Tech companies receive hundreds of applications for each role. Your CV passes through multiple filters: ATS systems scanning for keywords, recruiters doing 10-second scans, and finally hiring managers evaluating technical depth. Fail any of these, and you're out.
The Tech CV Structure
The optimal structure for most tech roles:
- Contact Info — Include GitHub and LinkedIn
- Professional Summary — Technical identity + key skills + achievement
- Technical Skills — Organized by category
- Experience — Achievement-focused with tech specifics
- Projects — Personal/open source work (especially for juniors)
- Education — Degrees + relevant certifications
Technical Skills Section
This section is critical for ATS matching. Organize by category and be specific:
Example Technical Skills Section
TECHNICAL SKILLS Languages: Python, JavaScript/TypeScript, Go, SQL, Rust Frontend: React, Next.js, Vue.js, HTML5/CSS3, Tailwind Backend: Node.js, Django, FastAPI, GraphQL, REST APIs Cloud/DevOps: AWS (EC2, Lambda, S3, RDS), Docker, Kubernetes, Terraform, CI/CD Databases: PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis, Elasticsearch Tools: Git, Jira, Figma, VS Code, Linux/Unix
💡 Pro Tip: Mirror exact technology names from the job posting. "React.js" vs "React" vs "ReactJS" — use whatever they use. ATS systems can be picky about exact matches.
Writing Tech Experience
Technical hiring managers want to see impact, scale, and specific technologies:
- Scale: "Processed 10M+ daily transactions"
- Performance: "Reduced API latency from 800ms to 120ms"
- Architecture: "Designed microservices architecture serving 50K concurrent users"
- Technologies: Weave specific tools into achievements
Example: Senior Engineer Experience
SENIOR SOFTWARE ENGINEER TechCorp Inc., San Francisco, CA | 2021 – Present • Architected and deployed event-driven microservices (Go, Kafka, K8s) reducing order processing time from 45s to 3s • Led migration from monolith to microservices, improving deployment frequency from monthly to 20+ daily releases • Built real-time analytics pipeline processing 50M+ events/day using Spark and Kafka with 99.9% uptime • Mentored 4 junior developers, establishing code review practices that reduced production bugs by 60%
The Projects Section
For developers, projects can be as impressive as work experience. Include:
- Project name and brief description
- Technologies used
- Your specific contribution (for team projects)
- Link to GitHub/live demo
- Usage metrics if available
Example Project Entry
DEVFLOW — Open Source Developer Productivity Tool github.com/username/devflow | 2,400+ GitHub stars • Built CLI tool in Rust that automates git workflows and PR management • Implemented plugin architecture enabling 15+ community extensions • Featured in Hacker News front page; adopted by 3 YC startups
GitHub Profile Matters
Many tech recruiters check GitHub. Ensure:
- Profile has professional photo and bio
- Pinned repos showcase your best work
- READMEs are polished with clear documentation
- Contribution graph shows consistent activity
ATS Optimization for Tech
Tech-specific ATS tips:
- Spell out acronyms once: "Amazon Web Services (AWS)"
- Include both "JavaScript" and "JS" versions
- Use standard section headers (ATS expects them)
- Avoid tables, columns, or graphics that confuse parsers
- Save as PDF with text layer (not image)
Key Takeaways
- Lead with a comprehensive Technical Skills section
- Quantify everything: scale, performance, impact
- Include GitHub and portfolio links
- Projects matter — especially for junior developers
- Mirror exact technology names from job postings
- Keep formatting ATS-friendly (no complex layouts)