A Resume is the most important element for success in a job search. The engineering resume can be one of the most difficult documents to develop. An engineering resume is the engineer’s primary marketing document wherein he is able to sell his skills and experience as an engineer.
The most effective engineering resumes are those that can grab the reader’s attention within 35-45 seconds. A good resume makes the reader go through the whole document and extend the attention span. A successful resume is the one which convinces the reader to contact the job seeker. Apparently, the success of the job search depends solely on the effectiveness of this document- the resume.
Writing an engineering resume can be easy if you write it yourself. No one knows your background and experience as much as you do. The only difficulty that arises while writing a resume is how to sell these qualities to the reader. You can also use some engineering resume templates to understand the format properly. Here are few tips which will help you in writing an engineering resume:
- Select a good organization format. Mostly resumes are written in a chronological format but it doesn’t mean that you write in the same way. A combination format would be a good choice. As it is balanced between skill description, achievements and employment history. The advantage of using this format is that you can highlight your job history to make a greater impact on the reader.
- Make an assumption that your resume is going to be seen on screen and not paper. Most resumes are received and managed via a PC. But this does not mean that you create the document in an ugly and drab manner. Engineers who have images of project work have good chances of getting a reply back.
- Make sure that your document is absolutely free of mistakes. The worst thing to happen in writing an engineering resume is a mistake in your resume. This could become a killer for your chances of getting a call back. Engineers are expected to be detail-oriented and that is why a small error in the engineering resume can badly reflect on your future performance.
- Keep a balance between wordiness and lack of detail. Employers need to see details about your work experience and history, but they are not required to know everything. Keep the information to the point and to the aim of attaining an interview.
- Consider your job duties as accomplishments. This makes you stand out from the crowd. How did you come up with a way to better your project, more efficient or costing less? What honors were won by you? Such information grabs the reader’s attention and puts your resume on top priority.
