Java developers are in demand, but if you want to stand out from the pack, having a stellar Java developer resume is still essential. Whether you’re an aspiring Java developer or an experienced one, a well-crafted Java curriculum vitae (CV) helps you showcase your skills and accomplishments effectively.
Here are some Java developer resume tips and tricks as well as Java resume examples to get you headed in the right direction.
Why you should invest in your Java resume
Investing in your Java developer CV is critical for several reasons. First, Java programmer resumes (along with a Java developer cover letter) open doors. With a well-designed Java CV, you provide hiring managers with a clear summary of your experience, skills, and achievements. That helps them see that you’re capable of handling the responsibilities of the roles they’re filling.
Second, a carefully crafted Java backend developer resume can highlight critical soft skills. For example, the format and content showcase your written communication capabilities, and that may help you boost your career. Additionally, as you see in many Java developer resume samples, you can speak about soft skills in your bio and when creating a description of your various achievements.
Essentially, whether you’re a recent graduate looking for a beginner-level job (or internship) or a senior-level professional with an extensive Java project resume, your CV determines whether you’ll advance through the hiring process. As a result, if you want a chance to face off against entry-level or senior Java developer interview questions and ultimately land the position, you need to make sure that your Java experience resume is on point.
Skills to include in a Java developer resume
Whether you’re creating a Java one-year experience resume or a 12-years Java experience resume, highlighting the right skills is critical. If you want to ensure that your Java software engineer resume covers all of the essential bases, here are some must-have and nice-to-have skills to include.
Must-have skills
Programming languages
The programming languages you know are crucial Java resume points to cover. The ones you want to include may vary depending on the exact nature of the position. Along with Java, it’s wise to discuss widely-used ones like Python and Scala at a minimum. However, you can go further if you choose, particularly if the job description mentions others as potential requirements.
Java frameworks
There are several Java frameworks that are commonly used by developers. Often, when you look at or download nearly any Java resume example, you’ll typically see at least a few. Additionally, specific ones are mentioned in job ads placed by employers, so make sure to include Spring, Hibernate, or others if they’re discussed and you have applicable experience.
Web technologies
Another thing you’ll often notice when reviewing a sample Java developer resume is that web technologies are commonly discussed. Primarily, that’s because they’re highly sought by employers, so make sure to highlight your HTML, CSS, or JQuery capabilities if you possess them.
Java build tools
As a developer, using specific tools for different tasks is common. Whether you’re creating an entry-level CV, a Java developer resume with 5 years of experience, or a senior-level CV, you need to showcase your experience with Java build tools like Maven and Gradle.
Nice-to-have skills
Cloud
Many companies harness the cloud for development activities and general operations. As a result, experience with cloud technologies like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud generally fall in the nice-to-have category.
Data management
While not always required, employers often favor Java developer candidates with data-related capabilities. This can include knowledge of relational databases, familiarity with SQL, an understanding of big data, and similar capabilities.
DevOps
One thing you may notice if you’re exploring a senior Java developer resume sample or CV example for mid-to-upper-level professionals is mentions of DevOps. While DevOps isn’t always a required skill, understanding the methodology is often considered at least a nice-to-have. It shows you can work within that system to deliver results, and that can elevate your position as a candidate.
How to craft an effective Java resume summary
If you’ve ever reviewed a Java developer resume sample, you’ve likely noticed that a clear, concise resume summary is usually positioned near the top. This section allows you to showcase some of the best of what you have to offer. Plus, it’s a chance to include keywords that position you as a solid match for the role.
Whether you’re creating a Java developer resume with 2 years of experience or a Java developer resume with 8 years of experience, effective professional summaries for Java CVs (including core Java resumes) should showcase a few key points. Along with your total years of relevant experience, highlight a few must-have skills that relate to the specific position you’re trying to land. Standout resumes for Java developers don’t just include hard skills in the summary; they include soft skills, too, so make sure to have a solid mix.
Also, limit the summary on Java experienced resumes to no more than four sentences. The goal is to make the content enticing but brief. That way, it encourages the hiring manager to take action by continuing to read your CV.
How to “sell” your experience through achievements
Today, you’ll notice that any Java resume sample you see doesn’t list job duties in the position descriptions found on the document. Instead, being achievement-oriented is essential.
Showcasing your capabilities by describing relevant accomplishments helps hiring managers see how you leverage your skills and knowledge to deliver results. Essentially, you’re “showing” them you’re skilled instead of just “telling” them, and it’s a far more impactful approach.
Even if you’re creating a Java developer resume with 3 years of experience or less, you’ve likely handled a task effectively. So, instead of merely talking about your duties, discuss instances where you harnessed your knowledge to accomplish specific goals. For example, instead of stating that reviewing code was a responsibility, talk about a time when you improved code quality and enhanced application performance by reducing bugs, and quantify the details when possible.
Sample #1: Core Java developer resume
NAME SURNAME Core Java Developer SUMMARY:
TECHNICAL SKILLS: Engineering practices:
Technologies:
Leadership & soft skills:
WORK EXPERIENCE (SAMPLE PROJECT DESCRIPTION): [project / customer name] Dec 2022 - present Project Role: Senior Software Engineer Customer Domain: Finances Team size: 10 Responsibilities:
Database: Oracle DB Tools: GitLab, JIRA, Maven, IntelliJ IDEA, Toad for Oracle, SoapUI Technologies: Java 8, Spring Boot, Spring Batch, Spring Data JPA, Spring Web Services EDUCATION: MA in Electronics and Telecommunications, 2015 CERTIFICATIONS: Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals, 2023 Google Cloud — Associate Cloud Engineer, 2021 LANGUAGES: English Native |
Sample #2: Java developer resume (1-3 years of experience)
NAME SURNAME Java Developer SUMMARY:
TECHNICAL SKILLS: Engineering practices:
Technologies:
Leadership & soft skills:
WORK EXPERIENCE (SAMPLE PROJECT DESCRIPTION): [project / customer name] May 2023 - present Project Role: Software Developer Customer Domain: Software & Hi-Tech Team size: 7 Responsibilities:
Database: MongoDB, DynamoDB Tools: IntelliJIDEA, VSCode, Bitbucket, Maven, Docker, Jenkins, FindBugs, Checkstyle, SonarQube, Jira Technologies: Java 11, Spring Boot, AWS, K8S, Kafka, TypeScript, Angular EDUCATION: BA in Computer Science LANGUAGES: English B2 Polish Native |
Sample #3: Senior Java developer resume
NAME SURNAME Senior Java Engineer SUMMARY:
I know how to:
TECHNICAL SKILLS: Engineering practices:
Technologies:
Leadership & soft skills:
WORK EXPERIENCE (SAMPLE PROJECT DESCRIPTION): [project / customer name] May 2022 - present Project Role: Team Lead Customer Domain: Software & Hi-Tech Team size: 15 Responsibilities:
Database: MSSQL Tools: Jira, Confluence Technologies: PaaS, MVC, Java 11, Junit, Gradle, ORM, SQL, GCP, Kibana EDUCATION: BA in Applied Mathematics, 2013 LANGUAGES: English C1 |
Sample #4: Senior Java developer resume (4-6 years of experience)
NAME SURNAME Senior Software Engineer SUMMARY:
TECHNICAL SKILLS: Engineering practices:
Technologies:
Leadership & soft skills:
WORK EXPERIENCE (SAMPLE PROJECT DESCRIPTION): [project / customer name] Jan 2022 - present Project Role: Lead Java Developer Customer Domain: Entertainment Team size: 10 Responsibilities:
Database: IRIS Database Tools: IntelliJIDEA IDE, Redhat Drools, KIE workbench, DBeaver, JIRA Technologies: Java 11, Spring Microservices, Redhat Drools Engine, Kafka, AWS, Docker, Kubernetes EDUCATION: MA in Computer Applications, 2013 CERTIFICATIONS: Automation Engineer Specialist, 2023 LANGUAGES: English B2 Tamil Native |
Sample #5: Senior Java developer resume (6-8 years of experience)
NAME SURNAME Senior Software Engineer SUMMARY:
TECHNICAL SKILLS: Engineering practices:
Leadership & soft skills:
Technologies:
WORK EXPERIENCE (SAMPLE PROJECT DESCRIPTION): [project / customer name] May 2021 - present Project Role: Development Team Lead Customer Domain: Finances Team size: 25 Responsibilities:
Database: PostgreSQL Tools: IntelliJ, Postman, Git, Gitlab, SonarQube Technologies: Java 17, ElasticSearch, AWS, Rest, IBM MQ, Spring, Spring Boot, Localstack EDUCATION: MA in Systems Engineering, 2006 CERTIFICATIONS: AWS Certified Developer – Associate (2022) LANGUAGES: English B2 Serbian Native |
Sample #6: Java engineering manager resume (8-12 years of experience)
NAME SURNAME Software Engineering Manager SUMMARY: Software director of Java and big data development department, which includes more than 10 teams and 40 software engineers based in different countries and time zones.
TECHNICAL SKILLS: Engineering practices:
Technologies:
Leadership & soft skills:
WORK EXPERIENCE (SAMPLE PROJECT DESCRIPTION): [project / customer name] June 2021 - present Project Role: Director of Engineering Customer Domain: Retail Team size: 10-15 Responsibilities: Leading the accelerators development for data migration. Accelerators include incentivization of the data layer (relational and non-relational databases DB2, Oracle, Postgres, MySQL, etc.), ETL layer and BI layer, and calculate the complexity of migration per each layer and building lineage, which is the first step for building a migration plan. Database: Oracle, Postgres, MySQL, DB2 Tools: Antlr, Docker Technologies: Java, Python, Spring Boot, Antler, Hibernate, Spring, SQL EDUCATION: MA in Engineering Management, 2009 LANGUAGES: English Native |
Sample #7: Lead Java developer resume
NAME SURNAME Lead Software Engineer SUMMARY:
Backend developer experience:
TECHNICAL SKILLS: Engineering practices:
Technologies:
Leadership & soft skills:
WORK EXPERIENCE (SAMPLE PROJECT DESCRIPTION): [project / customer name] Apr 2022 - present Project Role: Development Team Lead Customer Domain: Finances Team size: 25-30 Responsibilities:
Database: Postgresql, IRIS Tools: IntelliJ IDEA, GitBash, Postman, PGAdmin 4, DBeaver, Liquibase, Drools, Splunk, Confluent Kafka Control Center, GitLab, Sonar, Jira, Confluence Technologies: Java 11, Spring Boot, Gradle 5, Open API 3.0, Confluent Kafka, Docker, AWS ECS, AWS EC2, AWS API Gateway EDUCATION: MA in Computer Science, 2010 LANGUAGES: English C1 Spanish Native |
Download our Java developer resume template
Apply for a Java developer job at EPAM Anywhere
Now that you’ve had a chance to explore our Java developer resume examples and template and create your own attention-grabbing CV, it’s time to use it to elevate your career. If you have your resume saved as a PDF or Word Doc and you’re ready to find career-boosting remote Java developer jobs, EPAM Anywhere makes it easy to land your perfect opportunity. Apply for a Java developer position at EPAM Anywhere today!
As Chief Editor, Darya works with our top technical and career experts at EPAM Anywhere to share their insights with our global audience. With 12+ years in digital communications, she’s happy to help job seekers make the best of remote work opportunities and build a fulfilling career in tech.
As Chief Editor, Darya works with our top technical and career experts at EPAM Anywhere to share their insights with our global audience. With 12+ years in digital communications, she’s happy to help job seekers make the best of remote work opportunities and build a fulfilling career in tech.
Explore our Editorial Policy to learn more about our standards for content creation.
read more
