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Table of contents

Popular engineering resume samples
How to write an engineering resume
Engineering resume examples by experience level
Add a cover letter
Facts about the engineering industry
Key takeaways for your engineering resume
Frequently asked questions from job seekers

Engineering is a diverse and competitive field with a wide range of applications across all sorts of different industries. From chemical engineering to civil engineering and mechanical engineering, a great engineer knows how to apply their problem-solving skills, design know-how and innovative thinking to any project that comes their way. These engineering resume skills, along with achievements and experience, should be the star of your resume.

For engineers of any field or discipline, giving these skills the chance to shine is a crucial step towards landing the perfect engineering role. That’s why you’ll need a resume that highlights your engineering skills. Resume building might seem daunting, but even total newbies can engineer a resume using our blueprint for success!

This guide will show you:

A selection of popular engineering resume examples.
Step-by-step instructions on how to write a job-winning engineering resume in 2024.
Engineering resume examples for every experience level.
Stats and facts about the engineering industry.
Commonly asked questions about resume writing.

Ready to make your resume now? Making your resume competitive is even easier and faster with the help of our professional AI Resume Builder. If you’re short on time and need to put your resume together ASAP, head over to our builder to get a document that’s ready to send out in minutes!

Popular engineering resume samples

Engineering is a versatile career path with lots of different disciplines and job titles. To better understand what a resume looks like in your specific field, check out some of our engineering resume examples. For even more resume examples, visit our resume examples page.

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How to write an engineering resume

Whether you’re a seasoned engineer with decades of experience, or a total newcomer fresh out of school, an engineering resume will almost always consist of the same basic building blocks. How you use these building blocks is up to you, but it’s important to make informed decisions based upon your experience, your industry and the specific job listing.

The perfect resume is one that is tailor-made to suit the job that you’re after. As you build your resume, be aware of opportunities to emphasize your engineering skills that stand out from the competition!

A solid resume outline is a great place to start. In this section, we’ll take a closer look at the five parts that make up a resume and some optional sections that can be used to spice things up. These sections are:

Contact info in the header.
A strong, keyword-rich resume profile.
At least one — if not several — skills sections.
A work experience section that lists your jobs in reverse-chronological order.
The highlights of your education history.
Optional sections to help you stand out.

Let’s take a look at what belongs in each of these resume sections.

Step 1

Add your contact info

Your resume header is where you list your contact information. Your name, phone number, email address and even your LinkedIn page should be included in this section. It is crucial that recruiters can easily tell how best to get in touch with you for an interview.

In this section, include:

Your name
A professional email address
Your phone number
Links to your LinkedIn profile and portfolio, if applicable

Writing tip

If your email address is something silly or personal like “coolguy99@example.com,” it’s time to switch to something more professional for your job search. An appropriate email address is usually some variation on your name or initials.

Step 2

Draft a professional summary or resume objective

A resume objective or professional summary is a great way to introduce yourself to potential employers. Candidates with significant engineering experience should use a professional summary.

Professional summaries for engineering resumes should be a concise description of the applicant’s work history, qualifications, skills and accomplishments. A professional summary is all about demonstrating how and why your experience makes you the right candidate.

A resume objective is the perfect alternative for applicants with less relevant experience. Instead of highlighting experience, a resume objective introduces an applicant’s skills, passions and goals. A strong resume objective for engineering applicants is an opportunity to introduce yourself and what makes you unique as an engineer and a candidate.

Professional summary for an engineering resume:
Results-driven and versatile engineer with nine years of experience in diverse industries, including automotive, aerospace and manufacturing. Proven track record in project management, process improvement and complex problem-solving, with a strong focus on quality, safety and innovation. Adept at collaborating with cross-functional teams and utilizing excellent communication skills to optimize project outcomes. Seeking a challenging opportunity to leverage technical expertise and leadership skills to contribute to an organization’s success and continuous growth.

Sample objective for an engineering resume:
Dedicated and highly motivated chemical engineer with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and valuable internship experience in the pharmaceutical and petrochemical industries. Possessing a strong foundation in process design, optimization and safety protocols. Eager to contribute innovative solutions, strong analytical skills and a passion for sustainable development to a growth-oriented organization. Seeking a challenging full-time position where I can further develop my expertise.

Step 3

List your most relevant skills

Whether you are a seasoned engineer with decades of experience or a newcomer fresh out of school, your engineering skills are one of the most important things to communicate on your engineering resume. You may be wondering how to write a skills section, but worry not! It’s simpler than you think.

Resume experts often divide skills into two categories: hard skills and soft skills. Hard skills are the product of learning and experience. You earn hard skills through technical know-how. Hard skills for an engineer might include your proficiency with engineering software or your knowledge of programming languages or particular digital or physical tools.

Soft skills are more subtle. They are the character traits and personal strengths that make you a good fit for the position, such as collaboration and communication skills. Although they are less concrete than your engineering skills, they still serve an important purpose on your resume. Your resume will be stronger for allowing both to shine.

Writing tip

Use the job listing to inspire the engineering skills that you choose to include on your engineering resume. In the age of applicant tracking systems (ATS), matching the listing is a smart way to help your resume make it into the right hands.

Hard and soft skills for an engineering resume

Hard Skills

Computer-aided design (CAD) software
Knowledge of industry-specific tools and software
Analytical prowess
Programming languages
Simulation and modeling software
Task management software

Soft Skills

Time management
Verbal and written communication
Collaboration
Resourcefulness
Flexibility
Leadership

Step 4

Detail your work experience

The work experience section of your resume is where you get to show your potential employer concrete examples of your engineering skills in action. Describing your work history shows hiring teams that you’re capable of doing work that impacts your organization.

The work experience section of your resume should include a brief summary of your work history, beginning with the most recent position and working backwards. Be sure to include the projects you’ve worked on and the skills that you’ve demonstrated in each position.

Writing tip

No recruiter wants to read a repetitive laundry list of “responsible for.” Avoid resume cliches and use persuasive action words instead. Describe your responsibilities in terms of the active roles that you’ve played and the impact that you’ve had on the organization. Include real numerical data to make that impact even more tangible for recruiters.

Sample engineering work experience entry:

Mechanical Engineer, Evergreen Technology Solutions
Walnut Creek, CA 05/2021 to Present

Collaborated with cross-functional teams, including electrical engineers, software developers and product managers, to develop and refine product specifications and requirements.
Utilized CAD software (SolidWorks, AutoCAD) to design and analyze complex mechanical components, ensuring compliance with industry standards and company guidelines.
Conducted Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to optimize designs for strength, durability and weight reduction while minimizing manufacturing costs.
Developed and executed test plans to validate performance, reliability and safety of mechanical systems, using both simulation tools and physical prototyping.
Identified and resolved design issues through root cause analysis, resulting in a 15% improvement in overall product reliability.

Step 5

Highlight your education and credentials

The education section of your resume is — you guessed it! — where you should summarize your education.

Begin with your most recent education and work backward. List your degree along with your major and institution. If you have a college education, including your high school diploma is unnecessary. You can also list nontraditional education, like vocational programs or apprenticeships, but these can be put in their own special section instead.

Fellowships, apprenticeships and other nontraditional educational experiences can either be listed here or in a special section.

Sample engineering education entries:

How to include your completed degree:

Master of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA – 2022
Bachelor of Science in Engineering, Amherst College, Amherst, MA – 2021

How to list a degree that is still in progress:

Bachelor of Science in Engineering, Amherst College, Amherst, MA – Expected in 06/2024

Writing tip

If your most recent education was more than a few years ago, hold off on including the dates. They may introduce age bias into your resume and they don’t add anything particularly helpful. For recent graduates, those dates are important because they explain the lack of work experience that a recent grad is bound to have.

Step 6

Add special sections

Depending on both your career progression and your individual story, there may be all sorts of different qualifications that you should include on your resume that don’t fit neatly into other sections. Things like volunteer work, certifications, and awards and achievements can be a terrific asset which helps your resume to stand out. Here are some to consider:

Certifications: In the course of your education, training and career, you may find yourself needing certain certifications to proceed. Even optional certifications are common in many careers and are a great way to show hard proof of your expertise. As long as they’re relevant to the position you’re applying for, certifications should be listed on your engineering resume. Some examples include:

Professional Engineer (PE)
Project Management Professional (PMP)
Certified Quality Engineer (CQE)
Certified Systems Engineering Professional (CSEP)

Language proficiency: Speaking multiple languages shows both cultural awareness and mental agility. Learning two languages is difficult and those who can use this skill to demonstrate their ability to learn on their resume should take advantage of the opportunity. Here’s how languages might look on your engineering resume:

Fluent in English and German
Conversational in Dutch

Volunteer work: Volunteering is a great way to help your community and demonstrate initiative and character on your resume. The best choices for a volunteering section for your resume are instances where you have volunteered relevant expertise or skills. In the case of an engineer, this may look like volunteering to teach a coding camp to elementary school students at your local community center.

Hobbies & interests: Hobbies and interests add character to your resume. If your hobbies use similar skills to your career, this demonstrates your passion for exercising these abilities. A wide variety of hobbies demonstrates well-roundedness.

Writing tip

Try to limit extra sections to things that are relevant to your career. An interest in action movies is not a great choice for an engineering hobby section, but a passion for digital design is. Never forget to tailor your resume to the specific job that you’re seeking.

Engineering resume examples by experience level

Formatting your resume is a crucial part of the writing process. Your resume should be well-organized and easy to read, while also leaning into your strengths. There are three main resume formats that each offer different advantages.

A functional resume format is great for an engineer who is just starting their career or who has switched jobs a lot. This format gives less weight to engineering experience and extra attention to engineering skills. For resumes with less experience to show, this is the way to go!
A combination resume is a nice middle ground for workers with some experience who still want to use engineering skills as a selling point. Combination resumes give more attention to experience than functional resumes do, while allowing skills to bridge the applicant’s gaps in experience.
A chronological resume format is the right choice for engineers with lots of career experience. Skills are still important, but most of them will be listed in the context of career achievements. A chronological resume dedicates most of its space to work history.

Let’s take a look at each of these formats in action.

Functional resume format: Entry-level engineering resume example

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What makes this a great engineering resume example

Impressive career objective
Because their experience is shorter, this applicant has chosen a resume objective to introduce their abilities, achievements and career goals.
Perfect format for an entry-level applicant
Professional experience is scant for most entry-level candidates. Instead, it’d be best to focus on the skills you’ve acquired in school, internships, part-time jobs and volunteer work. Here, the engineering skills are featured in various distinct sections, giving them more space than the experience section.
Multiple skills sections
This applicant has emphasized their professional skills with not one, but two skills sections. Focusing on skills bridges the gap left by a lack of concrete work experience.

Combination resume format: Midcareer engineering resume example

Resume mid career example software engineer

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What makes this a great engineering resume example

A prominent skills section
The skills section of this resume includes soft skills, like “detail-oriented,” and engineering hard skills, like “data analysis.”
Work history shows a clear trajectory
Because this individual is more experienced, job history plays a bigger role in their resume. Giving both experience and skills their own space allows this applicant to showcase their work history as well as their expertise.
The professional summary is well-written
First impressions count, and this candidate opens with a detailed, skills-focused summary that will catch the eye of hiring managers.

Chronological resume format: Experienced engineering resume example

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What makes this a great engineering resume example

Perfect resume format choice
Because this applicant is very experienced, they’ve opted for a chronological format which allows their extensive work history to shine.
The spotlight is on work experience
Later in your career, work history becomes the focus of a your resume. The experience section of this resume uses the work experience section to drive home the impact of their work through the use of data and metrics.
Use of additional sections
Including a certifications section is a great call and concretely demonstrates this applicant’s skills.

Add a cover letter

Create your cover letter

After putting in all that work to write your engineering resume, writing a cover letter on top of that may feel tedious or even redundant. This is not the case. A cover letter is a fantastic opportunity to communicate with hiring managers and recruiters. Your resume is an outline of your skills, competencies, experience and achievements. Your cover letter ties this all together by giving you the chance to explain why these things make you the perfect choice for the job! It is an opportunity that shouldn’t be neglected.

For a better idea of how to tackle a cover letter, check out our library of cover letter examples, as well as our guide to making a cover letter. If the idea of writing your very own cover letter still feels daunting, you can also give our Cover Letter Builder a try. The Cover Letter Builder’s AI uses the information you input to create a customized cover letter in a matter of minutes.

Facts about the engineering industry

Engineering is a growing profession with lots of different roles spanning different fields and industries. From chemical engineers to aerospace engineers and software engineers, engineering is a highly technical field where passionate solutions-oriented workers will thrive. Here’s what you can expect for the profession:

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, engineering and architecture careers should account for 91,300 new jobs over the course of the decade beginning in 2021 and ending in 2031.
Median salaries for engineers:
- Aerospace engineers can earn a median salary of $122,270 per year.
- Bioengineers and biomedical engineers earn a median salary of $97,410 per year.
- Civil engineers earn a median salary of $88,050 per year.
Employment in the engineering field is projected to trend upward from 2021 to 2031, growing 7% for civil engineers, 14% for chemical engineers and 10% for industrial engineers.

Key takeaways for your engineering resume

Study engineering resume examples

Resume samples are helpful tools which allow you to see how other professionals in your industry are formatting their resumes and organizing information. Note the resume templates that other engineers have chosen. An engineer who is more design focused may choose a creative resume template, while more analytical engineering roles might benefit from a modern or professional resume template.
Tailor your resume to the specific role

Use the job description to your advantage. The best engineering resume is the one that lands you the job you want. Pay attention to the listing to achieve this.
Emphasize your most relevant skills

Your skills as an engineer are one of the most important aspects of your resume, especially if you have less concrete experience. Make sure you give your most relevant engineering skills center stage.
Don’t forget your soft skills

Technical expertise is crucial, but soft skills are just as important. Don’t forget to demonstrate your engineering soft skills. Even a highly specialized AI engineer needs to know how to work on a team and actively listen to others.
Showcase your top achievements

Use action words and data to write an experience section that shows the impact that you’ve had in your previous roles.
Include relevant special training and certifications

Certifications are a concrete way of proving expertise. Include any relevant certifications to give your resume that extra bit of authority.
Detail your education

Your education as an engineer is very important. Make sure you include your degrees as well as any honors or awards you may have earned.
Create an engineering cover letter

Don’t underestimate the power of a well-written cover letter. Use this as an opportunity to tie together all of the qualifications on your resume.

Frequently asked questions from job seekers

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Hailey Brophy is an experienced writer with a diverse career in digital publication. She is passionate about using her unique skills and experiences to help job seekers find the information that they need to succeed.