Recruiters will receive hundreds of applications for every competitive engineering job, so how can you make sure your engineering CV stands out from the crowd and doesn’t get discarded at the first hurdle?
Whether you are applying for a software engineering or a mechanical engineering role, recruiters will be looking for the same key points, but with limited space on your CV to make that lasting impression, where do you start?
We asked our technical recruitment team for their top advice when it comes to writing the perfect engineering CV. Here is a list of what to prioritise.
1. Create a clear structure
First of all, recruiters expect an engineering CV to reflect the characteristics of an engineer. Therefore, it needs to be concise, straight-forward and structured. With that in mind, we would advise against using colour, photos or logos as these could distract away from your valued skills and experience.
Start your CV by introducing yourself with a couple of lines highlighting your current job title, key skills and achievements. This section is designed to draw attention to the most important things you have accomplished to hook the reader and make you stand out from the competition – without going into too much detail.
2. Highlight your technical skills
Unsurprisingly, technical skills are the first thing a recruiter will look for within your engineering CV when assessing your suitability for their role. Specifically, the recruiter will be checking your education and work experience as well as your understanding of different programs, systems and software – depending on your specialty. Therefore, any relevant technical information should be at the forefront of your CV.
If you are a recent graduate or intern with little professional technical experience, it is a good idea to focus on the technical skills you have acquired at university. A good way to do this is to list any relevant modules you have studied, detail the types of projects you have worked on and highlight the different technologies you have learnt throughout the course.
3. Include any relevant professional development
Have you completed any additional training, such as a project management course or a six-sigma belt? Including this kind of detail within your engineering CV will help differentiate your application from all the others a recruiter reads. Not only does additional training show drive and a desire to learn, it also helps a recruiter understand your broader breadth of skills.
4. Tailor your technical experience
At CK, our recruiters’ number one recommendation would always be to tailor your CV to the job description. No two roles are the same, so your applications shouldn’t be either.
Do your research on the company, look at the latest projects they have worked on and find out what technologies they use within the company. If you have experience in these areas, mention it clearly in your CV!
Another good tip is to highlight keywords mentioned in the job description. For instance, if an advert asks for experience in Autocad, the recruiter will be discarding any CVs with no or little mention of it. Instead, show off your experience and use specific examples of when you use Autocad in your day-to-day role, even if it may seem obvious to you.
5. Don’t forget the soft skills
Although your engineering CV should mainly focus on your technical abilities, examples of soft skills should not go a miss.
In this day and age, an engineer is expected to work in a team and think critically. Not only that, but nowadays companies are also more determined than ever to hire staff that match their values and company culture. With such an emphasis on staff retention, companies want someone who will be a good fit, technically and personally.
However, applicants shouldn’t just list their soft skills like a shopping list with no context. Rather, examples of soft skills should be woven in with key accomplishments and specific examples, in the work experience section of your CV.
Some key soft skills to include are:
Communication skills
Most engineers will work in a team, where communication skills are essential. Many engineering jobs are information-heavy, and employers want to be assured that their staff can easily communicate and share important information with their team, and in some cases clients.
If you can, use examples of when your communication skills were key to the success of a project.
Problem solving
It’s one thing having the right technical skillset, it’s another knowing when and how to use that skillset, especially in times of crisis. Every engineer will know that too often projects will encounter issues. Again, employers are looking for staff who can deal with these issues promptly and effectively.
Why not use examples of times you needed to solve a problem, and how you dealt with the situation?
Interpersonal skills
As mentioned above, companies are more and more interested in hiring staff who will fit in with the company dynamics and culture. Therefore, they are on the lookout for candidates who show a positive attitude and will interact with others in a friendly and professional manner.
This is especially important to remember for interviews, but interpersonal soft skills can also be demonstrated in your CV. They can be mentioned, for instance, when detailing examples of teamwork, leadership, responsibility and dependability.
Still struggling to write that perfect engineering CV? At CK our team know exactly what our clients are looking for, so why not send in your CV and get one of our recruiters to give you some recommendations? Meet our team here.
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