5 ways to show your tech stack on your CV...

As a Software Engineer or anyone in a technology profession, your CV is your opportunity to make a strong first impression. However, the way you present your tools and technologies can make or break your chances.

Include too much detail, and recruiters or hiring managers may feel overwhelmed. Include too little, and your CV might not contain the necessary keywords to get noticed.

The Hiring Manager’s Perspective

Imagine you’re a hiring manager reviewing dozens of CVs. You’re looking for:

• What are this candidate’s core skills?
• How experienced are they with the tools we need?
• Are they a specialist or a generalist?

If your CV doesn’t make this clear quickly, it risks being set aside.

How to Present Your Skills

Here are some effective ways to showcase your tools and technologies:

1. Bullet Points with Grouped Skills Organise your skills into categories for clarity. For example:

• Programming Languages: Python, Java, C#.
• Frameworks: Spring, React, Django.
• Tools: Jenkins, Docker, Terraform.

2. Sentences or Paragraphs Describe how you’ve used specific technologies to highlight their impact:

• "Developed scalable microservices using Java and Spring, reducing system downtime by 25%."
• "Built and deployed CI/CD pipelines using Jenkins and Docker, cutting deployment times by 40%."

3. Skills Listed by Proficiency Categorise your skills under levels of expertise, such as:

• Expert: Python, AWS, Kubernetes.
• Advanced: Spring, Terraform, Jenkins.
• Mid-Level: SQL, Docker.
• Beginner: Rust, Ansible.

4. Skills Matrix or Scorecard Use a table or scorecard to visually represent your experience. These article don't let me post a table, but essentially, it would be a simple table with technologies down the first column and then you could have columns for "years of experience" or "frequency of use" or "skill level" etc - depending how you best see fit.

5. Top Five Most Relevant Skills Highlight the top five skills most relevant to the role. This works particularly well for positions requiring a focused skill set.

Why Keywords Can Be a Double-Edged Sword

Including tools like Java and Spring on your CV might seem harmless, but it can backfire. If you used them briefly years ago and list them prominently, you may get inundated with calls or LinkedIn messages for Java Developer roles – even if you’re a Front-End Developer with no interest in Java.

This wastes your time and creates confusion for recruiters. Instead, ensure the tools and technologies on your CV reflect your current expertise and align with the roles you’re targeting.

Key Considerations

1. Keep It Relevant Tailor your CV to each job description. If a role requires niche expertise, make sure those skills stand out.
2. Strike the Right Balance For broader roles, group your skills effectively to show versatility. For niche roles, focus on depth in specific tools.
3. Show the Bigger Picture Your CV should tell a story, not just list tools. Use context to demonstrate how your skills contribute to projects, teams, and organisational success.

Your skills are your greatest asset, but how you present them can make all the difference. Whether you use a skills matrix, bullet points, or a scorecard, focus on clarity and relevance to show hiring managers exactly what they need to know.

At Humand Talent, we specialise in helping tech professionals craft CVs that stand out. Need help showcasing your expertise? Let’s chat.