How to Write a CV for IT and Software Developers
Tech hiring moves fast and filters hard. A recruiter and an ATS both scan your CV for the specific technologies in the job description, then an engineering manager looks for real projects and impact. Here's how to write an IT or developer CV that clears both gates.
Put a clear tech stack up front
In tech hiring, the first gate is a keyword match, so put a clear technical skills section near the top of your CV rather than leaving the reader to infer your stack from job descriptions. Group your skills so they're easy to scan — languages, frameworks, databases, cloud, and tools — and be specific: "React, Node.js, PostgreSQL, AWS, Docker" says far more than "full-stack development." Be honest about your level, because anything here is fair game in a technical interview. This is the exact section an ATS matches against the posting, so mirror the terminology the job uses where it genuinely applies to you; if they write "TypeScript" and "CI/CD," use those words, not loose synonyms. Keep it to real, current skills rather than a padded list of everything you've touched once. Nail this section and both the recruiter and the software can confirm you fit before they reach your projects and impact below.
Describe projects, not just duties
For each role, show what you built and the impact: the system, your part in it, the tech used, and the result. "Built a caching layer that cut API latency 40%" beats "worked on the backend." Include scale where you can — users, requests, data volume.
Link to your code and work
A GitHub profile, portfolio, or live projects can carry as much weight as the CV itself. Include working links, and make sure your pinned repos or portfolio show your best, relevant work. For many engineering roles, reviewers will look.
Keep formatting ATS-safe
Developers love designing fancy CVs, but heavy columns, icons, and graphics confuse parsers. Use a clean single-column layout with plain-text skills — your code can be creative; your CV should be readable. Save the personality for your portfolio.
Build a clean tech CV with write.cv
write.cv gives you an ATS-friendly layout with a dedicated skills section and project-focused experience entries, plus a real-time score and clean PDF export — in Arabic and English. Add your stack and ship a CV that parses perfectly.