A backend CV should quickly show what systems you built, at what scale, what you improved, and how you can prove it (projects, ownership, outcomes).
This guide gives you backend-focused bullet packs and an ATS-friendly structure.
See the general guide: IT CV template (Romania).
TL;DR
- Backend recruiters scan for impact + ownership + quality (performance, reliability, security, testing).
- Put your 2–3 most relevant bullets first.
- Avoid “used X”. Tie the stack to a concrete outcome.
Quick checklist
- Clear headline: “Backend Engineer (PHP/Laravel)” / “Java Backend Developer” / “.NET Backend Engineer”.
- 3–6 strong bullets for your most recent role (numbers or verifiable signals).
- Mention APIs, DB, async/queues, observability, testing (as applicable).
Recommended structure (Backend)
- Header (clean links)
- Summary (2–4 lines: domain + stack + what you want next)
- Experience (impact + ownership)
- Selected projects (useful for juniors/switchers)
- Skills (grouped)
- Education/certifications (short)
Bullet library (Backend)
What a good backend bullet looks like
Use this shape: Action + context (system/scale) + stack + outcome (metric or verifiable signal).
Examples:
- “Reduced API p95 from ~800ms to ~250ms by caching and query optimization (Laravel + Redis + MySQL).”
- “Introduced audit logs for sensitive actions, improving traceability and incident investigation.”
No numbers? Use signals that can be validated:
- fewer incidents, faster debugging, fewer regressions, clearer ownership, less manual work.
APIs & architecture
- “Designed and shipped APIs for [domain], with versioning and backward compatibility.”
- “Standardized error handling and validation patterns, reducing integration issues.”
- “Split a high-risk module from a monolith into a dedicated service to make releases more predictable.”
- “Implemented idempotency for sensitive operations (e.g., payments), reducing duplicate actions in production.”
Performance & cost
- “Optimized queries and indexes for [flow], reducing DB load and response times.”
- “Introduced caching for a hot path, improving p95 latency and reducing database pressure.”
- “Reduced monthly compute cost by rightsizing and improving batch processing efficiency.”
Reliability & incidents
- “Added timeouts/retries/circuit breakers for an external provider integration, reducing outage impact.”
- “Introduced logs/metrics/traces for critical flows, cutting investigation time during incidents.”
- “Standardized correlation IDs and structured logging to improve end-to-end traceability.”
Security & compliance
- “Added audit logs for sensitive actions and improved traceability.”
- “Introduced rate limiting and basic abuse protections for exposed endpoints.”
- “Improved secrets handling and least-privilege access across environments.”
Testing & quality
- “Added integration tests for critical domains, reducing regressions in releases.”
- “Introduced CI quality gates (linting/tests), improving consistency and reducing defects.”
Common mistakes
- “Used X/Y/Z” without explaining what changed because of it.
- Only responsibilities, no outcomes (performance, stability, security, cost).
- No mention of data consistency or reliability patterns (timeouts/retries, observability, tests) when they exist in your work.
- Too many skills and too few proof bullets.
Useful keywords (use only what you actually did)
- API design, REST, versioning, auth
- SQL, indexing, query optimization, transactions
- queues/async, background jobs
- caching (Redis)
- observability (logs/metrics/traces)
- testing (unit/integration/contract tests)
- security basics (least privilege, audit logs)
Backend CV template (copy/paste)
FAQ
How many bullets per role?
Typically 3–6 for your latest role, 2–4 for older roles. Fewer is better if they’re strong.
Should I list every technology I ever touched?
No. List what you used for real deliveries and that’s relevant to the role you’re applying for.
