Making a great first impression on potential employers is essential to scoring your next programming job role -- but to impress employers, you first need an impressive CV! A great CV highlights your most recent and significant career accomplishments, and to start, we need an excellent personal statement. A compelling personal statement effectively summarises your professional background, skills, and aspirations, capturing the attention of employers and making them want to learn more about you.
In a few sentences, highlight any outstanding professional facts, achievements or your career motivations and aspirations. It should look something like this:
Passionate, detail-oriented programmer and software developer skilled in project management, coding and programming. Spearheaded the New Zealand Hack-a-Thon, a nationwide project that encourages digital literacy and winner of the 2021 Carnegie Computers Award. Passionate about democratising the digital world.
Your employment history section is often considered to be the most important part of your CV, so it's important to take care in this section. You'll want to list your previous employment experiences and include your job title, the duration of your employment, the name of your employer and any key tasks or achievements that highlight your abilities and suitability for the role. This summary will allow employers to quickly understand your professional background.
As a programmer, if you have also completed some specific projects or you have a portfolio you'd like to share, you can also include details of past projects in this section and a link to your online portfolio in the header of your CV. Any examples of previous work can go a long way and help boost your chances of landing the job role!
Software Developer, GIG Group
Oct 2019 — Present
Analyst Programmer, The Reuben Academy
Dec 201U — Jul 2019
Even though having a degree or formal qualifications is common among programmers, it is still possible to land a job without an advanced degree. In fact, by presenting an impressive CV, cover letter, and portfolio, you can grab the attention of potential employers and secure employment opportunities. With our cvapp.nz templates and examples, we can help you with all of the above! If you have any outstanding course results or coding accomplishments, you can include them in this section. You should also list the highest academic qualifications you have obtained and list the years you received them. Here’s a great example of a programmer’s education section:
Bachelor of Engineering (Hons), University of Auckland, Auckland
February 2014 — June 2018
NCEA Level 3, Whangarei Boys High School, Whangarei
February 2009 — December 2013
The skills section of your CV is pretty straightforward: start by listing the skills you possess that are relevant to your prospective job role. Make sure to include any coding languages you are proficient in, as well any relevant soft skills and technical skills. Take a thorough look at the job description - do they specifically require any skills in which you excel at? Be sure to list them! In a programmer's CV, both interpersonal and technical skills find their place in the skills section, so be sure to highlight them and let your professional prowess shine through!