Front End Developer Resume: A Complete Guide with Examples

While designing great product interfaces, websites, and mobile applications to improve user experience, did you work on the front end of your career? Your resume?

In fact, that's the only thing your hiring manager finds to judge your skills.

If you're in that phase where you need a killer front end developer resume to impress the hiring team and upgrade your career to the next level, you are on the right page.

In this article, you'll learn

• The important HR standards and practices you should follow in writing the resume.
• To write a perfect experience section better than 95% of the applications.
• 20+ key front end developer skills and keywords to include in your resume.
• Pro resume writing tips.

Get 10 times more interviews than you did with your previous resume by reading this guide and creating your resume with one of our modern resume templates. All it would take is 10 minutes!

Example of a Junior Front End Developer Resume

Take a look at these similar resumes for inspiration:

• Cloud engineer resume
• Web developer
• UX designer resume
• IT project manager resume
• Data scientist resume
• Programmer resume

Front End Developer Salary

The average salary of a front end developer is $78,000 💰(payscale.com) – which could vary from $50,000 to $120,000 based on the experience and skills of the candidate.

However, some companies prioritizing the user experience on their websites and apps could pay more for your expertise.

How to Write a Front End Developer Resume from Scratch?

Writing a front end developer resume could be challenging as it would be a bit different than writing other IT resumes. You should merge your technical skills and creativity in the right proportions in the resume.

Writing any resume from scratch would be difficult, and that's why we have created these ready-to-fill resume templates to help you write your resume faster without starting it on a blank word document.

If you're applying for a tech startup, your resume will directly go to the hiring manager or CEO's hand. A proper layout and format in your resume will make your life easier and showcase your organizing skills.

Suppose you're applying for a multinational organization that gets thousands of resumes for front end developer jobs. In that case, your resume will first go through an applicant tracking system (ATS) which will do the initial shortlisting. Your resume must be rich with relevant keywords to get through the ATS test.

Let's briefly learn how each of these affects your resume and move on to writing a perfect front end developer resume.

Front end developer resume layout

The layout makes it easy to structure your headings and subheadings in the resume. Also, it helps the hiring manager to understand the resume easily.

Modern resumes are limited to one or two pages, so defining your resume layout helps you manage the space and length of the resume.

Here's the layout we suggest for a front end developer resume:

• Header with your name and contact information.
• A professional summary.
• Work history.
• Education.
• Skills.
• Additional sections (certificates, languages, and interests).

Front end developer resume format

In particular, resume format helps you figure out how you write your experience section.

Using the right resume format makes it easier for the hiring manager to understand your career progress and experience level.

hree standard resume formats in use:

Reverse chronological format: Start your experience section with your most recent experience and work backward. This is the most commonly used format for most tech resumes.

Functional (skills-based) format: A popular resume format among freelancers as this highlights the related skills within your work experience rather than a career timeline.

Hybrid format: This is a combination of reverse chronological and functional formats, and some candidates use these together.

We suggest using a reverse chronological resume format for your front end developer resume if you have recent relevant work experience. If you're an entry-level developer applying for your first job or an applicant in a career transition, you may consider using a hybrid or a functional format.

Keyword research for your front end developer resume

The keyword richness of your resume will be an essential factor when your resume is shortlisted through an ATS, as most companies use SaaS ATS products.

Read the original job description carefully to identify what your employer is looking for. Head onto LinkedIn and read other similar jobs to understand the keywords they have mentioned in front end developer job ads.

Make a list of relevant keywords to the job and include them naturally throughout your resume. Do not overstuff the resume with keywords or use outdated tricks such as white text to get through the ATS. As a developer, you know they don't work anymore.

If you want to learn more about resume keywords, we have made a list of keywords for many professions including for developer jobs.

Start Your Front End Developer Resume with the Header

Use the header to introduce yourself to the hiring manager. Keep this as a short section with your name and contact information.

Here is an example of a good header and a bad one:

CORRECT

Richard Garcia

Front end developer

richardg@gmail.com

(267)272-9172

https://www.linkedin.com/richardg

INCORRECT

Front end developer

Richard Garcia

richard@silkroute.com

(267)272-9172

205, Deley Park Street,

New Hampshire(NH)

USA

Simply put, your header needs to include two things:

1. Your name
2. Your contact details

In writing contact details, write your mobile number and email address first. Then add the link to your portfolio or LinkedIn profile which is updated with your personal information and work.

Hook the Reader with a Front End Developer Resume Summary

Think of it like a landing page you designed. What did you do on the homepage to attract and keep users and lead them to the call to action (CTA)?

From the very first glance, you drew their attention. It could be with a picture, copywriting, or a video – the idea is the same. You hooked them to read further.

Your front end resume summary should do the same.

Let us simplify it if writing a compelling copy is not your greatest strength.

Keep your resume summary short – 2 or 3 sentences would be ideal.

Write the first sentence highlighting your front end developer experience, essential skills, and how you helped in the previous project to make it a success. In the second sentence, describe why you want to join the new company/ project and what you can bring to the table.

CORRECT

A creative front end developer with 6 years of experience in web development for SaaS products, developed a product that reached $20k MRR last year. Seeking to join a more impactful project developing great websites that attract millions of visitors with the passionate team at WebAnalytic.

INCORRECT

A highly motivated front end developer with years of experience in the development of websites and mobile applications seeks to join a technology company to be part of their front end development team.

Write an objective summary for entry-level jobs

An objective summary is no different than a professional summary used to demonstrate an entry-level candidate's passion and career objectives.

However, the objective summary doesn't necessarily include only your career objectives. If you have worked on freelance projects or internships, you should take specific information from them and add it to your objective summary to make it catchy.

CORRECT

A passionate front end developer with experience in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript worked in developing websites and was awarded the most innovative intern in 2021 at the MilleniumLab internship program. I seek to join a mobile app development company to advance my career to the next stage.

INCORRECT

As an entry-level front end developer, I would like to express my interest in this position in your organization. I am confident that my skills and exposure to developing websites and mobile applications would be highly valuable for your organization's future projects.

Stand out with Your Front End Developer Experience

Hands down, this is the most sought-after section of hiring managers.

Some go straight to the experience section – read the most recent projects you've involved – and trash your resume if they don't match their requirements.

A well-written experience section gets you more interviews and allow you to negotiate better pay at interviews.

We have spent hours researching what works and what doesn't for front end developer experience sections, and our findings would save you a lot of time writing your experience section.

Experience section for a senior front end developer

INCORRECT

INCORRECT

Aug 2016 to Present

Front end developer

TechLoom

• Developed strategies that improved customer adoption.
• Worked with multiple content management systems.
• Achieved tangible business outcomes for the client.
• Coordinated with software engineers and other team members.

CORRECT

Aug 2016 to Present

Front end developer

TechLoom

• Managed a development team of 8 to deliver a $200k worth project in 3 months.
• Carried out load testing for a website with 600k monthly traffic to increase its loading time by 20%.
• Trained and mentored 4 junior front end developers and utilized their technical skills to achieve the organization's objectives.
• Hired 20+ interns in 2020-2022 – trained them – and utilized their skills to manage projects worth $2M, cutting down the cost by 30%.
• Worked with back end developers, front end developers, and full stack developers to achieve client objectives.

In your experience section, you should demonstrate your front-end developer achievements. Be specific. Use numbers to add credibility – project value, dates, and percentages.

We have a complete guide to writing achievements on a resume.

Use action verbs to start each sentence. Action verbs such as carried out, developed, managed, and implemented shows your authority to the hiring manager.

Experience section for a junior front end developer

INCORRECT

Aug 2021 to Present

Front end developer

MindFactory

• Created mobile first websites.
• Developed training materials.
• Worked closely with multiple professional teams.
• Addressed technical issues in client websites.
• Involved in short-term special client projects.

CORRECT

Aug 2016 to Present

Front end developer

MindFactory

• Created a mobile responsive web design for an online store that gets 65% of its traffic from mobiles.
• Used Java Script, HTML, and CSS to develop web and mobile applications for various industries.
• Involved in developing a mobile application user interface for a popular e-commerce website with over 1 million monthly users.
• Created a portfolio website for an entrepreneur to develop his personal brand and sell his personal training program, increasing his conversion rate by 42% compared to the previous website.

If you're applying for your first front end developer job, still, your experience section can't be empty. Front end developers can get field experience in multiple ways – they may work in freelance work, internships, or even on their own startup projects. Use any such projects to demonstrate your technical experience.

Leverage Your Education to Stand out

Certain job ads may highlight the formal education requirements for front end developers. It could be a Diploma, a Bachelor's degree, or a Master's degree in IT or a relevant field.

However, the industry norms have moved to the extent that most companies are now focused on skills and experience rather than formal education qualifications. This doesn't mean your Master's degree is not valid – this means even if you are a self-learned developer, you might get a chance.

In your education section, use a consistent format to present the information. Keep it short if you're an experienced candidate. Use that extra space to demonstrate more of your achievements and projects that matter.

Education

Top Skills for Front End Developers

Front end developer resume needs a list of solid technical and soft skills to get through the ATS and the HR shortlisting.

All the required skills are listed in the job description, and you should pick what is relevant to getting the job.

Soft skills are personality traits that a candidate develops through experience and exposure. Hard skills are technical skills a candidate can develop with training.

Following is a list of front-end developers' soft and hard skills. Pick the right skills to list in your resume. Make a list of 5 to 7 skills – a mix of soft and hard skills.

Soft skills

• Leadership skills
• Adaptability
• Critical thinking
• Time management
• Communication skills
• Networking
• Negotiation
• Decision making
• Problem-solving

Hard skills

• Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)
• JavaScript (JS)
• HyperText Markup Language (HTML)
• Content Management Systems (CMS)
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Performance Testing, Load Testing & Debugging
• Object-Oriented Programming
• JavaScript (JS) Libraries (e.g., jQuery)
• Version Control (e.g., Git, Subversion, Mercurial)
• Responsive Design & Mobile-First Websites

Additional Sections to Highlight Your Profile

The top front end developer resumes have a few other sections apart from the basic sections we discussed – those we call additional sections.

There's no hard and fast rule as to which information should go to additional sections. The rule of thumb is that anything that adds value to your profile that can't be included in the main sections should go as a separate short section on the resume.

While filling up your resume space nicely, additional sections give the perfect surprise to the hiring manager.

Here are some additional sections front end developers can include:

1. Computer skills & certifications
2. Projects
3. Awards & recognitions
4. Interests

Computing skills & Certifications

There're specific skill certifications for front end developers. Some of these certifications will be mentioned in the job advertisement. Having these certifications on your resume will give you an edge in shortlisting.

Refer to your job ad or similar job descriptions to see what the industry experts are looking for in front end developers.

Here are some essential skill certifications for front end developers:

• Project Management Professional (PMP)
• Certified Agile Developer (CAD)
• Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate
• Certified Web Professional - Web Developer
• Certified Software Development Professional (CSDP)
• Certified Web Professional - Application Developer (CWP)

Projects

If you have been involved in freelance web or app development projects or have done any personal projects related to your profession, you could write them in an additional section.

These projects demonstrate your technical skills and passion. We have written a complete guide to writing programming projects on your resume if you need further inspiration.

This is especially important for experienced candidates to demonstrate their wide expertise in different projects in a situation where their 10-year career is only related to a few specific areas of work.

Most entry-level front end developers would write the project experience in their main experience sections.

Interests

Check whether your personal interests and passion align with the company's vision, mission, and purpose. Startups are often looking for people with similar passions. Your interest in reading, running, content creation, or vlogging could add tremendous value, depending on the company you're applying for.

Tips to Improve Your front end developer Resume

• Use Grammarly to proofread your resume instead of relying on your instincts.
• Start following the most demanding certification courses relevant to your job and state them with the completion level.
• Include a cover letter and a portfolio in your job application – list a few relevant projects, links, and screenshots that are relevant to the type of work at the new company.
• Use a modern resume template to create your front end developer resume.

Write a Cover Letter that Complements Your Resume

A cover letter may be required for certain jobs, while some job ads will not mention whether a cover letter is required. We suggest, however, that you submit a cover letter in either case if you're interested in the job.

A cover letter is a great way to express your interest in a job. It's a tailored document that expresses a candidate's passion for an industry, interest in an organization, and fit for a certain position.

Keep it short and to the point. Write 3 or 4 short paragraphs consuming about half a page.

In your cover letter, write your key skills and how you utilized them in your previous job to achieve specific results. Describe the skills the potential employer would be interested in for their projects – explain how you'll fit the organization and if there are any particular reasons why you're passionate about the job.

Make sure your cover letter ends with a clear call to action. Consider asking for an interview to learn more about the position.

Create custom cover letters 10 times faster than with MS Word with our cover letter builder.

FAQ