Should I mention programming skills in a resume?

Question

I'm a fresh grad in civil engineering, I have to apply to write my first resume.

I don't know if I should add "Programming Skills":

At first, it seems really irrelevant to the job and it is more of a "hobby".
On the other hand, programming has reached all aspects of our lives and through my study I did benefit from programming in many ways.

Also, if the answer was yes, then should I be specific to what programming languages I know or should I just mention that I have some experience in programming?

You should always tailor your resume to match the job you are applying for. Some things remain static such as job history, but your "executive summary" should change depending on the required skills for each job. — Jane S, May 05 '15 at 12:12
see also: How can I include a secondary, tangentially related project/achievement on my CV? — gnat, May 05 '15 at 12:33

score 4 · Answer 1 · answered May 05 '15 at 12:14

Yes you should.

It can be very relevant in many cases. For example Excel macros are widely used in any engineering field, and if you need to write a few for the daily work (management and follow-up for example), having programming skills will make you much more efficient than if you had to learn and program "from scratch", even if you don't specifically know the Excel macro language.

It will also show that you are a person eager to learn new things, that you're curious and well... it cannot hurt.

As to whether you should list the languages, I guess it depends on the languages and their relevance to the jobs you are applying to. But I guess that it cannot hurt you, as long that you keep it short and simple.

score 2 · Answer 2 · answered May 05 '15 at 12:14

Definitely mention them if they're vaguely related to what the position you're applying for involves.

Otherwise, for an engineering-related job, yes, they're probably worth mentioning under an "Other skills" section - list the languages used, what you created with them, but don't make too much of it. If it relates to the job, your employer will be directly interested in the details, but if not, they're more a sort of "And I can also do this!" thing which may or may not come in handy in a work-related setting.

score 1 · Answer 3 · answered May 05 '15 at 12:28

As long as you feel comfortable and confident in your abilities in a work environment let the company decide if that can be helpful. Extra office appropriate skills will (should) never hurt your resume.

If you do believe you can accomplish the programming reliably and don't mind making that a decent part of your job responsibilities/career I am sure you will be able to find a firm, with enough searching, that has a need for a custom application for their specialty.

Should I mention programming skills in a resume?

3 Answers3