In most cases, a hiring manager uses your resume to decide whether to call you in for an interview. You already know how important it is to make sure your document includes the right information about your experience and skills. However, formatting this information properly is essential as well. A poorly formatted resume is difficult to read and looks unprofessional, so it will likely end up in the trash instead of on the final consideration list.
Using proper formatting is especially crucial when you are an engineer. Success in your field depends on your ability to follow instructions precisely and communicate complex data in an understandable way. Your resume is your first chance to show a recruiter some of these vital skills. This guide offers all the tools you need for writing success, including a sample document demonstrating the right resume format for engineers.
Resume Format for Engineers
Daniel Baker
Boulder, CO 11111
E: daniel.baker@anymail P: 555-874-2938
Boulder, CO 11111
E: daniel.baker@anymail P: 555-874-2938
Professional Summary
Senior spacecraft engineer with years of experience designing and operating satellites. Expert knowledge of spacecraft performance and effective operating techniques to ensure customer satisfaction while increasing profitability. Strong leader with experience training junior personnel and building effective teams of design engineers and operators.
Skills and Qualifications
● Expert proficiency with Access, SAP, STK, AutoCAD, and MATLAB
● Strong critical thinking and problem-solving
● In-depth knowledge of spacecraft development, deployment, and operation
● Excellent communicator
● Innovative and self-motivated
● Exceptional training and leadership abilities
Work Experience
Spacecraft Operations Engineer – Visual World, Inc.
2015-Present
● Manage team of satellite engineers during normal spacecraft operation, verifying proper command procedures and adherence to project requirements
● Participate in strategic panel for future spacecraft development
● Oversee training of incoming satellite engineers, including scheduling one-on-one mentoring with senior engineers
● Developed, tested, and deployed customer-facing imagery request tool, improving order accuracy by 10% while reducing manpower requirements by 65%
● Received Most Valuable Employee Award in 2016
Satellite Engineer – Visual World, Inc.
2012-2015
● Developed operational timelines for imagery satellites, modifying spacecraft performance parameters to meet customer requirements
● Reviewed incoming imagery files to ensure accurate location and resolution
● Discussed spacecraft capabilities with engineers, customers, and managers as needed during project planning and execution phases
● Performed routine tests of uplink and downlink procedures and reported anomalies to proper authorities
● Created new spacecraft management tool to simplify recordkeeping with a standardized format for command logs, increasing efficiency by 25%
Aerospace Engineer Intern – Ball Aerospace
2010-2012
● Participated in spacecraft design and testing projects under supervision of senior spacecraft engineers
● Submitted design ideas to improve designated performance criteria, increasing battery capacity by 15%
● Reviewed calculations and design materials for errors, ensuring accurate final copies with proper notations
● Completed side-by-side training with senior engineers working on various design stages, including initial concept, digital modeling, and launch simulations
● Authored detailed report on satellite design project, providing supervisors with information on development procedures, testing protocols, modeling examples, and simulation results
Education and Certifications
Licensed Professional Engineer, Aerospace
State of Colorado
Master of Aerospace Engineering – 2015
University of Colorado, Boulder
Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering – 2010
University of Colorado, Boulder
Is This a Good Resume Format for Engineers? Let’s Check
1. Does the resume make it easy for the reader to understand the candidate’s engineering skills?
Absolutely! Placing the skills section toward the top of the document and using bullet points immediately draw the reader’s eye to this clear list of relevant skills. The candidate uses short phrases instead of long sentences to make each point easy to read, even for a reader who is just skimming the document quickly. Each item on the list is related to the industry, and there is a good balance of technical abilities and soft skills.
2. Does this resume format for engineers sell the candidate’s expertise and qualifications to the reader?
Yes! The candidate makes excellent use of the professional summary section, creating a concise overview of his more impressive career accomplishments. This initial description is extremely concise, and the use of sentence fragments helps get the point across instead of obscuring the facts with unnecessary details. The candidate gives specific examples of these qualifications later on in the work experience section.
3. Are the candidate’s educational credentials obvious?
Of course! Aerospace engineering is a highly specialized and competitive field, and most employers expect jobseekers to have substantial formal education. Our candidate places all the information about his degrees and professional certification in a single section with a clear header, so it’s easy for a hiring manager to see. Details here should be minimal; as shown in the sample, there is no need to specify individual courses or GPA.
4. Does the resume show measurable examples of the candidate’s engineering achievements?
Our jobseeker does an excellent job of showcasing his engineering prowess in quantifiable ways. He includes at least one accomplishment in each work experience entry and uses hard data and numbers to prove the impact of his contributions. Notice how these achievements relate to the skills the candidate focused on in the professional summary; he provides concrete examples of increasing efficiency, improving spacecraft performance, and ensuring customer satisfaction.
5. Is the resume attractive and easy to read?
Definitely. The candidate does a great job showcasing his engineering prowess in a way that’s clear and understandable. While he includes enough information about his past projects to prove his expertise, he doesn’t fill the document with excessive details and technical jargon. The final copy conveys all the necessary information in a single uncluttered page.
The Most Important Resume Format for Engineers Takeaways
Crafting an impressive and effective resume requires you to consider both the information you include and the way you organize it. Using the right resume format for engineers helps the reader focus on your most impressive qualifications so your application can stand out in a crowded job market. Be sure to limit yourself to listing only relevant skills and educational details.
In your professional summary and work experience sections, focus on showcasing your abilities using measurable examples of your success. Tailor your language to illuminate the impact you’ve had at your previous jobs. A clear format and strong writing can help the hiring manager envision all the benefits you could bring to the company.
