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Résumés for Engineers
How to Write an Engineering Résumé
As an engineer, your résumé should reflect the knowledge and skills that you have obtained throughout your degree.
The first thing that should be done when you are writing your résumé is to choose the correct format.
Choosing the correct format for your résumé:
Due to the nature of your field, many engineers often use the Chronological Résumé format. This format is most
traditionally used and is easily recognizable by potential employers. The chronological résumé organizes your employment
history by date, beginning with your most recent position. This format is incredibly useful in showcasing your various
skills, duties, and accomplishments as they pertain to each job title. When utilizing a Chronological format, your résumé
should be organized by the following:
q Name Header
q Career Objective
q Highlight of Qualifications
q Education
q Work/Volunteer Experience
q Extracurricular activities, Awards, or Memberships
q References (Available Upon Request)
While many choose templates that are readily available through your word processing software, you may find you would
like to create something on your own.
Writing an Effective Career Objective:
It is surprising how many students do not include objectives on their résumés. Some students see the act as a repetitive
one, as they have outlined their intent on their cover letter. It is important to note that the cover letter and the
résumé are essentially two separate documents. Therefore, it is important to clearly outline the purpose of your
résumé to your reader. The objective is the easiest place to do this.
The objective is a statement of your short (or long term) employment goals. This portion of your résumé should be longer
than two sentences. It is important to be as concise as possible. Think of writing an objective this way: position +
company + 12 major skills/skill sets + how you will help or do the job well.
Examples:
q “To obtain the position of Junior Electrical Engineer with ENG Consulting, offering exceptional interpersonal
skills and 2 years in the field.”
q “Pursue a career track in environmental engineering with a large public or private agency.” (Résumés for
Engineering Careers 22)
q “To work as a mechanical designer or drafter for a company that offers professional advancement.”
(Résumés for Engineering Careers 30)
q “A professional position in engineering safety with a local government agency, with emphasis on fire
protection.” (Résumés for Engineering Careers 36)
q “To obtain a challenging position as a [junior] level development or design engineer in a progressive
company with a potential for growth.” (Résumés for Engineering Careers 44).
q “An entry level position in Civil Engineering.” (Résumés for Engineering Careers 75)
q “To obtain a position as an engineer with the opportunity to apply my knowledge of digital circuit design,
programmable controllers, and microprocessors.” (Résumés for Engineering Careers 136).
Career and Resource Centre of CDCE
Room 401 Tory Building ~ 6135206611 ~ career@carleton.ca ~ carleton.ca/cdce
Last Updated: 26Oct07 ~ Page 1 of 3
Creating your Skills Profile:
This section should include a short list of skills that are directly relevant to the position to which you are applying.
Remember that you want to reinforce your suitability for the position! Check the qualification section of the job you’re
applying for: if the employer is asking for a bilingual candidate and you are bilingual, be sure to include this in your Skills
Profile. Perhaps the job posting places an emphasis on some particular technical skills, such as CAD, UML, TCP/IP. If you
have experience using these, be sure to include it in your skills profile. Be careful: you don’t want your skills profile to
resemble a grocery list of technical applications. Always be sure to qualify your proficiency. For example, “Intermediate
experience in Windows; basic knowledge of Linux”, or “Working knowledge of UML and PSPICE, familiar with C/C++,
basic Java”.
Other skills to include in your skills profile:
q Technical ability and expertise
q Communication skills
q Leadership and interpersonal skills
q Language abilities (if applicable)
q Overview of relevant experience (e.g.: “2+ years studying Motorola chip design”)
Compiling relevant Education experience:
q Always spell out “Bachelor of Engineering”, as it is much more formal than simply writing “B. Eng”.
q Include relevant timelines for each of your education listings. After your first year of university, remove high
school.
q Don’t forget to include your fourth year project (when applicable). This project involves you seeing an idea
from conception to production. Be sure to explain your project (be concise).
q You may also want to list some relevant courses. However, if you are listing courses, remember: List only
what is relevant to the job you are applying for. Include up to five relevant courses.
Upon graduation, many students find that they do not have much in the way of direct work experience in their field. Not
to sweat! There are ways in which to showcase your previous work experience—whether it was at a gas station or in an
office environment—that will demonstrate your suitability and skills to the employer. In this case, you may wish to use
the Combined/Skills Résumé. While the engineering field prefers the Chronological format, the Combined/Skills may
showcase your various skills in a much more flattering way. The format is quite different than a Chronological, so be sure
to watch your formatting. The Combined/Skills Résumé will give you an opportunity to highlight the various skills that
you’ve acquired in all areas of your life—academic, social, work, and extracurricular. The format is as follows:
q Name Header
q Career Objective/Career Summary
q Skills Profile
q Education
q Summary of Qualifications/Skills Accomplishments and Abilities
q Work History
q Extracurricular Activities, Awards and Memberships (if applicable)
q References (Available Upon Request)
Note: Your Highlight of Qualifications section is divided into your areas of skill, such as communication skills, analytical
skills, management or technical skills. To determine what skills to highlight, consider the employer’s needs. It is also great
to start these bulleted points with strong action verbs: researched, conducted, implemented, designed, facilitated,
surveyed, presented, trained, coordinated, etc.
Resources for Résumé Writing:
Career Services has several great resources to help you as you write your résumé. Come to our resource centre to have a
look.
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q Gallery of Best Résumés 2 edition by David F. Noble
q How to Write a Winning Résumé by Deborah P. Bloch
q The Résumé Catalogue: 200 Damn Good Examples by Yana Parker
q Slam Dunk Résumés by Steven Provenzano
q The Résumé Makeover by John J. Marcus
q Résumés for Engineering Careers by The Editors of the VGM Career Horizons
Career and Resource Centre of CDCE
Room 401 Tory Building ~ 6135206611 ~ career@carleton.ca ~ carleton.ca/cdce
Last Updated: 26Oct07 ~ Page 2 of 3
Online Resources for Finding Engineering Jobs
Keep in mind this list is not exhaustive, but simply a starting place for you as you begin your job search.
Working in Canada: Interested in working for the Canadian
www.canjobs.com government? Check out the following:
www.canadianforests.com www.jobs.gc.ca
www.whatoiljobs.com/ www.ic.gc.ca
www.careeredge.ca www.pc.gc.ca
http://www.ejobs.org/ www.space.gc.ca
http://www.alcatel.com/ana/ca/jobs/ www.strategis.ic.gc.ca
www.enbridge.ca www.ec.gc.ca
http://www.careerowl.ca/ www.tc.gc.ca
www.monster.ca www.aecl.ca
http://www.jdsu.com/ www.jobsincanada.com/in_ontario_jobs.html
www.workopolis.com
International Sites:
www.it.jobs.com
www.engineerjobs.com
www.ajob4engineers.com
http://www.engcen.ca/
www.ewbinternational.org
Tip: Check the web sites for your municipality! There are many Engineering jobs available
Career and Resource Centre of CDCE
Room 401 Tory Building ~ 6135206611 ~ career@carleton.ca ~ carleton.ca/cdce
Last Updated: 26Oct07 ~ Page 3 of 3