Mechanical engineering is about creating technologies and maintaining mechanical systems to meet human needs. Nowadays, employers do not only look for evidence of academic excellence, but also require the demonstration of certain soft skills in your resume. A resume that conveys you are a ‘well rounded’ individual will no doubt put you ahead of your competition. So, in this article, we have created a list of helpful tips to adhere to when writing your resume to make you stand out from the crowd.
Keep in mind that you are trying to demonstrate your suitability to be a mechanical engineer. So, only include the information that demonstrates your suitability for this role. Employers look for key experiences where you have shown that you are fit for the job, so make sure that your resume fits these requirements. Also, whilst the academics behind mechanical engineering are relatively uniform, this does not mean you should only have one resume- each company will have a different job description, and thus different skills and experiences they will look for. Nevertheless, here are a few general rules that apply:
Apart from contact information, you only need to include your motivation, achievements and relevant work experience. Identify the key requirements mentioned in the job description, and present your experiences to match these requirements. Focus on past engineering experience, but any other evidence of you demonstrating manufacturing creativity should be mentioned.
There are two main formats - chronological and functional. For those with extensive and relevant work experience, the chronological format is the appropriate choice. Use the following order for this format:
If you are an entry-level engineer or are changing careers, you may find the functional format to be more suitable. The sections go as follows:
Contact informationSummarySkillsAchievementsWork ExperienceEducationThis format allows you to list your skills and provide achievements to verify them.
Get creative by adding extra sections if they help you demonstrate your competencies (e.g. Awards, Publications).
Be overly creative with naming those sections. Online scanners look for particular words and may not recognize a section named ‘Relevant Background’. It is better to use a more conventional heading like, ‘Work Experience’.
Double-check your grammar and ask somebody to proofread your resume.Use a simple resume template. Stick to a professional looking font such as Arial, Calibri, Verdana or Times New Roman and keep the font size within 9-12 points.
Take a look at our examples of the resumes that landed jobs for their owners.
An entry-level mechanical engineer resume.
Experienced mechanical engineer resume
Mechanical Engineer Intern
Mechanical Engineer Student
Senior mechanical engineer resume
Resume format for mechanical engineer in power plant
Think about those long days and long nights you have spent, working in both academia and in the office. Those countless maths problems and those difficult assignments will have no doubt helped you in your journey to becoming a successful mechanical engineer, but how do you translate all these experiences onto your resume? To ensure that this no longer hinders you in your career search, we have compiled a list of tips that will easily help you fill out our resume template and highlight your most notable achievements.
This is the first thing recruiters will see on your resume. The wording of this section is extremely important, because it has to demonstrate that you have the key skills and experience required to be an engineer. If you are an entry level mechanical engineer and do not yet have the experience that others may have, gear your summary towards your passion and motivation.
Your summary needs to include your years of experience, you most recent achievements, your specific capabilities as a mechanical engineer, and your skills- soft and hard, depending on your role and level of experience. Keep your summary statement short, not more than 5-6 lines but compelling and engaging. Don’t hesitate to use specific engineering jargon.
Take a look at a few of our examples:
Mechanical Engineer with two years of experience providing evaluation of mechanical parts as per material system specification standards. Proficient at creating detailed mechanical drawings for piece parts and assemblies from Pro/E/NX models, experienced in CAD modeling. Adept in maximizing form, fit and functions through meticulous design model evaluation. Backed by advanced skills in DFM best practices and numerous CAD/CAE/CAM tools.
Mechanical Engineer with two years of experience providing evaluation of mechanical parts.
If you are submitting your education resume online, it will most likely be scanned by an applicant tracking system. An applicant tracking system (ATS) is a robot that scans your resume and looks for necessary keywords, work experience and additional requirements if there are any. However, it is still important to use professional terminology and jargon when sending a resume directly to a recruiter, despite it not being relevant to ATS. Using professional vocabulary will demonstrate that you are familiar with this field.
Include a fair number of mechanical engineering keywords, such as “data analysis”, “design testing”, and make sure to include technical keywords as well.
Overuse keywords which serve no purpose in your sentences.
In the “Work Experience” section, you can use some action words that are popular among scanning software programs.
Use relevant action words, such as: analyze, communicate, create, design, develop, draft, identify, perform, prepare, research, solve, study, test, understand, etc.
It is also important that you present your skills in the best wording possible. For instance:
Use your academic credentials as evidence of your achievements and experience. Academic prowess is what any employer notices on your resume.
Drop your technical experience. Even if they are not required, your experience may carry transferrable skills. Also, they demonstrate to your employer that you are able to learn and apply new ideas easily. Include any experience using software and computer programs.
Here are some examples:
It is good as an engineer to carry specific and measurable achievements, to make you stand out from the crowd. Also, your roles in your previous experiences can be evidenced by such numbers.
For example:
Please use the following skills to your resume in order to make it more compelling and effective.
|
BSME |
building |
CAD |
|
design |
development |
drawings |
|
equipment |
management |
project |
|
process |
simulation |
simulated models |
|
systems |
technology |
testing |
Mechanical Engineers' average annual salary was $84,190 in 2016.
Mechanical engineering is a complex task that requires special software to facilitate this job. There are a lot of software products designed for Mechanical Engineers allowing them to save time and provide exact calculations.
Here you will find the necessary and user-friendly tools.
Software for mathematical calculations:
Design software:
Simulation software:
