Civil Engineer Resume Example & Writing Guide

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With the help of this civil engineer resume writing guide, you will learn:

• How to write a civil engineering resume
• Choosing the right resume format for a civil engineer
• How to add your contact information
• Using summaries
• Adding your civil engineering experience
• Listing education and relevant experience
• Picking the right resume design/layout
• What the civil engineering market looks like and what salary you can expect

How to write a civil engineering resume

The very first step in writing your civil engineering resume is understanding what sections to include. Your resume should contain the following elements:

• The resume header
• The resume summary (aka profile or personal statement)
• The employment history section
• The resume skills section
• The education section

Civil engineers need a wide variety of skills in addition to job-specific mathematical and engineering skills. This civil engineer resume example and writing guide will help you include all the most important skills for each position. These sample keywords will also play a big role in getting you past the programs designed to limit the number of resumes recruiters review. 

Civil engineers work closely with professionals such as architects, construction managers, mechanical engineers, and urban and regional planners. They spend time in offices during the design phase of a project but may be outdoors much of the time during construction supervision. Civil engineers may also be expected to work onsite at locations away from home.

Stick to this winning formula:

• Highlight accomplishments instead of only your responsibilities. Everyone can list what tasks they were assigned, but not everyone has achieved the same impact you have. Be specific and show your impact.
• Adapt each version of the resume you submit to a specific employer and role. If you are just starting your career, individualize your resume for each different specialty. If you are taking the next step in your career, decide whether you are looking into the same specialty or want to make a lateral move. Your civil engineer resume should reflect those goals.
• Convey a professional image with a resume template that’s polished and professional without being stuffy or dull.
• Leverage relevant keywords to make sure it’s clear to the reader—whether that’s a recruiter or ATS screening software—why you’re the best fit.

Choosing the right resume format for a civil engineer

As a civil engineer, you know how to create streamlined projects. Think of your resume as one of them. Recruiters want to be able to quickly access your information without hunting for it, so you want your resume to be neat and professional. This means you should use a clean, clear, modern or professional layout. 

The best format for most civil engineering resumes is reverse chronological; this format focuses primarily on your employment history, which is listed in reverse chronological order. 

Career changers or those new to the workforce may want to try alternative formats, like the functional format, which focuses more on skills and less on employment history. There’s also a hybrid format which blends aspects of both functional and reverse chronological formats. 

Check out the resume templates in our resume builder and select a format that best suits your situation. There are plenty of versions of the three formats available as resume examples.

Include your contact information

While your resume has a lofty goal of showing why you’re the best fit for the job, it will get you nowhere if your header isn’t clear and readable. That’s because the header is where your resume displays your contact information. 

Make sure it’s professionally presented and easy to read, and include the following:

• Full name & title. List your first and last name and use the title of the role you are pursuing.
• Professional email address. Use a clean format like [email protected], not an unprofessional email address.
• Phone number. List a number where you can be readily contacted, with a professional voicemail greeting and an inbox that isn’t full.
• Location. List only your city and state. Avoid listing your street address; that’s unsafe and outdated. No need to list your zip code, either. If you’re willing to relocate, list that here.
• LinkedIn. If your LinkedIn profile is active, relevant, and shows your engineering experience and network, feel free to include it here.

Don’t include:

• Date of birth: Not necessary and could lead to age discrimination.
• Personal details: Marital status, social security number, passport number, etc.

Make use of a summary

The resume summary gives recruiters a sense of who you are professionally and personally. Your civil engineer resume should be an impressive recounting of your achievements and successes, and your profile allows you to get a little creative. Also known as a personal statement, this short paragraph (2-4 sentences) allows you to add some description that explains your work style and professional personality.

This is the spot to highlight your most impressive achievements, but a simple description won’t do it. You must construct your sentences as deliberately as you build infrastructure. You don’t have much space, so every word counts. Use strong action verbs and declarative phrasing. You are motivated and get the job done well, so show it in your resume. 

This section occupies prime space at the top of your resume, so make it shine. Focus on your relevant civil engineering experience. Then, write a sentence or two on your achievements. Finally, add a sentence about your goals and what you will bring to your next position. As always, check the job listing and mesh your resume summary with the stated requirements of the civil engineering job.

You can find adaptable civil engineering resume example summaries below:

Outline your civil engineering work experience 

Much more than a chronological listing of jobs, this section tells recruiters that you are constantly learning and growing as a civil engineer. One of the first items a recruiter will scan for on your resume is your current employment information. From there, they want to see a pattern of achievements. Employers want to know what you will bring to the company and whether you are willing to take on new challenges.

For your work experience resume section, don’t just write a list of your job responsibilities. Avoid vague bullets like these:

• “Prepared designs.”
• “Managed civil engineering projects.”
• “Checked structural safety.”

As a civil engineer, you have worked on infrastructure projects that presented different problems and required unique creative solutions. Consider the job for which you are applying and highlight a challenge related to that job on your resume. Be as detailed as possible when you write your resume bullet points: 

• “Designed innovative structural solutions to achieve project goals while ensuring on-time and under-budget completion.”
• “Managed teams of up to 10 through all project phases, ensuring seamless execution of work and timely delivery.”
• “Ensured compliance with industry standards and regulations to guarantee structural integrity and safety of projects.”

Take a look at the civil engineering employment history resume sample below:

Include the relevant key skills that make you a great civil engineer

As a civil engineer, you have a lot of important technical knowledge, but don’t neglect your interpersonal abilities. Before you begin to craft your resume, you should take stock of your skills. One way to do this is to create a master list that includes any ability you have, including both hard and soft skills. Later, you can refer to the list and pick only the most relevant skills for your resume.

Your abilities can be divided into categories. Hard skills are the technical, mathematical, and engineering skills you need to do your job (software like AutoCAD, for example). You use soft skills to interact with others and to function well in the workplace. Both sets are important to employers and, therefore, key to include on your civil engineer resume. 

Our resume builder offers several pre-written key skills to choose from with proficiency ranges you can set. You can also write in your skills.

Here’s what the skills box looks like in our civil engineering resume template. 

The list isn’t the only place to add your key skills. Be sure to weave them throughout your experience and summary sections, increasing credibility by providing specific details. For example, in your work experience section and professional summary, highlight your: 

• Leadership skills by describing your role leading project teams or mentoring junior engineers
• Software skills by explaining how you’ve used computer-aided design tools
• Engineering-specific knowledge by demonstrating your understanding of engineering materials and methods

The job description is a great place to look to understand the best skills to include. 

Detail your education & relevant civil engineer certifications 

Your schooling got you your start, so be proud of it and ensure it’s captured in your resume’s education section. Regarding job requirements, most need at least a bachelor’s degree, but over 10% require a master’s or higher. If you have a master’s degree, eliminate your high school diploma from your resume and focus on your college education.

Don’t stop at just your degree(s), though. This section can also display certifications, training, or professional associations. For instance:

• Training and certifications. Note that you have taken the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam or other required exams to become a civil engineering professional.
• Internships. Add any engineering-related internships you completed during your education.
• Professional development. Add any professional associations you belong to or conferences you attend, like The American Society of Civil Engineers.

Pick the right resume layout and design for a civil engineer resume

Impress recruiters with your skills, accomplishments and successes and make those items easy to find by keeping your resume straightforward, avoiding overly fussy or colorful resume designs. 

Stick to traditional, easy-to-read fonts and vary line lengths to maintain white space. Avoid tables, as they can cause formatting errors and mess with the overall design. 

There are no true shortcuts to a properly designed resume, but our field-tested resume templates make it easier, as we handle the most tedious formatting and structure tasks for you. 

Civil engineer text-only resume example

Civil engineering job market and outlook

The market is expected to grow 5 percent from 2022 through 2033, which is faster than average professions, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

Per the BLS, civil engineers will continue to be in demand to handle US infrastructure work related to bridges, water systems, roads, and others. Additionally, as renewable energy projects gain traction, they’ll require civil engineers to get the job done. 

What type of salary you can expect as a civil engineer

Civil engineers’ compensation can vary based on who employs them. The median annual salary across the board is just under $90,000 per year. 

However, the highest paid civil engineers are those in the federal government, earning a median of approximately $103,000. Local government workers are a close second at about $101,000. 

State government engineers, as well as those working for engineering service organizations or non-residential construction companies, earn a median income of $78,000 to $87,000 per year.

Key takeaways for building a civil engineer resume

The job market for civil engineering is growing faster than the average occupation, making it a great choice for those with analytical, mathematical minds who enjoy leading large-scale projects. Your civil engineer resume should reflect your unique skills and achievements, document your past work history, and be laid out in a way that makes it easy to read and understand. 

Utilizing our online resume builder can streamline the process, making it more efficient and less daunting to help you land that engineering job.