Software Developer Skills for CV

Programming languages are the foundation of every software development role, and the specific languages you list on your CV directly determine whether your application passes the initial screening. Recruiters and applicant tracking systems filter for exact language names like JavaScript, Python, TypeScript, Java, or C#. Listing programming as a generic skill without naming your languages is the single most common mistake developers make on their CVs. Be specific and list only languages you can confidently use in a professional codebase.

Depth matters more than breadth. A developer who lists Python, JavaScript, and TypeScript with genuine production experience is a stronger candidate than someone who lists twelve languages they touched during tutorials. Employers want to see that you understand language-specific idioms, ecosystem tools, and best practices. For example, a Python developer should know virtual environments, pip, type hints, and common frameworks like Django or Flask. A JavaScript developer should understand ES6+ features, async patterns, and module systems.

On your CV, organize your languages by proficiency or relevance to the target role. Place your strongest language first and consider adding context such as the number of years of professional experience or the scale of projects you have built with each. For example, state Python with 3 years of production experience building Django REST APIs rather than simply listing Python.

Git is not just a tool; it is the standard collaboration mechanism for every modern development team. Employers expect you to understand branching strategies, pull request workflows, merge conflict resolution, and commit hygiene. Whether a team uses Git Flow, trunk-based development, or GitHub Flow, you need to be comfortable creating feature branches, writing meaningful commit messages, and reviewing diffs before merging code.

Beyond the basics, experienced developers use Git for bisecting bugs, rebasing branches to maintain clean history, cherry-picking commits across branches, and managing releases with tags. Understanding how CI/CD pipelines are triggered by Git events such as pushes, pull requests, and tags demonstrates that you see version control as part of the larger development workflow rather than just a backup tool.

When listing Git on your CV, go beyond writing Git as a single word. Mention the platforms you have used such as GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket, and describe your workflow. For example, you could state that you managed feature branch workflows on GitHub with mandatory code reviews and automated CI checks on every pull request. This tells employers you understand collaborative development practices.

API development is one of the most in-demand skills in software engineering because virtually every modern application relies on APIs to connect frontend interfaces with backend services, integrate third-party platforms, and enable mobile applications. Employers want developers who can design clean, well-documented RESTful APIs with proper HTTP methods, status codes, authentication, and error handling. Experience with GraphQL is increasingly valued for roles involving complex data requirements.

Building APIs is only half the skill. Integrating with external APIs from payment providers like Stripe, communication platforms like Twilio, or cloud services like AWS S3 is equally important. This requires understanding authentication schemes including OAuth 2.0 and API keys, handling rate limiting, implementing retry logic for failed requests, and writing integration tests that do not depend on external service availability.

On your CV, specify the APIs you have built and the technologies you used. State the number of endpoints, the request volumes they handled, and any performance metrics. For example, you might write that you designed and built a 15-endpoint REST API using Express.js and PostgreSQL, serving 25,000 daily requests with an average response time of 120 milliseconds. This gives employers concrete evidence of your capability.