Full Stack Developer resume examples & templates

Software developers know the ins and outs of code and systems, but the right tricks to land that dream job can still feel elusive. 

While it’s important to show that you know coding languages and methodologies, you’ve also got to show off your ability to work on a team, understand the user’s needs, and see projects through to the end. 

Of course, these exact skills are those that will help you write an impactful, compelling full-stack developer resume. 

Resume guide for a full-stack developer resume

While there seem to be jobs aplenty for full-stack developers, you don’t want just any job—you want the right job. A great resume will help you get there. 

Leave it to the experts at resume.io. We have turned our knowledge into 500+ resume guides and resume examples, plus expertly designed resume templates and an easy-to-use resume builder. 

This resume guide and corresponding full-stack developer resume example will cover the following:

• How to write a full-stack developer resume
• The best format for a full-stack developer resume
• How to add your contact information
• Using summaries to sell your skills
• Adding your full-stack developer experience
• Listing education and relevant certifications
• Professional resume layout and design hints
• What the full-stack developer market looks like and what salary you can expect

How to write a full-stack developer resume

Structure is imperative when it comes to your resume. Use the following sections in your full-stack developer resume to boost your impact:

• The resume header
• The resume summary (aka profile or personal statement)
• The employment history section
• The resume skills section
• The education section

Do enough research on your prospective employer so you can match the tone of your resume with the company's culture and image. Your resume is a document to market your skill set and experience, so be sure to tailor it accordingly and create a persuasive narrative. In other words, show off your unique value. 

Highlight accomplishments instead of job duties. Most people reading a software developer resume will have an idea of what the job entails. You want to take it a step further by showcasing your unique impacts and achievements.

Make sure you select a resume template that’s polished and clear without being too formal. Remember to include relevant keywords to appeal to both recruiters and ATS screening software.

Choosing the right resume format for a full-stack developer

Typically, the best resume format for most professions is reverse chronological. This format, which lists your work history in reverse chronological order, makes it easiest for the reader to know where to find the information they seek. 

That said, highly technical individuals may choose a format that puts more of the focus on their skill set. For instance, a functional format allows you to expand upon your skills section to detail all your technical expertise. You will, however, lose some space in your employment history section in exchange. 

Another option is a hybrid format that blends the two. Ultimately, only you can decide which will best highlight your experience. We provide several resume examples in each format, along with plenty of resume templates. 

Design-wise, consider a simple layout that puts the focus on your extensive technical expertise instead of the layout itself. 

Include your contact information

Your resume’s header serves as its business card, stating your name and contact information front and center. Make sure your header is presented professionally and simply so it’s easy for the reader to find and understand. 

Be sure, too, that you include only the important information:

• Full name & title. List your first and last name and the title of the role you are pursuing.
• Professional email address. Use a simple, clean format like firstname.lastname@gmail.com. Avoid using a quirky or unprofessional email address.
• Phone number. List a number where you can be readily contacted, with a professional voicemail greeting, and make sure your voicemail box isn’t full.
• Location. List your city and state, but avoid your full street address or zip code. It’s outdated to include them and can also put your private information at risk. If you're willing to relocate, note that here.
• LinkedIn. If your LinkedIn profile is active, relevant, and shows off your technical chops, include it here.
• Portfolio. If you have a website or portfolio that displays your development work, it can help to include it here.
• GitHub. Share a link to your GitHub if you keep it updated with your relevant projects.

Don’t include:

• Date of birth. This isn’t necessary and could potentially open you up to age discrimination.
• Personal details. Leave off your marital status, social security number, passport number, etc.
• Photo or headshot. For the majority of roles in the US, including full-stack development, it’s not customary to include a headshot. 

Make use of a summary

The summary sits at the top of your resume, which signals its importance. Although it may not be what recruiters’ eyes jump to at first glance, it can make all the difference.

This element, also known as a profile, gives you a chance to crow a bit (but only a bit, you don’t want to sound braggadocious) and show off your greatest achievements. 

You have 3-4 sentences to offer an overview of your career, your work style, and your value-add to your prospective employer. If this sounds overwhelming, you can begin by asking yourself the following questions:

• How would my colleagues describe my professional style?
• What is my premiere talent?
• Which of my achievements illustrates best what this employer seeks?
• Why do I want this job?

Answering these questions can give you the framework for this freeform paragraph. Then, using dynamic action verbs, present an overarching narrative about your career. Don’t just reiterate or summarize your resume. Instead, show what makes you uniquely qualified.

You can find adaptable full-stack developer resume example summaries below:

Outline your full-stack developer work experience

The employment history section of your full-stack developer resume should encompass the great variety of your skills backed up by data and examples. Especially if you have an expanded skills section, you will have to be particular about what you include.

Avoid wasting space by eliminating unnecessary phrases such as “I was responsible for” and “In this role, I.” Instead, use bulleted lists and begin each item with an action word that describes what you did. Complete the item with the success your action achieved.

Go into the most detail in your most recent positions, and only go back over the last 10-15 years. Keep it relevant to the job at hand and avoid including unrelated jobs. And don’t just list job duties. For instance, you can easily imagine a resume that lists bullets like:

• "Developed user interfaces and components.”
• “Increased database admin effectiveness.”
• “Developed software that increased company revenue.”

Sure, those talk about the basics of your job, but there’s nothing in there that shows how you are uniquely talented or qualified. To make them more meaningful, focus on results and specifics. Think about any improvements you made, efficiencies you created, or company-wide impacts. 

See how that transforms the bullets:

• "Developed scalable web-based user interfaces and components using Angular, C#, and .NET core.”
• “Increased database admin effectiveness by 25%.”
• “Drove 40% increase in company revenue through improved software quality and products.”

Take a look at the full-stack developer employment history resume sample below:

How to write a full-stack developer resume with no experience

If you’re a recent graduate from college or a coding boot camp, or if you're making a mid-career pivot, you can still create a standout resume even without direct experience. 

To do this effectively, focus on transferable skills and show off your passion for software development. For example, even though you haven’t worked as a professional developer, you’ve probably tinkered around with creating apps or websites, so showcase those projects! 

Don’t forget about your education. Especially as a recent graduate, put your education higher up on the page so it’s clear you’ve got recent qualifications. Detail any certificates, training programs, or courses you've taken. 

Volunteer work counts, too. If you’ve lent your skills to a nonprofit or other organization, describe what you did and the impact you made.

Include the relevant key skills that make you a great full-stack developer

As a full-stack developer, your technical skills are your biggest selling point. Consider organizing this section into easily sorted categories, like front end, back end, design, and leadership or soft skills, for example. 

While your hard skills—like specific coding languages, frameworks, or tools—will be most important, you should include a mix of hard and soft skills. After all, soft skills like leadership, cross-functional collaboration, or innovation are important in a role like this. 

Our resume builder offers plenty of key skills to choose from, along with proficiency ranges you can set. Or write in your own skills. 

Here’s what the skills box looks like in our full-stack developer resume template. 

This section isn’t the only place to put your skills, however. Try weaving them throughout your resume by demonstrating them in action. Specific examples and results go even further to provide credibility. 

For example, throughout your work history and summary sections, focus on your:

• Technical skills by describing your understanding of web architecture, database management, and design fundamentals
• Coding language knowledge by showing how you’ve used languages like Java, JavaScript, Python, or Ruby
• Project expertise by demonstrating your experience leading projects, prioritizing work, and staying organized

Detail your education & relevant full-stack developer certifications

Your education section should be fairly straightforward. Start by listing your academic credentials in reverse chronological order. If you’ve got a college degree or above, there’s no need to reference high school at all. 

However, many developers are self-taught or obtained an unrelated degree. In that case, you can still include any degrees you’ve earned but also add other relevant experience. For example:

• Training and certifications. Classes, certificates, workshops, or other training you’ve undergone that helped you be a better developer.
• Internships. Any internships you held in school or as part of a boot camp. If you did an internship in another field, such as product management, that can also be worth mentioning.
• Professional development. Memberships in business or trade associations show your passion for staying up to date on the industry and sharing your skills with others.

Pick the right resume layout and design for a full-stack developer resume

As a full-stack developer, you know UX design, so apply those principles to the layout of your resume. Keep the focus on the content while using the design to project the image you want recruiters to take away.

Use an easy-to-read font and choose a maximum of two: one for the headings and one for the body text.  Keep it airy with margins of at least half an inch, varied line lengths, and spacing between sections. A little color is fine, but keep it to a minimum. 

Make sure your headings stand out and keep their names standard so it’s obvious where to find information. If you have a portfolio, link to that instead of adding graphics or images to your resume. 

If you’d like the design done for you, check out our resume templates and let us handle the formatting and structure for you. 

Full stack developer text-only resume example

Full stack developer job market and outlook

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) combines software developers, quality assurance analysts, and testers into a single category. The BLS projects that roles in this space will increase by 17% in the next decade—well beyond the average job growth!

What type of salary you can expect as a full-stack developer

According to the BLS, software developers earn a median annual wage of $132,270. Typically, this is part of a total compensation package that may include bonuses as well as equity or stock in the company. 

Key takeaways for building a full-stack developer resume

Full stack development is an in-demand, highly technical role with a lot of projected job growth. A great resume will help you convey your skills and land an interview for high-paying, challenging opportunities. 

Kickstart your software job search with our online resume builder, then supercharge it with resume.io. 

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