Top 12 C++ Developer Skills to Put on Your Resume
In today's competitive job market, a resume that reads clean and bristles with relevant skill is oxygen for C++ developers chasing standout roles. Blend sharp technical depth with people skills and modern practices. Show that you write maintainable code, ship reliably, and think about performance and correctness from the start. That mix turns heads.
C++ Developer Skills
1. STL (Standard Template Library)
The C++ standard library—often called the STL—bundles containers, algorithms, iterators, utilities, and more. Think vectors, maps, ranges, parallel algorithms, smart pointers, string_view, span, format, chrono—tools for generic programming that push you toward safer, faster, more expressive code.
Why It's Important
It accelerates development, bakes in predictable complexity, and gives you robust building blocks maintained by the community and vendors. Modern C++ (C++20/23) brought ranges, parallel execution policies, calendar/time improvements, expected, and formatting, shrinking the need for custom scaffolding and lowering bug risk.
How to Improve STL (Standard Template Library) Skills
Choose the right container: Default to vector. Reach for deque when push/pop at ends matters, unordered_map for fast lookups, map for ordered iteration, and list only when node stability is absolutely required.
Live in algorithms: Replace loops with std::ranges algorithms. Learn iterator categories, projections, and when stability or partial ordering matters.
Master ownership: Prefer value semantics. Use std::unique_ptr as the default owning pointer; share only when sharing is real. RAII everywhere.
Cut copies ruthlessly: std::string_view and std::span keep things lightweight. Embrace move semantics. Measure before and after.
Parallel where it pays: std::for_each with execution policies can help, but validate scaling and contention with real profiling.
Mind invalidation rules: Know when iterators, references, and pointers go stale. It saves hours of head-scratching.
Lean into new standards: Ranges, format, chrono, and expected (where available) simplify once-awkward code paths.
Read and practice: Effective STL and Effective Modern C++ still punch above their weight. Implement small utilities and micro-benchmarks to internalize trade-offs.
Show, don’t tell—clean snippets and measurable wins speak loudly.
How to Display STL (Standard Template Library) Skills on Your Resume
2. Boost
Boost is a collection of peer-reviewed C++ libraries that extend the standard library. Many ideas started in Boost and later landed in the standard, yet Boost still offers gems: Asio/Beast for networking, Multiprecision, Program_options, Geometry, UUID, and more.
Why It's Important
It’s portable, high-quality, and battle-tested. When the standard library doesn’t yet cover a need—or your platform lags—Boost fills the gap without reinventing the wheel.
How to Improve Boost Skills
Be selective: Target libraries that match your domain (Asio for async IO, Beast for HTTP/WebSocket, Multiprecision for numerics). Depth beats breadth.
Hide implementation: Wrap Boost types behind your own interfaces to keep an escape hatch for future std migrations.
Prefer header-only where sensible: Fewer linking headaches, but keep compile times in check.
Keep current: Update thoughtfully. Newer Boost releases often refine APIs and performance.
Mind the standard first: If std covers it well (filesystem, optional, variant, string_view), use std. Simpler dependency graphs, clearer intent.
Test and profile: Wrap edges with unit tests and measure hotspots. Quick wins appear where you least expect.
How to Display Boost Skills on Your Resume
3. Qt
Qt is a cross-platform framework for native applications. It shines for GUI work (Qt Widgets, Qt Quick/QML), but stretches well beyond it: networking, threading, SQL, multimedia, internationalization, and tidy tooling with Qt Creator.
Why It's Important
Write once, ship across platforms with polish. Signals/slots simplify eventing. QML makes fluid UIs feel less like teeth pulling and more like sculpting.
How to Improve Qt Skills
Own signals/slots: Understand object lifetimes, parent-child ownership, and queued vs direct connections. Memory safety follows naturally.
Use the model/view stack: QAbstractItemModel and friends unlock scalable, testable UIs. No more tangled widget state.
Qt Quick + C++ backends: Combine QML for presentation with C++ for heavy lifting. Smooth, modern UI with horsepower underneath.
Threading the Qt way: Prefer worker objects with QThread or QtConcurrent to keep the UI crisp.
Embrace Qt 6: New graphics paths, better tooling, improved CMake integration. Plan migrations from Qt 5 where practical.
Polish matters: Accessibility, translations, high-DPI support, and style consistency win users before features do.
How to Display Qt Skills on Your Resume
4. CMake
CMake generates native build systems (Ninja, Makefiles, Visual Studio, Xcode) from one set of scripts. Modern CMake is target-focused and declarative, making portable builds far less brittle.
Why It's Important
One project definition, many platforms. Cleaner dependency management, consistent compiler flags, reproducible CI pipelines—without hand-maintaining multiple build files.
How to Improve CMake Skills
Go modern: Prefer target_link_libraries with PUBLIC/PRIVATE/INTERFACE. Use target_include_directories and target_compile_features (e.g., cxx_std_20 or cxx_std_23). Avoid global flags.
Use presets: CMakePresets.json nails reproducible configure/build/test flows for teams and CI.
Out-of-source builds: Keep the tree clean. Simple habit, big payoff.
Manage dependencies cleanly: Use find_package, FetchContent, or a package manager (vcpkg/Conan). Avoid ad-hoc vendoring unless necessary.
Export and install: Generate package config files so other projects can consume your targets effortlessly.
Wire in quality gates: Targets for clang-tidy, clang-format, sanitizers, CTest suites, and coverage. Feedback should be quick and automatic.
Tame complexity: Generator expressions are powerful—use them sparingly and document intent. Set policies explicitly, keep minimum versions sensible.
How to Display CMake Skills on Your Resume
5. OpenGL
OpenGL is a cross-platform graphics API for 2D/3D rendering. In modern usage (core profile), you manage buffers, shaders, and pipelines directly, with the GPU doing the heavy lifting.
Why It's Important
It’s everywhere. For teaching, cross-platform visualization, and many production apps, OpenGL still delivers. The ecosystem and examples are plentiful.
How to Improve OpenGL Skills
Think modern pipeline: Vertex arrays, buffer objects, GLSL shaders, uniform buffers, and sync. Ditch fixed-function habits.
Get the math right: Transforms, projections, camera models, and space conversions. Small mistakes ripple loudly.
Debug with intent: Use debug output, validation layers where available, and capture tools. Trace state changes; reduce churn.
Optimize sensibly: Batch draws, minimize state switches, stream buffers efficiently, use instancing, and keep an eye on overdraw and bandwidth.
Know your options: For new, performance-critical engines, consider Vulkan, Direct3D, or Metal. Still, OpenGL remains a pragmatic choice across platforms.
Build things: Small renderers, particle systems, post-processing chains. Repetition breeds intuition.
How to Display OpenGL Skills on Your Resume
6. Multithreading
Multithreading lets programs run work concurrently, spreading tasks across cores and hiding latency behind useful computation.
Why It's Important
Responsiveness, throughput, scalability. When done right, you squeeze more from the same hardware. When done wrong, you get heisenbugs.
How to Improve Multithreading Skills
Prefer high-level tools: Use std::jthread, stop_token, futures/promises, and thread pools. Reduce manual thread lifecycle management.
Guard shared state: std::mutex, std::scoped_lock, condition_variable, latches/barriers. Keep critical sections short and scarce.
Minimize sharing: Immutable data, message passing, and work stealing designs scale better than lock gardens.
Reach for parallel STL: Parallel algorithms can help—measure for contention and cache effects before celebrating.
Detect races early: ThreadSanitizer and friends pay for themselves the first time they catch a nasty race.
Understand the hardware: False sharing, cache lines, NUMA, memory ordering. A little awareness avoids a lot of pain.
Async IO and coroutines: For networking and file IO, async designs (and coroutines where available) can beat thread-per-task patterns.
How to Display Multithreading Skills on Your Resume
7. SQL
SQL is the lingua franca of relational databases. You query, join, aggregate, and update structured data with precision and predictability.
Why It's Important
Data lives at the heart of many C++ applications. Understanding SQL unlocks analytics, persistence, and clean integration with existing systems.
How to Improve SQL Skills
Go beyond basics: JOINs, GROUP BY, and filtering are table stakes. Add window functions, CTEs, and lateral joins to your toolkit.
Design for performance: Normalize judiciously, pick the right indexes, and learn to read query plans. Covering indexes and selective filters matter.
Safety first: Parameterized queries prevent injection. Always. No exceptions.
Be transaction-savvy: Isolation levels, locking, deadlocks, retries. ACID isn’t just a buzzword; it’s behavior.
Pick the right driver: ODBC, libpqxx, SQLite—use stable client libraries and connection pooling. Round-trip costs add up.
Test with real shapes: Representative data sizes reveal query plans that toy datasets hide.
How to Display SQL Skills on Your Resume
8. Git
Git tracks changes and enables collaborative development. Branches are cheap, history is rich, and merging is a first-class idea.
Why It's Important
Large C++ codebases evolve constantly. Git brings order: reviewable changes, traceability, safe experimentation, and quick rollbacks when needed.
How to Improve Git Skills
Keep history crisp: Small commits with clear messages. Rebase to tidy feature branches; merge to preserve integration context when appropriate.
Bisect like a pro: Narrow regressions fast. Pair with test suites for laser-guided hunting.
Automate checks: Hooks for formatting, linting, and smoke tests catch issues before they land.
Adopt a workflow: Trunk-based or Git Flow—pick, document, and stick to it. Consistency beats cleverness.
Handle big assets sanely: Use LFS for large binaries. Keep repos lean and clones quick.
Secure the chain: Signed commits/tags and protected branches reduce headaches later.
Wire into CI: Every push should build and test. Confidence grows when green stays green.
How to Display Git Skills on Your Resume
9. Linux
Linux is the dominant platform for servers, embedded systems, and a lot of development work. Toolchains, debuggers, and package managers are first-class citizens here.
Why It's Important
For C++ developers, Linux offers predictable environments, powerful tooling, and straightforward deployment targets. You can get close to the metal without tripping over it.
How to Improve Linux Skills
Command line fluency: Shell pipelines, permissions, process management, systemd basics. Speed multiplies when the terminal is home.
Debug and profile: gdb/lldb, valgrind, perf, strace, and sanitizers. Make bottlenecks reveal themselves.
Build mastery: CMake, pkg-config, and toolchains. Understand how linkers and loaders find things.
Filesystem and networking: Know the FHS, procfs/sysfs, and tools like ip, ss, and netstat. Diagnose, don’t guess.
Security hygiene: Users/groups, capabilities, firewalls, and a basic grasp of SELinux/AppArmor policies.
Containers for dev: Docker or Podman to freeze environments in amber. Goodbye “works on my machine.”
Remote comfort: ssh, tmux/screen, and rsync. Live on distant boxes without friction.
How to Display Linux Skills on Your Resume
10. TCP/IP
TCP/IP underpins the internet: addressing, routing, reliable streams, and datagrams. In C++, you’ll often expose sockets, manage buffers, and juggle concurrency to keep data moving.
Why It's Important
Networked apps are the norm. Understanding the stack lets you write services that are fast, resilient, and respectful of real-world networks.
How to Improve TCP/IP Skills
Speak sockets fluently: Non-blocking IO, timeouts, epoll/kqueue/IOCP depending on platform. Avoid thread-per-connection designs for scalability.
Tune deliberately: Buffer sizes, TCP_NODELAY, window scaling, delayed ACKs. Measure latency and throughput after each change.
Frame your protocol: Partial reads are normal. Use length-prefixing, delimiters, or a well-defined protocol (HTTP, protobuf, etc.).
Harden the path: TLS and certificate handling. Backpressure, retries with jitter, and exponential backoff done right.
Observe the wire: Capture and inspect traffic. Bottlenecks and misassumptions glow under scrutiny.
Scale out: Accept loops, SO_REUSEPORT, connection pooling, and careful load distribution. Balance CPU and NIC affinity where relevant.
Know the landscape: QUIC/HTTP/3 reduce handshake costs and improve mobility. Use when latency and reliability demand it.
Only go extreme when needed: Kernel-bypass stacks and user-space networking are powerful, but they complicate operations—justify with data.
How to Display TCP/IP Skills on Your Resume
11. JSON
JSON is a lightweight, human-readable format for structured data. In C++, you’ll parse, validate, and emit it for APIs, config, and logs.
Why It's Important
It’s ubiquitous. Services and tools speak JSON by default, which makes integration dead simple.
How to Improve JSON Skills
Pick the right library: nlohmann/json for ergonomics, RapidJSON or simdjson for speed. Use SAX/streaming modes when memory matters.
Validate inputs: Enforce required fields, types, and ranges. JSON Schema helps keep contracts honest.
Reduce overhead: Avoid unnecessary copies; parse in-place where safe. string_view is your friend.
Handle the edges: Depth limits, size caps, and graceful failure paths protect services from bad actors and bad days.
Benchmark realistically: Representative payloads uncover hot code paths you won’t spot in micro-tests.
How to Display JSON Skills on Your Resume
12. XML
XML encodes structured data in a verbose but explicit format. It remains common in enterprise systems, document formats, and configuration.
Why It's Important
Standards like XSD, XPath, and XSLT enable rich validation, querying, and transformations that are still hard to match elsewhere.
How to Improve XML Skills
Match parser to task: TinyXML2 or pugixml for lightweight use; Xerces-C++ for heavy-duty schema and validation work.
SAX vs DOM: Stream huge files with SAX-style APIs; keep DOM for in-memory editing and smaller docs.
Use schemas: Validate with XSD to catch structure errors early. Contracts reduce surprises.
Query smartly: XPath (or XQuery where supported) avoids hand-rolled tree walks and brittle code.
Mind memory: Large documents can balloon quickly. RAII, smart pointers, and careful lifetimes keep leaks at bay.
Consider codegen: For stable schemas, generate types to cut boilerplate and parsing mistakes.
How to Display XML Skills on Your Resume
