What to put on a forward deployed engineer resume at tech companies · 170 roles · 90 days to Oct 16, 2026
Updated
In short
Of the 170 forward deployed engineer roles at tech companies whose requirements we read in the 90 days to Oct 16, 2026, Python is required in 103 of 170 (61%), AI in 68 of 170 (40%) and LLMs in 49 of 170 (29%). Name the ones you have in your latest jobs, next to what you built with them.
- Degree required, no alternative
- 15 of 167 (9%)
- Of the roles we could read for it
The skills these postings ask for most
Counts are out of the 170 roles whose requirements we could read; the 10 asked for most in each list.
| Skill | Roles asking |
|---|---|
| Python | 103 of 170 (61%) |
| AI | 68 of 170 (40%) |
| LLMs | 49 of 170 (29%) |
| AWS | 40 of 170 (24%) |
| TypeScript | 39 of 170 (23%) |
| AI Agents | 36 of 170 (21%) |
| Azure | 30 of 170 (18%) |
| GCP | 30 of 170 (18%) |
| Go | 28 of 170 (16%) |
| JavaScript | 26 of 170 (15%) |
| Skill | Roles asking |
|---|---|
| AI Agents | 25 of 170 (15%) |
| AI | 18 of 170 (11%) |
| Kubernetes | 18 of 170 (11%) |
| LLMs | 17 of 170 (10%) |
| RAG | 16 of 170 (9%) |
| Observability | 14 of 170 (8%) |
| AWS | 13 of 170 (8%) |
| Docker | 13 of 170 (8%) |
| Open Source | 13 of 170 (8%) |
| CI/CD | 12 of 170 (7%) |
What to put first
Lead with Python, AI and LLMs
They are the required skills named most, with their counts in the table above. Put the ones you have in your skills line and in the bullets of your latest job, each next to what you did with it.
Then AI Agents and Kubernetes, if you have them
Preferred, not required: AI Agents in 25 of 170 (15%) and Kubernetes in 18 of 170 (11%). Add them where they are true; leaving one out costs less than claiming it.
Make 5+ years easy to count
Among roles that state years, 88 of 130 (68%) ask for at least 5 years. Give every job a start and end month and year, so a reader can add them up.
Education can go last
15 of 167 (9%) roles require a degree with no alternative; the rest accept experience instead, prefer one or do not mention it. Lead with your work.
What changes by level
No two neighbouring forward deployed engineer levels have 50 or more roles whose requirements we read yet, so levels are not compared. The career path lists each level and its roles.
Bullet patterns
Replace every bracket with your own facts. Keep only numbers you can explain in an interview.
Pattern, not a real resume
Built [system] that [what it does] for [team or users], using Python; [metric] after [time].
Pattern, not a real resume
Used AI to cut [metric] from [before] to [after] by [change you made].
Pattern, not a real resume
Applied LLMs to [problem], which [made it cheaper, faster or more reliable] by [amount].
Pattern, not a real resume
Led [project] with [number] people across [teams]; shipped [outcome] in [time].
Gaps to check before you send it
A required skill you use but never name
If you work with Python and AI but your bullets only say what the product did, a reader looking for the skill will not find it. Name it where you used it.
Dates that do not add up
Most roles that state years ask for at least 5 years. Missing months, overlaps and unexplained gaps make that hard to count.
Bullets without an outcome
A bullet that names a tool but not what changed reads as a list of tasks. Add what moved and by how much, or what shipped.
More on forward deployed engineer roles
How we count: 170 roles from 130 employers in the 90 days to Oct 16, 2026, each role counted once however many boards post it. Methodology