3 quick projects to boost your software engineering resume

Recruiters can receive hundreds of resumes for one software engineering role. Given the high volume of applications, you have about 30 seconds to get their attention.

Last week, we discussed 2 tips to help your resume stand out from the crowd:

1. Write about specific actions and outcomes. For example: "I built x using y technology, resulting in z."

2. List the technologies that you know best (rather than 30 you sort of know). Prioritize technologies that align with the job description.

As a hiring manager at FAANG companies and now Educative, I routinely pass on resumes that don't follow these key guidelines. You may be a great candidate for the job, but if I can't discern your strengths in a quick resume scan, there's no time to give you the benefit of the doubt.

To write a resume that meets the above criteria, start by brainstorming projects you can highlight. These projects will anchor your bullet points and skills in real-world experience.

New and recent graduates often have multiple projects to choose from. However, this isn't the case for everyone. Maybe your coursework wasn't project-based, or you didn't get the chance to complete an internship. Whatever the reason, limited project experience makes it difficult to write an effective software engineering resume.

Fortunately, it's possible to level up your resume without setting back your application timeline. In just a couple of hours, you can build a project that makes the difference between:

Today, I'll provide some essential resume advice — and then share 3 quick project ideas to help you stand out from the pack.

Let's dive in!

What kinds of projects are recruiters looking for?#

Only 5% of software engineering applicants make it to the initial screening. That means standing out with a great resume and portfolio is absolutely critical.

How you should tailor your resume and portfolio depends on the role and size of the company.

Startups typically want candidates who can hit the ground running. For example, if a startup is looking for a Javascript developer, they will hire someone who can start building in Javascript right away.

At FAANG and other large companies, recruiters are more likely to focus on candidates who have strong programming fundamentals and the potential to grow. Especially for new and recent graduates, your area of expertise is less important than your problem-solving skills and general experience building rigorous software. (Don't worry — you'll receive on-the-job training in critical technologies).

Here's what this means for your resume.

Projects that will help you land FAANG interviews#

What languages and skills are listed in the job description? You'll want to showcase projects that align with these.

If you don't fit the primary requirements for a startup role, it's probably not worth your time to apply. Even if you're able to build a quick application in the relevant language, a few hours isn't enough time to build deep working knowledge of that technology.

Applying for software engineering roles is a game of strategy and persistence. Instead of trying to pad your resume for roles that aren't a great fit, focus on positions where you feel you can make an impact. Then, use projects to highlight the relevant strengths you already have.

Projects that will help you land FAANG interviews#

Unless the job description states otherwise, large companies are often language-agnostic in the hiring process. The languages you know are far less important than your ability to think through problems and find creative solutions.

When hiring new and recent graduates, FAANG companies want to see:

• Strong programming fundamentals

• Experience building rigorous programs

This means you have a lot of flexibility when it comes to choosing projects. As a former FAANG hiring manager, I want to see a project that showcases your programming skills in the language you know best.

3 proven projects to get you started#

If you don't have enough projects to feature on your resume (2 strong projects is plenty!), I recommend setting aside a few hours to build a toy application.

A toy application is a small, simple program designed to showcase certain features or skills. This program doesn't need to be perfectly polished or ready for real-world use. In your case, it shows hiring managers that you have a practical understanding of what it takes to build software.

As we discussed, the projects you choose to build depend on your strengths and the types of roles you're targeting.

To find projects that incorporate specific technologies, you can browse the Educative Projects library. We have 260+ full-featured technical projects that you can build without any production setup.

Want help narrowing the search?

I've selected 3 essential projects where you can demonstrate a high level of programming skill, with just a couple hours of work. Any of these projects would work great for general developer positions.

If you're applying to roles specifically seeking front-end, back-end, or full-stack developers, I've indicated which projects meet those criteria.

1. Build a Toast Notification System with Svelte (Front-end)#

Time to complete:

• 2 hours

Prerequisites:

• A solid understanding of JavaScript

• A solid understanding of Svelte

• Hands-on experience with CSS layout and styling

Build a skeleton Svelte application with a store to manage notification information. You'll create Svelte components that enable users to subscribe to the store and facilitate notification displays, as well as animate various types of notifications.

2. Web Crawling in JavaScript Using Cheerio (Back-end)#

Time to complete:

• 2 hours

Prerequisites:

• Basic understanding of HTTP and the client/server architecture

• Basic understanding of JavaScript

• Basic understanding of Node.js

Build a Node script to crawl an entire site with Cheerio and its capabilities. For one page of a target site, you'll select HTML link elements, extract their URLs, and repeat this procedure for other site URLs until all pages have been discovered. Finally, you'll export the scraped data in human-readable CSV format.

3. Build a Music-Sharing App with Next.js and the MERN Stack (Full-stack)#

Time to complete:

• 2 hours

Prerequisites:

• Basic understanding of React components and state management

• Basic understanding of Node.js and Express

• Basic understanding of JavaScript

• Basic understanding of Tailwind CSS

Build a music sharing app with enhanced ability to handle audio file uploads, storage, and sharing. You'll use a Cloudinary integration to store the uploaded files, MongoDB and Express to support file uploads, and an Express server to process downloads.

I completed my project... now what?#

First off, well done! Taking just a couple hours to build a small program can make all the difference in your job prospects. Now, let's discuss how you can maximize the impact of your project.

Step 1: Link to your project on your resume#

Give hiring managers access to your project. The most common way is to upload it to GitHub and provide a link on your resume.

During the initial screening, it's highly unlikely anyone will review your project (though not out of the question at small startups). However, it's vital to show managers that you have the code to back up your stated qualifications.

This is a crucial difference between school projects and "side projects."

If you describe something you built in a university or bootcamp course, hiring managers tend to assume that your statements are credible. Theoretically, your work was good enough for you to pass the course and earn your degree. Projects outside of these contexts don't have the same oversight, so linking to your code is an absolute necessity.  

Step 2: Succinctly describe your project#

Write 1-2 brief bullet points describing what you built and how. The tips we discussed at the beginning of this article will help you write compelling, action-oriented descriptions that showcase your skills.

As you finalize your resume, be careful not to overstate your work. Hiring managers may not notice exaggerated descriptions right away, but they will come to light in the interview. More on this in step 3…

Step 3: Prepare to discuss your project in the interview#

At some point in the interview, it's likely you'll be asked to speak to the projects on your resume. This doesn't mean every line of code will be scrutinized. As long as you can walk interviewers through what you built and how, they will be satisfied that your resume is credible.

I've had to facilitate a few uncomfortable conversations where the candidate listed a strong project on their resume, but couldn't hold their ground when asked a few questions. Unfortunately, this can result in a no hire — and if your resume is misleading, you can even get blacklisted from the company.

As an interviewer, I can assure you that I don't want to poke holes in your project. I just want to verify that your resume is accurate. 

Step 4: Don't wait to start interview prep#

It's important to be prepared for follow-up questions about your resume projects. However, their main purpose is to get you in the door for an interview. The true test of your skills comes later, through exercises like coding problems and take-home projects.

Your resume projects can only take you so far. Effective interview prep takes about 8 weeks — if you land an interview, but haven't adequately prepared, you could miss out on a great opportunity.

In the meantime, best of luck with your resume projects! And remember, you don't need to spend weeks building a complicated app to make your resume stand out. A simple toy application tailored to your strengths (and two hours of your time) can be just as effective.

Ready to level up your learning?#

Remember: Educative has hundreds of hands-on Interview Prep resources to help you get job-ready this year.

If you are still a student, you are welcome to sign up for the GitHub Student Developer Pack. It's loaded with free resources exclusively for active students.

Plus, stay tuned for next week's blog, when we tackle one of the most critical aspects of your software engineering interview: the take-home project.