Software Developer skills for your CV

Software developers design, build, and maintain applications and systems. Employers look for strong programming skills, problem-solving ability, and experience with modern development practices.

  • Technology
  • Salary range £30,000 – £75,000
Create your CV Check your CV free
Hard skills10
Soft skills6
Tools6
Certifications4

Hard skills

The technical skills for this role, grouped by how much they matter.

Essential 4 skills

  • JavaScriptUsed in 75%+ of developer roles
  • PythonFastest growing language in job listings
  • SQLRequired for almost all backend roles
  • Git/Version ControlNon-negotiable for team environments

Important 2 skills

  • REST APIsStandard for modern web services
  • React or AngularMost in-demand frontend frameworks

Valuable 4 skills

  • DockerIncreasingly expected, especially in DevOps-leaning roles
  • Cloud Services (AWS/Azure/GCP)Growing requirement across all levels
  • CI/CD PipelinesShows modern development practices
  • TypeScriptRapidly overtaking plain JavaScript in job ads

Soft skills

  • Problem Solving
  • Communication
  • Team Collaboration
  • Attention to Detail
  • Time Management
  • Adaptability

Tools

  • VS Code
  • Jira
  • GitHub
  • Docker Desktop
  • Postman
  • Slack

Certifications

  • AWS Cloud Practitioner
  • Azure Fundamentals
  • Google Associate Cloud Engineer
  • Certified Kubernetes Administrator
TipsCV

How to show these on your CV

  • Quantify your impact: "Reduced API response time by 40%" is far stronger than "Improved API performance."
  • Include links to GitHub or a portfolio.
  • List your tech stack prominently — recruiters scan for specific keywords.

CV examples to learn from

Technology · Entry levelJunior Software DeveloperJunior software developer CV example for UK graduate roles: a First Class profile, internship results, Python and React skills, and cloud certifications.View example Technology · Mid levelData AnalystData analyst CV example for UK roles, with a profile, automated reporting results, SQL, Python and Tableau skills, and the certifications employers look for.View example Technology · Mid levelDevOps EngineerDevOps engineer CV example for UK cloud roles: a profile with uptime and automation results, AWS, Terraform and Kubernetes skills, and cloud certifications.View example

More Technology examples

Got the skills? Make them count

Check your CV free to see how well it matches this role, then put these skills to work with the guided editor before you apply.

Check your CV freeCreate your CV