The construction process goes through multiple phases, including planning, evaluating financial and construction aspects, etc. During the planning process, companies set project standards, including deadlines, budgets, functionality, and design goals. If the engineering team wants to successfully meet those standards they need someone to monitor each member and delegate tasks. That is where the planning engineer enters the game.
Planning engineers are responsible for controlling and overseeing the engineering team. They must be familiar with the project’s specifications and ensure everyone is following them. They also track the project’s progress and create performance reports to share with stakeholders.
Planning engineers are expected to meet with external vendors that provide materials or services needed for the project. They must try negotiating with them to get the best prices based on their budgetary goals.
Another thing you should know about planning engineers is that they have a direct relationship with stakeholders. Therefore, they inform them about construction estimations, staff performance, deficiencies in the project, etc.
As a planning engineer, you must be familiar with construction tools and fundamentals. That’s why you are expected to understand the project’s blueprints, AutoCAD, and estimations. You must also be familiar with safety protocols to ensure everyone is safe in the work field.
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A senior planning engineer is an experienced professional in the construction field that leads the engineering team. They are responsible for guiding the crew towards contract goals. Senior planning engineers make sure that deadlines and budget goals are met, while still delivering the desired outcomes. They also meet with third-party vendors and contractors to get the materials needed to complete the project.
To become a senior planning engineer, you must have a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering or a related field. Considering this is a high-level job, you are also expected to have more than 12 years of experience in team management in the construction industry.
Time management is crucial for senior planning engineers. You must have logical thinking, problem-solving skills, and the ability to meet deadlines, but most importantly, you must make others deliver the job on time. This requires leadership competencies and organizational skills. If you want to make a good impression on your resume, try to highlight this trait.
This is a managerial role, so you’ll be the head of the engineering team. This means you’ll be delegating tasks, supervising crew members, ensuring everyone follows contract requirements and addressing performance issues. This is what recruiters are looking for when screening your resume, so the best thing to do is to demonstrate you’re capable of managing a construction team.
A development and planning engineer is responsible for conceiving strategies for a construction project. They develop methods that help the engineering team meet deadlines and project requirements. They’re usually focused on the technical side of each phase of the construction process, so they must be familiar with engineering techniques, such as blueprint reading, construction estimations, and security protocols.
Development and planning engineers must have excellent math and data analytics skills. They are often expected to conduct research, make estimations, forecast results, and interpret data. Add more value to your resume by mentioning your data analytics skills and the research methods you use during the project sequence.
A great way to illustrate your worth in your resume is by using metrics to quantify your achievements. This helps recruiters have a better view of your impact on previous projects. You can mention how you shorten the completion time of a particular contract, and reduced risks or costs.
A transmission planning engineer develops transmission systems that transport electricity from generation plants over long distances. They evaluate the projects’ requirements and the demand for electricity in a particular area.
Transmission planning engineers also work on existing transmission systems to determine if they can be expanded. They also evaluate whether these systems can work under multiple conditions.
Apart from the technical skills, you must have, it is important to demonstrate your ability to make financial decisions. You must evaluate costs, reduce risks, and negotiate with vendors to meet budget requirements. You can mention your administration skills on your resume to stand out from competitors.
Customizing your resume to the electrical transmission field will help you look more experienced and specialized. This will also help you get past ATS scanners. Recruiters might feel overwhelmed by looking at generic resumes that are not considered “the perfect fit”. That’s why it’s important to use transmission planning keywords, to differentiate yourself from others.
A system planning engineer conducts electricity studies and construction work plans to determine the feasibility of electrical systems. They also make estimations and propose methods to maintain the project within the stakeholder’s budget. They are responsible for identifying issues in the project and providing the appropriate guidance to address them.
Computer-Aided Design (CAD) applications are computer programs used for designing and evaluating complex projects such as electrical systems and building constructions. As a system planning engineer, you must be familiar with this type of software, so it’s important to include that in your resume.
Your job title is the first thing that ATS filters detect when scanning your resume. That’s why you must make sure to write an ATS-friendly job title that won’t get ditched or ignore. Try to look at system planning engineer job posts and try to match your job title to what potential employers are looking for. You should add system planning-related keywords for better results.
As a hiring manager who has recruited Planning Engineers at top companies like Bechtel, AECOM, and Jacobs Engineering, I know what it takes to create a strong resume that will get you noticed. Here are some key tips to keep in mind when crafting your Planning Engineer resume.
Employers want to see that you have experience managing complex projects from start to finish. Be sure to include specific examples of projects you've led, such as:
Use strong action verbs like 'managed', 'led', and 'coordinated' to emphasize your leadership skills.
As a planning engineer, your resume summary is an opportunity to highlight your most relevant skills and experiences that make you a strong candidate for the role. While a summary is optional, it can be beneficial if you have a diverse background or are making a career change. It allows you to provide context and connect the dots between your past experience and the planning engineer position you're targeting.
When writing your summary, avoid using an objective statement, as they are outdated and focus on what you want rather than what you can offer the employer. Instead, think of your summary as a snapshot of your qualifications and the value you bring to the table.
Your work experience section is the heart of your planning engineer resume. It's where you highlight your most relevant and impressive achievements, and prove to hiring managers that you have what it takes to excel in the role. Here are some key tips to make your work experience section stand out:
As a planning engineer, you are the bridge between the engineering team and stakeholders, so you must have excellent communication skills to translate complex requirements. Communication plays a huge role in the engineering team, so it is crucial to demonstrate this in your resume. The best way to do it is by developing a clear structure.
If you want to streamline your resume and look more reliable, you should use bullet points with strong action verbs to describe your previous roles. You will be more precise and accurately explain your responsibilities.
For more related action verbs, visit Engineering Action Verbs.
For a full list of effective resume action verbs, visit Resume Action Verbs.
Planning engineers are part of every stage of the construction process. They monitor and control the engineering team to ensure everyone follows the project’s requirements. Therefore, you are expected to have a set of technical skills in the engineering field. You should try to use the skills section in your resume to highlight those technical competencies.
The best thing to do is to check job posts about this role and identify those skills that you can include. Keep in mind that these skills are often used as keywords, so it’s a good opportunity to use them for resume optimization. If you need some help finding industry-relevant skills, feel free to check the ones below.
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 Planning Engineer job descriptions and resumes. The bigger the word, the more frequently it appears on job postings, and the more 'important' it is.
Thank you for the checklist! I realized I was making so many mistakes on my resume that I've now fixed. I'm much more confident in my resume now.
