Here are the keywords and skills that appear most frequently on recent Mechanical Engineer job postings. In other words, these are the most sought after skills by recruiters and hiring managers. Go to Sample Templates ↓ below to see how to include them on your resume.
Remember that every job is different. Instead of including all keywords on your resume, identify those that are most relevant to the job you're applying to. Use the free Targeted Resume tool to help with this.
Does your resume contain all the right skills? Paste in your resume in the AI Resume Scan ↓ section below and get an instant score.
Paste your resume below and our AI will identify which keywords are missing from your resume from the list above (and what you need to include). Including the right keywords will help you get past Applicant Tracking Systems (i.e. resume screeners) which may scan your resume for keywords to see if you're a match for the job.
Go through the Mechanical Engineer posting you're applying to, and identify hard skills the company is looking for. For example, skills like Project Engineering, Manufacturing and PTC Creo are possible skills. These are skills you should try to include on your resume.
The following word cloud highlights the most popular keywords that appear on Mechanical Engineer job descriptions. The bigger the word, the more frequently it shows up on employer's job postings. If you have experience with these keywords, include them on your resume.
Here are examples of proven resumes in related jobs and industries, approved by experienced hiring managers. Use them as inspiration when you're writing your own resume. You can even download and edit the resume template in Google Docs.
A UX (user experience) engineer is responsible for building design systems and front-end engineering rather than finalizing the look and design of a product. UX engineers collaborate with designers, researchers, and programmers and need a solid understanding of design principles as well as technical skills including familiarity with creative software, programming languages, and experience testing and debugging.
UX engineers need a lot of technical skills, so make sure you explicitly list skills and keywords. This is just as important for getting past a resume screener as well as showcasing your fit to a hiring manager. You can include hard skills and certifications in your work experience bullet points or in an additional skills section.
Make sure you’re tailoring your resume to each specific job you’re applying to. Listing the job title at the top of your resume in particular is an easy way to get past automated resume screeners and onto the desk of a hiring manager. Keep your work experience and skills section focused on the most relevant information, including recent certifications and proficiency with UX design software.
Junior mechanical engineers work under the supervision of senior engineers to develop new tools and devices. You don’t need to be an experienced engineer for this entry-level position, but you will probably need at least a bachelor’s degree in a technical field. Make sure to also point out any internships or extracurricular activities you’ve done that are relevant to math, science, or engineering.
If you’ve held an internship in mechanical engineering, that experience is every bit as valuable as a job. Mention specific engineering projects you’ve worked on, such as developing pumping systems or repairing engine problems. Even extracurricular activities like peer tutoring in math and science can help bolster the strength of your resume.
When you have less work experience to fall back on, it’s helpful to emphasize your educational background, especially if you hold a Bachelor’s and/or Master’s degree in engineering or a related field. While studying mechanical engineering in school won’t teach you all the tricks of the trade, it will give you a strong foundation of knowledge for your future jobs.
In a senior mechanical engineering role, you’ll have general engineering duties while also overseeing processes and coordinating with customers and teams. You might also supervise junior engineers in their roles. To get this job, you need to be an accomplished engineer and adept at managing others. Use your resume to showcase your greatest engineering successes, and be sure to emphasize any leadership roles or promotions you’ve had in the past.
Senior mechanical engineers typically have years of work experience within the field. When you’re applying for jobs, assume you will be competing with other applicants who are equally experienced and qualified. Listing measurable achievements on your resume (such as “managed a team of 30+ engineers” or “increased production output by 23%”) helps set you apart and shows recruiters what you can accomplish.
Having past promotions on your resume is always a plus, especially when you’re going for a leadership role. When recruiters see that you’ve been promoted from a mechanical engineering intern to a junior engineer, they can tell that you’ve excelled in past jobs and that you’ve shown the potential to be a leader within the field.
A Cisco network engineer is specially trained to use Cisco products in planning, implementing, and managing network systems. Cisco networks are used widely, and the demand for Cisco-certified networking professionals is high. If you want to become a Cisco network engineer, your resume should show recruiters that you have excelled as a network engineer and that you’ve attained the necessary education to work with Cisco products.
To become a Cisco network engineer, you need to get certified as a CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate) and become knowledgeable about these specialized systems. The CCNA is also a respected credential that adds to your professional credibility and marketability -- so make sure to display it in a prominent location, such as the top of your resume.
The job candidate in this example has spent over a decade working as a network engineer, and has worked specifically with Cisco systems. Having the CCNA certification is a great start, but if you can show that you’ve had hands-on experience with Cisco networks and equipment, you’ll be an even better candidate for the job you’re after.
The title technical sales engineer is considered to be interchangeable with sales engineer. Both roles have many of the same responsibilities described above. This resume highlights the mid-career of a technical sales engineer.
Showing increased responsibilities as a technical sales engineer on your resume through action verbs like “led”, “supervised” and ”initiated”, demonstrates initiative and professional growth.
This example highlights several measurable achievements from the candidate’s current and past roles as a technical sales engineer. In this case, adding specific numbers to reflect increased profits, savings and other activities adds impact and credibility.
A software development engineer in test (SDET) participates in the entire software development cycle. They both develop and test software. Essentially the position is two professions combined into one. The demand for this role has greatly increased as companies have started to look for multifaceted I.T. professionals and have started to look for ways to decrease the size of the IT department. To excel in this role, you will need a very strong software development background as well as a testing background. This sample resume shows this very effectively.
SDETs perform both software development and software testing functions. So be sure to show an equally balanced resume. Ensure your experience and skills sections, show your capabilities in developing and testing.
SDETs are tasked with not only identifying bugs and issues, like other testers but are also tasked with creating solutions. This requires creativity. So be sure to highlight instances where you found a creative solution to a software bug or where you created a more efficient testing system.
The most common skills and keywords we found on Mechanical Engineer resumes and job postings were Mechanical Engineering, Engineering, SOLIDWORKS, AutoCAD, Computer-Aided Design (CAD), Project Engineering, Manufacturing and PTC Creo.
Skills like Design Engineering, Engineering Design, Product Design, Project Planning and ANSYS also appeared on related job postings.
If you are writing a Mechanical Engineering Consultant resume, try to emphasize skills like Mechanical Engineering, SOLIDWORKS, Engineering, Computer-Aided Design (CAD), Finite Element Analysis (FEA), Product Design, Design for Manufacturing and Manufacturing.
Similarly, if you are writing a Director Of Mechanical Engineering resume, emphasize skills like HVAC, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), Construction Management, Construction, Lean Manufacturing, Cross-functional Team Leadership, Manufacturing Engineering and Six Sigma.
Depending on the specific role you apply to, you may need to emphasize different skill sets. Here are a few examples:
While the keywords above are a good indication of what skills you need on your resume, you should try to find additional keywords that are specific to the job. To do this, use the free Targeted Resume tool. It analyzes the job you are applying to and finds the most important keywords you need on your resume.
It is personalized to your resume, and is the best way to ensure your resume will pass the automated resume filters.
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.
