Engineering Resume Examples for 2023

Engineering is a competitive industry — out of the 2 million bachelor’s degrees awarded in 2019–2020, engineering degrees were among the six most popular. So to score the job you want, you need the best engineering resume possible.

The downloadable example above and the following three writing tips below will help you write a convincing resume for your dream engineering job:

1. Use a professional resume format

A standard chronological resume includes the following sections:

• Resume header: your name and contact information
• Resume introduction: a 1–5 sentence paragraph introducing yourself and your professional background
• Work experience: a list of your relevant jobs and bulleted lists of your accomplishments in those positions
• Education section: your most recent degree title
• Skills section: a bulleted list of your applicable skills

Quick Tip

If you’re an engineer fresh out of college, consider opting for a functional resume format instead. A functional resume emphasizes your skills and education sections by moving them toward the top of the page.

2. Highlight your engineering skills

Engineering requires technical expertise. Employers want to clearly see on your resume which software and systems you have experience working with.

Also, don’t underestimate the value of soft skills in engineering. For example, communication skills are important because critical failures may occur if communication breaks down.

Here are some examples of good engineering skills to highlight on your resume:

Technical skills for engineers

• Software (SolidWorks, Minitab, Tinkercad, AutoCAD, MATLAB, Inventor CAM, Microsoft Visio)
• Coding languages (C, C++, Java, and SQL)
• Computer hardware skills
• Knowledge of industry news and specs
• Cloud collaboration (Google Drive and Dropbox)
• Spreadsheets (Excel and Google Sheets)
• Microsoft Office (Word and Outlook)
• Remote communication tools (Zoom, Google Meet, Slack, and Microsoft Teams)

Soft skills for engineers

• Interpersonal skills
• Innovation
• Problem solving
• Leadership
• Critical thinking
• Analysis
• Organizational skills
• Collaboration

Quick Tip

Remember to also write a professional cover letter that explains more about the skills on your resume.

3. Optimize your resume summary

Your application is one of many sent to your target company. To ensure the hiring manager reads your entire resume, frontload it with your top engineering qualifications in a compelling resume summary.

A good resume summary clearly states your:

• experience level
• lead qualifications
• most relevant accomplishments
• target position

Make this section brief but packed with what you most want a hiring manager to know you have to offer.

Here’s an example of a well-written resume summary for an engineering resume:

Engineering Resume Objective Example

Mechanical Engineer with 5+ years of experience in lightweight materials innovation, production, and maintenance. Possess a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from UC San Diego. Seeking to leverage SolidWorks expertise, leadership abilities, and materials development competency in the role of Senior Mechanical Engineer at your company.

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