With Python’s vast popularity and a lifetime’s worth of quick guides available around the internet, you’re likely to face plenty of competition applying to be a python developer. You need a way to stand about the crowd.

To do that, your resume needs to show that your knowledge of the language goes beyond the basics and that you can create what the employer needs. Concrete results and the ability to communicate them are what make the difference. Luckily for you, we’ve got the experience to get you over the finish line to begin your next python developer job.

What you’ll learn from this guide:

• How to use resume examples to get inspired
• What you need to do in order to avoid getting blocked by ATS
• How to appeal to recruiters and hiring managers
• The best formatting rules for a python developer resume
• What you should include about your education
• How to use certifications to stand out
• What makes your skills more impactful
• How you should phrase your achievements
• The best way to start a python developer resume
• What to do if you have little or no python experience
• How to use a resume builder to make the process easier

Python developer resume template examples to get you started

Instead of starting with a blank piece of (digital) paper, your resume creation process should begin by looking to quality examples. Considering the wealth of open source python code available for you to use, this approach should be familiar. To make this process easy, we’ve hand-selected a few of the best python developer resume examples for you below.

As you look through them, take notes on what stands out. What do you like and not like? Imagine you are a recruiter, how would you evaluate these resumes? Use what you write down as the basis for your own resume, taking ideas, inspiration, and perspective on what it’s like to read someone else’s resume. Now, before you’ve even begun, you’re more prepared than almost any of your competition.

[Examples]

How to write a python developer resume that will get you noticed by hiring managers

Even just asking this question is a key to creating a great python developer resume. Too many job applicants create their resumes while only thinking about their own experience. They fail to think about the end user, who will actually be evaluating their resume. Appealing to those audiences is how you can get noticed and get hired.

Why you need to prepare for ATS

Plenty of python developers looking for a new job think about the hiring manager that will evaluate their resume, but plenty of those resumes never get that far. Why? They failed to prepare for the first hurdle your resume will likely have to overcome: an Applicant Tracking System (ATS).

ATS are AI-driven algorithms (so we can assume plenty will ironically use python) designed to sort through huge numbers of incoming resumes. They use Natural Language Processing (NLP) to understand the information on your resume and determine whether you meet the minimum criteria to be forwarded to a recruiter or hiring manager.

Most hiring professionals use ATS, and more are using it each year because of the substantial time savings. The problem, as you probably already know, is that NLP is far from perfect, so ATS often make mistakes and incorrectly reject qualified resumes. To make sure your resume isn’t among them, you need to follow these 3 simple steps.

1. Only submit your resume as a .pdf, .doc, or .docx. These are the file types most ATS are designed to read.
2. Use a resume builder to make sure the file you submit has its data structured so ATS can easily read it. Elements like columns and charts on a document can easily confuse ATS, so the best way to make sure your information is read properly is to use a tool specifically designed to produce files that can be read easily.
3. Use keywords carefully. If you want an ATS to determine that your resume meets its criteria, then it helps to know what they are. Fortunately, you’ve got all the info you need in the job description or ad. Simply list the requirements mentioned there and ensure as many as possible are on your resume. Try and phrase skills and experience as closely as you can to how they’re written to make sure there’s no confusion.

How to appeal to a recruiter

Once your resume sails past ATS (if the employer is using one) it still needs to get the approval of a recruiter. So what are they looking for in your resume? To start, they’ll likely have the same criteria the ATS did, so the work you put in optimizing your resume for ATS will also make it more effective in front of a recruiter. But there are other things to consider as well.

Imagine someone sent you a project brief that was 40 pages long with tons of irrelevant details. Each page is a wall of black and white text. It would be a chore to get through it and you would not think well of the person who sent it. So imagine how a recruiter feels when the 30th resume they’re reading today is too long, full of irrelevant information, and ugly to boot.

Your approach needs to be always considering how you can make that recruiter’s job easier. From using modern design that’s aesthetically pleasing to ensuring your resume is concise and well written, everything you do should be aimed at making it easy for a recruiter to say “yes.” By doing this, your resume will certainly stand out from the rest.

How to format a python developer resume resume

Most people creating a resume have some questions about formatting. It may seem simple, but there’s a lot to consider. Getting it right means a resume that’s easy to read and recruiters appreciate. Getting it wrong means frustrating those recruiters. So what should you do?

First, follow this primary rule: put the most important information towards the top. This way, you’re ensuring the information you most want a recruiter to know gets to them right away (we discuss how to do this with a resume objective or summary below). Following this rule also means putting your work history in reverse chronological order, I.E. with your most recent experience at the top.

Next, only add information which makes your resume better. This simple rule of thumb should be applied to everything you include because any sections or experience you include which doesn’t make your resume better is making it worse by wasting the recruiter’s time. This gets to the next main formatting question most people have.

How long should it be?

There’s no perfect rule for resume length, but as long as you’ve followed the rule of only including important information you should be fine. In general, aim for 1-2 pages depending on your experience level. Just be sure to imagine yourself as a recruiter reading your resume and consider whether including more sections will really make it better.

What should python developers put on a resume?

While including all of these sections would likely make your resume too long, these are the top sections you should consider including.

• Resume objective or summary
• Work experience and projects
• Achievements
• Education
• Certifications
• Hard skills
• Soft Skills

How to list your education in python developer’s resume

While a degree in computer science will be good to mention, few university degrees will be that directly connected to your work as a python developer. So, consider whether adding your education makes your resume better or just takes up space. You can apply the same logic to the details of your education. Let’s look at two examples to illustrate these points.

BS in Chemistry

University of Nebraska at Omaha

2001-2006

- Thesis title “Analysis of metals in airborne particulate matter in the city of Omaha”

- Captain of the university rowing team

- 3.5 GPA

This example makes many critical mistakes. The degree is not related, it’s too old to still be relevant, and it wastes further space with information about GPA and thesis title. In some cases, information like being captain of a team might be important because it demonstrates the ability to work well on a team and lead (more on using examples to back up your skills below).

BS in Computer Science

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

2014-2018

- Thesis title “Utilizing Deep Learning to Optimize Urban Parking Policy”

- Interned with the city of Urbana to help use my algorithms to advise the city council on where and how many paid or free parking spaces are optimal in the city’s downtown area.

In contrast with the first example, this is a recent and relevant degree. It only lists relevant information, focusing on using a python-based algorithm to solve a practical problem. It omits things like GPA, clubs, and other activities because to most employers, those simply aren’t relevant. If a recruiter wants to know about them, they can always ask.

How to list additional training and certifications

Considering how hard it is to find a university degree that’s up-to-date with the latest python development techniques and practices. That’s why smaller scale trainings and certifications make much more sense. These are especially important if you don’t have real job experience using python but want to demonstrate your skills.

Importantly, including a training or certification also shows that you’ve gone above and beyond to improve and demonstrate your abilities. That kind of proactiveness is extremely valuable for employers who are often tired of developers who just do the bare minimum.

Adding a training or certification is simple, just follow this template.

Applied Data Science with Python, The University of Michigan, 2019

You jst need to list the training or certification name, where you obtained it, and the year you obtained it.

The best certifications to consider obtaining and including

• Python Class from Google
• Python Course for Data Science and Machine Learning
• Python 3 Programming Certification from the University of Michigan
• Applied Data Science with Python Certification from the University of Michigan
• Python Course for Data Science from UC San Diego
• Computing in Python Certification from Georgia Tech
• Complete Python Bootcamp: Go from zero to hero in Python
• Python Certification for Data Science from IBM
• Complete Python Course
• Python for Managers from the Columbia Business School

How to make your skills more impactful

While listing the right skills to match the job description for both ATS and recruiters is important, it’s not enough. This is particularly true for soft skills because anyone can say that they work well on teams or are proactive. Making a recruiter feel that you truly possess these skills is something else entirely.

The best way to do that is by including concrete examples of times when you demonstrated those skills. This again shows you going above and beyond to make the recruiter’s job easier. Let’s look at two examples to see the power of this approach in action.

Works well on teams

An important skill for any developer, but listed by itself, it’s not worth very much.

Works well on teams

-Played team sports for 10 years and worked on 4 successful python development projects

This example gives two quick examples to show both a long history of working on teams and experience with the specific kind of teams relevant to python development work. As a result, 

Which hard skills should be mentioned on a python developer resume?

• Familiarity with open source Python code sources and communities
• SQL
• MySQL
• MongoDB
• Python
• Django
• Git
• AWS
• HTML
• Machine Learning
• Javascript
• Tornado
• Project management tools like Asana, Trello, etc.
• Flask
• Tensorflow
• Backend frameworks like Azure Functions or Capistrano
• Scrum
• Testing tools like Capybara

Which soft skills should be mentioned on a python developer resume?

• Working well on a team
• Written and verbal communication
• Attention to detail
• Presentation skills
• Proactive

How to highlight your most important achievements

The same approach that makes your skills stand out is also important for your achievements. Being vague about what you’ve achieved tells a recruiter you’ll be vague in your day-to-day work. Companies want to hire python developers with good attention to detail, not someone who answers “can we build this” with “I guess.”

Here’s an example:

Participated in debugging and troubleshooting and important program, helping to find several critical bugs which could have derailed the project.

This sounds impressive but it’s also pretty light on details. What does “participated” and “helping” mean here exactly? These terms leave this candidate’s role so vague that a recruiter could easily discount the entire achievement.

In addition, the “and” instead of “an” spelling mistake is also a bigger deal than you might think. A recruiter would see that and think “If they miss mistakes like this on their resume, what will their code look like?” That is not the kind of thought you want a recruiter to have reading your resume. Let’s look at an improved version for contrast.

Led the debugging and troubleshooting of a python based machine learning program for optimizing supply chains, leading to no bugs being detected by users during the first 6 months of its use.

With this example we can see the role this candidate had, details about the program, and the  results of their work. Including these details makes all the difference for recruiters trying to get an idea of what impact you’ll have on their team.

What are the differences between resume objective and summary? Where do I use which?

We mentioned previously that you want to put the most important information from your resume at the top. A resume objective or summary is ideal because these sections are extremely flexible in terms of what kind of information you can include. 

The idea is to use these sections to make a strong first impression. An objective should do this by including one concise sentence about who you are and what you aim to achieve with your resume. A resume summary can be a few sentences long and therefore gives you more flexibility. This section can be used to address questions which might arise elsewhere in your resume like why you’re changing careers or have a gap in your work history.

How to write a resume objective

A resume objective needs to be short and information dense. It’s one sentence to give the best reasons for them to hire you. 

Seasoned python developer looking to leverage my skill set to create outstanding programs to improve your business.

From being vague, boasting too much, writing in the first person, and clearly not being written to target a specific job, this objective misses the mark. If your objective boils down to “I’m great and I’ll do great things” then it’s not going to be taken very seriously by a recruiter. They will expect specifics.

Python developer with 6 years experience specializing in deep learning for ecommerce analysis looking to leverage experience to improve analytics and attribution at Gigastores Inc.

This example gets right down to business, focusing on the specific kind of experience they have and how they want to use that to help this specific employer. It sounds like someone who will start day 1 with a plan instead of a general desire to “improve things.” 

How to write a resume summary

The main thing to remember about a resume summary is that just because it can be longer doesn’t mean it should be. You still want the text to be concise and information dense. You’re trying to make a strong first impression and wasting a recruiter’s time with useless fluff.

After working in IT support for 4 years, I’ve decided to study python and become a python developer. While I’m still developing my technical skills, I do have what it takes to succeed at your company.

The intent here is spot on, but this example fails in its execution. A resume summary is an ideal place to mention a career change and to go into some detail about why and how you’re transitioning. But this case is too light on specifics and too informal in its tone. Now for contrast, let’s see an improved version.

New python developer transitioning from 4 years in IT support actively pursuing a Python Certification for Data Science from IBM and looking to bring my debugging skills and positive energy to enhance the development team at Orion Media.

This resume summary is upfront about the candidate’s lack of experience and job transition, but instead of bragging it focuses on showing an eagerness to learn and develop. It’s also upfront about what skills the candidate does have and how they will fit into the existing team at the company where they’re applying. Together, these elements make for a strong first impression.

How to write a python developer resume with little to no experience?

The good news for you is that the technical skills required to excel as a python developer can be taught much more easily than the soft skills needed. Focus more on emphasizing soft skills like an eagerness to learn, working well on a team, attention to detail, etc. Then, you can supplement those soft skills by obtaining certifications in the hard skills you need for the role. 

Even if you haven’t completed a course or certification by the time you’re applying, you can mention that you’re taking it in a resume objective or summary. Otherwise, just remember that most employers would rather hire someone with less experience who’s better to work with, and take advantage of that.

How to make your resume stand out?

After all the work you’ve put into your python developer resume, it’s going to stand out in many ways, but the last element you’ll want to nail is the design. A clean and modern resume design will let your resume stand out before a recruiter has read a single word. But finding and implementing a design like that without sacrificing ATS-optimization is hard. That’s why you need to use a resume builder specifically created to give you both.

Why a resume builder is an essential tool

With all of the elements you need to get right on your resume, you need all the tools possible to save time. A resume builder does this in a few ways. First, it gives you a builder which removes the need to mess around with columns and other elements in Word. Next, it ensures the file you ultimately produce is ATS-optimized. Lastly, it will make the process of creating multiple custom resumes for each job easier by enabling you to easily generate and customize versions of a core resume. Add to all this the easy access of modern and beautiful resume templates and a builder becomes a no-brainer.

Once you’re looking for the right builder, look no further than resumebuild.com. It’s got all the features you need and more, all built from the ground up with users like you in mind. So before you waste your time trying to take a resume you’ve created and get it ATS-readu or looking modern, skip the hassle and use a builder instead.