Electrical Engineer Resume Writing Guide & Tips
If you’re an Electrical Engineer seeking a job or looking to change your current position, developing a great resume is the first step. These tips can help make it more effective and your search easier.
This article offers tips on how to customize your resume for the requirements of each position and how to follow up with confidence.
If you are interviewing for a job as an Entry Level Electrical Engineer, make sure you highlight your education and possibly some experience from school. If you were an intern, highlight the skills you learned and the work you did. If applicable, state that you got your Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, your GPA of 4.0 out of 5.0 or another impressive GPA, and list any notable awards and extracurricular activities related to engineering.
How to write an Electrical Engineer Resume:
Step by Step guide to building a resume that will impress and get you noticed. You will need an editor!
To start, you’ll need the help of one of our professional editors to help structure your CV. Your editor will be able to make your CV look amazing and get it ready for the next stage – getting seen by employers!
Don’t forget that, as a candidate, you are also an employer! So when you write your resume, consider being objective in case any big-name companies (ie. Google) are reading.
Key Search Terms:
Make sure you place keywords within the following places on your CV:
1. In the job title – in a larger font and bolded (so it pops out more)
2. A couple of times in the responsibilities section, again use a larger font and bolded (to get noticed)
3. A couple of times in the skills section (in a smaller font, so it can pop out and be noticed by any employer scanning through hundreds of CVs).
A good thing to do is make a list of keywords you want to use in your CV. Make sure that you put them into a spreadsheet or notepad and insert them into your CV wherever possible. The keywords should be relevant to your CV and the industry.
Doing this throughout your CV will help make it stand out from the crowd, as long as you use them correctly and effectively.
Education:
It is always a good thing to have a university degree – even if you are doing an apprenticeship. It shows that you are interested in learning and developing yourself. Companies love this! It is also a good idea to go onto further study if possible (Masters, MBA, etc.); this shows dedication and commitment to your career. Make sure you put this in a section by itself at the very top of the CV – so it catches employers’ eyes!
Experience:
Now you have the Education section, you need to build onto it. Start off with your experience. You need to tell the employer what you were doing in each role, and then what skills (from Step 2) you used in that role (technically I guess this is a Skills section? ). Remember to keep chronological order, and also try and make it sound like you’re doing something useful (also, think about using sub-headings if the content is complex).
Skills:
Each resume needs to have a section called ‘skills’. The skills section is one of the most important and it will help to make your CV stand out from the crowd.
Start off by listing all the skills that you have (remember, Step 2!). List them in chronological order (so it’s easy for an employer to follow). You don’t have to write ‘Good at programming’, write what you actually did: ‘. Programmed two high-level graphics algorithms for use in a mobile calculator application.
List of Typical Responsibilities For An Electrical Engineer Resume:
- Analyze electrical systems, sub-systems, and components under development or in service.
- Provide guidance in the evaluation and selection of electrical equipment.
- Develop specifications for procurement of new or replacement electrical equipment.
- Author purchase specifications for prototype gear based on concepts developed by others.
- Supervise and evaluate the work of technicians, engineers, and students to ensure accurate analyses are performed and that documentation is prepared in a timely manner.
- Develop test procedures to verify system performance.
- Develop test results to ensure that design conclusions are valid.
- Provide engineering support and guidance for the safety and reliability of mechanical and electrical equipment in areas of responsibility.
- Write technical papers and reports on electrical equipment subjects under development or in service.
Top 10 Must-have Electrical Engineer Skills:
- Instrumentation Definition
Examples: Capability to calculate the operational parameters of a plant or process, e.g. frequency, pulse amplitude, pressure, flow; ability to apply mathematical formulas relating to these parameters; ability to perform physical experiments and make mathematical calculations - Instrumentation Simulation
Examples: Ability to design and simulate an electrical instrument suitable for measuring plant parameters. - Specialty Tool Technology
Examples: Specialty tools used for testing electrical equipment and structures/materials (e.g. drop hammer, magnetic particle inspection, ultrasonic testing) - Electrical Parameters Definition
Examples: Capability to derive the operational parameters of a plant or process from electrical measurements (e.g. frequency, pulse amplitude, pressure, flow) with or without the help of instrumentation; ability to apply mathematical formulas relating to these parameters; ability to perform physical experiments and make mathematical calculations. - Electrical Parameters Measurement
Examples: Measurement of operational parameters (e.g. frequency, pulse amplitude, pressure, flow) of a plant or process using electrical measurements. - Electrical Circuit Analysis
Examples: Ability to analyze the performance of an electrical circuit from either input/output or power/loss parameters. - Electrical Power System Operation & Maintenance
Examples: Operation and maintenance of an electrical power system (e.g. voltage stability, power quality issues, insulation monitoring). - Low & High Voltage Systems Operation & Maintenance
Examples: Operation and maintenance of low voltage (e.g. 0-65kV) and high voltage (e.g. 66kV and above) electrical systems. - Electrical Power Quality Issues
Examples: Capability to identify, analyze, prevent, troubleshoot and resolve electrical power quality issues (e.g. motor drive harmonics, transient overvoltages, voltage sags/swells). - Electrical Maintenance
Examples: Ability to apply knowledge of a wide variety of concepts, principles and practices in the design, manufacture, construction, operation and maintenance of electrical equipment.
Tips to write an Electrical Engineer Resume Summary:
The Summary section is the first thing a recruiter will see. Therefore, it needs to be at least a paragraph, or possibly longer. So what do you include in this section? This is your opportunity to tell them a concise story of your career achievements and why you should be recruited for the job position. Use bullet points to help keep the length of your resume brief.
Here are some tips to help you write an effective summary:
Your objective statement is your top priority. It should be a summary of your career goals. For example, if you want to advance in your field, you can use this section to indicate what level you’re shooting for and which company would be the best fit for doing so.
Next, let them know what makes you qualified for the position and describe why they should select you as their candidate. You may also want to include your professional and academic achievements.
Be sure to include a detailed list of your prior work experience. List the types of projects you were involved in, what type of companies the work was with, where they were located and when the work was performed. This is important because it helps prove your professional experience.
If you have any certifications or licenses required for the job position, list them next to their name or role in a summary statement. (Some companies do not allow certifications for some positions.
Electrical Engineer Resume Summary Example:
“8 Years of experience as an Electrical Equipment Engineer with specializations in Test and Measurement, Health and Safety, and Electrical Engineering Design for the U.K. public transportation sector. Expert in developing process improvements to reduce production times by 20% while maintaining strict compliance with health and safety regulations. Proven track record of increasing efficiency through the use of mechanical assembly techniques and equipment automation.”
How to write an Electrical Engineer Resume with No experience:
- This guide is built for those who don’t have any electrical experience or doesn’t have much of it within the last 5 years
- It can also be used for those with no experience but who would like to write a resume.
- Most of these points are directly related to the companies hiring in this industry.
- This guide is written as a series of tips to help those who don’t have much experience on resumes and job applications.
- Each point is directly related to the companies hiring in this industry.
- There will be a guide to each major question they ask you on your resume (in case you do not have experience).
- The first few points are about the overall design of the resume which should never be overlooked.
How to write an Electrical Engineer Cover Letter:
- A cover letter should not be longer than one page and should be addressed to a specific person.
- Use formal language, such as ‘Dear Sir/Madam’ for salutations.
- Make it clear that you are applying for the position advertised. Add relevant information from the job advertisement in your cover letter e.g. salary, company website, etc.
- The cover letter should not be longer than 1 page.
- You can refer to the job advertisement in the cover letter e.g. salary, company website
The purpose of the cover letter is to let the employer know more about you as a person and what motivates you to apply for this position. The cover letter is the first communication from you to a prospective employer. It is an opportunity for you to present yourself professionally and highlight what makes you the right person for the job.
To ensure that your resume gets noticed, you want to make sure your cover letter is written in a way that grabs attention. Here are some tips:
– The beginning of the cover letter is where you should state your knowledge of the company, and how it can be an excellent fit with both employer and employee.
Key Takeaways:
- A good resume is essential to get your foot in the door for interviews.
- It’s important to customize your resume based on the job that you are applying for.
- Choose a format that places your most relevant information at the top of your resume.
- Be consistent and organized with formatting and font usage. Make sure to proofread your resume before you send it off or upload it online.