Python Developer Resume Example & Writing Guide

A Python developer resume is as sleek as a snake slithering through the underbrush—it achieves its objective smoothly and efficiently. A well-designed resume boosts your chances of impressing an employer who’s looking to hire a Python developer with the skills you bring to the table. 

What qualities make the difference between an average resume and one that soars? Professionalism and clarity.

You know that beautiful code sets the foundation that makes everything run more smoothly. The same is true of a great Python resume. Since a first impression may be the only impression you get to make, ensure you take as much care in developing your application document as you do with your code and grab the attention of the recruiter who has the power to make or break your job search.

Resume guide for a Python developer resume

Enhance your chances at success with Resume.io. Our guides and resume examples cover over 500 professions and will help you learn the code to develop a job-winning resume. Our resume builder adds to the package, making creating an eye-catching and persuasive resume easier than ever.

This resume guide and corresponding Python developer resume example will teach you the code for:

• Writing a Python developer resume
• Choosing the right resume format for Python development
• How to add your contact information
• Using summaries
• Adding your Python developer experience
• Listing education and relevant experience
• Picking the right resume design/layout
• What the Python developer market looks like and what salary you can expect

How to write a Python developer resume

The very first step in writing your Python resume is understanding what sections to include. Your resume should contain the following elements:

• The resume header
• The resume summary (aka profile or personal statement)
• The employment history section
• The resume skills section
• The education section

Each of these sections serves a specific purpose, which we will delve into below; however, what they all have in common is that they are elements in your case for employment. No line of text should be wasted with empty phrases, just like no line of code should be extraneous. To enhance your persuasiveness, gain an understanding of what each employer is looking for, their challenges and their needs and highlight the aspects of your talents and abilities that will solve their problems. In other words, sell yourself directly to the customer.

Here’s an outline to guide your pitch:

• Answer the question “What have you contributed to your past and current employer?” Showcase your accomplishments instead of listing your tasks. Employers want to know how you will make their lives easier or make their businesses more profitable.
• Customize each resume just as you will tweak your answers in an interview. No two positions are exactly alike and a generic Python resume may just end up in the generic circular folder. Show your prospective employer you know what they need and can provide it.
• Choose a resume design that exudes professionalism with a bit of creativity.
• Use your knowledge of algorithms to sprinkle important keywords and phrases throughout your resume to boost your ranking within the ATS software.

Choosing the right resume format for a Python developer

Your resume needs to be straightforward, professional, and clear with a bit of creativity to show off your unique thinking—the same qualities of a good developer. The best format for most Python resumes is reverse chronological, which focuses primarily on the employment history section.

Within this format, use reverse chronological order to tell the story of your career. Below is an example.

If you’re in the job market for the first time or have retrained in Python, any alternative format, such as the functional format, may suit your career story better. This format focuses more on skills and less on employment history.

When exploring the many resume templates in our resume builder, select the format that best suits your situation. We have plenty of versions of the three formats available as resume examples.

Python development may include an element of creativity which you may want to show off in your resume design. Choose either a slightly arty, but professional creative layout, or go a bit more conservative with a clean modern layout.

Include your contact information

Presenting your contact information in an eye-catching and professional manner may be the key to a recruiter reaching out. Make sure all your details are easy to read. Design is important, but not if it obscures the main goal of your resume: to allow a recruiter to contact you.

• Full name & title. List your first and last name. Use the title of the role you are pursuing.
• Professional email address. Use a clean format like [email protected]. Don’t use a quirky, unprofessional email address.
• Phone number. List a number where you can be readily contacted, with a professional voicemail greeting.
• Location. List only your city and state. Don’t list street address or zip code. It’s both outdated and unsafe. Note 'Willing to Relocate' here if applicable.
• Portfolio. If you have a portfolio on GitHub or another site, include the link here.

Don’t include:

• Date of birth. Not necessary and could potentially lead to age discrimination.
• Personal details. Marital status, social security number, passport number, or any other detail that could lead to identity theft and/or is irrelevant to your employment.

Make use of a summary

The word “summary” does not truly convey the importance of these 2-3 sentences of your resume. Here, you need to project confidence and effectively highlight the career accomplishments and professional attributes that best exemplify what the employer is seeking. Use strong descriptive and action words throughout.

For Python developers, this means blending descriptions of your technical expertise with your problem-solving skills and collaborative nature into a sentence or two showcasing your greatest career achievement. Also include your years of experience (since this is typically found as a requirement of the job and likely an ATS keyword). 

As in your entire resume, show action with strong verbs. Here’s a list to get you started: conceptualized, coded, deployed, diagnosed, launched, re-architected, engineered, visualized.

Avoid repeating phrases from your employment history and instead get to the heart of your value proposition with a description that encompasses both your work style and your expert skillset. For example, “Through consistent communication with sales and marketing teams, revamped applications to significantly increase user engagement and boost revenue.”

You can find adaptable Python developer resume examples summary below:

Outline your Python developer work experience: decode your career

The meat of your Python developer resume is your employment history. Start with your most recent work experience and work your way back. If you are a senior developer, you may stop about 10 years back. Keep your experience relevant to the job you seek now.

Be as specific as possible as you use each bullet point to highlight an achievement. Begin with a strong action you took and use data and details to present a full picture of your successes. Avoid using too much IT jargon to ensure that your message is clear.

While the job ad will list responsibilities such as:

• Develop, test and maintain software
• Write clean, efficient and reusable code
• Debug code and troubleshoot Python-related queries

You should not repeat this generic language in your employment history section. Instead, illustrate what you have done to improve software functionality while performing these tasks. Employers want to know not what you did, but the results you achieved, especially if you can quantify any efficiency that led to time or money savings, an increase in user satisfaction or engagement or another tangible plus for the business.

For example:

• Using Django framework, developed and tested web application to manage user authentication and data storage and optimized database queries to reduce response times by 25%
• Implemented best practices using PEP8 standards with development team to reduce code complexity and make debugging easier
• Resolved complex technical issues by debugging Python code and conducting root cause analysis, resulting in 50% shorter average resolution time

Take a look at the Python developer employment history resume sample below:

How to write a Python developer resume with no experience

As a Python developer, you may have an easier time creating a resume with no experience. Why? You have a portfolio that demonstrates what you can do. Lean on this experience by describing projects you have completed, either in a school setting or on your own.

You may also include experience that shows your “ soft” or interpersonal skills. Employers of entry-level workers want to be sure that you can do the basics: get along with others, make deadlines, manage your time and be relied upon. Focus on these and any other transferable skills, for instance any skills you have from working in IT in another capacity.

Critical thinking and problem-solving are coveted attributes for a Python developer, so if you have had a job in which you had to come up with creative solutions, highlight one of those.

Despite lacking direct experience, these attributes will let an employer know that you have the foundation of a good worker. 

Include the relevant key skills that make you a great Python developer

In your skills list, curate a blend of the hard and soft skills that offer a well-rounded picture of your abilities. As a Python developer, you have a host of technical skills to include. All these are hard skills that can be learned.

You can set the proficiency level of each skill to give the recruiter more information. The resume builder offers several pre-written key skills to choose from with proficiency ranges you can set. You can also write in your skills.

Although you may believe that your technical skills are most prized, recruiters value soft skills such as communication, eagerness to stay on top of technology advances, leadership and problem-solving.

Here’s what the skills box looks like in our Python resume template. 

The skills section is the most obvious place to highlight your skills, you should be scattering them throughout a resume for a Python developer. The skills list is an excellent overview, but illustrating how you use these skills will boost your candidacy.

Here are skills to highlight within your work history and summary sections:

• Detail orientation by focusing on your implementation of a testing framework for a Python project
• Leadership by describing your mentorship of less experienced colleagues
• Communication and collaboration through a multi-functional process that led to improvements in web applications

The job listing will guide your decisions on which skills your prospective employer finds most important.

Detail your education & relevant Python developer certifications

It is possible to get a job as a Python developer without a college education, but many employers prefer at least a bachelor’s degree in computer science, information management systems or a related field. All your degrees should be listed in your education section.

For IT professionals, other learning experiences can be just as important as your degree. For example,

• Training and certifications. Developers may earn status as a Certified Professional Python Programmer 1 or 2 through the Python Institute. List this or any other related training, Python bootcamps, and certificates which demonstrate your skills.
• Internships. Many colleges include opportunities to work in the field before graduation. This is especially valuable if you are looking for your first job.
• Professional development. Any seminars, classes, or programs you have attended may also be listed here.

If you are in the Python developer job market for the first time and your education section is impressive, consider a hybrid resume format that will allow you the flexibility to expand this section. You may also simply move it above your employment history to give it more prominence. 

Pick the right resume layout and design for a Python developer resume

The best code is streamlined and contains no wasted lines. It may be called “elegant” or “beautiful” because it gets straight to the point. A great resume for a Python developer should project these principles through its design as well as its content. 

The right layout demonstrates that you understand economy of design and ease of use, but can come up with creative solutions when they are called for. That’s why you need a design that’s clean and professional yet appreciated by any recruiter who sees it.

The best options for a Python developer are ones that clearly denote each section with a bold font and crisp lines. Color use should be minimal, unless you pride yourself on your web design skills and then you can go a bit bolder.

Crafting a great resume takes time, but you can streamline the process by taking advantage of our field-tested resume templates. We know you can format a document, but why bother when you can focus your creativity and problem-solving skills on the resume itself.

Python developer  text-only resume example

Python developer job market and outlook

The demand for software developers in general will continue to explode, with a projected leap in need of 25% over the next decade. Since Python is used by financial institutions, tech companies and government agencies including Google, Amazon, Intel, IBM, Facebook, JP Morgan Chase, we believe the demand for Python developer skills will not abate any time soon either.

Even more positive for Python experts, the need for data scientists will leap 35% over the next decade, U.S. labor statistics estimate.

What type of salary can you expect in Python development

In the overall category of software developer, which includes Python development, salary ranges from $72,401-$182,129. The average salary is $114,832. Python developers may also be data scientists. Their salary range is $94,352-$198,843 with an average of $136,046.

Key takeaways for building a Python developer resume

While your technical skills are very important, your ability to communicate and problem solve, both soft skills, are also highly valued. To highlight your skills, quantify your greatest achievements while showcasing your communication, problem-solving, technical knowledge and the attributes you used to succeed.

Our online resume builder can streamline the application process, and make it easy to customize each resume—a must for a successful job hunt.