Software Tester Resume: Templates & Top Tips

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You know how to find every little flaw in a software program. Do you know who else can find flaws, no matter how small? Hiring managers! So, if you want to put your software testing skills to use professionally, you need to learn how to write a flawless software tester resume.

In this guide, we’ll cover all the resume-building essentials you’ll need to get a jump start on your career as a software tester:

• How to write an effective resume for a software tester.
• Writing a software tester resume summary.
• Adding your experience and education resume sections.
• Including relevant software testing and IT skills.
• Tips, tricks, and advice to help you start your career as a software tester.

After going over our expert tips and using our free online resume builder, you’ll be able to decode a winning job application formula.

Table of content:

Who doesn’t love a good example? Before we dive into the exciting seas of software tester resumes, let’s take a look at an example to give you some inspiration about the sections and information to include in your own resume:

Resume Example

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Codey Eeker
[Software Tester]
Boston, MA | 555-555-2222 | code.s.eeker@email.com

>> Summary <<
Dedicated and detail-oriented software tester with 6+ years of experience exceeding employer standards for Windows-based testing. Created over 200 test plans for previous employers and helped increase testing efficiency by 28%.

>> Skills <<

• Manual testing
• Automated testing methods
• API testing
• Database testing
• Source code management tool expertise
• Usability testing

>> Programming Languages <<

• Python
• Java
• C#

>> Experience <<
BigTime Software Developers | Boston, MA
Software Tester
2018 – 2023

• Increased software testing accuracy by developing over 350 comprehensive test plans and cases, with a focus on security and performance.
• Enhanced user experience by reviewing and refining 100+ user interfaces to ensure alignment with design guidelines and optimal functionality.
• Exceeded team efficiency benchmarks, completing projects 20% faster than average deadlines.
• Boosted team productivity by 36% through the creation and presentation of data-driven test reports, offering key insights and recommendations.

SmallerTime Software Developers | Mansfield, MA
Programming Intern
2017 – 2018

• Deployed 5 comprehensive product test plans subsequently adopted by the software testing team to enhance product quality.
• Engineered automation scripts using Python and Java, boosting testing efficiency and accuracy.
• Conducted manual software tests for over 10 client projects, ensuring product reliability and client satisfaction.

>> Education <<
Boston College | Boston, MA
BS in Computer Science
2017

>> Certifications <<

• International Software Testing Qualifications Board (ISTQB) certification, 2023
• American Software Testing Qualifications Board (ASTQB) certification, 2022
• Certified Software Tester (CSTE) certification, 2021

>> Additional Achievements <<

• Published article on TechDump about quality assurance methods (2021)

Choosing a resume format is like finding a solution to software bugs: There’s no one-size-fits-all approach that works for everything. The best resume format is the one that best exhibits your skills and experience — and fits with your personal style.

Applicants typically choose from 3 types of formats: 

1. Functional
2. Reverse-chronological
3. Hybrid

If you are an entry-level Software Tester, with no previous positions, you may want to stick to the functional approach, as it favors skills over experience.

However, if you have worked in another position and can add skills that you can adapt to the Software Tester profession, reverse chronological would be ideal.

It shows off your progression and experience, demonstrating why a hiring manager needs to hire you.

Being able to display a successful career in identifying defects and ensuring product quality will give you a huge boost. 

You always want to make a good impression, especially on hiring managers. But since you can’t dress your resume up in a suit you have to find another way to make a great first impression. Enter, your resume summary.

Your summary is the first thing potential employers read about your qualifications, below your resume’s headline, if you have one, and it must be good enough to make them want to keep reading. 

But before we jump into the ins and outs of writing, what’s the difference between a resume summary and a resume objective?

• Resume summary – A quick rundown of your professional experience.
• Resume objective – A brief description of your overall career goals.

While you can go with a resume objective if you’re a first-year Software Tester, they are becoming a thing of the past. You can still go with a quick summary that lists your qualifications, coursework, and certificates.

Your resume summary should be about two-to-three sentences long and include plenty of detail to provide an overview of what you bring to the table as a software tester.

Software Tester Resume Summary Example

Writing a profile summary for your Software Tester resume might not be as tedious as searching for programming issues, but it’s still important! A resume summary is just two or three sentences describing your work experience with a few of your most impressive skills thrown in.

If you want to know what you should avoid, here is a great example. 

This summary lacks specificity, impactful results, and accomplishments. It also uses vague language rather than power words and fails to highlight unique qualities or strengths that set the candidate apart from others in the field. You should also avoid using first-person pronouns.

To give you a quick idea of what to look for, here’s an example of a good software tester resume summary:

What makes this software tester resume summary so good? It’s full of specific details and statistics without running on and on. It’s short, concise, and to the point, which is exactly what any hiring manager wants to see. 

How to Write an Entry-Level Software Tester Resume Summary

If you don’t have much or any experience you’ll want to focus on your education or relatable skills of jobs you’ve had in the past. 

Before knowing exactly what to add, review what you should stay clear of in your entry-level summary. Here’s an example: 

Similar to the summary example in the other section, this is too vague. As a Software Tester, you’ll need to mention any skills you can bring to the table and your qualifications. 

Concise, detailed, and to the point. It mentions qualifications and skills that were developed in a customer support role that can be used in software testing. That’s the secret to a winning Software Tester resume objective. 

When it comes to resumes, the experience section is arguably the most important part. This is where you get to show how you succeeded in your previous roles and responsibilities as a Software Tester in your resume. 

Not only does it tell employers that you have the necessary skills to land a job, but you can also put those skills to use in real-life situations. 

To create an effective software tester resume experience section, include at least these three key pieces of information:

• Work history
• Key accomplishments
• Responsibilities 

You might have plenty of experience looking for software issues and bugs, but employers don’t have time to read a novel. Try to keep the description of your previous jobs straight and to the point.  

As you write your experience section, keep these time-tested tips in mind to create something hiring managers can’t wait to read:

• Only include your experience over the past 5 years 
• Provide detail with numbers and statistics.
• Personalize your work experience to fit the job you’re applying to.
• Keep all information concise and to the point.
• Include keywords from the job description. 

If you’ve held multiple Software Tester positions, don’t skip important details like your previous responsibilities and achievements. If your resume is longer than 1 page, no big deal. By following these tips you can create a descriptive experience section without going overboard. 

Software Tester Resume Examples: Experience

Armed with your tips, it’s time to take a crack at writing a software tester resume experience section. Let’s take a quick look at what not to do:

What’s wrong with this experience section? Every item in this experience section could apply to any other applicant in the stack. It’s not going to stand out.

Instead, you want to fill your resume’s experience section with plenty of details and concrete numbers. It should look more like this:

What makes this experience section earn the bug-free stamp of approval is that it’s filled with plenty of specifics. That goes a long way to separate the candidate from the other applicants on the hiring manager’s desk — meaning they’ll have a better chance of getting the job!

Your experience section doesn’t necessarily have to be professional software tester experience. It can be anything relevant to the position. It can work in a similar field, work that uses skills necessary for software testing, or even an internship. If it’s relevant to being a software tester, it counts!

Listing Experience on an Entry-Level Software Tester Resume

If you’re a trainee or entry-level candidate, you may be worried about what to add to your experience section.

Of course, you should favor your skills, but that doesn’t mean, you can ignore your experience section either. 

Remember to list what you achieved and learned as an intern or trainee. Here is an example of how it should look: 

Your education section might not be the most important section on your resume, but it still showcases essential information to hiring managers. It shows you have the background knowledge to do your job!

Hiring managers only need to know three pieces of information about your education:

• Where you went to school
• Dates of attendance, if you graduated in the last few years
• Earned degree(s)

As long as you cover those three pieces of information, your software tester resume’s education section is good to go!

Software Tester Resume Education Section Example

Want a more in-depth look at what a great software tester resume education section might look like? 

If you want your resume’s education section to look slightly more filled out, you’re welcome to add your GPA or any academic achievements you’ve earned. But only add them if they’re impressive and relevant to the position you’re applying to.

If you carried out any projects related to software testing at college or covered any relevant coursework, you can include this information in bullet points below the titles and dates.

You have amazing skills, but it’s time to tell that to hiring managers. Your resume’s skills section is simply a list of skills you possess that would make you an ideal Software Tester. It’s designed to make your resume easier for hiring managers to scan for important information. 

Resume skills can be divided into two categories:

• Hard skills – Concrete, measurable skills.
• Soft skills – Universal, harder-to-define skills.

Think of hard skills you can get a degree or certification in, like specific programming languages or testing methods. Soft skills can almost be considered personality traits, like attention to detail or communication skills.

It’s always nice to seem well-rounded, so you want to include a mix of both types of skills on your resume. You can add your hard skills to a specific skills section while including your soft skills when summarizing your experience. 

Here are just a few of the hard and soft skills that look great on a software tester resume:

Remember, the key here is to keep the skills relevant to software testing, especially your hard skills. It’s also important not to add any skills that you do not actually have. There is no shame in stating that you are still learning, it’s better than lying on your resume.

There might be something you want to brag about that might not fit into the other sections on your resume when you are updating it, and that’s the spirit of “other” sections.

Other sections are simply additional sections at the end of your resume dedicated to showcasing skills, background, or qualifications that might not fit anywhere else — things like professionally recognized certifications.

Have you won an award within the sector or at work? List it!

You’re welcome to add whatever other sections you want just as long as they’re relevant to the position you’re applying to.

Software Tester Resume Sample Extra Sections

Want a little guidance on what other sections to add to your resume? Here are just a few examples of what extra sections look good on a software tester resume:

Certifications

• International Software Testing Qualifications Board (ISTQB) certification, 2023
• American Software Testing Qualifications Board (ASTQB) certification, 2022
• Certified Software Tester (CSTE) certification, 2021

Programming Languages

• Python
• Java
• C#

Additional Achievements

• Published article on TechDump about quality assurance methods (2021)

Armed with your knowledge, it’s time to debug your resume. Remember these essential resume-writing tips as you’re working on your software tester resume:

• Personalize your resume to fit the job description.
• Include specific details about your background and experience.
• Match your skills and experience to the position you’re applying to.
• Use plenty of numbers and statistics.
• Use the right format based on your experience level.

If you need a little help getting started, check out some of the professional resume templates at ResumeGiants.com. Just pick the template you like best, fill in your information according to tips from this guide, and you’ll be searching for bugs in software in no time — and getting paid for it!