Mechanical Engineer Resume Example & Writing Guide

Your dream job as a mechanical engineer awaits. With this in-demand job title, you can design a resume that gets you where you want to be. This career path is loaded with opportunity, but how do you take advantage of it? Your first step is to develop a mechanical engineer resume that showcases your talents, successes, and accomplishments in a concise way. In today’s professional world, one of the most important aspects of acquiring a great career is standing out from the crowd. You're in the right place to achieve exactly that!

Job-hunting, even in an in-demand field like mechanical engineering, is complicated and the competition is tough. Before your resume lands in the hands of a recruiter or hiring manager, it first passes through an Applicant Tracking System, or ATS, designed to eliminate "bad" resumes. This automated software uses algorithms to rank your resume based on keywords, phrases and other factors; therefore, to have a chance at your dream job, you have to know how to boost your score and beat the ATS. 

This mechanical engineering resume example and writing guide, along with resume.io's templates and builder tool, will help you to:

• Understand the job market and the needs of employers
• Grab the attention of recruiters and hiring managers
• Beat the ATS designed to filter out resumes

It's time to stop wondering why your resume disappears into the ether and move to the top of the applicant rankings.

What does a mechanical engineer do?

Mechanical engineers design and build mechanical devices, including tools, engines, and machines. Mechanical engineers work in a broad field that encompasses many industries and job descriptions, all requiring special expertise and knowledge. The Institute of Mechanical Engineers lists these as fields where mechanical engineers are in demand:

• Aerospace
• Biomedical
• Construction and building
• Manufacturing
• Power
• Railway

And that’s just the start. Mechanical engineers also work in automation and robotics, one of the most in-demand engineering fields for 2021, NewEngineer says. You may have experience in one of these fields or you may be looking for a challenge in a different industry.

Skill sets

Some skills are basic to all mechanical engineers. Your job responsibilities may include any or all of the following samples:

• Evaluate mechanical systems
• Analyze problems
• Identify solutions
• Design and develop mechanical devices
• Develop prototypes
• Develop manufacturing procedures and equipment
• Design tests of quality, capabilities, fabrication, and installation
• Ensure regulation compliance
• Train technicians
• Provide engineering support to customers

How to write a mechanical engineer resume

In some ways, you have an advantage in the job market. Hiring engineers is difficult. In fact, it takes an average of 60 days to hire an engineer, according to Workable. That's longer than the vast majority of other professions. 

But employers aren't looking for just anyone, and your resume can still get filtered out by ATS software if you don't know how to beat the algorithm. Your resume needs to be individualized for each industry and each job application. Why? Because even if a generic resume happens to get past the ATS, it won't impress recruiters and HR personnel. 

Either way, your mechanical engineering resume must have pinpoint focus on the requirements and desired skills of each job listing to land an interview. To make your resume shine, you will need to customize with specific, detailed examples of your professional accomplishments in these areas. That will be especially important in your employment history section.  

But first, learn how to beat the ATS.

The ATS and your job hunt

Descriptions for mechanical engineering jobs often include long lists of required skills and desired attributes. That can get overwhelming fast. But you have an analytical mind, so use that quality to deconstruct job listings before you create your mechanical engineering resume. Here are some questions to ask yourself about each listing:

• What skills are mentioned most?
• What qualities are mentioned most?
• What is the nature of the employers’ business and what are they likely to prioritize in a future employee?
• Which of my professional successes prove that I have those skills and qualities?
• How can I best show that?

Then, to rank high enough to pass the ATS software hurdle, use the exact language the job description uses in your own resume to boost your candidacy. Especially in engineering professions, terminology may vary and overlap, so make sure to use the wording employed in the job listing (tempered by common sense, of course). 

Mechanical engineer resume summary example: opening the right doors

Here's your chance to differentiate yourself professionally with a few well-constructed resume sentences. Your summary (also known as a profile or personal statement) gives you the opportunity to get a little creative. The rest of your resume must be more structured, but here you can highlight the reasons you are great at mechanical engineering. You can also communicate why you are a good colleague and employee. 

In two to four sentences, you can both:

• Optimize for the ATS by using the keywords and sample phrases you found when analyzing your targeted job listings.
• Use strong action verbs and positive, energetic language to impress the hiring manager with your qualities and achievements.
• Bring your most important professional strengths and successes to the top of your resume.

Be positive! Don't exaggerate, but don't sell yourself short either. While mechanical engineering requires a long list of hard skills, or the pragmatic skills necessary to do your job, it also requires soft skills, also known as people or interpersonal skills. When you write your mechanical engineer resume summary, highlight both. This section goes at the top of your resume, prime space for the eyes of recruiters and human resources personnel. Make sure you make the most of it.

Resume employment history example: Your professional success

Mechanical engineers perform vital functions within their companies. Your work history details your achievements and value on your resume. Using reverse chronological order — from most recent to oldest — you can tell the story of your professional growth and enumerate your accomplishments. This structure allows busy recruiters and human resources personnel to quickly see where you are on your career path. 

Achievements and attributes

Think about your achievements and growth in each job. Instead of writing job descriptions on your resume, explain what you accomplished at each of your previous positions. Below each past position, you should have a short bullet list or (for less important jobs) a concise description of what stands out from that specific work experience. Look at it from the perspective of the employer: What would impress you if you were looking to hire an engineer? If your aim is to change careers or industries, think in terms of how your accomplishments translate into your desired new industry. If you are remaining in the same industry, use this resume section to highlight successes you have already had and point to your professional growth trajectory.

As a mechanical engineer, you have a huge responsibility. You must design machines and protocols that are safe and meet all regulatory requirements. Highlight how you have used technical skills to achieve these goals, but don't forget that a mechanical engineer resume also needs soft skills.

Be as detailed as you can, using numbers and project details to prove the experience on your resume – after all, mechanical engineers need superior math skills, so show them off! Use the sample sentence below to improve your mechanical engineering resume.

Do write:

Improved machine speed to increase manufacturing efficiency by 20 percent.

Instead of:

Designed speedier machine.

And remember: strong action verbs on your resume show that you are a person who gets the job done.

To get started, make a list of the projects you have worked on. Here are some questions to ask yourself:

• Which ones demonstrate a new skill?
• Did I lead any of these projects?
• Does this show innovation?
• Do I have data or statistics to back up my achievement?
• Is there a tangible product related to this project?

Finally, target the accomplishments you will detail to the specific job you want and write a short, action-oriented description. Be aware that you should evaluate which achievements are best to include on your mechanical engineering resume for each different job.

Mechanical engineer skills section example: the right tools

The skills resume section gives you a chance to add keywords and highlight features that didn't fit into your employment section. This resume section may seem simple: It's a list of skills. But you can take it to the next level by creating a thoughtful distillation of your professional assets. Use strong, concise language that describes what you can do and think about both soft and hard skills used by mechanical engineers.

Hard skills

Consider these short, descriptive examples that showcase hard skills engineering recruiters seek:

• Prototyping
• Workflow development
• Knowledge of manufacturing
• Software knowledge (specify which)
• Quality testing and troubleshooting
• Knowledge of safety regulations

Soft skills

Although mechanical engineering is often thought of as a profession where hard skills are most valued, your soft skills can make this difference between getting that dream job or not. Consider these soft skill that engineering recruiters look for on a resume:

• Creativity
• Problem-solving
• Communication
• Collaboration/coordination
• Decision-making/judgment
• Negotiation

Resume education example: Knowledge in practice

The more mechanical engineering experience you have, the less important the education resume section becomes. But if you are a college student or recent grad just starting out, consider moving this section up if you have a distinguished educational history. For example, if you graduated from college with honors or have a high grade point average, say so. You do not need to list your high school degree if you have earned higher than a bachelor's degree. Consider adding a professional certificates and affiliations section if you are an active member of organizations and have more than one certification. 

Choosing the correct CV format and resume template

Your mechanical engineer resume format and template should project the professional image you want recruiters and HR personnel to notice.

Layout tips

Think of your resume format the same way you think about engineering design: You want it clean, efficient and user-friendly. It may be tempting to personalize the look of your resume, but you know that a layout should be attractive to as many people as possible. Format functionality beats everything else, just as it does in mechanical engineering. Most recruiters and HR personnel want to be able to quickly find your contact information, current job and responsibilities. That means keeping your resume or CV format easily legible.

Eliminate clutter and visual distractions. Spread your type throughout the page so there aren't any big blocks of difficult-to-scan words. Recruiters see thousands of resumes and they will not wade through one that is poorly formatted. 

Resume templates and formatting

We strongly recommend using a resume template. Templates can help you make sure your format ticks off all the resume rules recruiters are looking for. For example, you'll want to use the appropriate font sizes and styles with the right balance of white space to text. Templates take the guesswork out of all those decisions. However, recruiters also want to see a template that's customized and matches their branding and image.

Resume.io's collection of expert-tested resume templates allow you to choose the resume or CV format that works for you in one of four categories: professional, modern, creative or simple. The templates are customizable, so you can adjust them to your needs. 

Don't like what you picked? Just swap it out inside of our easy-to-use resume builder. The builder tool conveniently allows you to save your resume as a PDF and avoid accidental formatting inconsistencies.

Key takeaways

1. Engineers are in demand but still must beat the competition.
2. The key to getting past the ATS software is individualizing your resume for each job.
3. Writing a strong summary gives you a chance to show off your professional personality.
4. Use data and statistics to illustrate your professional achievements.
5. Consider where you are in your career when placing your education section.
6. Add professional certificates and accreditations.
7. Balance the need for space with the chance to highlight your professional certificates and affiliations.
8. Remember that your template and formatting reflect your professional image.