Mainframe developer with 9 years maintaining COBOL batch and CICS online systems for a regional bank processing 3M transactions a day. Rewrote the nightly interest accrual job stream, cutting batch window time by 70 minutes. Combines deep z/OS knowledge with work on API enablement for newer digital channels.
Modified COBOL and VSAM-based policy rating programs for annual rate filings in 9 states
Converted 200 job schedules from manual scripts to CA-7
Education
B.S. Management Information Systems, Iowa State University (Aug 2013 – May 2017)
Skills
Languages: COBOL, JCL, REXX, SQL
Platform: z/OS, CICS, DB2, VSAM, IMS
Tools: ISPF, Endevor, CA-7, File-AID, IBM Debug Tool
Modernization: z/OS Connect, REST APIs, Git for z/OS
How to write a Mainframe Developer resume
A strong Mainframe Developer resume shows the systems you built, the scale they run at, and the measurable effect on speed, reliability or cost. Put your most relevant recent role first and make every bullet show a result, not a duty.
Sections, in order
Summary
Experience
Projects
Skills
Education
Length: One page for most candidates; move to two only if every line is relevant.
Summary: Write two or three lines: your role, your strongest skills, and one result that proves them.
Skills to feature
Programming languages
System design
Cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure)
CI/CD
Testing and code review
Databases and SQL
Observability
Security fundamentals
APIs and integrations
Technical documentation
Example bullet points
Rebuilt the checkout service in Go, cutting p95 latency from 900 ms to 180 ms for 2M monthly users
Introduced contract tests and staged rollouts, reducing production incidents by 45% in two quarters
Migrated 30 services to Kubernetes with Terraform, lowering cloud spend by $250k a year
Tips from recruiters
Group skills by category (for example "Languages: Go, TypeScript") so recruiters and ATS parsers find them quickly.
Link to a repository, demo or write-up for at least one project you can talk about in depth.
Name the stack inside each bullet; keyword matching happens at the bullet level, not only in the skills list.
Recommended templates
Classic (ATS-friendly): Jake's-style LaTeX classic: small caps and hairline rules
Tech (ATS-friendly): Developer style: mono headings and tags, sans body
Modern (ATS-friendly): Clean single column with accent headings and rules
Mainframe Developer resume FAQ
What should a Mainframe Developer resume include?
A Mainframe Developer resume should show the systems you built, the scale they run at, and the measurable effect on speed, reliability or cost. Use these sections in this order: Summary, Experience, Projects, Skills and Education. Put your most relevant recent role first and make every bullet show a result, not a duty.
What is the best resume template for a Mainframe Developer?
Classic, Tech and Modern work well for Mainframe Developer roles. They are single-column with standard headings, so applicant tracking systems (ATS) parse them reliably.
How long should a Mainframe Developer resume be?
One page for most candidates; move to two only if every line is relevant.
Which skills should a Mainframe Developer put on a resume?
Prioritize the skills named in the job posting. Common ones for Mainframe Developer roles are Programming languages, System design, Cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure), CI/CD, Testing and code review and Databases and SQL.
How do I write strong Mainframe Developer resume bullet points?
Start with an action verb, say what you did, and end with a measurable result such as latency, uptime and deploy frequency. For example: "Rebuilt the checkout service in Go, cutting p95 latency from 900 ms to 180 ms for 2M monthly users."