Mechanical engineering is a vital industry that aims to make people’s lives comfortable and convenient. This is done through the design and development of devices such as machines, engines, and tools. Because of this, it’s considered one of the most in-demand and highest-paying fields. No wonder many professionals want to pursue this career.
The competition in the mechanical engineering job market is tough. In fact, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects a 7% employment growth rate from 2020 to 2030. That’s about 20,200 job opportunities each year. Hence, there’s no denying that you need a well-written mechanical engineer resume to pass the first defense of the job search game.
If you want to thrive in this career, you’re on the right page! In this article, we’re going to give you an overview of mechanical engineering, its roles, tips to land this post, and a mechanical engineer resume example to guide you in writing yours.
What is a Mechanical Engineer?
Mechanical engineers focus on designing different types of machinery and creating processes with a goal of addressing issues pertinent in areas that include healthcare, transportation, space exploration, and climate.
In addition, mechanical engineers provide significant contributions to industries such as aerospace, automotive, construction, manufacturing, power, railway, and robotics. In these roles, they work closely with other engineers and other professionals from different industries.
What are the Duties of a Mechanical Engineer?
Since mechanical engineers can work in different disciplines, their roles and responsibilities vary. Nonetheless, here are some common duties of a mechanical engineer:
- Create mechanical and thermal devices
- Analyze mechanical problems
- Oversee a manufacturing process
- Use CAD to design power-producing tools
- Run and test simulations
- Develop prototypes
- Investigate system failures
- Perform engineering calculations
- Conduct preventive maintenance
- Evaluate machine’s overall performance
- Estimate project cost
- Prepare production reports
- Collaborate with other engineers and professionals
How Do You Become a Mechanical Engineer?
Being a mechanical engineer isn’t an easy job. It’s imperative to have the necessary skills to be able to effectively do all the duties the position entails. If you’re up for it, it’s now time to know the credentials and qualifications you need to land this job.
As previously stated, you can work in different industries as a mechanical engineer. Because of this, the requirements may vary depending on the field you’re applying for. Nevertheless, here’s a list of the usual things you need to become a mechanical engineer.
- Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or mechanical engineering technology
- Mechanical engineering license
- A master’s degree in related fields is a plus
- Expertise in computer-aided design software
- Understanding of core mechanical engineering concepts
- Experience in manufacturing tools such as CAM, MATLAB, and LabVIEW programs
- Highly skilled in math, mechanical processes, computer, and problem-solving
- Excellent communication
- Organization, teamwork, and interpersonal skills
What to Include on Your Mechanical Engineer Resume
Knowing the necessary skills and qualifications is important, and highlighting them on your mechanical engineer resume is another critical factor. Hence, you need job search tools that are targeted to the post and that showcase why you’re the best fit for the job.
Contact Information
First on the list are your updated contact details. You need to make sure to provide the right information, such as your name, phone number, home address, and email address to ensure that recruiters can reach you. If you have a LinkedIn profile, you can also add its link. Moreover, place your certification beside your name to get the interest of hiring managers.
Expert Tip:
Double-check your info and make sure they are updated before sending your mechanical engineer resume to your target company.
Specific Target Job
This is also referred to as the career tag. Here, you state your target post to prevent your resume from getting mixed up with other job candidates.
Qualifications Profile / Summary of Qualifications
Given the demand in the engineering industry, you need a mechanical engineer resume that can stand out. One way to do this is by effectively highlighting your qualifications through a compelling resume summary.
Expert Tip:
Avoid using objective-type statements. Instead, create attention-grabbing titles and headlines to pique the hiring manager’s interest.
Mechanical Engineer Skills
As mentioned earlier, recruiters are after resumes that showcase a good balance of skills and qualifications. Not to mention, engineering requires skills, knowledge, and expertise in the field to land this job. Therefore, you need to spice up your resume with your engineering skills.
Work Experience
Aside from the skills, relevant work experience gives you an advantage. List your work experience and relevant training on your mechanical engineer resume. Don’t forget to include the names of the institutions, their locations, job titles, and employment dates in reverse chronological order.
If you don’t have relevant experience, you may use a more appropriate resume format to highlight what you can bring to the table.
Education
Just as important as work experience, education is another section hiring managers evaluate to gauge if an applicant is worth giving a shot. Thus, make sure this part counts by citing the name of your school, its location, course, achievements, and graduation date. If you’re wondering if it’s okay to add your GPA, the answer is yes! However, do so only if the weighted average is above 3.5.
Training, Certifications, and Licenses
You can add a section for your certifications and licenses. Plus, here you can cite relevant training programs you attended. This information gives recruiters an impression that you’re serious about your career growth.
Other Possible Information to Include on Your Mechanical Engineer Resume
If you have affiliations and relevant activities, such as technical skills training and volunteer work, you can list them in a dedicated resume section. Doing so gives you better chances of getting the interest of hiring managers.
How to Write Your Mechanical Engineer Resume
Now that you know the details to include in your mechanical engineer resume, you might say you’re ready to write your job search document. However, we want to take it up a notch. That’s why our career coaches and expert resume writers came up with some practical tips to better craft your resume.
1. Use simple yet appealing design and layout.
Your mechanical engineer resume needs to be readable. Thus, use a simple resume layout and avoid fancy fonts. Keep it professional.
2. Choose the most appropriate resume format.
As stated earlier, using the best resume format that suits your career status boosts your chances of getting an interview invite. Remember, your resume is your marketing tool to advertise that you’re capable of taking on the job. Hence, take advantage of the resume format that highlights your qualifications.
3. Showcase your mechanical engineering skills.
Apart from your knowledge in the field, engineering requires both hard and soft skills. You need to be skilled not only in mechanics but also in different areas, such as leadership, communication, and problem-solving, to name a few. Therefore, put emphasis on your strengths.
4. Add relevant keywords.
Most companies use an applicant tracking system (ATS) to sift through thousands of job applicants. That’s why you need to make sure that your mechanical engineer resume has relevant keywords to get past the ATS and into the hands of hiring managers.
Expert Tip:
Resume keywords are job-related words and phrases outlined in job postings. With that in mind, your mechanical engineer resume should match the job ad.
5. Use concrete data and examples.
Listing your skills and relevant experience isn’t enough to please potential employers. You need to prove you’re the best for the post by giving concrete data and examples to support your claims. Having said that, don’t forget to quantify your accomplishments and career highlights.
6. Proofread your mechanical engineer resume.
Before sending your application, proofread your job search document. You need to be sure that it’s error-free. Check all the details on your tool and look for grammar errors, misspelled words, inappropriate punctuation, and typos.
Expert Tip:
After proofreading your document, use our free resume review to check if your mechanical engineer resume can pass the ATS and the eyes of hiring managers.
Mechanical Engineer Resume Example
To help you further, here’s a mechanical engineer resume example. Take a closer look at how one of our best resume writers outlined the skills and qualifications of the job candidate.
Note: You may check out other resume samples written by top professional resume writers for more ideas.
Secure Your Target Post with a Mechanical Engineer Resume Written by Experts
Landing a mechanical engineering post is now made easy with the help of career experts and professional resume writers. With their expertise and knowledge in the field, they’re capable of writing job-winning resumes that can beat the ATS and impress hiring managers.
Let the experts do the daunting task for you and be at ease that you’ll get the job interview invite you’re hoping for. Good news! If you want to boost your chances of getting the job, Resume Professional Writers has got your back. We have exactly what you need—a team of career development experts who can help you win the job search game, elevate your career, and achieve success.
Wait no more; contact us today and together let’s build you a better career!
