Luckily for you, the team at PurpleCV have put together this comprehensive guide on how to write a successful graduate engineering CV.
The basics
Your contact details
You may have the best engineering CV in the world, but if you don’t get the basics right, you’re shooting yourself in the foot.
When we talk about the basics, we mean exactly that: your name, contact details (both phone and email, if possible) and home address.
Without these neatly placed at the top of your CV, you don’t just make yourself impossible to reach – you come across as amateurish at the same time.
Make sure to check your details, double-check them and then check them once more for luck. That typo you spot might be the difference between getting an interview and not.
Additional links: are they worth it?
When it comes to additional links, such as your LinkedIn profile or a link to your website, you should only include them if they are relevant and add value to your CV.
A LinkedIn profile you last posted on six years ago isn’t going to add much; however, a link to a portfolio of engineering projects you’ve worked on in the past will help demonstrate your experience and expertise.
Experience and employment history
When it comes to creating a standout graduate engineering CV, the more internships and work experience you can list, the better.
If you’re able to write about the work you’ve already done within the engineering industry and the skills you’ve acquired, this will be a huge plus on your CV.
We know that for many graduates, however, relevant experience is hard to come by, especially if you’ve spent your recent years in full-time education – so it’s important to know how to sell yourself on your CV.
Don’t forget soft skills
Fortunately, a lack of experience doesn’t have to be the end of the world. You just need to know how to market your soft skills.
Make sure to show potential employers just how invaluable your verbal communication, teamwork, flexibility and critical thinking skills are.
Tailor your CV to the role
Once you’ve identified your soft skills, you need to showcase how they are relevant to the specific role you’re applying for, and then tailor your CV to the job description accordingly.
Whatever relevant work experience you do have, make sure to format it appropriately – it should be listed in reverse chronological order, with your most recent work experience listed first and older positions listed beneath.
If you lack experience, explain how you plan to gain more
Employers are more understanding than you might think and they’ll be aware of how few opportunities there are for student internships.
But if you can demonstrate a go-getting, proactive attitude towards gaining more experience, it shows your determination and work ethic, which will be highly appealing to potential employers.
Graduate engineering CV length
This is a big one – a concise CV is often a better CV.
We’re not saying that it has to be short, necessarily, but rather that you shouldn’t waffle. Say what you need to say as efficiently as possible.
If you don’t have a lot to say, the worst thing you can do is pad your CV out with additional ‘empty’ words. Typically, your CV should be about two pages in length.
Don’t include irrelevant hobbies, skills or qualifications
If you can justify the relevance of a hobby or qualification to the position to which you’re applying, then great.
If not? It doesn’t need to be there. For example, if you’re applying for a graduate internship at a top engineering firm, then it’s hard to find a reason that your 100m swimming badge might somehow be relevant.
However, some extracurricular activities can be used to display that you’re a more rounded individual, which is something employers are always on the lookout for.
If you played for a football team for five years straight, for example, then you can use this to showcase your value as a team player, as well as your communication skills and commitment to a position.
Language and tone
The engineering industry is known more for its mathematics and schematics than its use of language, but when it comes to your engineering CV, you still need to get the language right.
Firstly, before you sit down to write your engineering CV, get yourself in the right mindset.
If you sit down to write with the confidence that you deserve the jobs that are out there, this will translate into a more assured, confident CV overall.
Similarly, write in a positive, friendly manner, but make sure you remain professional. There’s a difference between self-confidence and arrogance, and between an approachable, friendly tone and one which is too familiar and unprofessional.
Given the highly technical nature of engineering roles, you should try to use industry-specific language where relevant throughout your CV.
However, you must make sure that you’re using any technical language correctly – don’t try to use words you don’t fully understand!
Accuracy
In the world of engineering, precision, accuracy and attention to detail are key skills that any hiring manager will be looking for.
This means it’s critical to exhibit these skills throughout your CV by making sure it’s free from typos, grammar mistakes and inaccuracies.
It’s vital that you proofread every part of your job application several times so you can spot any errors and avoid being rejected due to a careless mistake.
You may find it helpful to ask a friend or family member to check your CV too, as a fresh pair of eyes may spot an error that you overlooked.
Final thoughts: how to write a graduate engineering CV
So, there you have it, our steps to writing a competitive graduate engineering CV.
Every engineering CV should have several key features, but how you fill in the blanks – your personality, experience, soft skills and career goals – is up to you and the specific role you’re applying for.
If you’re struggling to write the perfect CV, you may find it useful to use a professional CV writing service to get a CV tailored to your dream engineering role.
