Software Engineer CV template (UK, 2026)
UK software engineering CVs succeed or fail on specificity: recruiters and hiring engineers scan for a real stack (languages, frameworks, cloud provider), evidence of what you shipped, and signs you understand production concerns like testing, CI/CD and system design, not just tutorial-level familiarity. A CV that lists technologies without linking them to a shipped outcome reads as junior regardless of years of experience.
Software Engineers: pay and who’s hiring
Software Engineers in the UK typically earn between £45,000–£85,000 depending on experience, location, and shift patterns. Employers actively recruiting for this role include Monzo, Revolut, Deliveroo, Octopus Energy, Sky. Tailoring your CV to each of these employers’ job descriptions — mirroring their exact wording — is what gets you past the ATS and in front of a hiring manager.
Keywords this template targets
- TypeScript
- React
- Node.js
- AWS
- PostgreSQL
- CI/CD
- REST APIs
- Docker
- system design
Certifications to highlight
- AWS Certified Developer
- Azure Fundamentals
- Google Cloud Associate Engineer
Personal statement example
Full-stack software engineer with 4 years' experience building and shipping features in TypeScript, React and Node.js on AWS, including designing REST APIs and maintaining CI/CD pipelines. AWS Certified Developer, comfortable owning a feature from design through to production monitoring in a fast-moving product team.
Example experience bullet points
Adapt these to your own roles — keep the verb-first structure and swap in your real figures.
- Designed and shipped a React-based checkout flow used by roughly 5,000 monthly active users, reducing cart abandonment through improved form validation
- Built REST APIs in Node.js and PostgreSQL, introducing schema migrations and query indexing that cut average response time by 40%
- Set up a CI/CD pipeline using GitHub Actions and Docker, reducing deployment time from 45 minutes to under 10
- Migrated a legacy monolith module to a containerised microservice on AWS, improving deploy independence for the team
- Led weekly code reviews and mentored two junior engineers on TypeScript best practices and testing coverage
Section-by-section structure
- Personal summary — three sentences, lead with role + years + a measurable result.
- Key skills — 8–10 bullets, mixing the keywords above with one transferable soft skill.
- Certifications — bullet each credential with the awarding body and year.
- Experience — reverse chronological. Each role gets 3–5 bullets, each bullet starts with a verb and ends with a number where possible.
- Education — institution, qualification, year. Skip A-Level / GCSE detail if you have 5+ years of experience.
Common software engineer CV mistakes
- Listing every technology ever touched instead of the stack you're strongest in — dilutes credibility and confuses ATS keyword matching
- No mention of testing, CI/CD, or production ownership, which reads as academic/tutorial experience rather than real shipping experience
- Describing team projects in the third person ('the team built') instead of clearly stating your own contribution
Frequently asked
Should I include a GitHub link or portfolio on my software engineer CV?
Yes, if it's active and represents your best work — UK tech recruiters and hiring managers do check it. Pin 2-3 strong repos rather than leaving dozens of half-finished projects visible, and make sure READMEs explain what the project does and your role in it.
Do I need a computer science degree to get software engineering roles in the UK?
No — many UK employers (especially fintech and scale-ups like Monzo, Revolut, Wise) hire from bootcamps and self-taught backgrounds if your CV demonstrates strong practical shipping experience, a solid GitHub history, or a portfolio of real projects. A degree helps for larger corporates and graduate schemes but isn't universally required.
What ATS keywords matter most for a software engineer CV?
The strongest signals are: TypeScript, React, Node.js, AWS, PostgreSQL, CI/CD, REST APIs, Docker, system design. Include them in your skills section AND in the body of role descriptions — ATS systems weight contextual mentions higher than skill-list entries.
Should I add AWS Certified Developer to my CV even if it's just in progress?
Yes — list it clearly with "(in progress, expected [date])". Employers screen-out CVs missing the credential entirely; partial credit is normal when the path is visible.
How long should a software engineer CV be in the UK?
Two pages, ideally. For roles with under five years of experience, a single tight page outperforms a padded two-pager. Recruiters spend 6–8 seconds on the first scan.
See live software engineer jobs by city
- Software Engineers in London
- Software Engineers in Manchester
- Software Engineers in Birmingham
- Software Engineers in Leeds
- Software Engineers in Glasgow
- Software Engineers in Liverpool
- Software Engineers in Bristol
- Software Engineers in Sheffield
- Software Engineers in Edinburgh
- Software Engineers in Cardiff
- Software Engineers in Newcastle upon Tyne
- Software Engineers in Nottingham
- Software Engineers in Southampton
- Software Engineers in Reading
- Software Engineers in Coventry
- Software Engineers in Leicester
- Software Engineers in Brighton
- Software Engineers in Milton Keynes
- Software Engineers in Belfast
- Software Engineers in Aberdeen