Computer Science CV Example

Computer science graduates can work in a variety of roles. Common computer science jobs include software engineers, systems analysts, data scientists, and web developers. No matter your exact job title, as a computer scientist you must be able to solve problems quickly and efficiently.

Our writing help is geared more toward recent computer science graduates, but computer scientists at any level can follow our three tips to write an impressive computer science CV:

1. Tailor your computer science CV to the exact role

Customise your computer science CV to the job description. Even if you’re a recent computer science graduate and are applying for different job titles (for example, data developer and data engineer jobs), send in a tailored CV for each job. You can customise your computer science CV by:

• putting the job title under your name
• mentioning the job title in your personal statement
• emphasising work experience and skills that apply directly to the role

For example, if you’re applying to jobs in backend development, don’t focus on your desktop publishing skills (but you can still mention them briefly in your skills section to show recruiters you’re a well-rounded candidate).

2. Include extra information on your computer science CV

As a computer scientist, you can add additional information to your CV to give recruiters a better idea of what you can do. Here are three examples of extra details you can put on your computer science CV:

Github

List your Github and/or personal project website in your contact information. Your Github shows recruiters you have a substantial body of work and are committed to reproducibility and good software practices. Also, Github allows recruiters to inspect your code and understand how you think.

Projects

If you’re an experienced computer scientist, you can integrate projects into your CV’s work experience section. But if you’re a recent computer science graduate, you may have gained computer science practice more through personal and course projects than job experiences, so you can either make a dedicated projects section or list them in your CV’s education section.

Generally, when describing projects, list what the goal was (e.g., created an Android app that pairs language exchange partners who live in the same city), the technical skills you used (e.g., built using Java, Kotlin, Android Studio, and Jetpack Compose), and any special features you developed or challenges you overcame (e.g., implemented a novel algorithm to determine language partner compatibility).

Relevant modules

If you’re a recent computer science graduate, you can list courses you’ve taken. But ensure your relevant modules and skills section complement — rather than repeat — each other. For example, if you list ‘Data management systems’ as a course, you can specify PostgreSQL and MySQL in your skills section.

3. List top computer science skills

Computer science employers care most about your hard skills, or skills learned through education and training. Add some of these hard skills to your computer science CV:

But soft skills (personality traits that affect how you work) are also important, as you’ll need to interact with clients and other computer scientists. Here are some top soft skills for your CV:

• Project management (e.g., Agile project management)
• Problem solving skills
• Critical thinking skills
• Communication skills
• Time management skills
• Organisational skills
• Leadership
• Teamwork skills
• Analytical skills

Because soft skills are hard to measure and demonstrate, show employers the extent of these skills by weaving them into your work experience. See how this work experience bullet shows off the candidate’s teamwork skills: