Resume Tips for Engineers

Resume Tips for Engineers Employers are looking for just the right candidates who have the skills, knowledge, and experience that match the job. Keep your resume: focused, descriptive, and interesting! 1. CONTACT INFORMATION Include your name, either formal or informal (William B. Thornton vs. Billy Bob Thornton). Underneath your name, using as few lines as possible, put your address, telephone number, and email. You might consider including both your local and permanent addresses or phone numbers. For example: Benjamin Jones 1234 Suburban Road San Luis Obispo, CA 93405 (805) 756-1235 bzjones@calpoly.edu OR 4321 Madrid Avenue San Francisco, CA 93440 (415) 734-1234 1234 Suburban Road • San Luis Obispo, CA 93405 • 805.756.1234 • 415.256.1234 cell bzjones@calpoly.edu Benjamin Jones 2. OBJECTIVE Whenever possible, include an objective that matches the position you are applying for. There are two parts to an objective: Part 1) the type of position you are applying for (Co-op, Internship, Summer, Career) and, Part 2) the field and/or specific area you are interested in. Make sure your objective is consistent with the job description and goals of the company. For example: Objective Summer internship position in the field of Electrical Engineering, specifically space systems design OR Professional IT consulting position, specializing in e-business solutions 3. EDUCATION List your education next. Consider including your GPA, minor, specialization, emphasis or area of interest. Are you a student athlete or member of a club? Are you EIT (Engineer-In-Training) certified? Please, include all your good stuff! On a pre-career resume, consider listing your relevant engineering coursework too. For example: Education California Polytechnic State University – San Luis Obispo Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, March 2005 Concentration: Mechatronics Class Level: Junior GPA: 3.4 Dean’s List – two quarters Relevant Coursework: Statics, Intermediate Dynamics, Strength of Materials, Thermodynamics, Fluid Dynamics, Engineering Graphics, Circuits III, Electronics, Thermal Systems, Materials Science, Design Philosophy, Technical Writing for Engineers 4. EXPERIENCE Use short, descriptive phrases that highlight responsibilities, skills, and accomplishments. Explain how your work benefited the company and quantify results whenever possible. For example: Experience Hewlett-Packard – Santa Clara, CA Web Administrator Summer 2003 • Reorganized main HP website to ensure integrity. • Designed user interface for transferring paper process to web, enabling customer base to increase by 15%. OR Schlumberger ATE – Simi Valley, CA Data Analyst/Industrial Engineering Intern Summer 2002 • Participated in inventory auto-replenishment project. • Designed improved dock-to-stock layout and process, decreasing time to customer by 10%. • Participated in TQC improvement group. • Developed electronic quote sheet, resulting in increased efficiency of purchasing. 5. PROJECTS / RESEARCH Employers like projects, so consider including a Projects and/or Research section or placing them under the Experience section of your resume. Describe one or two that you are most proud of. Be descriptive in terms of accomplishment and experience. Employers place a high value on team projects. In industry, you will need to interact effectively with other engineers, vendors, contractors, and support staff. Indicating projects in which you are a contributing member of a team reflects valued and needed skills. For example: Technical Projects – Cal Poly Circuit Design Project • Designed and built operational amplifier, utilizing oscilloscopes, digital multimeters, integrated circuits. • Tested input and output of different stages for desired specifications. OR Research and Writing – Magnetic Recording Devices • Researched magnetic recording devices, focusing on drive motor firmware. • Analyzed drive motor current for several drive types. OR Aircraft Design Team Project • Designed and built Common Support Aircraft for the Navy. • Responsible for engine selection and integration, fuel system design, and solid modeling. 6. SKILLS/KNOWLEDGE/ACCOMPLISHMENTS You may want to highlight skills, knowledge, accomplishments, research, laboratory experience, publications, licensure, or any other achievement that makes you a valuable applicant. For example: Skills, Knowledge and Accomplishments in Computer Science • Developed computer vision system in Visual C++ for visual detection of vehicle trajectories • Developed fast algorithm to find connected components in real time • Developed dynamic shareholding method to improve the segmentation result • Unix, Windows, DOS • C/C++, 8051 Assembly Language OR Professional Skills Programming: Java, C/C++, Visual Basic, Mathematica, HTML, MathML, JavaScript, SQL Applications: Macromedia Dreamweaver, Fireworks, Flash, Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, PageMaker, Oracle, Microsoft Office Operating Systems: Windows, Unix, Solaris, Linux, DOS Language: Fluent in Spanish 7. Involvement, Awards, and Affiliations Include any involvement in student clubs, organizations, and community activities. Also, list honors and awards. Be sure to indicate leadership roles or positions of responsibility. For example: Leadership and Involvement Week of Welcome Leader, Cal Poly - New Student Orientation, Fall 2003 Society of Women Engineers, Treasurer, 2003-2004 American Society of Mechanical Engineers Resume Tips: • • • • • • • • • • • Well organized, consistent presentation Balanced use of blank space and margins Use concise action phrases; past tense verbs for past accomplishments No personalizations (I, me, my) Do not include references Reverse chronological format One page (preferably) Brief, easy to read Boldface type used selectively to highlight information Print on resume quality paper Must be PERFECT; get help at Career Services Top 5 Qualities/Skills Employers Want: • • • • • Communication Skills (oral, written) Honesty/Integrity Teamwork skills (works well with others) Interpersonal skills (relates well to others) Strong work ethic For Further Assistance: • • • • • Go to the Career Services website: www.careerservices.calpoly.edu Click on For Students / Resumes and Tools Set up an appointment with Tammy Martin by calling the front office (756-2501, then press 4) Tammy’s Drop-In Service: Wednesdays & Thursdays, 9-11am (Bldg. 124, sign in at front desk) Peer Adviser Drop-In Service: Monday thru Friday, 1-3pm (Bldg. 124, sign in at front desk) Resume Workshops and Clinics every quarter at Career Services (see website for dates) Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo Building 124 756-2501 x4 www.careerservices.calpoly.edu Sample Career Resume Levi Lorenz 4321 Islay • San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 • (805) 544-1234 • ltlorenz@calpoly.edu Objective A career position in Industrial Engineering in the biomedical industry Summary of Qualifications • Engineering work experience in a high-tech manufacturing environment • Experience with the design, installation, and improvement of industrial systems that integrate people, technology, materials, and information • Extensive hands-on project work involving efficiency, work design and measurement, industrial costs and controls, data management and system design, ergonomics, statistics and operations research • Experience with customer service, sales techniques, and interpersonal social skills • EIT Certified # 654321 Education California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering – June 2005 Major GPA: 3.6 Overall GPA: 3.4 Dean’s List – 4 quarters Industrial Engineering Experience Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering Co-op Spring/Summer 2004 Alcon Laboratories, Cataract Operations Division – Irvine, CA • Designed and implemented a new mixed-model assembly line to accommodate a new product • Reorganized inventory system to prevent material shortages while minimizing on-hand inventory • Completed various other industrial and manufacturing projects to support the Cataract assembly line • Gave several presentations to upper management, supervisors, and team members Senior Project – Cal Poly • Developing a Decision Support System Software tool using Microsoft Excel and Access to create a small scale, but highly practical, ERP system • The software will have an MRP engine, which will be integrated and linked with financial analysis of customer orders, supply chain costs, direct labor costs, inventory costs and overhead costs Technical Group Projects – Cal Poly • Developed alternative layouts for C&D Aerospace’s Dado Assembly Area while optimizing man hours and material flow • Created Material Requirements Planning Program for three product structures containing parts with independent and dependent demand • Used Operations Research Techniques to determine the best combination of foods to include in a Meal Ready to Eat • Redesigned an alarm clock to be more ergonomically correct • Developed and recommended improvements to an existing workstation located at DiOptics Medical Products Technical Skills • Created a working database using Microsoft Access for given production systems • Proficient using: Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Minitab & CAD/CAM computer systems • Vice-President, Alpha Pi Mu - Industrial Engineering Honor Society • Increased membership by 20% through creative marketing • Institute of Industrial Engineers (IIE) • Cal Poly Intramural Soccer and Basketball Leadership / Involvement Work History Server – F. McClintocks, San Luis Obispo - Worked 20-25 hours per week while attending school full-time (1/02 – 12/03)