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 team lead sections that make the best resume
- Header
- Professional summary
- Experience (with numbers and results)
- Relevant skills
- Education
- Certifications
Writing a job-winning experience section: Software Team Lead resume edition
Software team lead resume experience section: dos and don'ts
- List 4-6 bullet points per position;
- Include only relevant job experience;
- Make sure to highlight your strongest skills by focusing on the challenges you’ve faced and the results you’ve achieved;
- Don’t use buzzwords that carry no meaning;
- Don’t share confidential information about your previous employers.
If you prefer to be led by example, check out some great Software Team Lead resume experience section snippets below!
- Lead a team of five developers.
- Scrum master.
- Full hands on.
- Leading and winning a pitch for internal platform project
- Leading two small teams
- Setup team's workflow
- Develop some of the features
- Support the development of the whole system
- Monitor and resolve external dependencies and impediments
- Becoming the first lead of the software team
- Organize team's workflow and backlog (from scratch)
- Manage the team effort for three different projects
- Communicate team needs with the HW, Mechanical and Salesdepartments
- Provide estimations and roadmaps to the Project Managers
- Take part in the meetings with customers
- Winning a pitch for internal platform project
- Leading a group of 5 engineers
- Manage the team effort for two different projects
- Ensuring compliance with ASPICE
- Designing system's components and workflow
- Organize team's workflow and backlog (from scratch)
- Manage the team effort for three different projects
- Communicate team needs with the HW, Mechanical and Salesdepartments
- Provide estimations and roadmaps to the Project Managers
- Take part in the meetings with customers
- Hiring several developers (subcontractors and permanent) incl. technical tests
- Perform audit and propose technical improvement plan of the legacy software stack to MFI top management
- Push for more agile, devops and efficient ways of working
- Lead the MFI dev team for the OMIA sub-system, coordinate with subcontractor teams and Airbus. Participate to the DGA audit.
- Automated web API testing with mitmproxy and Locust.io
- Organize technical workshop to tackle problems (security, performance, architecture, ...)
- Writing a Transmet record/replay/split python asyncio app
- Core reviews for our "synopsis" based code base
- Push for "software best practices" at MFI: code reviews, automated testing, CI, CD.
- Organize coffee talk and technical workshop with external partners to keep our team "aware" of the current tech trends: kubernetes, AWS, ...
- Improve gitlab software forge (protected branches, merge request approval, ...) + coding rules + artifactory
- Organize team transition to SCRUM, play SCRUM Master role
- Define and enforce permanent and subcontractor hiring process
- Write technical and financial proposals for customers
- Provide expertise to top management on all software related issues
- Top level architect, working to maximize code reuse and sharing across projects and Scrum teams
- Create an AWS account for TESTIA and deploy first app in production
- Merge request reviewer for our python SDK and django projects
PRO TIP
In writing your Software Team Lead resume, you will no doubt want to list your previous duties - as you should. But steer clear of just listing your duties, instead of your achievements. Make your resume stand out by communicating what you have done, and not merely what the job needed you to do.
Action verbs for your software team lead resume
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An impressive skills section for your software team lead resume
Writing a skills section that stands out:
- Check the job advert for keywords that you can use: this will help you pass ATS;
- Focus on relevant and valuable skills that will support your application;
- Make sure to include both hard and technical skills, leaving soft skills for other sections of your Software Team Lead resume;
- Don’t list skills you don’t have.
Top skills for your software team lead 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.
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Software team lead resume header: tips, red flags, and best practices
Checklist for your software team lead 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 Team Lead 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.
The software team lead resume summary: tips and tricks
Making a strong first impression.
- Keep your summary section short and easy to read; avoid long sentences;
- Highlight your total years of experience in the field;
- Mention 1-2 of your biggest achievements and strengths;
- Add a couple of keywords from the job advert.
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.
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Software team lead resume: A strong education section
What to include in your education section:
- Your highest education degree (incl. major, duration, name of institution);
- A bit more about the certifications you’ve got (if they are relevant to what you’re applying for);
- Some extracurricular activities that have helped you develop and strengthen your skills;
- If you’re an entry-level applicant: Relevant courses and projects.
Top certifications for your software team lead resume
Leadership: Practical Leadership Skills
Master leadership skills and leadership techniques with this highly practical advice and training
Management Skills - Team Leadership Skills Masterclass 2022
Leadership & Management Skills - Change Management- Lean BPM Management Skills - Team Management - Team Building
Team Leadership & Team Management 2022 Master Class
Certification in Team Management, Team Building, Remote or Hybrid Teams, Problem Solving, Lean & Continuous Improvement
Ace Manager Job Interview & Career (Engineering Tech &Other)
How to Get Hired/ Grow as Software Engineer Manager /Other: Train Team Lead Coach Trust Delegate Feedback Politics Skill
Lead & Empower Agile Teams To Achieve Success
Increase your Agile team's success today with servant leadership, trust & management behaviour that uplifts & empowers
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PRO TIP
If you hold a certain major and a minor, your majors should be mentioned first.
Software team lead resume: How to choose the right format
The content of your resume is necessary for showcasing your expertise, skills, and education. Great formatting, on the other hand, is essential for highlighting your attention to detail, creativity, and ability to stand out.
There are three basic resume formats to choose from:
- Reverse-chronological resume format;
- Functional skills-based resume format;
- Combination (or Hybrid) resume format.
Which one of these you choose depends on a couple of things, but most importantly: the industry and your level of experience.
The reverse-chronological resume format, for example, is great if you’re a Software Team Lead with many years of experience and no career gaps. It doesn’t really matter if your company of choice is a multinational corporation or an early-stage startup – this resume format is considered to be a safe bet.
If you’re someone with little or no experience, however, we advise you to go for a functional skills-based resume format. It focuses on skills, competencies, and education, rather than experience. This makes it great for entry-level applicants, career changers, and graduate students.
And if you’re tired of traditional formats and want to go over the top when it comes to your application, the combination or hybrid resume format is here to help. Here, you can focus on both your experience and your skills, there’s even space for you to highlight your most spectacular personality traits. If you want to give a modern feel to your Software Team Lead resume, this resume format is just what you need. Add a ‘my life philosophy’ section for additional bonus points!
Looking for ways to perfect your Software Team Lead resume layout and style?
- Don’t risk it: choose standard 1-inch resume margins;
- Go for traditional resume fonts (sized 10-12p);
- Match the length of your Software Team Lead resume with your years of experience – choose a one-page template if you’ve got less than 10 years of experience; otherwise, opt for a two-page resume;
- To be on the safe side, save your resume in PDF. This will help you avoid formatting issues and unauthorized editing.
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PRO TIP
If you feel that you don’t have high chances in a particular company, due to lack of relevant experience, then you can still consider using a creative layout. That might help you get noticed and invited for an interview, as most of the other applicants will have boring resume designs.
Your software team lead resume: Other sections to include
Tired of resumes that focus only on your professional side? Want to show you’re an actual human being with a real personality that goes beyond your work experience? Then add some other sections to your Software Team Lead resume!
Depending on the industry, company, and position, you can go for a more creative or less creative approach. Choose 1-2 of the following:
Making your software team lead resume shine
In a pile of boring black and white resumes, a creative Software Team Lead application feels like a breath of fresh air. And trust us, recruiters love this.
There are two ways to add a splash of creativity to your resume. You can either go for a creative layout (bright colors, modern fonts, etc.) or add some creative sections (e.g. ‘what my typical day looks like’).
It’s up to you! Just make sure to keep the position, company, and industry in mind. Otherwise, you risk going over the top. And that’s not always a good idea.
What makes a great software team lead 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.
