Mechanical Engineer Resume

Mechanical engineering is a competitive field, and hiring managers are looking for candidates who fit specific criteria and possess a highly specialized set of skills.

You’ll need to write a professional mechanical engineer resume that highlights your qualifications and skills if you want to impress hiring managers and land an interview.

Check out our four writing tips and mechanical engineer resume template below for help.

1. Open with a convincing resume summary

Good mechanical engineering jobs are highly competitive, so your application is likely one of the hundreds that will end up on the hiring manager’s desk.

To get the hiring manager’s attention and ensure they read your resume instead of tossing it in in the trash, you need to write a strong and convincing resume summary that makes you stand out from the crowd by highlighting the following information:

• Highest job title or profession
• Length of relevant experience
• A career achievement
• Your relevant certifications and skills

Here’s an example of a well-written mechanical engineer resume summary:

Skilled Mechanical Engineer with 4+ years of experience designing and maintaining tools, industrial processing systems, and equipment. At current company, increased production by 14% by minimizing bottlenecks, and increased industrial output by 4% through the planning and execution of technical drawings and blueprints. Seeking to leverage my expertise to join Tack Inc. as a Lead Mechanical Engineer.

2. List specific mechanical engineer skills

Mechanical engineers need to be versed in a wide array of hard and soft skills to perform their jobs effectively. To make sure you’re qualified for the role, employers will be looking for your mechanical engineer skills to be listed on your resume.

The best place on your resume to list your engineering skills is in a  dedicated resume skills section. This way, the hiring manager will quickly see if you possess the necessary expertise to excel at the job.

Regarding hard skills, mechanical engineers need to be proficient at using several software programs and other technology, such as developing prototypes and technical drawings, using programs like AutoCAD, and having knowledge of FEM and FEA.

However, you’ll also need to focus on your soft skills. Employers are always looking for mechanical engineers who know how to do their job and possess great communication skills, leadership abilities, and attention to detail. This is especially true if you’re applying for management-level positions or will be guiding a team of people.

Here’s an example of a mechanical engineer resume skills section that properly showcases the candidate’s abilities:

3. Back up your experience with hard numbers

One of the first things employers look for when hiring a new mechanical engineer is that you’re able to achieve tangible results. That’s why backing up your engineering accomplishments on your resume with hard numbers is key if you want to impress the hiring manager.

Adding quantifiable examples to the bullet points in your work experience section will help the hiring manager understand the range of your previous responsibilities and give them a better idea of what value you bring if hired.

Here are three examples of how to back up your engineering accomplishments with hard numbers:

1. Production

Planned and executed blueprints and technical drawings for state-of-the-art high-capacity cooling systems, increasing industrial output by 4%

2. Management and teamwork

Work with a team of 12 to design, build, and install a wide range of cooling equipment for use in industrial food preservation systems

3. Organization

Researched new materials and production techniques, writing and distributing 2 reports annually to the engineering team

Quantifying your experience is one of the best ways to demonstrate your accomplishments in a digestible, compelling manner.

4. Ensure you use the right resume format

Using the right resume format for your mechanical engineering resume is important if you want to display your qualifications in the most convincing way possible.

There are three main resume formats, and your unique circumstances will determine which type you choose when making your resume.

For most mechanical engineers, whether you’re entry-level or experienced, we’d recommend using the chronological resume format because it presents your qualifications and skills in a logical order, accommodating a wide range of candidates.

Additionally, it’s easy to switch sections around on a chronological resume, allowing you to focus on either your skills, work experience, or education, depending on how far along you are in your career.

For example, if you’re a recent graduate and looking for an entry-level mechanical engineer position, you can easily list your education section before your work experience or skills so that the hiring manager notices it first when reviewing your job application.

5. Mechanical engineer resume template

Lastly, here’s a mechanical engineer resume template that you can easily copy and paste into both Google Docs and Microsoft Word:

1. Contact Information

FIRST AND LAST NAME

Email | Phone | Address | Linkedin 

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2. Resume Summary

[Mechanical Engineering job title] and [# of years] experience. Strong [set of relevant engineering skills or expertise]. At current position, helped organization accomplish [career achievement]. Seeking to leverage my [engineering background, degree, and other qualifications] to fill [position] and help achieve [company’s name]’s goals.

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3. Professional Experience

Most Recent Title or Position

Employer Name / Location / Start Year – End Year

• Include a bulleted list of relevant engineering responsibilities and achievements
• Add hard numbers and percentages to give the hiring manager a better grasp of how you contributed as a mechanical engineer to the organization or company
• Be as specific as possible. Name software programs, tools, or known mathematical formulas (such as FEM or FEA) to explain how you delivered results  

Previous Title or Position

Employer Name / Location / Start Year – End Year

• To avoid confusion, ensure you use the past tense of verbs if you’re no longer at this position
• Include at least three bullet points when detailing experience to give hiring managers enough information about your previous engineering position
• Incorporate the usage of action verbs, instead of using phrases such as “duties included” and “responsible for”

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4. Education

Degree Name / Major

University, Location | Start Date – End Date

• List your GPA (3.5 and above)
• Include any honors you achieved (Dean’s list, etc.)
• Display relevant coursework that pertains to the mechanical engineering position you’re applying to

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5. Skills

• Include a bulleted list of engineering skills you’ve gained from college, jobs, volunteer, or internship work
• Consider skills that will be important to have regarding the position you’re applying for
• Be sure to include a mix of both hard and soft engineering skills so that the hiring manager has a good grasp of your capabilities