A well-written resume will make you stand out among the other candidates in the mechanical engineering field. Your resume is your first impression of who you are to potential employers and should showcase your skills, experience and qualifications – especially since you worked hard to achieve them.
In this blog post, we’ll break down the important components of the resume and show you how to write the best mechanical engineering resume.
Tailor Your Resume to the Job
Before writing your resume, carefully review the job posting and requirements. Tailor your resume to the job by highlighting the skills and qualifications the employer is looking for.
Use keywords from the job description in your resume to connect your expertise to the position. Making a solid connection between your background and the employer’s needs will increase your chances of getting the mechanical engineering job.
Use a Clear, Concise Format
Your resume should be easy to read and follow. Use a clear, concise format with bullet points and headings to organize your information.
Creating a visually appealing resume will make it more eye-catching and easier for recruiters and hiring managers to digest. Use a font size of 10-12 and leave plenty of white space to make your resume easy on the eyes.
Below is an example mechanical engineer resume in a neat format.
Use Powerful Action Verbs
Use action verbs in your resume to make it more engaging and dynamic. Action verbs are words that describe a specific action, such as “created,” “managed” or “designed.” All three of these also have powerful alternatives such as “launched,” “spearheaded” or “built.”
When you use action verbs, they put your achievements and accomplishments in the limelight and make your resume more attractive.
Here is a list of powerful action verbs you can use:
- Showing communication skills
- Conveyed
- Collaborated
- Documented
- Instructed
- Performed
- Presented
- Trained
- Showing management skills
- Drove
- Established
- Executed
- Implemented
- Improved
- Launched
- Led
- Managed
- Spearheaded
- Streamlined
- Showing creative skills
- Brainstormed
- Built
- Created
- Collaborated
- Designed
- Developed
- Enhanced
- Improved
- Inspired
- Modeled
- Redesigned
- Sketched
- Strategized
- Transformed
- Showing leadership skills
- Aligned
- Arranged
- Championed
- Cultivated
- Directed
- Empowered
- Enforced
- Fostered
- Implemented
- Integrated
- Leveraged
- Mentored
- Optimized
- Restructured
- Shaped
- Showing technical skills
- Automated
- Built
- Coded
- Created
- Deployed
- Designed
- Detected
- Developed
- Devised
- Discovered
- Enhanced
- Installed
- Launched
- Modeled
- Modified
- Programmed
- Remodeled
- Refined
- Sketched
- Tested
- Updated
Emphasize Your Work Experience
Your work experience is one of the most important parts of your resume. Emphasize your work experience by listing your previous jobs in reverse chronological order, from your most recent to the oldest.
List your job title, employer, location, employment dates and key responsibilities for each job. Bullet points and action verbs will concisely capture your accomplishments in each position.
Include Relevant Education and Training
In addition to your work experience, your resume should include your education and any relevant training you have received.
List your degree(s), major(s) and any relevant coursework, and include any training pertinent to the job you are applying for.
Highlight Your Technical Skills Certifications You Have
Because mechanical engineering is a technical field, your resume should showcase your technical skills. List your skills and software programs you are proficient in, such as AutoCAD or SOLIDWORKS. Be specific about what you did if you can.
Highlight any certifications you have earned, such as a Professional Engineer (PE) license or other industry-recognized credentials (IRCs).
READ MORE: 7 Reasons Why You Need a Mechanical Engineering Internship
Draw Attention to Your Soft Skills
Because employers appreciate soft skills, you’ll want to draw attention to your soft skills. Top soft skills for mechanical engineers include communication, teamwork, problem-solving, time management and leadership skills.
Use action verbs and briefly describe what you accomplished from your work experience. By adding examples, you demonstrate to your future employer how you’ve used the skills in your past roles.
Proofread and Edit Before You Submit
Before you submit your resume, make sure you proofread and edit it carefully. Look for spelling, grammar errors and typos. Make sure you’re emphasizing your best skills and experiences as well as conveying the right message to your future employer.
Ask a friend to look over your resume and give you feedback. A well-written and error-free resume will make a good impression on potential employers.
READ MORE: 7 Strategies to Effective Networking for Mechanical Engineers
The Final Note
Writing an impressive mechanical engineering resume requires careful attention to detail and highlighting your best skills, experience and qualifications.
When you tailor your resume to the job, you’re demonstrating you’ve done the research and know how to communicate your experience to the recruiter or hiring manager.
You’ll be able to wow them beyond your technical skills and land your dream job.
Best of luck!
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