IT
Java developer CV: example and template
This example is for Java developers at banks, insurers, software houses, product companies and telecoms, from juniors to seniors, and for people moving to Java from another language.
The recruiter and the technical team want to know which systems you build, with which technologies, at what scale and what your contribution was. We show you how to describe this on your CV so that it passes the keyword filter and the technical interview.
How to write a Java developer CV
Professional summary
Write how many years you have programmed in Java, in which industry and which systems you build. Add your main technologies and the scale of the system, because recruiters search by name and the technical team by how big the problems you solved were. Mention mentoring or leading changes if you apply for a senior role.
Computer science graduate with a year of experience on an internship at a software house. I wrote REST endpoints in Spring Boot, tests in JUnit and queries for PostgreSQL. On GitHub I have a booking app with tests and Docker. I am looking for work as a junior Java developer.
Experience: duties and achievements
Describe projects, technologies, scale and your contribution: what you built, what you improved and with what result. Show numbers, for example the number of transactions, response time or test coverage. Avoid a list of the team's tasks, write about what you did.
Weaker: Programming in Java.
Better: Microservices in Java 21 and Spring Boot for the payments system, about 2 million transactions a day.
Weaker: Working with microservices.
Better: Splitting 8 services out of the monolith with communication through Kafka.
Weaker: Writing tests.
Better: Unit and integration tests in JUnit and Testcontainers, code coverage above 80%.
Skills worth listing
List Java versions, frameworks, databases, message queues, testing and tools. In your soft skills show teamwork, code reviews and communication with the business, because in large systems this matters as much as code.
Professional skills
- Java
- Spring
- Databases
- Message queues
- Testing
- Containers
Personal skills
- Teamwork
- Code reviews
- Communication with the business
- Problem solving
- Mentoring
Certificates
List Oracle Java, cloud and architecture course certificates. A link to GitHub with tested projects helps, especially for juniors, if the code is readable and up to date.
Java developer CV with no experience
Describe your studies, placements, an internship and 2 to 3 projects on GitHub with tests, a database and Docker. Give the technologies and what each project does.
Show that you know the basics of teamwork: Git, code reviews, tickets in Jira. Juniors are judged by how quickly they can start delivering.
Tailoring your CV to the job offer
A bank looks for stability, security and large transaction systems, a product company for fast releases and the cloud, and a software house for work with different clients and technologies. Move to the top what the job ad is about.
Questions and answers
What should a Java developer put on a CV?
Years of experience, the industry, projects, Java version, frameworks, databases, testing, system scale, results and a GitHub link.
Does a junior Java developer need projects on GitHub?
Yes, 2 to 3 well described projects with tests are the best proof of skill without experience.
Does an Oracle Java certificate help?
It can be an asset, but experience and projects usually matter more.
Should a developer write the CV in English?
Often yes, because many companies recruit in English. It is good to have both versions.