When you’re looking for a job as a mechanical design engineer, the competition for each open position can be intense. One way to ensure a hiring manager remembers your application is to create a strong and attractive professional resume. If you aren’t sure how to make your document memorable, start by reading through the mechanical design engineer resume sample included in this guide.

As you can see in the included example, it’s important to tailor all the information in your resume to the engineering industry and the job description. As you are crafting your own resume, compare it to the example to make sure your focus is correct and your writing is engaging. If you’d like even more help during the process, check out our resume builder.

Why Is This a Good Mechanical Design Engineer Resume Sample?

As you study the mechanical design engineer resume sample, notice the unique aspects that make it a strong document. Take the professional summary, for example. This short paragraph draws attention to the candidate’s qualifications, experience, and personality in a way that relates to the realities of mechanical design engineering. It’s common practice in this section to use sentence fragments written in first person without the pronouns.

After the brief marketing pitch in the professional summary, the resume moves on to a list of the candidate’s top skills. The short phrases and bullet points make this section easy to scan quickly. The recruiter can also easily compare the jobseeker’s qualifications with the job requirements. When you are creating your own skills section, follow the mechanical design engineer resume sample and include soft skills (communication) with technical capabilities (CAD software).

You may think the work experience section needs to be long and detailed, but taking a concise approach is more effective. As you can see in the mechanical design engineer resume sample, each entry starts with an informative header that includes the important details. The bullet points in each section don’t list every single duty involved in the position. Rather, they focus on the candidate’s most important actions and draw attention to the results. Along with complex tasks, such as assessing the manufacturability of designs and weighing cost constraints, the section includes examples of interpersonal skills, such as mentoring junior employees.

It’s important to include relevant information about education, especially for a job in mechanical engineering where a college degree is required. In this sample, both entries include the education institution and the date of graduation. Using reverse chronological order is the best choice, as it helps the hiring manager focus on the most recent academic achievements, which are often the most advanced and/or relevant to the position.

Why You Need a Strong Mechanical Design Engineer Resume

Mechanical design engineering is a specialized field, and jobseekers may face stiff competition for open positions. Although the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates the field is growing at an average rate (about 5 percent by the year 2024), engineering degree programs are extremely popular among students. The large number of qualified candidates means it’s essential to create a resume that can set you apart from the competition.

While you may think that the way to catch a recruiter’s attention is with a resume chock-full of details, the opposite is actually true. Studies indicate that most recruiters spend between five and seven seconds glancing through a resume. As such, it’s vital to use a clean and easy-to-read format, like the mechanical design engineer resume sample, and to only include the most important and relevant information so your qualifications don’t get lost.

Costly Mechanical Design Engineer Resume Mistakes To Avoid

Avoiding mistakes in your resume is just as important as following best writing practices. Before you submit your final copy, make sure to check over your document carefully to catch any misspelled words, grammatical mistakes, and punctuation errors.

Along with avoiding proofreading errors, you must also make sure to stay away from industry-specific pitfalls. The vast majority of mechanical design engineering openings will have specific academic requirements, so be sure to include your college degree information. Don’t forget to detail the specifics of your CAD proficiency as well, such as familiarity with both 2D and 3D modeling.

As you can see in the mechanical design engineer resume sample, you should indicate your understanding of design, production, and testing procedures. Use your skills and work experience sections to focus on your ability to improve mechanical designs to increase efficiency, production feasibility, and cost-effectiveness. Include metrics to qualify your contributions, but avoid using complex technical language, as a recruiter may not be able to wade through excessive engineering jargon.

Conclusion

Creating a strong resume is a vital first step in a job search. Get valuable insights by reading through our mechanical design engineer resume sample, and then use those guidelines in your own writing. Include metrics to define your career successes and include both soft skills and technical abilities. Curate your content to focus on the most relevant and impressive qualifications.