If you’re a student looking to eventually start a career in engineering but you might not have much or any experience in the industry, don’t worry, we can still help your CV stand out to employers.
Here’s our guide to creating a CV format for engineering students.
- Create a neat and easy layout
- Focus on your skills
- Tailor your CV to the job
- Proofread and edit your work
Create a neat layout that’s easy to follow
The layout of any good CV should be neat, easy to read and consistent in style and format. Engineering degrees are very technical and require both a good structure and attention to detail, so your CV should reflect that. But don’t make it too technical, as many applications are reviewed by HR teams rather than technical experts.
Employers will be looking for evidence of technical skills, but other transferable skills are just as important.
Separating your CV into sections is a great start. You’ll want your qualifications at the beginning, after your contact details. It needs to be clear where you studied, what you studied, the time you studied for and the qualification you gained.
For example, you might write:
Newcastle University - Chemical Engineering BEng Honours
2016 - 2019
Qualification earned: First Class Honours
You can also go into more detail by providing the modules you have studied, as well as specific project examples, skills developed and achievements gained. This is a good idea for an engineering student, as it shows what specific types of engineering you have experience in and the knowledge gained.
Here are some top tips on formatting your CV:
- put your contact details at the top of the page
- don’t include a picture (this isn’t a requirement for UK jobs)
- begin the main section of the CV with your educational history
- any work experience should be in the middle section (you may want to split this into ‘related experience’ and ‘additional experience’)
- your extra-curricular achievements (societies, awards, courses etc) should go towards the end (This is optional. You could also add an ‘additional skills section)
- if you have references, put them and their contact information at the end (This is also optional)
Try and keep it no more than two pages. A busy employer won’t want to read pages and pages so only include your most important, relevant skills. It can help make sure that your application is more concise and possible more memorable.
Should I include an ‘personal information’ section?
A personal information section is a small paragraph that describes you as a person. It can sometimes add more detail about your personality and goals.
If you’re an engineering student with little experience, it’s sometimes good to include a ‘personal information’ section. Some employers like them but others can see them as a waste of space. It’s up to you to decide on whether you should include one.
If you do include one at the beginning of your CV, make sure it’s very short. It’s not about writing an autobiography, it’s about summarising who you are and your career goals and achievements. Two or three lines will be enough.
Focus on your skills
If you’ve recently graduated or are still in university and looking for a graduate job, you may not have that much work experience. Don’t worry, this doesn’t mean an employer won’t hire you - it just means you just need to make sure that your CV stands out more than everyone else’s, by focusing on transferable skills and using specific examples of your work and achievements.
You can also speak to an information adviser at Newcastle University’s Career Service for advice on how to find relevant experience.
Industry-specific skills
Explore any relevant university modules in detail and cover what you studied. You can also describe your achievements and the knowledge you have gained. For example, talk about any groups projects or site visits you may have done.
For example, a civil engineering student might write about their experiences learning about infrastructure, modelling and informatics, environmental systems, human and management systems and surveying.
Employers are most likely to be interested in the potential you show, based on the skills, knowledge and experience you’ve gained while at university. They like to see that you’ve done more than what is required of you as a student, through extracurricular activities and awards gained.
You can also create an ‘Additional Skills’ section on your CV. This could include software packages you’re familiar with, roles you’ve taken in extra curricular work and even physical machinery you know how to use. It’s a good idea to take advantage of a section like this as employers will appreciate a concise look at specific skills.
With each of these skills, add in a piece of evidence to back up your claim. This can be an example of when you’ve used a specific software or process.
Soft skills
The technical skills you’ve learnt during your degree are important but don’t forget about your soft skills. These are personal attributes that allow you to become more successful at your job.
Some examples are:
- time management: This could cover how you committed to a university society while also studying
- leadership: An example of this may cover how you took charge of a university project
- teamwork: Have you worked as part of a team in a small job or in an extracurricular activity? If you have, include that information
- problem solving: This could relate to an issue faced in a university project and how you solved it
Adding these to your CV helps to create a better picture of who you are, provided you include specific examples.
Joining a society related to your course also looks very good on your CV. At Newcastle University, there is the Civil Engineering and Geosciences Society, as well as Chemical Engineering Society, Engineering Projects and Engineers Without Borders. These societies allow you the chance to meet like-minded individuals and take part in extracurricular activities which can help put any theory you learn during your degree into practice.
This will help demonstrate your passion for the engineering industry. It can also show evidence of transferable skills, such as leadership shown by becoming the president of a society.
Tailor your CV to the job
It’s important to tailor yourCV to the job you’re applying for. This means focusing on the areas that are relevant to that specific job.
For example, if you studied civil engineering and you’re applying for a job at an electricity company, make sure you cover the relevant sections of your degree.
Employers may not be interested in reading about the non-relevant modules you might have studied. They want to see that you've got the skills to do the job they're advertising for.
You can start by looking at the job advert and writing down what skills it's asking for. Then, match those to the skills you have. Try to show your knowledge and include specific examples and industry-specific vocabulary.
Tip: remember to read over what you have written so you can talk about each point in detail if you’re in an interview.
Proofread and edit your work
Editing your work is just as important as writing it in the first place.
Once you have written your first draft, make sure you proof your CV. Here are some top editing tips when it comes to finalising a CV:
- look for spelling and grammatical errors
- look for inconsistencies in your writing style, such as switching tenses or going from first person to third person
- remove any unnecessary material, such as irrelevant information
- ensure any details you've mentioned are correct - you don't want to lie or make a mistake as it will look unprofessional
- check your references’ contact details
- ask a friend, relative or even a university lecturer or the Careers Service to read through your CV and offer feedback
Your CV should offer a clear look into what you’ve learnt during your undergraduate degree and any placements you completed. It should show off the best of what you have to offer an organisation.
However, a CV isn’t the only thing you’ll need to prepare when looking for a graduate job. You still need to think about your cover letter, interview, application form and other possible stages.
Discover the best introduction for CV writing and interviews
Explore our helpful ‘Getting Work Ready’ guide, which is full of brilliant information on creating CVs, cover letters and preparing for that all-important interview.
Here you’ll also find advice on social media, why you should create a LinkedIn profile and the types of work visas available to you.
Click the link below to get started.
