Civil engineers undertake a lot of infrastructure projects that support the public. Roads, bridges, airports, tunnels, sewer systems and plenty of other large public spaces are almost always constructed by civil engineers. When searching for a civil engineer job, you need to construct the best resume for your application. Resume writing can seem like a chore, but with these tips and examples, you’ll be on your way to writing the perfect resume for your civil engineering job search!
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The best civil engineering resume will use one of these three most common resume formats: chronological resume format, which focuses on work experience, the functional resume format, which highlights skills and the combination resume format, which combines both experience and skills. A civil engineer candidate will most likely want to use the chronological resume format due to their extensive work history.
Regardless of the resume format you choose, the best resumes will include the following sections:
The header contains all your contact information, including your full name, address, phone number, and email address. You may also include a link to your LinkedIn profile. Be sure that all your contact information is correct so a hiring manager may contact you to schedule an interview.
The next section of your resume will be the resume summary or resume objective. This is a short 2-3 sentence paragraph. If you have an extensive work history, then you will want to write a resume summary and highlight your most significant achievements and skills. However, if you are a recent graduate or have little work experience, consider writing a resume objective instead. In a resume objective, you can state your overall career goals. Regardless of whether you write a resume summary or resume objective, you will provide the hiring manager with a small glimpse into how well you would fit into the position.
Civil engineers need a good mix of hard skills and soft skills. Hard skills typically focus on work-related technical skills, such as being able to understand and draw blueprints. Soft skills say more about your personality and how you would fit into the work environment. Problem-solving is one example of a soft skill.
Here are some examples of civil engineering skills you may want to include on your resume:
Study the job description for any keywords you can use within your resume. Many job applications are run through applicant tracking systems (ATS) which scan for specific keywords and judge each application accordingly. If you use the right keywords from the job description, you are more likely to get past this system and be labeled a qualified job candidate, thereby, getting your resume read by an actual recruiter.
Your work experience section is perhaps one of the most important resume sections. It can show off your expertise and civil engineering disciplines.
You don’t necessarily need years of experience to work as a civil engineer. There are civil engineering internships and other entry-level positions for an engineer-in-training that can grant you critical civil engineering experience. As long as you know, the fundamentals of civil engineering and can demonstrate that knowledge in your job application, you’ll find yourself landing interviews in no time.
For each job that you do list in the work experience section, be sure to add 4-6 bullet points using active verbs to showcase your skills and accomplishments. Also include the company name, your job title and dates of employment, which will show your years of experience as a civil engineer.
Most civil engineers need at least a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering to be considered for a civil engineering position. You will also need a license to apply to senior positions, such as the Professional Engineer (PE) license, which can be listed in this section as well.
Unless you have graduated within the last year and have a 3.5 GPA or higher, don’t include your GPA within your civil engineering resume. Recruiters are far more interested in your work experience and skills than a GPA you earned years ago.
The cover letter is extremely important to include in every job application. These letters are often the hiring manager’s first impression of who you are as an employee. You can also use it to explain further why your skills and work experience make you the perfect fit for a position. It’s a useful tool to capture the attention of a prospective employer, so you should always take the time to write a personalized letter to accompany your application.
If you have earned awards for any previous civil engineering projects, then it’s best to create a small section within your resume. Listing your achievements and awards can display that you have the right know-how for the job and that you are an expert in your field.
If you’re still having trouble writing a stand-out resume, then try using a resume builder! These tools come preloaded with tons of resume templates, civil engineer resume samples and other resume tips to help you craft a professional resume in mere minutes.
