Those of you looking to put a resume together for a career in Engineering should be considering absolutely anything you can to make your application better than everyone else’s. In this article I will try to provide you with some great pointers for improving your resume in order for you to present yourself in the best possible light.
You should always start a resume with your name, address and contact details and your engineering resume should be no different. Try to make a bold start to your resume by highlighting this information at the top of the page in larger text than the rest of your resume.
The first factual information you present really needs to grab the reader. This is not always an easy thing to do, and that is especially the case when it comes to engineering. This is because your job role is a particularly technical position and the person who is reading your application is probably working in an administrative position so they are unlikely to understand many of the technical aspects of your job. The trick to combat this is to try hard to present your information in a conversational tone and you also have to try not to get too bogged down in technical terms. Of course you need to highlight your skills, but if this can be done in general terms then you are going to help your application.
Start off with an objective statement which explains what sort of position you are looking for but try to dispense with anything too technical and aim for a short, punchy sentence. This should be followed by a summary of your skills in the field. This section will more than likely have to be quite technical, but as long as you bullet point this section, the reader shouldn’t get too bogged down in your text.
Follow this section with your working experience. This should start with your most recent position and move backwards from there. Try to elaborate on your previous posts and give as much detail as possible about your duties in these jobs. Again, if you can present these duties in general terms instead of getting caught up in industry speak it will help your prospective employer to better understand your application.
Your Engineering Resume should also have a detailed section about your qualifications and education. This section should focus on your qualifications awarded to you specifically for your career in engineering, and your degree. Be sure to break your degree down to its component parts and explain what areas you excelled in and why. You can also use this section to explain a little as to why you decided to move into the engineering industry.
Finish your resume off with a conversational section about your hobbies outside of work. This is a nice opportunity for you to show a different side to your personality and to show that you are a friendly outgoing person who is active within your community.