worth emphasizing: use bullet points to list your roles’ achievements rather than big blocks of text. Bullets create natural breakpoints and are much easier to skim. A recruiter should be able to glance down your experience section and quickly pick out the highlights.
Avoid Fancy Graphics or Columns: While it might be tempting to use a creatively designed template with multiple columns, icons, or graphs to show your skills, be cautious. Many ATS algorithms read left to right, top to bottom, and complex layouts can confuse them – potentially scrambling your information. Also, overly fancy formatting can distract or annoy human readers. It’s usually safest to stick with a single-column format and simple formatting. If you want to show some design flair, save it for your portfolio or personal website unless you’re applying for a design-specific role.
File Format: Unless instructed otherwise, PDF is typically the preferred format for resumes because it preserves your layout. A Word document is also commonly accepted (and some ATS systems prefer them), but be mindful that your formatting might shift if the company’s system opens it in a different version. In any case, never submit a resume as an image (like a JPG or PNG) or other odd formats – those are usually not parsed by ATS at all.

By keeping your format straightforward, you ensure that nothing stands between the content of your resume and the reader. Both entry-level and experienced candidates should aim for a professional look – no wild colors or gaudy fonts.

However, a slight touch of color or a personal logo can be okay if it’s subtle and still ATS-friendly (most ATS can handle color, but not things like tables or images with text).

The bottom line: a well-formatted resume delivers your information efficiently, which is exactly what you need when recruiters are quickly scanning to decide if you go into the "yes" pile.

Learn about the best resume formats for FAANG.

8. Showcase Projects, Portfolio, and Extra Credentials

If you have side projects, a portfolio, or any extra achievements outside of your regular jobs, leverage them on your resume!

Top tech companies appreciate passion and initiative. Showing that you’ve built something on your own or gone above and beyond can set you apart from other candidates who only list their 9-to-5 duties.

Consider adding a section for Projects or Personal Projects (especially valuable for those early in their career or changing careers). In this section, you can briefly describe impressive projects you’ve done:

Personal Coding Projects: Maybe you built a mobile app, a personal website, or a game in your spare time. Mention what you built and what technologies you used, and highlight any interesting achievement (e.g., “Developed a personal finance app using React Native and Flask – app has ~500+ downloads on Google Play Store”).
Open Source Contributions: If you contribute to open source libraries or have a noteworthy GitHub repository, include that. For example, “Contributor to React.js (merged 5 pull requests)” or “Maintainer of an open-source npm library with 1k+ weekly downloads.” This shows you engage with the community and write code that others use.
Hackathons or Competitions: Placing in a hackathon or coding competition is definitely resume-worthy. Something like “Won 2nd place in XYZ Hackathon 2024 among 50+ teams” demonstrates skill and teamwork under pressure.
Certifications & Courses: We mentioned certifications earlier in the skills section, but if you have multiple or notable ones, you could also list them separately. Also include any significant online courses or nano-degrees if they are relevant (e.g., completed a Machine Learning specialization on Coursera).

Don’t forget about providing links: For any project or portfolio, you can include a hyperlink (on PDF resumes, hyperlinks are usually clickable).

Add your GitHub profile, LinkedIn URL, or personal website/portfolio to the top of your resume near your contact info, or within the projects section as appropriate. Just make sure the links are professional and up to date.

If you list a GitHub, ensure it showcases some of your best work. If you share a personal website, make sure it’s polished.

For entry-level candidates, projects and online presence can sometimes carry as much weight as work experience, since you might not have much job history.

For experienced candidates, projects outside of work show that you stay current and passionate about tech beyond your job.

It can also be a conversation starter (“I saw your GitHub project on XYZ, tell me more about it”). Including these extras helps paint a fuller picture of you as a tech enthusiast and problem-solver, not just a list of job titles.

Learn more about professional portfolio.

9. Add a Touch of Personalization (Show Your Passion and Personality)

Top tech companies often care about culture fit and passion.

While the resume is a professional document, it doesn’t hurt to let a bit of personality shine through in a subtle way.

Including a small section or line about your interests or unique experiences can make you more memorable to a recruiter who has looked at 100 boring, cookie-cutter resumes that day.

Consider adding an “Interests” or “Hobbies” line at the bottom of your resume (just a line or two). This could include things like: Open-source contributor, Avid hackathon participant, Tech Blogger, Chess Enthusiast, Marathon Runner.

Pick hobbies or interests that reflect well on you or spark interest. If you volunteer in tech communities or organize meetups, that’s great to mention too.

Why do this? A couple reasons:

Conversation Starter: Interviewers often scan resumes for something interesting to break the ice. If they see you enjoy rock climbing or you’ve traveled to 20 countries, they might bring it up in small talk. It makes you human and can create a memorable connection.
Shows Culture Fit: Many tech companies like well-rounded individuals. If you run an tech blog or you’re part of a developer community, it shows initiative and passion. Even non-tech hobbies can highlight soft skills — e.g., being a marathon runner shows discipline and endurance; playing in a band shows creativity and teamwork.
Demonstrates Personality: Especially in roles where communication and teamwork are key, showing a bit of who you are can subtly convey that you’d be a good team addition. It can hint at your soft skills without explicitly listing "teamwork" and "communication" (which everyone lists anyway).

A word of caution: keep it brief and professional. One line of personal interests is enough. This is not a centerpiece of your resume, but a little spice at the end. And choose wisely — stick to positive or neutral hobbies.

Avoid anything that might be too polarizing or unprofessional. For example, listing “world travel” or “guitar playing” is great; listing “competitive poker” or “partying with friends” – not so much.

For entry-level folks, this can be a nice way to stand out when your experience section is short.

For senior folks, it’s more optional, but even an executive can throw in a line about being a “Cycling enthusiast” or “Mentor at local coding bootcamp” to show they have interests beyond work.

In short, you’re not a robot – and tech companies hire people, not just skill sets. A touch of personality can leave a positive impression.

10. Proofread, Proofread, Proofread – and Get Feedback!

Last but definitely not least: polish your resume to perfection.

You can have stellar experience and great formatting, but if your resume has typos or inconsistencies, it sends a message that you lack attention to detail.

In the tech world, details matter! Before you send off your resume to any top tech company, go through this final checklist:

Spell Check and Grammar: Run your resume through a spell checker and grammar checker. Even better, read it yourself out loud or have a friend read it — sometimes our eyes skip over mistakes in our own writing. Common things to catch: inconsistent verb tenses, incorrect capitalization of tech terms, mispelled tool names (it’s “TensorFlow” not “Tensor Flow”, for instance).
Consistency: Ensure consistent formatting for dates, locations, dashes, bullet styles, font sizes, etc. If one job says “Jan 2021 – Jun 2023” make sure another doesn’t say “July 2019 - Aug 2020” with a different date format or a different style of dash. Consistency makes your resume look professional and organized.
Contact Info Up to Date: Double-check your phone number and email address. You’d hate to miss an interview invite because of a typo in your contact info. Also make sure your LinkedIn URL (if included) is correct and your profile is matching your resume.
Get Feedback: Sometimes we are not the best judges of our own resume. Send your resume to a trusted friend, mentor, or colleague in the tech industry for feedback. Ask them if anything is unclear or if they spot any improvements. They might catch things you missed or suggest a better way to phrase something.
Use Professional Services if Needed: If you’re not confident, you might consider a professional resume review or editing service (many exist, including some specifically for tech resumes). Experts can help refine your resume’s wording, format, and impact. (Hint: we know a great service – more on that below!)

Especially when aiming for companies that hire the best of the best, you want your resume to be as close to flawless as possible.

A single typo likely won’t disqualify you, but it certainly doesn’t help. On the flip side, a well-polished resume demonstrates professionalism. It shows that you care about quality in your work – which reflects on what they can expect from you as an employee. So take that extra time to proofread and refine.

Your future self (the one getting the interview call) will thank you!

Learn the 3 major mistakes to avoid in resume.

Now that you’ve learned how to craft an amazing tech resume, it’s time to put these tips into action. Writing a resume can be tough, especially if you’ve been staring at the same document for hours. Why not let an expert lend a hand? If you want to ensure your resume is truly top-notch, consider leveraging a professional service to get you over the finish line.

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