On Attitudes Toward Developer Resumes in 2026

Over the years, I've reviewed hundreds of resumes and LinkedIn profiles for developers. And more and more often I notice one problem: many are trying to make a showcase out of a profile from keywords, an AI-slope and an endless list of technologies.

Yes, we live in the era of ATS, AI screening and automated resume analysis. But despite this, hiring decisions are still made by people. And the perception of a candidate is not only based on matching keywords.

A few things that still influence what a developer looks like in the market:

1. A one-page resume is still better than anything else.

The summary should not turn into your JIRA backlog. Nobody wants to read 14 points about "fixing the XYZ-256 bug." Less is better, but with an emphasis on the result and its impact.

If there are a lot of achievements, you can display them separately - on your website or on a page on GitHub. You will still discuss the details at the interview. I already wrote before about typical mistakes in resumes.

2. A personal site still stands out (but depends on the context)

Nobody needs a template with a progress bar that shows your knowledge of technology. It is much more interesting to see projects, thoughts, approaches to development and interests.

3. An active GitHub is more important than a beautiful README profile

One lively and clear project makes a better impression than a wall of technology badges.

4. Tailor your profile to your company

Startups look for initiative and the ability to get things done quickly, while corporations look for processes, stability and scale. A one-size-fits-all resume rarely works perfectly everywhere.

5. In 2026, it's already strange not to mention AI

Not because "agents will replace developers," but because the approach to work has already changed. The use of AI tools is becoming as fundamental to development as Git or CI/CD.

6. The most memorable candidates are not always the most "ideal"

Often something human catches your eye: a good personal project, a blog, performances, a taste for products, an interest in technology - and even a list of favorite books or films. We have a small market: if not today, tomorrow you may be remembered and called to work. About this in the post "Why just working is not enough".

Nowadays, one position can receive hundreds (and sometimes thousands) of responses. On the one hand, employers take refuge in ATS and auto-parsing resumes, and on the other, candidates generate auto-responses without even going into the details of the vacancy.

Nowadays it is not enough to just "write code". It's important to be human. And the better you are as a person, the more likely you are to be hired.