Industrial Engineer Resume PDF Examples and Skills List
Display your top skills and qualifications in your industrial engineer resume, using our resume examples, templates and resume writing tips.
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Four keys for an industrial engineer resume
To create a strong industrial engineer resume that lands you a job interview, follow the resume writing tips and industrial engineer resume samples on this page, prepared by ResumeHelp’s career experts.
Follow these four keys to write a powerful industrial engineer resume.
Feature qualifications and skills that fit the job
The best advice we can give you in regards to your industrial engineer resume is to tailor each resume you write to match the job description for the role you’re applying to. In other words, the days of sending the same resume with multiple job applications are over. In today’s job hiring environment, you must include keywords from the job description, like required skills and responsibilities, to increase your chances of making it through applicant tracking systems (ATS). ATS is programmed by hiring manager to select the most qualified candidates for the job based on how keywords match up. For example, if a job posting requires you to have “Green Belt certification for Six Sigma Certification” then your resume, cover letter and job application should mention that if you have it.
Focus on accomplishments instead of daily tasks
In today’s job search, it’s not enough to just have the right education or experience. Go beyond your qualifications by writing a industrial engineering resume that shows highly impressive accomplishments that other job candidates can’t match. Focus on achievements rather than daily industrial engineering tasks that most other job candidates will also list on their resume. Mention specific results, using numbers and metrics to spell out your achievements more clearly to hiring managers. For example: “Conducted 30 product inspections annually to identify defects and areas for improvement with an average of 10% cost reduction.”
Provide a mix of technical skills and soft skills
Industrial engineer resumes typically focus on detail-oriented soft skills as well as general technical hard skills. Highlighting your best hard skills and work experience shows you’re a qualified candidate, but “soft skill” traits like being an effective communicator, problem solver or critical thinker, or having abilities in areas such as time management also show employers that you have the right personality for the job and can work well with engineering teams.
Show off any extra training and credentials you have
Beyond your engineering degrees, you can create a separate resume section to show off any certifications (e.g. Certified Quality Engineer (CQE) certification) or additional training you’ve completed to solidify your technical expertise as an industrial engineer. Also include whether you’ve obtained a state-issued Professional Engineer (PE) license or Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.
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Action words to energize your industrial engineer resume
Action words can make the accomplishments you feature in your resume skills section and resume work experience section sound more exciting and truly represent your actual work performances. Here is a comprehensive list of appropriate action words to feature on your industrial engineer resume.
- Achieved
- Addressed
- Administered
- Arranged
- Authored
- Collaborated
- Conceptualized
- Coordinated
- Created
- Customized
- Demonstrated
- Designed
- Developed
- Directed
- Drafted
- Elected
- Established
- Evaluated
- Executed
- Expanded
- Expedited
- Facilitated
- Formulated
- Generated
- Handled
- Implemented
- Improved
- Interpreted
- Interviewed
- Managed
- Mediated
- Negotiated
- Optimized
- Organized
- Oversaw
- Pioneered
- Planned
- Prepared
- Presented
- Proposed
- Reduced
- Resolved
- Restored
- Supervised
- Transformed
Choose the right format for your resume
When building on an industrial engineering resume example, one key is the resume format. Your format impacts what you emphasize and what pieces of information you include. A chronological resume format will have more of an emphasis on work history, while a functional resume format will have more emphasis on skills. The combination resume format, also known as the hybrid format, highlights both work history and skills.
To determine the best resume format for your level of industrial engineering experience, here is a guide:
Experienced: The reverse-chronological resume format emphasizes your years of experience and highlights your relevant skills.
Recent graduate/entry level: The functional resume format takes the focus off your (lack of) work experience by highlighting relevant transferable skills instead.
Experienced/gap in employment history/career changer: The combination format prioritizes an even mix of experience with skills.
20 key skills for your industrial engineer resume
Industrial engineers need to demonstrate both hard skills and soft skills. Hard skills are abilities learned through education and on-the-job training, while soft skills are intangible, personality-driven traits and interpersonal skills.
Here are some industrial engineer skills to include in your resume skills section:
- Project management
- Working with project software (AutoCAD, Solidworks)
- Time management
- Cost reduction
- Production process flow improvement
- Profitability
- Understanding manufacturing processes
- Problem-solving skills
- Presentation skills
- Strategic thinking/continuous improvement
- Analytical thinking
- Quality control/assurance
- Six Sigma certification
- Communication skills
- Kaizen methodology
- Supply chain knowledge
- Computer skills
- Technical skills
- Data analysis
- Lean manufacturing
For more help with adding powerful skills to your industrial engineer resume, use our Resume Builder to create your resume. The auto-populated industrial engineering skills and other industry-specific wording suggestions quickly guide you every step of the way.
Build my resumeHow to write an industrial engineer resume
Now that you’ve had time to browse through the industrial engineering resume examples on this page, here are the steps to writing your most powerful resume ever:
Resume header
The resume header will be the first notable section of your resume design. It includes your full name and contact information, including your phone number, email address and links to any profiles you have on professional social media sites. You can look at different industrial engineering resume samples to see different examples of headers, and how they’re filled out.
Resume summary or objective
Leading off your resume is the resume summary or resume objective. Both are short paragraphs that summarize your goals, skills and best accomplishments. Use a resume summary if you have ample industry work experience to highlight. Use a resume objective if you’re an entry-level industrial engineer or you are changing careers so you can state your career goals, passion for the industry and the best skills you can bring to the new job role.
Industrial engineer resume summary example:
Results-driven industrial engineer with seven years of engineering experience in implementing lean manufacturing principles, optimizing processes and improving product quality. Skilled in data analysis, project management and cross-functional collaboration. Strong background in industrial engineering with a Master of Science degree from the University of ABC. Proven track record of driving operational efficiency and cost savings through process improvements.
Industrial engineer resume objective example:
Highly motivated junior industrial engineer with one year of experience in process improvement, quality control and lean manufacturing. Bachelor of Science from the University of California, Los Angeles. Seeking a challenging role in a dynamic organization to utilize my skills and contribute to the success of supply chain management, production processes and other company initiatives. Strong problem-solving skills and ability to work in a fast-paced environment.
Resume skills
Whether you’re a junior or senior industrial engineer or applying for a job in manufacturing engineering or mechanical engineering, your skills section needs to include important skill sets for different types of work. This includes both soft skills and hard skills. Here are a few bullet points you may want to include:
- Lean manufacturing
- Process Improvement
- Six Sigma
- Data analysis
- AutoCAD
- Solidworks
- Time management
- Cost reduction
- Profitability
Resume work history
Your work experience section can include up to the last 10 years of relevant experience. In resume writing, “relevant experience” typically means either work in the same industry – in this case, an industrial engineer job – or work that has skills you can easily connect to the industry you’re planning to go into. Any work older than 10 years can be displayed in an online profile or LinkedIn page (which you can link to from your header).
Example:
Industrial Engineer
XYZ Manufacturing – Newark, New Jersey
- Implemented lean manufacturing principles resulting in a 25% increase in production efficiency.
- Designed and optimized assembly line layouts in manufacturing facilities to reduce production cycle time by 18%.
- Performed time studies and implemented work measurement techniques to improve labor productivity.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to identify and implement cost-saving initiatives.
Pro tip: Note how this example focuses on numbers (“25% increase,” “reduce production cycle time by 18%”) that gives hard evidence about your skills and ability to make a difference.
Education on resume
Your education section will include all levels of higher education including industrial engineering certifications. The industrial engineer certifications you hold may help you land the job role over candidates lacking special certifications and potentially earn you a higher salary. In your education section, you don’t need to include your GPA, but do include any academic honors you received.
Education example:
- Master of Business Administration (MBA)
School Name, City, State | Month Year – Month Year
Summa cum laude, Dean’s List
- Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering
School Name, City, State | Month Year – Month Year
- State-issued Professional Engineer (PE) license
Institute | Year Earned
- Project Management Professional (PMP) certification
Institute | Year Earned
Do’s and don’ts for an industrial engineer resume
- List only recent, relevant experience. As the industrial engineering field is always changing, work history more than 10 years old may be outdated.
- Tailor your resume to match your job accomplishments to the required skills and experience of the industrial engineering jobs that you’re applying for. Browse the industrial engineer resume sample on this page for wording suggestions.
- Mention systems you’ve worked on to showcase how you’re up-to-date with industry processes and regulations.
- List the obvious tasks that you perform day-to-day. Instead, highlight industry-specific skills and accomplishments that make you stand out from other industrial engineer candidates.
- Leave out important certifications, certificates or specialized experience. Those extras can show your passion for the industry, motivation and dedication to fine-tuning your skills.
- Make your resume too long or too short. Keep it to one page so the hiring manager has time to read about your best accomplishments. Less than one page will make you seem underqualified.Mention all the negative reasons why you want to leave your current job. A hiring manager may interpret bad-mouthing past employers as a lack of teamwork, adaptability and interpersonal skills.
FAQ: Industrial engineer resume
Have questions? We’re here to help.
What is the job description of an industrial engineer?
Adapt your industrial engineer resume job description to be similar to this:
Job requirements:
- Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, Computer Science or related field.
- 2-5 years of experience in model-based systems engineering, specifically defense-related projects.
- Knowledge of industrial systems engineering principles, requirements analysis, inventory control and system architecture.
- Proficient with Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) tools including Modeler, Cameo Systems Modeler or similar tools.
- Experience with industry standards such as UML, SysML, DoDAF and related modeling languages.
- Ability to obtain and maintain security clearance as required for DoD contracts.
Job responsibilities:
- Use Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) methodologies to develop and maintain system models for DoD projects.
- Collaborate with cross-functional team to perform root cause analysis, design and verify system requirements.
- Maintain MBSE best practices, standards and guidelines for system development and integration.
- Perform system architecture design and system integration activities using SysML and MBSE-related software.
How do you write an industrial engineer resume?
When writing a resume for industrial engineer, highlight critical technical and soft skills and experience that are most relevant to the type of industrial engineering you’re applying to. This would include your highest level of education, engineering certifications, any specialized subject matter like the automotive industry, manufacturing equipment or supply management. If you lack direct work experience, you can include online courses taken, internships, team projects or volunteer work.
Since industrial engineers will feature similar work experiences, skills and credentials in their resumes, be sure to not simply list daily tasks. Include powerful examples of your accomplishments on your industrial engineering resume. We’re talking about show-stopping, continuous improvement in multiple processes, energy efficiency or cost savings in numbers that will impress prospective employers, get you recognized as a top candidate and convince hiring managers that you deserve a job interview.
What is the headline of a resume for industrial engineer?
You have the option of leading off your resume with a resume headline that is a one-line statement that best sums up your qualifications. An example of how to use a resume headline in an industrial engineer resume would be: “Results-oriented industrial engineer with proven track record of process optimization, lowering costs by 25% for defense companies, focus on renewable energy.”
Do I need to include a cover letter for an industrial engineer application?
Yes. A cover letter is an enormously important part of an industrial engineer application. It gives you a chance to discuss your past experience, talk to a hiring manager directly and even ask for a job interview. If you’re not fully sure how to write a cover letter, you can use the Cover Letter Builder from ResumeHelp to create your own.
How can I write an industrial engineer resume without a lot of experience?
Oftentimes, a job candidate will need some experience when becoming an industrial engineer. If you’re interested in applying for an industrial engineering job without a lot of experience or you’re an entry-level job candidate, emphasize academic credentials and extracurricular experiences, such as internships, volunteer and part-time work. Additionally, place more focus on your skills using a functional resume format. Browse the industrial engineering resume examples on this page for inspiration.
How do I change my industrial engineer resume to apply to different jobs?
Even the best industrial engineer resume template won’t help your resume for industrial engineer from looking like a form letter if you send exactly the same one in for every job posting. Every job posting has keywords that showcase how a hiring manager wants to see an applicant. This is what you can use to personalize your resume for different jobs. Use the resume keywords in each job description to personalize your resume to a specific job and get recognized as a qualified applicant by passing through the applicant tracking system (ATS.)
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