Write a CV That Gets Tech Lead Interviews
(Not Just a Recruiter's Screen)
Every senior engineer's CV looks similar:
We list our technologies, our years of experience, our responsibilities.
We write "mentored junior developers" and "implemented best practices"
And hope someone notices we're ready to lead. Meanwhile, hiring managers are looking for something different. They don't need another good coder.
They need someone who turns business needs into solid tech designs.
They need someone who multiplies team output.
They need someone who scales systems reliably.
I've been on both sides—reviewing dozens of CVs as a hiring manager, and sending mine into the void as an engineer.
Here's what actually works, what doesn't, and how to tell your story without sounding like you're full of sh*t. I'm sharing this because I've made these mistakes myself, and I know how frustrating the job hunt can be.
First, Let's Be Honest About the Market
It's brutal out there. People with stellar CVs are getting rejected. The bar is higher than ever. Your CV needs to be better than good—it needs to clearly show you can solve their specific problems.
But here's the thing: most senior engineers already have tech lead experience. They just don't know how to talk about it.
That said, no CV is a magic bullet. It can get you noticed, but interviews and offers depend on a lot more, like timing and fit. Still, getting this right can give you a real edge—I've seen it help friends land roles they thought were out of reach.
Section 1: The Professional Summary - Stop Wasting Prime Real Estate
This is your 30-second pitch. Make it count. It's your chance to hook the reader and show you're more than a list of skills.
What Everyone Writes (And Why It Fails)
❌ "Experienced software engineer with 8+ years seeking technical leadership opportunities. Passionate about clean code and best practices."
Everyone's experienced. Everyone wants opportunities. Everyone claims to love clean code. It feels generic and doesn't spark interest—I've skipped over summaries like this because they don't show real value.
The Formula That Actually Works
[What you actually do] + [specific problem you solve] + [concrete outcome]. Keep it grounded in your real experiences, even if they're informal. The goal is to inspire confidence by being specific and relatable.
Examples That Get Attention
✅ "I help engineering teams ship faster by turning technical debates into decisions. Recently helped my team cut deployment time from 3 hours to 15 minutes by simplifying our service boundaries—small wins like this keep momentum going."
✅ "Senior engineer who coordinates between what engineers build and what the business needs. Prevented scope creep on last 3 major features by breaking down requirements and managing technical trade-offs, making projects less stressful for everyone."
✅ "I'm the person people come to when projects are stuck. Run our architecture discussions, coordinate with product, and somehow became the go-to for production incidents."
Notice these don't claim titles you don't have. They describe what you actually do, honestly. They work because they feel human and achievable, reminding the reader that leadership often starts small.
Section 2: Job Titles - Tell the Truth, But Tell It Well
Writing "Senior Software Engineer" when you've been leading a team informally undersells yourself. But claiming "Tech Lead" when you weren't is lying—and it can backfire badly in interviews. I've learned this the hard way. Honesty builds trust from the start.
The Solution: Be Honest But Specific
Stick to facts, but add context to show your growth. This way, you're transparent about your path, which can actually make you more relatable and inspiring to hiring managers who've been there.
✅ "Senior Software Engineer (Acting Tech Lead, Q2-Q4 2024)"
✅ "Senior Software Engineer | Team Coordination for Payment Service (4 engineers)"
✅ "Backend Engineer → Technical Lead (promoted internally)"
✅ "Senior Developer (Cross-team coordinator for mobile integration)"
These are straightforward and real. They acknowledge where you are while highlighting progress, encouraging readers to see their own potential in similar terms.
Section 3: Job Descriptions and Achievements - Show Impact, Not Just Tasks
Most CVs read like a boring to-do list: "Developed features," "Fixed bugs," "Wrote code." This is what you did, not why it mattered. Hiring managers skim this in seconds, and if it doesn't show how you've helped teams succeed, they'll pass. It's easy to fall into this trap—I've done it—but it misses the chance to demonstrate real leadership.
What Everyone Writes (And Why It Fails)
❌ "Responsible for backend development using Java and Spring Boot. Collaborated with team members on feature implementation. Optimized database queries."
This is vague and task-focused. It doesn't reveal leadership or outcomes, making it hard for the reader to get excited about what you could bring to their team.
The Formula That Actually Works
Focus on impact: [What you led or influenced] + [The challenge] + [Concrete results with numbers] + [How it benefited the team/business].
Use bullets with strong verbs. Quantify honestly—if numbers aren't perfect, use estimates or focus on qualitative wins. Remember, not every role has massive metrics; that's okay, as long as you're truthful.
Examples That Get Attention
✅ "Led redesign of our microservices architecture, tackling deployment bottlenecks that frustrated 5 teams. Reduced average release time from 2.5 hours to 60 minutes, which meant less overtime and quicker iterations— a relief for everyone involved."
✅ "Coordinated cross-functional efforts to integrate payment gateway, balancing security needs with tight deadlines. Delivered on time, supporting 20% more transactions without issues, while sharing what I learned with two juniors to help them grow."
✅ "Guided team through a major refactor of legacy code, breaking it into modular pieces despite resistance. Cut bug rates by about 40% and sped up onboarding for new engineers, making the team more resilient overall."
Why This Works
It highlights teamwork and real results without exaggeration. Keep to 4-6 bullets per role—focus on what truly mattered. If your leadership was informal, say so; it shows initiative and can inspire others in similar spots.
Section 4: Education - Keep It Simple and Relevant
We often overdo this section with old details like GPAs or unrelated degrees, which can dilute the focus on your experience. For tech leads, education is background info—not the main event. But skipping it might make your CV feel incomplete, especially if your path was unconventional.
What Everyone Does Wrong
❌ Listing every minor detail or inflating relevance. It can come across as filler, and honestly, most hiring managers don't care about ancient academics.
The Right Way
Be brief and tie it to your journey if it fits. Omit dates if they're far back to avoid biases. Own non-traditional paths—they're common and can be inspiring.
Examples
✅ "B.S. in Computer Science, University of XYZ"
✅ "M.S. in Software Engineering, ABC Institute (built skills in distributed systems through team projects)"
✅ "Self-taught via online resources and bootcamps—turned curiosity into practical engineering skills through hands-on work."
Why This Works
It's concise and honest. It shows education as part of your story, not the whole thing, encouraging readers from all backgrounds.
Section 5: Courses and Certifications - Prove You're Still Learning
Listing everything you've ever done here can overwhelm and seem scattered. Not all certs are equal, and outdated ones might not help. I've collected a few myself that never mattered—focus on what shows growth toward leadership.
What Fails
❌ A long, unfiltered list without context. It doesn't inspire; it just adds noise.
How to Do It Better
Pick 3-5 relevant ones, with years and a quick note on impact. If they're slim, that's fine—real experience often outweighs badges.
Examples
✅ "AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate (2023): Helped optimize our setup, cutting costs and teaching the team along the way."
✅ "Certified Scrum Product Owner (2022): Improved how we aligned engineering with product goals on agile sprints."
✅ "Coursera: 'Leading Technical Teams' (2024): Picked up practical tips for handling conflicts, which I've tried in our meetings."
Why This Works
It ties learning to real application, making it feel purposeful and motivating.
Section 6: Skills - Quality Over Quantity
Overloading this with every tool under the sun looks like keyword cramming. It doesn't show depth and can make you seem unfocused—I've been guilty of this early on.
What Doesn't Work
❌ Endless lists without context. It's not helpful or inspiring.
The Smarter Approach
Group and limit to 8-12 key ones. Focus on strengths, especially leadership-related. Be honest about levels if you include them.
Examples
✅ Programming Languages: Python (strong), Java (solid), JavaScript (working knowledge)
✅ Tools & Frameworks: AWS, Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CD
✅ Leadership Skills: Architecture discussions, Team mentoring, Incident response
Why This Works: It's scannable and realistic, highlighting what you bring without overpromising.
Section 7: Links and Portfolio (Optional) - Make It Easy to Verify
Broken links or irrelevant content can hurt more than help. If it's not strong, skip it—better to let your experience stand.
When to Include
Add if it shows leadership, like code repos or blogs. Keep it simple.
Examples
✅ "GitHub: github.com/yourname (notable: team-refactor project)"
✅ "LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/yourname"
✅ "Blog: yourblog.com - Thoughts on managing tech debt"
Why This Works
It invites deeper looks without pressure. Test everything.
Common Mistakes - (Avoid These)
I've made plenty myself, and spotting them in others' has been eye-opening. Fixing these is straightforward and makes a big difference. I'll keep each one short: the problem, why it hurts, and how to fix it.
1/ Messy File Names
That "CV_v5_final_reallyfinal (1).pdf" looks unprofessional.
Simple Fix: Name it something clean like "YourName_TechLead_CV.pdf". It shows you're thoughtful right from the start.
2/ Overdoing or Avoiding ATS Optimization
Stuffing keywords everywhere makes your CV sound fake and turns off readers. Ignoring filters means it might not get seen at all.
Fix: Write naturally with real stories first. Then add 3-5 fitting keywords from the job post in context. It balances bots and people.
3/ Using Numbers You Can't Back Up
Exaggerated stats, like "Boosted efficiency by 300%," can make you nervous if questioned—it breaks trust.
Fix: Use honest figures or ranges, or switch to clear wins like "Reduced downtime enough that the team stopped getting weekend alerts." If you don't have exact numbers, qualitative stuff like "Made onboarding smoother for new hires" is fine too.
4/ Generic CV for every job.
It might work for casual applies (say 80%), but hurts big opportunities.
Fix: For key roles, tweak in 10 minutes: adjust summary to their pains, highlight a related win, add 2-3 of their terms if true. Shows real interest.
5/ Too Long or Poor Formatting
Over two pages or tiny, crowded text is hard to read—recruiters might skip it fast.
Fix: Limit to 1-2 pages on recent work. Use 11-12pt font, short bullets, bold keys, and white space. Check on phone for easy scanning.
Before You Submit
Review Checklist:
Every claim can be backed up with a specific example in interviews
Job titles accurately reflect your actual responsibilities
Metrics are honest and verifiable
Examples show leadership impact, not just individual achievement
Technical skills match the job requirements
No typos or formatting inconsistencies
Contact information is current and professional
Ask yourself:
Does this show I can handle technical decisions under pressure?
Does this demonstrate I can coordinate between teams effectively?
Does this prove I can mentor others and improve team processes?
Would a hiring manager believe I can start contributing as a tech lead immediately?
Reality Checks – It’s Not Just the CV
A CV can get you noticed. That’s its job.
But it won’t get you the role by itself.
I’ve seen brilliant engineers with spotless CVs get rejected. And I’ve seen others with average CVs get hired because they walked into the interview and showed they could think clearly under pressure, explain trade-offs, and earn trust.
Your CV is like a handshake. Firm enough to signal confidence, but not the whole conversation.
The truth? Hiring is messy. Timing matters. Company politics matter. Connections matter. Sometimes, luck matters. That’s frustrating—but it’s also freeing. Because it means your goal isn’t to write the “perfect” CV. It’s to write one that gives you a real shot.
Do that, and you’re already ahead of most people who are still listing every technology they’ve ever touched.
Think of your CV as a story:
Clear enough that a recruiter gets it in 30 seconds.
Honest enough that you’re not sweating in interviews.
Specific enough that a hiring manager sees you as someone who can lead, not just code.
That’s all it needs to be. The rest happens in conversations, not bullet points.
And if you keep improving the way you tell your story—just like you keep improving as an engineer—doors will open. Maybe not the first door, maybe not the second. But eventually, the right one.
If you want help with that next step, I’m opening a private group for senior+ engineers aiming for tech lead.
Video courses. Expert workshops. Q&A calls. 1:1 support.
You should provide template too
Loved it.!