INDUSTRY STATS
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, IT and Software Engineering positions are at a much faster than average growth rate, which is 22%. With that said, there are currently 1,847,900 jobs in the market right now. The total number of jobs is expected to increase by 409,500 to 2,257,400 in the period of 2020-30.
What’s more, the median annual wage for the IT and Software Engineering jobs was $110,140 in May 2020. The lowest 10% earned less than $65,210, and the highest 10% more than $170,100.
Our conclusion? The IT and Software Engineering job market is facing competition due to decreasing demand.
Top embedded software engineer sections that make the best resume
- Header
- Professional summary
- Experience (with numbers and results)
- Relevant skills
- Education
- Certifications
How to write an embedded software engineer resume experience section
Embedded software engineer resume's job experience checklist:
- Use 4-6 bullet points per job title;
- Don’t go further than a decade behind when describing your job history, unless you’re applying for an executive position;
- Combine job responsibilities as well as achievements with numbers in results when you describe your past work;
- Start each sentence with a power verb and avoid overused buzzwords;
- Use either C-A-R or S-T-A-R methodology, when describing your experience.
The work experience samples below come from real Embedded Software Engineer resumes that got people hired at top companies. You can use them as an inspiration to build your own resume:
- Contributed in software designs
- Implemented multithreading real-time applications
- Developed and maintained drivers/firmwares
- Software integration, testing & documentation
- Tools: C/C++, Unix Shell, Make, GDB, GCC, Mercurial
- Protocols: LTE, CPRI, PCI
- Contributed in software designs
- Implemented multithreading real-time applications
- Developed and maintained drivers/firmwares
- Software integration, testing & documentation
- Tools: C/C++, Unix Shell, Make, GDB, GCC, Mercurial
- Protocols: LTE, CPRI, PCI
- Develop low level and BSP drivers for STM32L486RG microcontroller
- Use FreeRTOS mechanism and APIs to control sensors processing
- Define development specification
- Implement MQTT and FTP applications for WIFI chipset
- Develop drivers for different storage devices ( eMMC, FRAM, SD) and sensors ( SPIO2, LIS3DH)
- Integrated the Intropackaging team of the MCD division and Contributed in validating the powerful MCU ever produced by STMicroelectronics which is STM32H7 (shark)
- Maintain STM32Cube HAL drivers
- Develop examples for STM32F0, STM32F3 and STM32F1 series
- Develop STM32Cube LL drivers for STM32L4 devices
- Developed a custom firmware based on RTOS SDK(FreeRTOS) running on ESP8266 WiFi SoC for a battery based water flow meter.
- Developed MQTT application in C using FreeRTOS to transmit metering information from water meter using LoRa Modems at the physical layer and via GPRS to the Bluemix Server.
- Currently involved in the the development of Vehicle Tracking System using FreeRTOS over STM32F205.
- Developed MQTT Application in C running on NRF52832 for detection of manual switching of home appliances and lights and remotely turning them on or off through an Android Application in a Internet of Things/Home Automation System.
- Developed the Application Code for CC2650 in order make it work both as a Central and Peripheral Bluetooth Device.
- Gained sound knowledge of Bluetooth Low Energy Stack as implemented on CC2650 using TI-RTOS.
- Awarded "Star of Tagbin" for minimizing the duration of Research phase and giving a head start to MVP phase.
- Developed softwares for military systems on Embedded Linux and RTOS.
- Ported Board Support Packages for custom boards.
- Ported Linux kernel and U-boot on custom boards.
- Designed and developed multiprocessor applications based on processors from Texas instrument.
- Play a key role in the development of technical software solutions that support the objectives of the process and systems transformation team, in realizing organization wide business process efficiencies.
- Developed GPIO and Gigabit Ethernet Drivers and supported development of UART, PCIE and DMAC drivers.
- Assists the product owner with planning and scheduling. Work with other engineers assigned to the program to nail down the requirements for the device drivers.
- Develop device driver software based on Jira stories.
- Participate in and post software code reviews.
- Participate in daily scrum meetings.
- Help junior team members with their tasks and assist them with their code development as needed.
- Document software requirements and APIs on the team Confluence pages.
- Update Jira tasks as work is identified and completed.
- Debugged SW crashes caused to blocked datapaths in the SoC
- Debugged reset issues in the software caused due to wrong MPU configurations, wrong usage of the CAN nodes etc.
- Configuration of the base software communication modules like Can, CanIf, Eth, EthIf, SoAd, PduR, Com etc.
- Integration of the XCP driver into the RADAR ECU for calibration and measurement
- Mode management and Network management concept definition at the system level
- Development of vehicle communication software using C that acts as a middleware between the application layer and the standard basic software
- Unit testing of the developed software using VectorCAST thereby increasing the MC-DC coverage of the implemented components to 100%
- Testing of the implemented code on the ECU using vector tools like CANoe/CANape and hardware debuggers (WinIdea, Lauterbach)
- Worked on two wireless charger projects
- Tools/Tech Used : IBM Jazz QM (for creation and execution test cases), Unity + CMock (unit tests), PC-Lint for MISRA and static code analysis, Jenkins for Continous Integration, GNU Make as a build system tool, used programming language was C
- Preparation of Design Failure Mode and Effects Analysis
- Preparation of software effort estimation
- Take part in preparation of requirements, test cases and detail design
- Support during hardware/software integration
- Contact with client
- Getting familiar with Wireless charging standard Qi
- Tools/Tech Used : Git, IBM Jazz, Unity (unit tests)
- Worked on one project with wireless charging and NFC
- Report work progress continuously through attendance of daily & weekly project internal meetings
- Participate in code review using Gerrit
- Have working knowledge with MCUs such as: AVR, STM32, C2000
- Developed algorithms to detect foreign objects between wireless charger and phone (eg. coins)
- Develop Middleware components for ARM based embedded Linux
- Deliver software solutions consistent with the product roadmap and released plan milestones for 3 set-top box providers: Sky, DirecTV & Canal+
- Use a variety of tools and techniques, such as debuggers, to troubleshoot complex issues (Gentoo, Dbus, GDB, Valgrind, Syslog, Kernel logs, etc...)
- Delivered embedded software components for multiple products
- Developed CHAdeMO Vehicle software simulator for testing and validation
- Made recommendations for changes to software development guidelines and contributed to reviewing code, writing documentation, and testing
- Helped to build a custom embedded Linux distribution for ARM architecture using Yocto Project to run on custom controller
- Developed an AC charger stack software based on standard specification
- Created a communication layer to handle different protocols interactions such as CoAP, CAN bus, Modbus, HTTP and AWS MQTT
- Developed a line following algorithm for PLC which uses CAN Bus to communicate with camera, sensors and motors
- Created a human-machine interface (HMI) to control the vehicle using Qt
- Developed automatic firmware and user code updater for BMS, Laser Scanner and Motors based on CANopen and RS232
- Developed a driver running FreeRTOS to read data (SPI)
- Wrote a Linux user space driver for processing data from STM32
- Leveraged knowledge in Git, ARM Cortex-M4 architecture, programmed in C using Keil IDE, and debugged using an Oscilloscope
- Delivered embedded software components for multiple products
- Makes recommendations for changes to software development guidelines and standards which led, for example, to reduce the CPU overhead by 20%
- Other duties include reviewing code, writing documentation, and testing
- Helped to build a custom embedded Linux distribution for ARM architecture using Yocto Project able to run on 2 type of controllers
- Developed a multi-standard (AC, CHAdeMO, CSS) charger stack
- Created a communication layer to handle different protocols interactions such as CoAP, CAN bus, Modbus, HTTP and AWS MQTT
- Contributing to a line following algorithm for PLC which uses CAN bus to communicate with camera, sensors, and motors which led to reduce the errors by 80%
- Developed an application layer to read the battery voltage accurately
- Test and validation of the AGV
PRO TIP
Don't make the same mistake everyone else does. What we mean is, don't list your Embedded Software Engineer job responsibilities instead of your achievements. Recruiters know what you do. They want to know what kind of difference you can bring to their company. Focus on what you've accomplished.
Action verbs for your embedded software engineer resume
Recommended Reads:
Embedded Software Engineer Resume Skills’ Tips & Tricks to Impress Recruiters
Resume skills section checklist:
- Ensure your hard skills section (including technologies) are exactly matching the job description.
- Don’t simply list your soft skills. Apply the “show, don’t tell” principle - let your job achievements speak for themselves.
- Find a way to showcase your skills beyond the skills section.
- Your resume’s skill section is important to ATS systems - so don’t skip it.
Top skills for your embedded software engineer resume
Python
Java
Javascript
GIT
SQL
HTML
Teamwork and communication
Creative problem solving
Analystical thinking
Owning up to errors
Self-learning
Time management
PRO TIP
Add a Talent Section to your resume, where you can pick your top 3 soft skills and describe how you used them to complete a project or balance departmental communication.
Recommended reads:
Embedded software engineer resume header: tips, red flags, and best practices
Checklist for your embedded software engineer resume header
- Your name and surname in a legible and larger resume font
- The job title you’re applying for or your current job title as a subheading to your name
- Link to your portfolio or online profile, such as LinkedIn
- Address (City and State for the US; just your city for rest of the world)
- Email address
- Headshot (required or welcomed in the EU; not required and sometimes frowned upon in the US)
Stick to popular email providers such as Gmail or Outlook. And use these professional formats to create your username:
- first.last@gmail.com
- last.first@gmail.com
- firstlast@gmail.com
- f.last@gmail.com
- first.l@gmail.com
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
Some companies, states, and countries have policies about identifying information like photos on your Embedded Software Engineer resume. Be sure to check all the relevant rules before submitting yours. If you’re in doubt, you can always try contacting the company’s HR department to ask for their policy.
Embedded software engineer resume summary best practices
Checklist: what to include in your embedded software engineer resume summary:
- Years of experience;
- Highlight top 3 skills and proficiencies;
- One big professional accomplishment you’re most proud of, that you can tie with the aforementioned skills;
- Use short, direct sentences - but no more than three - to keep the HRs interested.
Resume summary formula:
PRO TIP
Highlight specific past projects that you’re most proud of in your summary. It sets an excellent tone for the rest of your resume. You can talk about all of your former jobs in your work experience section later on.
Recommended Reads:
Listing your education, certifications and courses
Resume Education Section Checklist:
- Ensure your hard skills section (including technologies) are exactly matching the job description.
- Don’t simply list your soft skills. Apply the “show, don’t tell” principle - let your job achievements speak for themselves.
- Find a way to showcase your skills beyond the skills section.
- Your resume’s skill section is important to ATS systems - so don’t skip it.
Top Certifications for Your Embedded Software Engineer Resume
How to become Embedded Firmware, Software, Hardware Engineer
Learn the roles of Embedded Engineer (Hardware, Software, Firmware, Systems). Build a top career in Embedded Engineering
Unit Testing & Other Embedded Software Catalysts
Dr. Surly’s School for Mad Scientists: Introduction to Test Driven Development for Embedded & System Software in C
Become an Embedded System Engineer w/ this 60 Days Challenge
Step by step All in One Challenge to be an Embedded System Engineering Engineer and master Needed Skills to Succeed
Software Engineering 101: Plan and Execute Better Software.
Software Engineering 101: Use Software Engineering to Plan and Build Amazing Software + Learn SCRUM Framework!
How to Become an Embedded Systems Engineer Bootcamp
Go from Zero to Hero and Turn Embedded Systems from a Hobby to a Career Path
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
If you hold a certain major and a minor, your majors should be mentioned first.
How to write an embedded software engineer resume
There are three basic resume formats you can choose from:
- Reverse-chronological resume format;
- Functional resume format;
- Hybrid (or Combination) resume format;
The most optimal format for your particular case will depend on your years of experience, as well as whether you’re switching industries or not.
Reverse chronological resumes are best suited for experienced individuals who are sticking to their industry. The experience section takes a central place, and its bullets contain your responsibilities and achievements, coupled with numbers and results.
Functional resumes are used by less experienced jobseekers or career changers. Note that it’s not a format that recruiters prefer, as most are used to the classic chronological alignment. Instead of a list of job titles, functional resumes focus on your skills, and through what experiences you gained them.
Hybrid resumes are great for both experienced and entry-level candidates, as well as career changers. They combine the best of both worlds - most often in a double column format, where one side of the content is focused on your experience, whereas the other - on your skills, strengths, and proudest moments.
Here are more resume tips regarding your layout and style:
- Clear and legible 12p resume font size;
- Use 10’’ resume margins - that’s default for a great resume design;
- Use a one-page template resume length if you’ve got less than 10 years of experience; otherwise, opt for a two-page resume;
- Save your resume as PDF before sending it to the recruiter.
To take it a step further, check out how your resume can stand out without leaning too much on the creative side.
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
Sometimes you’ll want to go after a job which requires more experience than you have. Instead of using a typical Embedded Software Engineer resume layout, you can use a creative layout. Getting noticed is the most important challenge and a creative resume layout might help you get invited for an interview as most of other accountants have boring resume designs.
Other sections to include in your resume
Depending on the type of company (corporation or start-up; innovative or traditional), job seniority level and your location, you may want to include more sections to your Embedded Software Engineer resume:
Embedded software engineer resume: how to make yours more creative & stand out
When you send your resume to a potential employer, chances are it's the fiftieth one they've seen that day. That's why you need to make your Embedded Software Engineer resume stand out for the right reasons. That means showing your personality, not just your professional experience. Employers are far more likely to remember a candidate who seems like a genuine person and not a robot. Do this by including your passions (which is also a great place to demonstrate skills on a resume), share your favorite books, or even what your usual day looks like.
What makes a great embedded software engineer resume: key takeaways
- Choose a resume layout that sends the right message across and fits your current career situation;
- Create a resume header that shows your desired job title, and easy to find contact numbers;
- Be specific about your experience, accomplishments and future goals in your summary;
- Feature detailed metrics and specific examples that show the impact you made in your previous roles when describing your experience;
- List soft skills backed by examples;
- Add all of your technical skills and certifications that you have and match the job description;
- Show off a dash of personality in your resume that will demonstrate your culture fit and the right mix of hard and soft skills.
