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.
Vince Perez
123 Fake Street | City, State, Zip Code
Cell: 000-000-0000
email@email.com
Professional Summary
Resolute Mechanical Design Engineer blending technical know-how with project management proficiencies to meet often complex design requirements. Facilitate project success with cost-effective design solutions. Possess extensive practical experience utilizing 2D and 3D CAD modeling applications to visualize design specifications.
Core Qualifications
- CAD software
- Code design and testing
- Mechanical design schematics
- Injection mold design
- Advanced mathematical capabilities
- Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing
- Effective oral/verbal communicator
Experience
Mechanical Design Engineer, September 2013 – Present
Company Name – City, State- Prepare bills of materials.
- Travel to project sites when necessary to take physical measurements required to complete requested designs.
- Oversee mechanical design phases from concept through production.
- Weigh cost constraints while preparing project design schedules.
- Collaborate with senior mechanical designers on large-scale design projects.
- Confirm compliance with design standards.
Mechanical Design Engineer, March 2011 – July 2013
Company Name – City, State
- Verified requested integration capabilities of designed components.
- Assessed practical manufacturability of completed designs.
- Reproduced and updated archived designs to conform with current requirements.
- Assisted with preparations for client presentations.
- Mentored junior staff members.
Education
2012 Associate’s Degree, Mechanical Design Technology
University of California – City, State
2010 Associate’s Degree, Engineering
West Side Community College – City, State
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.
Mechanical Design Engineer Resume Questions
What goes in the header of a mechanical design engineer resume?
The header is a simple but vital component of your resume. It should feature your name and contact information, including a personal phone number and email address. Never use your work email or business phone number when searching for a new position. Another essential thing to include is your geographic location, so the hiring manager knows if you’re local or not. You can follow the example of the mechanical design engineer resume sample and include your full mailing address, but your current city and state are enough.
What’s the best resume template to use for a mechanical design engineer resume?
Because you’re applying for a design job, you can get a little creative with your resume, if you want to. However, consider the firm you are dealing with before deciding how far to go with your creativity. When in doubt, follow the example of the mechanical design engineer resume sample and create a standard, professional-looking document. If you do decide to do something unexpected with your formatting, remember to stick with fonts that are easy to read and a layout that is easy to follow.
What should your education section look like in a mechanical design engineer resume?
Your education is an integral part of your resume and is usually the final section, as you can see in the mechanical design engineer resume sample. Starting with your most recent education, list your degree, major, school, city, and state. Omit your GPA, but include information about any honors you received. You can also omit your graduation year, especially if it was more than 10 or 15 years ago. For more help on creating and filling the necessary sections of your resume, check out our step-by-step resume builder.
How do you write a summary statement for a mechanical design engineer resume?
A summary statement gives you a chance to showcase your main points, possibly giving you a better chance at an interview. As you can see from the mechanical design engineer resume sample, the professional summary section is a great place for you to make connections between your experience and the position you want. If you are unsure about what to include in this section, start by studying the job description, and then draw attention to your most relevant skills and accomplishments from your work history section.
What should you do to make sure your mechanical design engineer resume makes it past an ATS?
Many employers use Applicant Tracking Systems to prescreen resumes based on education requirements, certifications, and job-related keywords. To help your resume make it past an ATS, first format your document in a way that is easy for the software to parse. Use standard fonts and formatting, like the mechanical design engineer resume sample does, and be sure to match your phrasing and keywords to the job description whenever possible. If you want to present a fancier version of your resume at the interview, you can print a hard copy for that purpose.
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.