Front End Developer Resume Example

This comprehensive guide will give you all the tools you need to craft a front end developer resume that positions you strongly against other candidates. The guide will show you practical examples of how to structure your resume to show off your best and most relevant skills and career achievements. It will also show you how to tailor your resume according to the job description and your unique skill set. Continue reading to find expert tips and advice from Jobseeker that will help you with your front end developer resume.

Core sections to include in a front end developer resume

Although the content of a front end developer resume may differ according to your experience and seniority, the main sections will remain the same.

While the content and format of your resume may vary depending on your experience levels, it's important to always include the following sections:

Resume Header

Your front end developer resume header should contain your name and contact details. These include your email address and phone number. If you have a LinkedIn profile, you can also add that, to give employers the chance to learn more about your skills and experience. It's not necessary to include a photo or any other personal information. Be aware of the amount of space your resume header takes up. You don't want your contact details to take space away from the main content of your resume, so keep this section as brief as possible.

Opt for a professional-looking email address based on your name. If your email address could be construed as unprofessional or inappropriate because it contains nicknames or unsuitable language, create a new, more professional email address for your job applications. Always check your contact details to make sure they're up-to-date before you send your resume.

Resume Objective

In your resume summary, write a short paragraph that highlights two or three of your key achievements and skills for front end developer roles. You could also call this section 'resume objective' or 'personal profile'. A resume summary covers your career experience to date, while a resume objective focuses more on your ambitions for the future. However, make sure you keep your resume summary short and snappy, and focused on the skills and experience listed in the job description.

Alternatively, focus on introducing your career ambitions, and why this role is a good fit, both for you and the organization.

A great resume summary should highlight why you're an ideal candidate for front end developer roles by showing key skills and qualities that reflect the job description and provide evidence to support them. It should also introduce your personality and unique qualities to the reader, to help them start to form an opinion about you as a candidate. See below for some great examples of what to include in your front end developer resume summary.

Conversely, a bad resume summary might be too generic, lacking focus on the specifics of the job description. It will also fail to provide any useful insights on what makes you a unique candidate. See above for some examples of things to avoid when writing your front end developer resume summary.

Work History

Next, list your relevant employment history and any key achievements that show you're suitable for a front end developer position. List each relevant role in reverse-chronological order starting with your current or most recent role. Add your job title, the organization name, its location and the dates you worked there.

Also include some bullet points for each job mentioned, showcasing your achievements so the employer can see the impact you made on the company. Pay attention to the job description and make sure each point is relevant to front end developer roles.

A successful resume work experience section will always showcase skills and experience relevant to the job description, and how you put each to good use in your previous roles. Offering quantifiable evidence in a front end developer resume proves you're a strong candidate for the job, such as client feedback, project outcomes, KPIs or financial results. Take a look at the examples below for some guidance on what works best for your work experience section.

See above for some of the pitfalls to avoid with your resume work experience section. Less effective resume work experience sections might take a more vague, descriptive approach to previous jobs. They focus on responsibilities and everyday duties rather than referencing career achievements and the value you've added for previous employers.

Education

Under education, add details of any degrees or professional qualifications relevant to front end developer roles.

If you're applying for front end developer positions you'll typically need to have a degree. A Bachelor of Science in Computer Science will usually help your chances of success. You could also list any qualifications that demonstrate your version control/git or react.js.

Enter the name and level of the qualification, the institution you studied at, its location and your dates of study or graduation. You can also add some bullet points outlining any high grades, awards you won or specialist subjects you studied. Adding this information will show the employer your dedication to learning and your areas of specialist knowledge.

Additionally, mentioning any leadership roles or any societies and clubs you participated in while studying shows proactivity and initiative.

Skills

Listing your key skills can help to prove your suitability for front end developer jobs. These could be responsive design, team collaboration abilities or various other relevant skills. Additionally, read the job description to make sure your skills match those required for front end developer positions. You could also include some unique skills that help you stand out as a candidate.

How to include hard skills on your front end developer resume

Hard skills are specific skills related to the job you're applying for. They include particular abilities, technical skills and industry knowledge that relate directly to jobs as a front end developer. Furthermore, your hard skills list helps to show employers how competent and experienced you are at key front end developer duties and responsibilities. Add up to five key hard skills that show you're an ideal candidate for the role. It can also be beneficial to add context to each skill, showing how you've used it to positive effect in your career to date.

If you want to make a strong impression with your hard skills list, focus on hard skills that align with your specific industry expertise, and that reflect the job description. For inspiration on the right type of hard skills for a front end developer resume, see below.

Soft skills on your front end developer resume

Soft skills are the personal skills and qualities that make you a good fit for the job. They include transferable skills and strengths that help you settle into the role, adapt to new challenges and build effective working relationships. In fact, you can develop soft skills throughout your career, and they tend to be suitable for various roles and professions. You should generally look to include up to five soft or transferable skills that match the job description.

A good soft skills section would include skills that match the job description, and also reflect your key strengths and qualities. See the graphic below for an indication of what to include in a strong soft skills section for a front end developer resume.

Relevant Certifications and Licenses

In your certifications section, list any professional certifications or licenses that are relevant to working as a front end developer. You could list accreditations for certain professional roles or licenses for certain activities that help to make you a strong candidate. Therefore, add any necessary licenses and certifications in this section, along with valid dates so employers can see you're still qualified for the job.

Review the list below for some suitable certifications for a front end developer resume:

Optional Information

To provide further information on your suitability for the role, you could add some optional sections to a front end developer resume. Choose any optional sections that showcase essential or desirable skills or experience for front end developer jobs.

Personal Hobbies and Interests

Adding your hobbies and interests is a legitimate way of showing off your skills and personal qualities. Hobbies can help you show different sides of your personality and make your resume more memorable to hiring managers. They're ideal to include if you're a junior candidate who might lack real world front end developer experience. Don't include hobbies and interests in your resume unless they showcase a specific interest or aspect of your personality. You'll want them to add something to your application that you can't add elsewhere.

Volunteer Work

This section can be valuable for a front end developer resume, if you've done any voluntary work that showcases your relevant skills. Include the title of your volunteer role, who you volunteered for, as well as the dates you carried out the work. Provide brief details of your responsibilities and the impact you made.

References

Standard front end developer resumes don't tend to include references, but you might find them requested occasionally. Check the job advert to see if you'll need to add references to your resume. Before adding any referees to your resume, ask them for their assistance and prepare them for contact by the employer.

Best action words for your front end developer resume

Start each bullet point in your work experience section with a strong verb to show actions you took. Choose verbs from the suggestions below that highlight your key skills or those mentioned in the job description.

Jobseeker's clean, attractive resume formats can help your applications make a strong impression on employers. Check them out for help designing a winning resume, and see our cover letter templates to help win over recruiters and hiring managers.

Sample resume for front end developer positions

Now we've covered the main sections to include in your front end developer resume, let's take a look at how it all comes together in the example below:

Tips on creating an ATS-optimized resume

Applicant tracking systems (ATS) are increasingly taking responsibility for the management and processing of job applications, helping hiring practices to become more efficient. This can include screening resumes by scanning and ranking each application according to how closely it matches the job description. When writing your front end developer resume, a few simple tips can help you pass the ATS stage with a higher-ranking resume, giving you a better chance of success with your applications.

Follow these guidelines to create the best ATS-friendly resume:

• Opt for an established, traditional resume format such as a reverse-chronological or functional structure. These will ensure your resume includes all the necessary details ATS systems scan for.
• Add keywords throughout your resume that help ATS software match your application to the job description. A higher match means your application is more likely to proceed to be reviewed by human eyes.
• Include clear headings that make it easy to identify each section of your resume. This will help any ATS software navigate your resume during the scanning process.
• Utilize a clean, clear resume design that helps make your content more readable. Use simple fonts and subtle color accents and design elements that don't detract from the written content.
• Use concise language to keep the length of your resume to between one and two pages. This will make it easier to scan for ATS applications.

Key takeaways for your front end developer resume

An effective resume is a concise, professional summary of your relevant skills and career achievements, showcased through a chronology of your career history. Use a suitable resume format and tailor your resume for every application you submit.

Use Jobseeker's resume templates, other tools and resources to create an application that impresses employers. Sign up today to access a wealth of valuable resume and cover letter resources. Jobseeker's expert-designed cover letter generator can help your applications make a strong first impression on hiring managers. Find detailed cover letter examples to complement your resume and get your application noticed.

Sources:

(1) Tips for Writing a Federal Resume, U.S. Department of Labor: https://www.dol.gov/general/jobs/tips-for-writing-a-federal-resume

(2) Resume Tips, Duke University: https://careerhub.students.duke.edu/resources/resume-tips/