How to Write a Professional Engineering Resume

How to Write a Professional Engineering Resume
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Introduction: Create your Professional Engineering Resume

A professional engineering resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV) should contain a record of your personal details, qualifications and experience – no more than 2 single sided A4 pages at the most, otherwise the person reading it will lose interest half way through and chuck it in the bucket. (I have done this myself with some 4 or 5 pager resumes).

My current professional engineering resume encompasses over 45 years of my engineering career and it consists of a max of 21/2 pages, and I can reduce this depending on the job being applied for.

There are numerous websites that give guidance in creating your professional resume. Remember you have only about 30 seconds to sell yourself; it might not be an engineer who is reading your resume, but probably someone in personnel who may be completely void of engineering terms, so keep it simple as well.

Most websites specify including a covering letter along with the resume. This too should be kept short and addressed to an indidual if possible.

This is an article on creating a professional resume, and we begin by examining the relevant sections in a sample resume and, their order on the document.

Sample Professional Engineering Resume

Personal Details.

Name:

Address:

Phone No:

Mobile No:

e-Mail:

Driving License: Current, clean

Passport: Current, British

Offshore Survival Course: Current

Personal Statement.

This section is a brief history of engineering experience relevant to the job applied for;

Time served marine engineer in Harland and Wolff Shipyard (Belfast) with subsequent seagoing experience as engineer officer. I gained overseas experience in Zambia whilst employed by NCCM Zambia as supervising engineering foreman in charge of the mechanical fitters’ maintenance team, being responsible for maintenance of the power generation boilers on the Copper Smelter. Whilst employed by British Aluminium in Scottish Highlands, I was mechanical shift engineer responsible for the maintenance of all mechanical equipment in their aluminum smelter.

Present Position

I am currently employed by Kellogg, Brown and Root (KBR) as Mechanical Project Engineer at their offshore oil and gas construction yard in Scotland, where I am responsible for the initial inspection of all equipment on receipt at the yard.

I am also responsible for the preservation, installation and pre-commissioning of mechanical, piping, electrical and HVAC equipment holding this position for over 20 years.

Qualifications

  • BSC (Hons) Environmental Studies (2005)
  • City and Guilds Technical Author Diploma (1995)
  • Higher National Diploma (HND) Mechanical Engineering (1977)
  • City and Guilds Engineering Crafts Certificate (1966)

References:

British Aluminum Company

Albion House

Glasgow

GW15 6BD

(0141) 123456

Work Experience

1981-present: Kellogg, Brown and Root Offshore Construction Yard Scotland.

Position: Mechanical Project Engineer

Duties:

  1. Initial inspection and preservation of all equipment on receipt at yard and installation of same.
  2. The creation and issuing of job-cards and job-packs (installation instructions and drawings) to team of mechanical fitters and subsequent monitoring and reporting of installation progress.
  3. Writing of technical documents and procedures; load testing of lifeboat davits, offshore pedestal cranes, and overhead runway beams.

1977-1981 British Aluminum, Invergordon, Scotland

Position: Shift Engineer

Duties: Responsible for the maintenance of mechanical equipment in aluminum smelter.

  1. Overhead cranes (40T SWL).
  2. LPG Gas Plant and LPG Gas Furnaces.
  3. Casting equipment, billet saws and stacking equipment.

1973-1977 Nchanga Consolidated Copper Mines Zambia (NCCM)

Position: Mechanical Engineering Supervisor / Foreman

Duties: Responsible for maintenance of power generation Waste Heat Boilers.

  1. Internal inspection and survey of water and steam drums, re-tubing Foster Wheeler water tube boilers, setting and testing of saturated and super-heater steam safety valves
  2. Overhaul and bench-testing of all boiler valves; overhaul of forced draught and fume extraction centrifugal fans.

1966-1973 British Merchant Navy.

Position: Senior Watch-keeping Engineer

Duties: In Full charge of ships engines and boilers.

  1. Overhaul of main and auxiliary diesel engines.
  2. Main and auxiliary boiler water testing.

1962-1966 Harland and Wolff Belfast

Position: Apprentice Marine Fitter.

Reference Webs:

  1. CV Library:
  2. Monster:

Top 10 Tips for Creating your Professional Engineering Resume

Top 10 Tips for Creating your Professional Engineering Resume

These tips should be consulted when creating your resume:

  1. Use short, concise sentences. This makes the resume easier to read and holds the interest of reader.
  2. Try to make every line a selling point for yourself, but don’t try to cram too much information into the sentences.
  3. Refer to yourself as “I” and “not we.”
  4. Check every line for spelling and grammar over and over, and do not rely on spellchecker software.
  5. Keep the resume honest and factual; restrict it to 2 single sided pages at the most.
  6. Use an easily read font such as Arial size 12; don’t use fancy fonts such as Bradley and ITC. Using numbers instead of text takes up less space and catches the eye better.
  7. Embolden headings, and use bullet points to separate job experience and position held.
  8. List your experience in chronological sequence, starting with present occupation and working backwards to your first position.
  9. Use a professional email address, not a silly personalized one.
  10. Write a covering letter to accompany your resume briefly explaining your attributes and suitability for the job vacancy. Try to get the the name of the individual who will be reading the resume as this looks more professional than “Dear Sir or Madam.” Sell yourself by using terminology such as devised, created, and implemented, and by concentrating on what you can offer the employer instead of just listing your achievements.

Reference Web: CV Library (tips)