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 Software Support Engineer sections that make the best resume
- Header
- Professional summary
- Experience (with numbers and results)
- Relevant skills
- Education
- Certifications
How to write a Software Support Engineer resume experience section
Software Support 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 Software Support Engineer resumes that got people hired at top companies. You can use them as an inspiration to build your own resume:
- Establishing ERP needs via business process analysisand consultation.
- Analyzing existing infrastructure and performing IT systemenhancements.
- Providing technical support and training ERP end-users.
- Adhering to company policies and industry regulations.
- Working as AR/Billing Expert.
- Gathering requirement from client/vendor and analysis of the specifications/requirements from the client/vendor.
- Troubleshooting and fixing the issues in the billing and account receivable.
- Developed code fixes and enhancements for inclusion in future code releases and patches.
- Worked closely with clients to establish problem specifications and system design.
- Solving the customer queries and issues through the Incidents/Tickets raise by them.
- Maintaining/Writing SQL Query.
- Expertise in programming using Oracle/SQL alongwith proficiency in using technology to enhance dataand information management.
- Involved in production support activities, performchange request activities and prepared RCA.
- Installed releases in production and uatenvironments.
- Anchoring Bridge Calls between various sites andcoordinating people to resolve issues in an efficientway.
- -Troubleshoot server side issues, including network and Operating System issues affecting the Notes/Domino process. Includes installation and upgrade of the product.
- -Experience with various operating systems: Windows (7,8,10, server 2008r2 and 2012r2, Linux (RHEL 6-7), IBM iseries v7r1.
- -Document procedures and technical resolutions in a ticketing system and in a technical knowledge base. -Categorizes each issue and handing them to their correct resolution team as well as for development.
- -Perform tests with the server on a virtual environment or sandbox to replicate the issue before providing a concrete resolution. Initiating Debug, server log reading, and other related information that would resolve the issue. -Captures and review significant amount of data to provide problem resolution and recommendations, and to determine if trends are occurring that may indicate a need for action.
- Submitting lab cases and contacting R&D.
- Working closely with Engineering, Product Management R&D teams, evaluating and testing pre-release software versions.
- Dealing with escalated cases and elevations from Level 2
- Handling support ticket elevations from L1 engineers from SA EMEA team.
- Reproducing and troubleshooting software issues in internal test environment.
- Dealing with hot/escalated cases.
- Documenting all steps taken during investigation/troubleshooting process in the ticketing system.
- Proactive support - writing KM documents.
- Scan networks for unmanaged servers and deploy SA agents for management
- Apply the required operating system patches for Windows and Linux servers
- Install and configure software applications using templates called software policies
- Remediate non-compliant servers to bring them into compliance
- Executing pre-installation or post-installation scripts
- Manage servers remotely for routine maintenance or troubleshooting issues from a single tool using SA Global Shell (OGFS) capability
- Providing assistance to the new colleagues in the team.
PRO TIP
Don't make the same mistake everyone else does. What we mean is, don't list your Software Support 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 Software Support Engineer Resume
Recommended reads:
Software Support 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 Software Support 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
Don’t feel obliged to spend a separate section for your soft skills - you can weave them throughout your job experience or career summary. But, don’t just write empty words - back them with examples.
Recommended reads:
Software Support Engineer Resume Header: Tips, Red Flags, and Best Practices
CHECKLIST For Your Software Support 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 Software Support 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.
Software Support Engineer Resume Summary Best Practices
Checklist: What to include in your Software Support 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
When writing a resume summary or objective, avoid first-person narrative.
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 Software Support Engineer resume
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
There are dozens of certifications that you can claim as a Software Support Engineer. But, some are more effective than others. That’s why you mustn’t include every certificate other applicants might have. Try instead to earn and list a few of the difficult ones.
Software Support Engineer Resume: Additional Writing & Formatting Tips
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.
Software Support Engineer Resume Summary best practices
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 Software Support 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 Software Support Engineer resume:
Software Support 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 Software Support 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 Software Support 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.
