Engineer CV Example & Writing Guide

A great engineering CV is the equivalent of a beautiful formula: when done correctly, it'll empower you to reach the next step in your career.

Here at cvapp.ie, we’ll help you land your dream engineer role with our collection of powerful career resources. With our easy-to-use CV builder, expert writing guides, and over 300 customisable CV examples, we’ve got something from everyone.

How to write an engineering CV

Engineers are structured yet creative thinkers, capable of performing a host of tasks that lead to improving products and systems. Some engineering professionals do several of these responsibilities, while others focus on more specialised services. 

Overall, engineering is a large category that encompasses many specialties. Types of engineers include civil engineers, chemical engineers, industrial engineers, and more! 

Your CV is your opportunity to showcase your skills and convince potential employers that you’re the ideal candidate for the job role. To accomplish this, it’s crucial to research the company, and understand its challenges, work style, and environment. To create a compelling engineering CV, you’ll need these sections: 

• The CV header
• The CV summary
• The employment history section
• The CV skills section
• The education section

Choosing the right CV format for an engineer CV

For engineering CVs, the standard reverse chronological order format is typically the most effective format to use. However, in certain cases, a functional format may be more suitable, particularly for more technical and specialised roles. 

While the functional CV format allows for detailed explanations of skills and professional strengths, we generally advise using the reverse chronological order as it is preferred by recruiters and ATS software. 

Include your contact information

It’s important that potential employers can reach out to you, so be sure to include the following details in the header of your engineer CV: 

• Full name
• Email Address
• Phone Number
• Location
• Relevant websites

Crafting an engaging engineer summary

The summary section of your engineer CV plays a crucial role in encapsulating your career journey into three or four impactful lines that provide valuable insights into your professional identity. While this section offers more flexibility in terms of formatting compared to the rest of your CV, you can still follow a basic structure to guide you:

Begin with one or two sentences that highlight notable career accomplishments, showcasing your expertise and achievements. Follow up with a concise sentence explaining your motivation and passion for the job, displaying your genuine interest in the role.

Conclude with a sentence that highlights a special skill or unique aspect of your engineering style, further distinguishing you from other candidates.

The purpose of the summary section is to captivate hiring managers' attention, providing them with a compelling reason to explore your CV further and invite you for an interview. By crafting an engaging summary, you create a valuable hook that ignites their curiosity and leaves a memorable impression.

You can find a CV example for your summary section below.

Employment history: Compiling your career story

For most candidates, this section will be the largest of your engineer’s CV, but it shouldn’t be a mere listing of your job responsibilities. Begin with your most recent position and work backwards through the past ten years of your experience.

Below each job title, start each bullet item with a strong action verb, following it with a description of exactly what you did and your results. Remember, your CV isn’t really about you, it’s about your prospective employer. 

Below you will find an adaptable employment history CV example.

The best skills to include on an engineer CV

Your CV skills section is the at-a-glance look at your attributes and abilities. You should tailor this section to the requirements of each job. This can also help you win the ATS battle!

The main purpose of this CV section is to offer recruiters a quick way to see if you have the attributes they seek and to get a first glimmer as to what you think are the most important skills for the job. 

For this section, we recommend choosing your top 4-7 engineering skills. You can include soft skills such as teamwork, problem-solving and adaptability, as well as more hard skills such as project management, software skills and mathematical skills. Some engineers may have more specialised skills, such as CAD software skills, proficiency in coding languages, or knowledge of thermodynamics and kinetics. Wow, pretty clever, alright! If you possess these skills, be sure to include them in this section.

Check out the customisable engineer CV skills section below: 

Detail your education & relevant certifications

In the education section of your CV, you’ll want to list details about your degrees and certifications. In the engineering industry, a Bachelor's degree in Engineering is typically the minimum requirement. If you have obtained a higher degree, it is acceptable to omit your less advanced qualifications, such as your Leaving Certificate details. 

In this section, you can also showcase any relevant achievements, apprenticeships, coursework or honours you have received throughout your educational journey. You should also include your engineering accreditations here, as well as your Professional Engineer (PE) licence. If you possess numerous certifications, it may be beneficial to create a separate section specifically dedicated to highlighting and emphasising these accomplishments.

Need some inspiration? Here’s our education CV sample below: 

CV layout and design: structure your first impression

You are an engineer, so you know how important clean design is. The first visual impression a hiring manager will get of you is your CV layout and design. What is it you want them to think? “Wow! If this candidate designs engineering projects as clean as this CV, we want to meet them!”

How do you make that impression? Here are some tips:

• Use at least 3⁄4-inch margins even if it is tempting to get a few more words in. (Save them for your interview!)
• Choose legible fonts. Try a sans serif for the text and a serif font for your contact information or vice versa.
• Leave off the graphs and charts. Your CV must be clean, tidy, and visually appealing.

At cvapp.ie, our mission is to enhance your career potential. With a diverse collection of professionally-crafted CV templates endorsed by industry experts, we're committed to assisting you in creating standout CVs that get you hired faster. Start crafting your job-winning CV with our online CV builder today!