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Use our engineering resume examples as a foundation to learn the specific traits and skills of a strong engineering resume.

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Engineering resume template

Use this visual example to create a well-formatted engineer resume with the correct sections, looks professional and reads well. Looking for another design? We have dozens of professionally-designed resume templates you can choose in our Resume Builder to make a resume in a few minutes.

Engineer Resume Example

How to write an engineering resume

Engineers are highly trained, incredibly knowledgeable individuals who need a thorough understanding of technical processes to do their jobs well. That means when you’re writing a resume and cover letter for a dream engineering job, you’re competing against other people who also have amazing skills and plenty of education. How do you stand out in a field where even an entry-level job often has many requirements?

On this page, we’ll provide:

  • Expert engineering resume examples you can use as a foundation for your own resume.
  • Step-by-step guidance for writing an effective resume.
  • Tips on formatting and writing a cover letter to accompany your engineering job application.

5 key tips for engineering resume examples

1

A focus on specific skills

A hiring manager often sees the same skills, work history and education over and over again in engineering resumes. If you want to turn heads, energize your resume by focusing on specific technical skills, soft skills and hard skills that the employer is looking for.

A mechanical engineering job listing, for example, might include in their list of essential skills the ability to create design schematics, experience selecting equipment, control philosophy and the preparation of performance sizing calculations.

As a job seeker, the best thing you can do to catch a hiring manager’s attention is to focus on these skills in your resume to show the prospective employer you have what they need.

2

Key engineering accomplishments

If you’ve been responsible for a ton of engineering projects over the years, don’t laundry-list them! Instead of focusing too much on everyday responsibilities and projects, highlight successful projects that have been most important to your engineering career.

For example, a software engineer resume might highlight how many teams you have collaborated effectively with to design innovative business information systems or the number of clients you have proposed software designs for. It’s far more impressive to write, “Developed architectural approaches for nine new features and applications,” instead of, “Developed architectural approaches.”

3

Tailor your resume to the job

The job of a mechanical engineer isn’t the same as the job of a civil engineer. Read the job description carefully to determine the requirements and responsibilities of the engineering job you want to apply to and create your engineering resume accordingly.

Some employers might value a candidate skilled in AutoCAD and SQL, while others might be searching for someone more knowledgeable in Linux and CSS.

4

Use keywords

A big part of tailoring your resume to the job is including keywords and key phrases from the job posting in your resume. Select a handful of skills and listed responsibilities from the job description that apply to you and write them in different sections of your resume.

5

Keep your resume ATS-friendly

An applicant tracking system (ATS) is a software that most companies use to filter through resumes so only the most qualified applicants make it through. To make sure your resume is ATS-friendly, use keywords and select a resume template that is easy to read. Our templates are designed by experts with ATS software in mind.

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How to format your engineer resume

There are three standard resume formats you can use to create an engineering resume:

  • Chronological resume: The chronological format places your work experience front and center, so it works best if you have more than nine years of continuous work experience as an engineer.
  • Functional resume: This format is better for job applicants who just graduated from college or with less than two years of experience. It emphasizes skills over work history, making it the best option for people who want to assure their potential employer that they have the skills needed to do the job.
  • Combination resume: The combination format is best suited for mid-level professionals with three to eight years of work experience, as it gives equal focus on the work history section and skill set.

In addition to choosing the correct engineering resume format for your level of experience, keep these additional resume formatting tips in mind:

  • Use a professional font. This isn’t the time to be flamboyant; use fonts like Arial, Times New Roman, Verdana or Helvetica.
  • Keep the margins consistent. Stick to one-inch margins but if you need to make room, you can take them down half an inch.
  • Ensure readability. Your font size should be large enough for recruiters or hiring managers to read. Typically, the body text should be 11-12 points, the subheadings 14-15 and your name 16 or 18.
  • Use the right spacing. Go with a single or 1.5 spacing between lines.
  • Save and download in the correct format. The job description will let you know if the employer wants a specific file format, but usually, saving your engineering resume as a PDF or MS Word format is the best way to go.

How to write an engineering resume

For those aiming for positions in the United States, the format closely adheres to what is commonly known as the US resume format, emphasizing concise, achievement-oriented descriptions of your work experience, educational background, and relevant skills. When writing an engineering resume, it’s crucial to remember these tips to ensure you stand out effectively. Here’s what you need to keep in mind when crafting your engineering resume.

1. Engineering resume header

Write your name in the header, along with your phone number and email address. Make sure that the contact information you use is up-to-date and professional (no silly email addresses here). You can also include your LinkedIn social handle if it’s relevant to the job and will provide additional information about your career.

2. Resume summary/resume objective

Next, it’s time to summarize your career. You have two options: write a resume summary or write a resume objective.

A resume summary is a two-to-three-sentence paragraph that gives the potential employer an overall picture of your experience and top skills. It’s best for candidates with more than two years of experience in the field. Take a look at this engineering resume summary:

Detail-oriented engineer with five years of experience in software development. Able to collaborate with others to implement application designs, create a better user experience and solve technical problems. Skilled in AutoCAD, quality control, troubleshooting and advanced knowledge of Microsoft Excel.

 

A resume objective is also a short paragraph that provides an overview of your career thus far but also states your career goals. So if you’re writing an entry-level engineering resume or you’re changing careers, you can tell employers what you’re looking for. Here’s an example of how a good objective for resume should be:

Problem-solving college graduate with a B.A. in computer engineering seeking entry-level computer engineer role in tech company. Well-versed in Python, JavaScript and other programming languages, as well as secure coding and engineering metrics. Skilled communicator and critical thinker.

3. Skills section

Fleshing out your skills section as an engineer is all about highlighting what you’re best at. Use bullet points to write a mix of 8-10 hard skills and soft skills, such as:

Hard skills:

  • MATLAB proficiency
  • Prototyping
  • AutoCAD knowledge
  • Project management skills
  • Troubleshooting

Soft skills:

  • Excellent communication skills
  • Conflict resolution
  • Problem-solving skills
  • Attention to detail
  • Time management

 

4. Work experience section

Work experience is often very important for engineers and job seekers will frequently have many years of experience when filling out their experience section. Use your engineering resume to highlight past jobs as well as any personal projects or extracurricular activities where you may have gotten experience. This includes volunteer work in engineering-based industries, internships where you’ve had engineering responsibilities and even academic experience and coursework if you’re still in school.

In addition to the tips mentioned above, make the most of your work history section by:

  • Using bullet points to highlight accomplishments rather than mundane tasks.
  • Starting each statement with an action verb like planned, organized, coordinated, programmed or oversaw.
  • Quantifying your achievements and using numbers to better portray your work achievements.
  • Writing specific responsibilities that match what the new job wants.

Take a look at this example of an engineering resume work experience entry:

Software Engineer / June 2019 – Sept. 2022
Hue Tech., San Francisco, CA

  • Configured and tested over 15 different troubleshooting methods and documented resolutions for support team.
  • Installed and configured software applications and tested solutions.
  • Worked with team of five engineers and developers to resolve technical issues.

 

5. Engineering education section

Engineers usually need at least a bachelor’s degree in an engineering discipline in order to get hired, such as aerospace engineering, civil engineering or chemical engineering. A master’s degree may be needed to advance in some fields.

If you’ve finished your college degree, there’s no need to list your high school experience in your education section. Just feature your undergraduate and/or graduate degrees, along with any relevant specialized coursework or awards. Likewise, if you graduated from university more than 10 years ago, you don’t have to include the graduation date in your engineering resume.

Engineers who are accredited by ABET and are licensed can include their license number and additional certifications in this section as well.

Here’s an outline of how to write an entry in your education section:

Degree Name / Major
University, Location | Start Date – End Date

 

6. Additional sections

If you have certifications, awards, publications or have participated in important conferences, you can create additional sections in your resume to highlight these accomplishments. Just make sure they’re relevant to the job and will help establish your engineering expertise.

For example, here’s how you can organize a certifications section in engineering resumes:

Certifications/Training:
University, Location | Start Date – End Date

  • Full name of the certification (common abbreviation), Organization or State that issues the certificate – date you earned the certification (June 2024)

More engineer resume examples and tips

ResumeHelp has plenty of other resources, examples of engineering specialties and expert guides for writing a solid resume.

  • Software Engineer Resume: Show off your technical and industry-specific skills with our tailored guide.
  • Resume Examples: Find more resume examples for hundreds of jobs and dozens of industries.
  • How to Make a Resume: Use our expert writing tips to create an engineering resume that’s eye-catching and professional.

Write an engineering cover letter to accompany your resume

Your engineering job application won’t be complete without a professional cover letter. We have plenty of cover letter writing resources available:

The big takeaways

To wrap up, here’s a summary of what we’ve covered in this article:

  1. Highlight your top skills in your resume summary or resume objective.
  2. Mention skills and accomplishments relevant to the engineering job.
  3. Include 8-10 hard skills and soft skills.
  4. If you graduated more than 10 years ago, you don’t have to include the graduation date.
  5. Create additional sections in your resume to highlight awards, publications and other achievements.
  6. Resume formats are not interchangeable. Choose the one that best fits your years of experience.
  7. Keep your resume professional with an appropriate font, like Arial or Verdana.
  8. Maintain margin and spacing consistent throughout your resume.
  9. Save your resume as a PDF or MS Word file format.
  10. Complement your resume with a professional cover letter.

FAQ: Engineering resume examples

A cover letter is an important part of a job application, even if it’s not specifically stated in the job description. If you don’t know how to write a cover letter, don’t worry — use the ResumeHelp cover letter builder to create a great letter, with cover letter templates and examples you can use to really boost your experience and accomplishments.

Every time you submit a resume, you should make sure you’re updating it to suit the specific job description you’re submitting it with.

Recruiters write job ads with the ideal candidate in mind, so you should make sure you’ve scanned the job description to find important keywords that showcase the kind of skills and experiences they’re looking for (e.g., “ability to read mechanical drawings” or “experience with product design”).

That way, you can update your engineering resume to meet each individual hiring manager’s needs as much as you can. Keywords that match the wording in the job post will help your resume get past the applicant tracking systems (ATS) employers use to scan resumes.

To write an engineering resume, you should:

  1. Include a header with your name and contact information.
  2. Write a professional resume summary or a resume objective with your top skills and experience.
  3. Highlight relevant experience that speaks to your abilities as an engineer.
  4. List between 8-10 hard skills and soft skills that are relevant to the job.
  5. Include your education credentials, certifications and relevant licenses.

Make sure to read the job description carefully and tailor your resume to the job by including key requirements and responsibilities.

Writing a resume with no experience is possible. Here are some expert tips to keep in mind:

  • Consider using a functional resume format, as it’s ideal for job seekers with little to no work experience.
  • Broaden your definition of work experience. You might not have traditional experience but if you were in an engineering internship, did volunteer work or participated in extracurricular activities that are related to the industry, you can include them as part of your work history section.
  • Include relevant coursework in your education section. If you graduated with a high GPA, write it as well.
  • Write a cover letter where you can further explain why you applied for the position and convince recruiters to get in touch with you.

An engineering resume objective states your goals of employment in engineering. It’s a two-to-three-sentence paragraph at the top of your resume where you:

  • Present yourself
  • Highlight your top skills
  • Clearly state your career goals or the type of work you’re seeking

For example:

Diligent college student working towards B.A. in software engineering at Nevada University. Looking for engineering internship to build programming experience and hone coding skills. Excellent critical thinking skills, research skills and computer knowledge.

A resume objective is best for job seekers who have less than two years of experience or are changing careers, so if you’re a candidate with more experience under your belt, you might want to consider writing a professional resume summary instead.

Here’s a list of sought-after skills you can include in your engineering resume:

10 soft engineering skills:

  1. Creativity
  2. Attention to detail
  3. Analytical skills
  4. Ability to work under pressure
  5. Research skills
  6. Brainstorming
  7. Self-management skills
  8. Adaptability
  9. Leadership skills
  10. Communication skills

10 hardengineering skills:

  1. Project management
  2. Debugging
  3. Troubleshooting
  4. Prototyping
  5. Web development
  6. Data structures and algorithms
  7. C++
  8. SQL
  9. Python
  10. JavaScript

The goal of a professional summary is to highlight your top engineering skills and professional experience relevant to the job description. A summary should be short (no more than three sentences) and motivate the recruiter or manager to continue reading your resume.

Take a look at this civil engineer resume summary:

Detail-oriented civil engineer with more than six years of experience offering abilities in civil design and project management. Experience reviewing drawings and site work to meet quality, safety and budget goals. Proven track record of monitoring public and private sector agencies to identify and resolve field issues promptly.

For more inspiration, you can check our engineering resume examples for an engineering student or computer engineering.

Make it relevant to the job opening. Instead of creating a single engineer resume and submitting it to every job posting you see, read each job description carefully and tailor your resume to it.

Job postings may vary, even if they’re for the same job title, so show the hiring manager you are the best fit for that specific job by highlighting skills and key responsibilities mentioned in the listing. For example, if the job posting lists “Create and maintain controls and documentation procedures” as one of the job tasks, emphasize work achievements and/or skills in your resume that show you can excel at this task.

Don’t include irrelevant information, such as your first part-time job or your favorite hobbies. Everything you write in your resume should target the job opening and be relevant to it. Otherwise, you’ll be wasting valuable space with information that won’t convince employers to call you for a job interview.

Some other things to not include in your engineering resume:

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Maria Profile
WRITTEN BY Maria

Maria is a Puerto Rico-based Content Writer with ample background in digital marketing and copywriting. She graduated from the University of Puerto Rico with a B.A. in English and enjoys making information accessible to others.

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