Field guide
How ATS screens software engineering resumes
Software roles are screened almost entirely on stack. Recruiters search for the exact languages, frameworks and cloud services in the posting, then skim for evidence that you shipped with them recently.
What recruiters filter and search on
- The exact stack terms in the posting: languages, frameworks, cloud services, databases
- Years with the core stack, read from the dates on each role
- A GitHub, portfolio or project link for early-career candidates
Name things the way the posting does
- Use the posting's spelling: "Kubernetes", not only "k8s"; "Amazon Web Services (AWS)" the first time
- Name the framework, not just the language: "React" and "Next.js", not only "JavaScript"
- Put each skill in the bullet where you used it, and again in the Skills section
What trips up parsers in this field
- Skill logo grids and icons: parsers read them as nothing
- Two-column layouts that scramble the reading order
- Skills mentioned only inside project descriptions, never in a Skills section
How PassMyResume scores this field
Keywords 60%, credentials 5%, formatting 20%, content alignment 15%. Credentials only count when the posting requires one; otherwise that weight moves to keywords. The full formula.
The scanner knows 429 terms specific to this field, such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform, Amazon EC2, Amazon S3, and credentials like AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate, AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional, AWS Certified Developer – Associate.
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