FREE ENGINEERING RESUME & COVER LETTER ADVICE
What A Good Engineering Resume Should Always Include
You’ve found a good job posting. You liked the description. It’s right up your alley. So you send in your engineering resume and cover letter…
On the other end, the engineering hiring managers receive your resume. What are thinking when they read it? How can you sway them into giving you a call?
Well, this is the only thing that is going through the mind of the prospective engineering hiring manager as he or she reads your resume… His/Her Questions: “How Can This Person Help Me? How Can They Help My Team Be More Successful?” or in other words “What is in it for me?”
It may seem simple but this is not always obvious to engineers… the reason there is an opening is because the organization has a need… they need to fill it someone who can perform that job… That specific need, that specific job…
In order to convince the reader of your engineering resume that you are interview material… you need to pour all your efforts into telling them how you can fill THAT need.
So how do you do this? Make sure you describe your accomplishments. But only the accomplishments that help portray you as the solution to their need!!! Don’t add information that you think is important but that does not address the need, as it is not important to them…
Here is a typical example of this: A resume for a mechanical engineer working in mechanical design. The focus should be laser sharp in describing his design skills and experiences as they are directly relevant to the position he is applying for. All other roles should be dropped. This engineer has a resume that can’t go wrong. It answers the mail on all the requisites of the position clearly and directly. He got the job.
So above all… tell them about what you have done that relates to the position they have open. And do not tell them about you… Frankly the employer does not know you (only that you are and engineer) and does not really care too much at this stage (that’s for the interview)… Never say things like “I was part of a team” or “I participated in”, instead use phrases such as “I led…”, “I designed…”, “I developed…” or “I led the team that….”. Use action sentences that show you did something of value… And always related to the engineering position you applied for.
In summary make sure your writing focuses on your abilities and skills and on how they relate to the need on the other end… not on you, where you were or what you participated in. Tell them what you did and what you can do for them and you will get their attention.
You engineering resume and cover letter need to answer their question: “What Is In It For Me And My Organization When I Hire This Engineer?” And you will be on your way to an interview call.
Try it… And get yourself the best engineering resume and cover letter. It really helps get interview calls…
Get a head start with our Very Best Engineering Resume Collection, a collection of the best engineering resumes and cover letters, samples, examples and specialized advice.
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