As an engineer looking to land a specialized job, it’s wise to opt for a curriculum vitae or CV over a resume so that you can detail your extensive professional experience within your engineering discipline. A comprehensive CV will also help you to cast the net wider to apply for more than one type of engineering job. See our engineering CV templates further down on this page, which will help you to select the correct format to write the perfect CV for your specific engineering field.
Create This CV
Engineering CV Templates
Your civil engineer CV should illuminate your ability to design, build, and maintain construction projects and systems. Don’t forget to include your certification information in a prominent position.
• Projected job growth until 2024: 3%
• Required education: Bachelor’s degree
• Top skills: Technical and design software skills, ability to use surveying equipment.
Mechanical Maintenance Engineer
The work of a mechanical maintenance engineer typically involves checking, repairing, servicing equipment and systems to ensure they run smoothly. Your mechanical maintenance engineer CV should thus reflect your methodical approach to maintaining important machinery.
• Projected industry growth until 2024: 5%
• Required education: Bachelor’s degree
• Important skills: Ability to work well under pressure, sound technical knowledge, problem-solving skills.
Mechanical Engineer
Because this is a broad field of engineering, your mechanical engineer CV should amplify your areas of interest or expertise, be it in design, development, building, maintenance or testing.
• Projected job growth until 2024: 5%
• Required education: Bachelor’s degree
• Must-have skills: Good problem-solving ability, attention to detail.
Aerospace Engineer
Although job prospects in this industry are expected to decline, there will still be a need for aerospace engineers to research and develop aircraft that can reduce noise pollution and improve fuel efficiency.
• Projected job growth until 2024: -2%
• Required education: Bachelor’s degree
• Must-have skills: Physics or applied physics, software engineering or mathematics.
Electrical Engineer
Employers value practical experience, so your electrical engineer CV should showcase your experience particularly in research and development. You will impress employers if you have participated in cooperative engineering programs, so include this in your electrical engineer CV too.
• Projected job growth until 2024: 0%
• Required education: Bachelor’s degree
• Top skills: Critical thinking, problem-solving, innovative thinking.
Engineering CV Questions
It is not common practice anymore to list references on your CV. If employer want them, they typically ask you for them separately. Instead of worrying about references, make sure your work experience section is strongly written. This section can serve as a great reference section because it brings attention to your previous experience in the field and lists employers for which you have worked. Consider how the engineering CV sample presents this section.
The best format for a CV may vary from employer to employer. You should always look at the job description for instructions on what format to use. Typically, the most requested formats are PDF or MS Word. These allow for easier access to the file and ensure the hiring manager can open it. In addition, as you can see in the engineering CV sample, saving in these formats allows you to use special characters and fonts, which the txt format does not.
Every CV, including the engineering CV sample, includes some important sections. One of those is the education section. This lists the training and education you have that relate to the field and make you eligible for the position. Education is important for this profession because employers highly covet knowledgeable employees. This section should only mention education and training relevant to engineering. Leave out your high school diploma. Because you went to college, the hiring manager knows you have a high school education.
There is no one best CV template to use. The basic rule is to use a template that features traditional organization. Avoid getting too creative or messing with the general order of the sections. Hiring managers want to be able to easily read through your CV and not have to hunt to find the information they want. Look to the engineering CV sample for a good template. You may also use our resume builder. It makes creating your CV effortless with a step-by-step process.
The key to getting a job is making yourself seem like the perfect candidate for it. You must stand out from everyone else applying. Looking at the engineering CV sample, you can see several things that make this applicant notable. It starts with the summary statement. Include here your most important attributes that match the employer’s job description. Follow this up by using key terms from the description throughout your CV. Finally, make sure to list accomplishments or special achievements you have had in your career. These grab the attention of a hiring manager because they set you apart from everyone else.
What Most Engineering Job Seekers Forget to Include
Given the highly specialized nature of the engineering industry, you probably already know what hard skills to include in your engineering CV. And, while it’s important to detail those, you should not overlook the value of including soft skills too. These include excellent communication, creativity, adaptability, collaborating well with others, and leadership skills. You could demonstrate these attributes by sharing related professional accomplishments. In an ever-changing technological environment, you could also mention that you can adapt quickly to advancements in your field. Look over our engineering CV templates to see how we incorporated this information.
Excellent Action Verbs for your Engineering CV
A prospective employer doesn’t want to read a laundry list of your previous professional duties. Instead, they want to see your value. As you explain your responsibilities in your work experience section, work in professional accomplishments that illuminate your worth as an employee. Start each line with a strong action verb that demands attention and professes your strength as an employee. Take a look at the list of verbs below, and consider how they enhanced our engineering CV templates. Contemplate how you can incorporate them into your own engineering CV to make you stand out as a leader in your field. Remember to write in the active voice, for example: “Lead and manage a team of 10 Junior Engineers.” This list is intended to help you get started. As you read it, ask yourself which ones work best for you. Don’t stop there. Think of the roles you’ve played in your past jobs and which verbs will not only best describe your abilities as a skillful engineer, but also that you are a well-rounded individual who can manage, lead and use initiative.
• Initiated
• Lead
• Collaborated
• Managed
• Executed
• Engineered
• Instituted
• Facilitated
• Spearheaded
• Maintained