Everything we use on a daily basis is made out of materials; computers, our beds, cars, etc. Materials engineers design, evaluate, and process materials to make these products functional and efficient. They may develop a shatter-proof phone cover, or enhance the materials used in shopping bags to make them biodegradable.
That’s why they can work in numerous industries, such as manufacturing, aerospace, or biomedical engineering. In this last field, they can develop functional materials that are tolerated by the human body.
Some of the responsibilities you’ll have as a materials engineer include planning and executing manufacturing projects, budgeting, and estimating resources. You might also supervise other team members, such as technicians, scientists, and technologists.
This is an occupation that requires a lot of research, so you may also test materials and evaluate their cause of deterioration. This will also help you determine ways to solve those failures. Hence, it is important to highlight your research and data analytic skills on your resume.
You should also demonstrate computer literacy on your resume. Even though it’s not mandatory, having programming and machine learning skills is helpful in this occupation. They will allow you to evaluate materials more efficiently and enhance techniques such as molecular analysis, properties prediction, and characterization of polymers.
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Materials engineers design materials that meet a particular function. For example, a material that is stronger, more resistant, or non-corrosive. That’s why they test and evaluate different materials' properties to find innovative solutions. They also evaluate the environmental impact of that product to make it more ecologic. Some materials engineers are part of the entire development process, including planning and execution. That’s why it is important to highlight skills like budgeting and cost estimation on your resume.
Generally, materials engineers specialize in a particular material, such as metal, plastic, or ceramic. It is essential to demonstrate this specialization on your resume since it’ll help your potential employer determine if you’re a good fit for their project.
Adding a certification can help you bootstrap your resume. Even though it’s not required or mandatory, it gives you more reliability. Some of the most relevant certifications for your profession include Certified Materials & Resource Professional, Engineering Management Certification Fundamentals (EMCF), and Certified Chemical Engineer (CCE).
Materials engineers study nanomaterials, plastic, metals, and other materials' properties to determine their functionality in a particular product. They find innovative solutions to everyday problems to make products safer, more efficient, faster, or more resistant. Since this is such a technical role, it is essential to highlight your academic value on your resume.
Failure analysis is the process of evaluating data to determine the reason for a product failure. This information helps make corrective decisions and improve the product’s functionality. Ideally, a materials engineer should be proficient at this skill.
You would play an important role in the project’s success, so it’s important to emphasize your achievements in your resume. This will help you demonstrate your real value and how you can contribute to your potential employer’s success as well.
We spoke with hiring managers from top companies in the materials engineering field, including Johnson & Johnson, Lockheed Martin, and Dow Chemical. They shared their insights on what makes a strong materials engineer resume stand out. Keep these tips in mind as you write your own resume.
Employers want to see that you have deep knowledge and experience with specific materials. Instead of just listing the materials you've worked with, provide details on how you used them.
Contrast this with a less effective approach:
As a materials engineer, your resume summary is an optional section that can help you stand out to hiring managers. While a summary isn't required, it can be useful if you're changing careers or have a lot of relevant experience to highlight. Avoid using an objective statement, as it's outdated and doesn't provide value.
When writing your materials engineer resume summary, focus on your most relevant skills, experience, and achievements. Tailor it to the specific job you're applying for by showcasing how your background aligns with the position's requirements. Keep it concise and impactful, as hiring managers often have limited time to review resumes.
The work experience section is the most critical part of your resume as a materials engineer. It's where you highlight your relevant skills, accomplishments, and impact through previous roles. Incorporate these tips to make your work experience section compelling to hiring managers and recruiters.
Considering the complexity of this occupation, it is important to keep your resume simple and easy to scan for recruiters. That’s why you should use vocabulary that is concise and accurate. This way, you’ll use fewer words for explaining your responsibilities and achievements.
This is when action verbs can be helpful. You can use them to summarize your ideas into a single word while communicating effectively. You should only use related action verbs and refrain from repetition. We’ve collected a list of strong action verbs for your materials engineering resume. Check them below.
For a full list of effective resume action verbs, visit Resume Action Verbs.
Your materials engineering resume should demonstrate your expertise in math, science, engineering, and research. That’s why you should highlight skills like failure analysis, metallurgy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and materials science. This is also where you can demonstrate your specialty and include related skills.
You should also include software and tools you use, such as MATLAB or Python. If you want to consider more skills ideas to include in your materials engineer resume, don’t forget to check our selection of skills for this occupation.
You can include the above skills in a dedicated Skills section on your resume, or weave them in your experience. Here's how you might create your dedicated skills section:
This word cloud highlights the important keywords that appear on Materials Engineer job descriptions and resumes. The bigger the word, the more frequently it appears on job postings, and the more 'important' it is.
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