Mechanical Engineer Sample

In a world that relies upon technology in every area of life, mechanical engineers continue to be in great demand. Their role includes everything from designing and developing to building and testing the machines, engines, and tools that power modern life. As a mechanical engineer, you understand just how much the world relies on your knowledge and skills to sustain and advance mankind’s quality of life. To get a job in this field, however, you need an exceptional and compelling Mechanical Engineer resume.

That resume should focus on technical skills like proficiency in CAD software, knowledge of engineering principles, and experience with mechanical systems. Not only that, you are probably a problem-solving wizard. Don’t forget to mention that, too! The ability to think critically about a situation and resolve issues is highly sought-after. 

Considering everything you know how to do, it can feel a bit overwhelming to craft an interview-winning resume. That’s okay, we’ve got you covered!

In this guide, you’ll find crucial information about the key components you need to include in your Mechanical Engineer resume, insights into what employers are looking for when they read your resume (well, skim through your resume), and tips that can help you separate yourself from the competition and make a powerful first impression.

How to write a resume

It may be hard to believe, but there was a time when you could land an interview with a resume that just provided an overview of your work history and basic skills. These days, however, you need much more than that. 

To really capture a hiring manager’s attention and land that job interview, your resume needs to deliver a powerful message that sells your skills, experience, and overall fitness for your desired job role. To achieve that goal, you should:

• Choose the right format

• Use the right structure

• Tailor it to each job

Choose a reverse-chronological format

There are many reasons so many job seekers rely on resumes that use the reverse chronological format. Chief among those reasons is that it is almost guaranteed to get past the applicant tracking system companies use to weed out candidates. 

On top of that, employers prefer it to all other format types. 

Why? 

There are several benefits to using the reverse-chronological format for your Mechanical Engineer resume.

• This format presents your work history in an easy-to-follow way. It lists each job you’ve held over the last 10-15 years, starting with your most recent role and working backward to the oldest position.

• That clear approach to listing your work history enables employers to see your career progression year-by-year and job-by-job.

• Employers who are looking for potential gaps in employment will have an easier time identifying them when you use a chronological format.

Use the right structure

A powerful and compelling resume will also use clear structure. That means breaking your resume up into distinct sections of information, with clear and understandable headings above each section. Those sections will each document different professional details, enabling the reader to easily navigate the document to locate your qualifications and key data points. Those sections should include:

Your individual contact details

This is the no-brainer section of your resume. Use your complete name (the one you go by every day), your location (city, state, and zip code), phone, email address, and even your LinkedIn URL. However, you should only use your LinkedIn URL if your profile is properly optimized.

A title that reflects the position you are seeking

Many people fall into the trap of putting the title they currently hold, or something similar, at the top of their resume. This isn’t what you should do. The title of your resume should mirror the title of the job description you’re responding to. In fact, you should take it a step further and turn that title into a headline. 

When you write a headline at the top of your resume, you inject keywords and skills that will help you stand out from the crowd. Take a look at this:

Which one of those stands out to you? Which one of those makes you want to read more? If you use a headline on your Mechanical Engineer resume, the hiring manager will be immediately impressed. 

A profile or summary statement

Providing a very brief overview of your key experiences, abilities, and achievements is what your profile paragraph will do for you. It should be focused on highlighting your potential value to the company within three to five sentences. It’s a good idea to use a balance of hard and soft skills and at least one achievement from your past that proves you have what it takes to be a great Mechanical Engineer. 

Related reading: Understanding and Creating a Resume Profile

Core competencies

The Core Competencies part of your resume is the ‘beat the bots’ section that will ensure you get past the ATS. Dissect the job description to find the keywords and phrases to use on your resume. Then, create a list of your skills in alignment with what the company seeks to build your Core Competencies section. Stick to no more than twelve to fifteen of your most relevant hard and soft skills

A professional experience section 

Now it’s time to write the meat of your resume. The part that will likely be THE THING that lands you an interview. The professional experience section of your Mechanical Engineering resume is the list of companies you’ve worked for, along with bullet point examples of your achievements in those jobs.

Related reading: How to Show Your Work Experience on Your Resume

Educational accomplishments 

Finally, add your college degrees, coursework, continuing education, certifications, and other formal education. Once you get some experience under your belt – about five years or so – you won’t need to include things like coursework. Use relevant coursework and school-based projects to prove your skills when you have very little experience.  

Tailor your resume to each company and job

It is also important to customize each resume you submit to employers, tailoring it to fit your desired role. The easiest way to do that is to first concentrate on creating a primary resume that you can later modify to meet specific employers’ needs. To effectively tailor that resume, you should alter the desired job title, adjust your skills and the keywords that describe them, and include work experience bullet points that focus on the role’s qualifications.

Mechanical Engineer resume example

Of course, that’s a lot of information to make sense of in a brief period. It may help to see an example of how these different pieces of information work together to create a powerful resume that captures a hiring manager’s attention. Check out this example of a great Mechanical Engineer resume:

Key hard & soft skills for a Mechanical Engineer

To land a fantastic job as a Mechanical Engineer, your resume will need to successfully convey the key hard and soft skills that today’s employers are seeking. To decide which of your many skills you should list in your resume, you will first need to identify any specific abilities cited as required qualifications in the job posting. Pay attention to the exact wording used to describe those skills so that you can use the same terminology in your resume – and better ensure that your document gets past any ATS scans.

While it would be impossible to list every skill you might need for any given job, there are some key skills that every Mechanical Engineer needs to possess. Even if these skills are not specifically listed in the job posting, you may still want to consider including them in the core competencies section of your Mechanical Engineer resume.

For example, here are three common hard skills that many of today’s Mechanical Engineers need to possess to be effective in their roles:

Mathematics

Proficiency in mathematics is something that every engineer needs. Math skills are utilized in the design process for new products, machines, equipment, and tools, and essential for ensuring proper input and calculations in many of the most common software programs used by these professionals.

Engineering design

This skill describes the process many people in this profession use to make decisions and resolve problems. Often referred to as the engineering method, it encompasses all the steps engineers go through as they create processes and products.

Computer-Aided Design (CAD)

Expertise in the use of CAD software is important for many design processes. Computer-aided design enables Mechanical Engineers to optimize their creation and production processes by visualizing their output in both 2D and 3D.

It’s also helpful to consider some of the non-technical skills that these professionals use to perform their duties. Here are three of those soft skills that you might want to include on your resume:

Collaboration

A typical Mechanical Engineer is likely to be part of a larger team of engineers working to solve complex problems. The ability to work with others, share information, and think through potential solutions is vital for success in this field.

Creativity

Any job that requires innovation will also require a certain level of creativity. Make sure that you include your creative skills on your resume in your core competencies section. In addition, you may want to use one or two bullet points in your professional experience section to highlight examples of how those skills have helped you provide value for previous employers.

Problem-solving

At its core, the job of a Mechanical Engineer is to find solutions for problems. Whether it is creating a new tool to enhance performance or developing a new product for consumers, problem-solving skills are vital for success.

Summary & last words

Resumes should be more than just dull recitations of your skills and work history. Instead, a great resume should function as your primary career marketing tool – the one document you rely on to sell your value to prospective employers. That requires a resume that:

• Highlights your key skills in a way that aligns with the company’s needs

• Demonstrates your value by providing real, measurable results you’ve achieved for other employers,

• Details your professional history and career growth.

By using the information contained in this Mechanical Engineer resume, you can gain the insight you need to create your own resume. But what if you decide that you want an even more polished and professional resume that lands even more interviews?

Introduction to ZipJob: Professional resume writers

At ZipJob, our team of resume experts provides you with the professional resume you need to land more interviews. Their industry knowledge and experience are second to none, which means that your assigned writer will be the partner you need to deliver the message prospective employers want to see from their job candidates. Moreover, your finished resume will be a personalized and unique job search tool that will help to set you apart from rival candidates.

Why you should make use of our resume writing services to land your next job as a Mechanical Engineer

Our team’s experience has given them unique insight into the things hiring managers are looking for across a broad spectrum of business sectors. When you partner with one of our writers, you’ll benefit from their knowledge about the hiring process, the needs of employers in your industry, and the best way to highlight the most relevant skills and experiences. Contact us today to learn more about how our services can supercharge your job search efforts.

Resume writing service for Mechanical Engineer: Let us write your resume

When you’re trying to capture a hiring manager’s attention, there’s nothing more important than making a great first impression with your Mechanical Engineer resume. Our team of expert resume writers has the industry knowledge and experience you need to make sure that your resume narrative highlights all the reasons why you’re the best candidate for the job. They can help you create a new resume or simply retool and refine your existing document to ensure that prospective employers give you the interviews you need for your job search success. Contact us today!