Backend Developer Resume: Examples, Guide & Top Tips

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Websites and applications work properly because of hardworking Backend Developers, and our Backend Developer resume guide has everything you need to land an awesome job in the field. 

While Frontend Devs handle the flashy parts of the digital world, the backend crew ensures that everything runs smoothly. They spend tons of time building and then scouring through code to catch bugs and redundancies. 

Do you have an eagle’s eye for catching small errors? Do you possess the patience and tenacity to make an awesome site or product work? If so, becoming a Backend Developer could be your perfect fit!

In this resume guide, you’ll find information on:

• The best resume formats that could help you increase your chance of landing an interview
• How to list all your educational and work experience to highlight your strengths
• How to sell yourself, with or without solid work experience in web dev

When you’ve finished reviewing our tips, why not head over to our resume builder and get working on yours?

Picking the right resume format is essential, as it will determine the order in which you present the information to potential employers. As a Backend Developer, the ideal format is the reverse-chronological. This means putting your most recent experience first and working backward. 

As hard skills are one of the most important factors for recruiters when choosing a candidate, place these right after your resume summary so they can access the information quickly.

Let’s continue by looking at a standout example of a Backend Developer resume that recruiters will love. This candidate shows they know the ins and outs of the industry and have the right mindset to be a successful leader in tech.

resume Example

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[Rachel DePaula]

[Lead Backend Developer]

[Seattle, WA | 123-456-7890 | rachel.depaula@randomemail.com]

Summary

Lead Backend Developer with 10 years of experience working with Java, C#, PHP, and Ruby. Coordinated the optimization of SQL queries to speed up load time on E-Commerce site of over 600 pages. Meticulous in proofreading code and proficient in working with Agile software development life cycle.

Skills

• PHP
• Java & JavaScript
• Python
• Ruby
• C#
• AWS
• Microsoft Azure
• CMS (Sitefinity, ContentStack, Umbraco)
• Databases (SQL Server & Entity Framework)

Experience

Lead Backend Developer

Hunger Hippos | Seattle, WA

2019 – Present

• Developed functional and fast food delivery application with Python, PHP, Java, and C# that works on mobile, tablets, and computers, and increased loading page speed by 60%.
• Uptime maintained at 97% by collaborating with entire programming team for emergency patches and bug fixes.
• Created REST APIs and utilized Gitlab, Jira, Confluence, Jenkins, noseJS, MongoDB, and the MS SQL Server.
• Mentored junior developers and proofread their code with respect to Agile software development life cycle: design, configuration, integration, testing, and support.
• Provided clear, jargon-free feedback to non-tech teammates and key stakeholders.

Junior Developer

Hunger Hippos | Seattle, WA

2017 – 2019

• Wrote APIs and made scalability and maintainability improvements using Microservices.
• Developed and refined CI/CD pipelines for web applications.
• Used NodeJS and Socket.IO to support the web development team.

Education

Washington University | St. Louis, MO

B. Tech in Computer Programming

2012 – 2016

Certifications

• AWS Certified Solutions Architect, 2022 
• Meta Backend Developer Professional, 2021

Interests

• Robotics competitions 
• Geocaching

🌟Featured content: In 2022, according to Stack Overflow, 85% of developers say their organizations are at least partially remote. Freelance or self-employed developers have grown by five whole percentage points in the last year, from 9% to almost 15%. If you are looking for remote working opportunities, this might be the career for you!

You’re a seasoned pro with 7 or more years of rigorous programming in the backend. How do you grow in your career at this point? We’ve got expert insights to help you land the position you’ve always wanted.

Backend Developer Resume Summary

Hiring managers are looking for well-rounded candidates who demonstrate a mix of hard and soft skills to take on the challenges of a lead Backend Developer. 

As a more experienced candidate, you should highlight your skills with a strong, eye-catching introductory statement. Here’s a sample experienced Backend Developer summary:

The above is a good example because it has specifics like the years of experience, a key achievement, and a position of responsibility.

This example does contain enthusiasm, but it lacks metrics, uses an informal tone, and is too short for such an experienced candidate. What programming languages are they proficient in? What kind of responsibilities and specific achievements can they be proud of?

Describing Your Backend Developer Experience

Here’s where you get to include all your achievements and statistics that will have recruiters turning their heads. Put yourself in their shoes and think, What would make me want to hire this particular senior Backend Developer? 

You can showcase soft skills such as time consciousness, efficiency, planning, and the ability to communicate efficiently with clients, stakeholders, and colleagues in your experience (show, don’t tell!).

What to Include in the Education Section

At this point, your experience will outshine your education. Aim to keep this section as short as possible, and only include relevant college or university education, such as a bachelor’s degree or an M. Sc. in Computer Science.

Highlight Your Backend Developer Skills

You need to showcase your technical knowledge in coding as well as your ability to mesh well with different teams. 

Recruiters want to see that you can work individually on lengthy projects and be able to provide feedback to junior developers with finesse. 

Soft skills can be woven in throughout the work experience descriptions, whereas the focus in a separate skills sections should be on your hard skills (technical skills).

Let’s see some examples of solid, Backend Developer skills for a resume.

Certifications and Other Sections

As an experienced Backend Developer, you can command higher salaries because of your expertise, which may be reflected in your certifications and continued professional development. 

Consider obtaining advanced certificates to widen your skillset. 

You can list these certifications similarly to your other degrees, with the certificate name, institution, and dates completed.

Example

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Certifications

IBM Back-End Development Professional Certificate

Coursera | Online

Expected completion date: February 2024

Fresh out of the college doors? You may be interested in getting your foot in the door for backend development. Good news: Many companies need junior developers to help shape their products and support their tech teams. 

What’s more, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment growth job outlook for web developers from 2022 to 2032 is +16%—faster than average!

Backend Developer Resume Summary With No Experience

Graduated with a computer programming or science degree and wondering what on Earth to put in your resume summary? Fret not. A focused introduction with clearly outlines your skills (and what you’re working towards) will demonstrate your passion for the field to hiring managers. 

Use a formal style, summarize your knowledge and experience (even if it is academic alone), and state what you hope to offer the company.

A sample entry-level Backend Developer resume summary could look like this: 

It lists the coding languages the candidate has experience in and shows an achievement that proves their talent. 

Something you want to avoid is focusing on only what you want, and not what you can offer the company, like in the following example:

What’s more, this example lacks a formal, 3rd person, professional tone. Moreover, it focuses more on soft skills as opposed to the key technical ones needed in this role.

Entry-Level Backend Developer: Describing Your Experience

Look for ways to demonstrate your expertise with backend code—did you participate in an unpaid programming internship during your studies? How about a part-time job with the admissions team on campus? Listing all of these will show your experience related to backend coding.

Despite it not being a paid position, this counts as valid work experience and includes a measurable achievement.

Now see what this next example is lacking:

What did the candidate test exactly? What kind of recommendations did they make and in what situations? The wording ‘become familiar with’ is also inadequate if you want to catch a recruiter’s eye. It would be better to say something along the lines of ‘Expanded upon my knowledge of….’ or ‘Increased my expertise in…’

The Education Section When You Are Starting Out

Whether you hold a degree in computer science, have taken specialized programming courses, or gained knowledge through online bootcamps, showcasing your educational journey is essential.

Consider the following points when drafting your Education section:

• Prioritize by listing your most recent academic achievements first.
• Clearly state the qualification’s name, the awarding institution, and the date of completion.
• Emphasize any projects, relevant coursework, and recognitions that are directly relevant to the Backend Developer role you’re targeting.

Example

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Education

BS Software Development

Hodges University, FL

2022

• Relevant projects: Created a currency converter using Java; Created a model E-Commerce website using Django

Skills for an Entry-Level Backend Developer

Let all your coding languages and personality make their way into your skills as a budding Backend Developer. Focus on how you’ve worked in teams and demonstrated adaptability, problem-solving skills, and critical thinking—soft skills all hiring managers want to see. 

Here are examples of skills to list on your resume as an entry-level Backend Developer:

• Troubleshooting performance issues
• Improving site infrastructure
• Optimizing site performance and rank
• Understanding accessibility and security compliance
• Catching small, potentially fatal code errors
• Working independently and collaboratively with different teams
• Programming with Java, Python, PHP, and Ruby

These skills may not have been learned ‘on the job,’ but have been developed nonetheless, so they should be listed loud and proud in a bulleted section of their own.

Extra Sections: Certifications, Volunteer Work, and Projects

Any certifications in online courses or bootcamps (completed and in progress) that pertain to backend development are great to list in your resume. You can even include your volunteering work with any events where you’ve taught software to others. 

How do you list a course you have not yet finished? Here’s an example:

Example

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Certifications

IBM Back-End Development Professional Certificate

Coursera | Online | In Progress

Include any self-directed backend development projects you might have been creating in your free time too. Write a brief description of the project, including the programming language you used, and the aim of the project. If it is available online, link to it!

But how do you put a backend project on your resume exactly? Check out this example:

Example

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Projects

• Designed and built a financial budgeting app using Asp.Net Core Web Api, 2022
• Created a local restaurant guide app using Express, Postgres, Github & Heroku, <link>, 2023

One great way to get experience as a Backend Developer is by applying for internships. Take a look at the following example and see how you can best highlight these experiences on your resume.

resume Example

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[Jane Smith]

[Backend Developer Intern]

[LinkedIn | GitHub]

Summary

Motivated and detail-oriented Backend Developer Intern with strong passion for building robust and scalable web applications. Seeking to leverage technical skills and problem-solving abilities to contribute to dynamic team and gain hands-on experience in backend development. Committed to delivering high-quality solutions that enhance user experience and drive business growth.

Skills

• Programming Languages: Java, Python, C++
• Backend Frameworks: Node.js, Express, Django
• Database Management: MongoDB, MySQL, PostgreSQL
• API Development: RESTful, GraphQL
• Version Control: Git, GitHub
• Debugging and Troubleshooting
• Object-Oriented Programming (OOP)
• Agile Methodologies
• Strong Analytical Skills
• Excellent Communication and Collaboration

Education

Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, ABC University, Date

Experience

Backend Developer Intern, XYZ Tech Startup

Date – Date

• Developed and maintained RESTful APIs using Node.js and Express, supporting the creation of a scalable and efficient user authentication system.
• Participated in code reviews and performed unit testing to optimize code efficiency and maintainability.
• Assisted in the design and implementation of MongoDB database, improving system performance and data retrieval speed 20%.
• Assisted in the development of a real-time chat feature, increasing user engagement and satisfaction 30%.

Certifications

• Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals, Date

Projects (Can be found on my GitHub)

• E-commerce Website, ABC University
• Built fully functional e-commerce website using Node.js, Express, and MongoDB, including features such as user authentication, product browsing, and cart management.
• Data Analytics Dashboard, ABC University
• Collaborated with a team of developers to create a data analytics dashboard using Django, MySQL, and React, providing real-time insights for business decision-making.
• Task Management System, Online Course Project
• Developed task management system using Java and PostgreSQL, allowing users to create, assign, and track tasks efficiently.

As a Backend Developer candidate, you’ll take a series of take-home tests to demonstrate your coding know-how. Sometimes, these tasks have three or more rounds. It’s a highly competitive process that requires deep focus and clean code, so make sure your attempts count! 

Remember to keep our insider tips in mind to land an awesome career in backend development: 

• List all the coding languages you’re proficient in as they are critical keywords that will help you bypass the first scan.
• Include relevant links to your portfolio and projects you’ve contributed to in the past with a brief summary of each.
• Showcase your achievements in previous positions by including statistics that will impress hiring managers. 
• As you acquire more certificates, make sure to update your resume and indicate which ones are completed, and the remaining in progress.

Perhaps you’re looking for a career that’s a little different from backend development. Read our front end developer and full stack developer resume guides to learn more!