Engineering Consultant Resume: 12+ Examples from Pros

As an Engineering Consultant, you could be involved in countless projects involving differing areas of construction and maintenance.

From a high rises to subdivisions, your expertise could help shape the outline of major projects.

It’s an exciting prospect.

But what road will take you to that dream job?

It all starts out with having an outstanding engineering consultant resume in your corner.

This is where we come in.

We’ll provide you with an outline that will enable you to create a superb resume that will demonstrate your best skills and value.

Summary

1. Resume Template
2. Formatting
3. Writing Your Resume Summary
4. Areas of Expertise
5. Writing Your Work Experience
6. Writing Your Education Section
7. Additional Sections
8. Resume Points to Remember
9. Resume “Don’ts” to Remember
10. Some Helpful Tools

Let’s begin with a sample engineering consultant resume to demonstrate how all the resume pieces fit together. Then we will break each section down to really drill into how to write the best engineering consultant resume you possibly can.

Engineering Consultant Resume (Text Version)

As you’ll consult with firms concerning details of engineering, we will consult with you about how to best format your engineering consultant resume.

Things change quickly in the job market. The methods of yesterday do not necessarily translate in today’s climate.

For instance, these days, many companies use scanning bots to assess resume submissions for proper keywords and language.

Since there are so many applicants in our marketplace, bots are used to help thin the herd.

When a resume does get in front of the eyes of a hiring manager, it will only be there for about 6 seconds.

So you see how writing a resume that attracts attention is an important goal.

You need to layout your engineering consultant resume in reverse chronological order, so that your most recent position of employment will be seen at the top of your work experience section.

Use an easy-to-read font that a reader won’t have to struggle over.

Use your white space appropriately, evenly spacing columns, blocks of text, and bullet lists.

Proper spacing will make your resume more scannable.

So where to start?

It all begins with your summary.

It’s your first impression.

Your sales pitch.

What are you selling?

Your skills.

In 2-3 sentences, sum up what makes you the best candidate. Show them your value as an engineering consultant.

Your summary needs to showcase the epitome of your skill set.

Don’t be general or vague!

A well-written summary is going to impress a hiring manager and leave them eager to move on to the next part of your engineering consultant resume.

Pro Tip: Your summary is your first impression. So let them know right off what kind of engineering consultant you are. Are you highly skilled, respected, experienced, or versatile? Come up with a descriptor that really demonstrates your proficiency.

Let’s put these concepts into practice with some examples:

So what are the major differences here?

The first example is a powerful breakdown of the candidate’s key skill set. There is enough detail and plenty of keywords to demonstrate value.

Power words are also used to convey action and competency.

The second example is amateurish and not well-structured.

The applicant provides no real specifics – certainly not enough to form an accurate impression.

It is difficult to ascertain the candidate’s actual skill level and qualifications.

This is something you do not want.

Your summary shouldn’t leave unanswered questions in the reader’s mind.

What would really add spice to your summary section?

How about highlighting your Key Accomplishments, or Areas of Expertise in a bulleted list?

Your skills are what set you apart.

Even if a hiring manager skips over your summary, your expertise list is sure to catch their attention.

Example:

• MathCAD
• AutoCAD
• Cost Estimates
• Design Implementation
• Communication
• Subdivision Planning
• Time Management
• Creative Thinking
• Detail Oriented

Make sure to get them all!

The way to approach your list is to break it down between two types of skill sets.

Hard skills and soft skills.

Hard skills are the skills you’ve acquired through your work or education. They pertain to your field. They might include specialties or areas of focus.

Soft skills are your personal qualifications.

Are you good with details, efficient, or good at creative thinking?

These are soft skills.

After compiling your two types of skill, write them out in a balanced list of bullet points.

Pro Tip: Your Areas of Expertise should be built to impress. Take your time to narrow down your various skills to those which really make you shine. Think of things you’ve been praised or awarded for at former jobs.

(See below for a helpful table of some suggested hard and soft skill ideas you can include on your engineering consultant resume.)

So now we move to the real body of your engineering consultant resume.

Your work experience.

It’s time to show off how you’ve utilized your skills at the workplace.

What is the trajectory of your career?

Let’s start with the layout.

List your most recent job first. Remember reverse chronological order?

A hiring manager will want to see your present occupation straight away. It will provide a good idea of what level you’re at in your career.

Details to include:

• The company name
• Where the company is located
• What job you performed there

Include dates of employment.

Are you worried about gaps between jobs or short terms of employment?

You can leave dates off your engineering consultant resume. Just keep in mind that you will be asked about it during an interview. Employers will be almost certainly interested in gaps. So have answers prepared in advance!

List your day-to-day responsibilities with 3-5 bullet points. Provide a good overview of what you did in the position.

Power words will help you add a sense of action and ability to your descriptions.

Let’s take a look at some bullet point examples:

The first candidate has provided a list of 4 solid points. We gain just enough detail to form an impression of day-to-day responsibilities.

We can see that the candidate has implemented skills and expertise in the position.

Strong power words help give the entry a sense of action and competence.

The second candidate has left out some vital information about the position, including a job title.

The 4 bullet points are overly general and vague.

Power words are used, but the descriptions fail them.

Remember that your work experience section is the place to demonstrate how you’ve been using your skills so far.

PRO TIP: While power words are essential, they are only as good as the text that follows them. The goal of a power word is to add focus to your descriptions, to show that not only have you implemented your skills, but you’ve done so with ability and initiative.

More About Scanning Bots

Bots were mentioned briefly at the start of this article. But now it’s time to learn a bit more.

Scanning bots function via Applicant Tracking Software (ATS). While not every company uses an ATS, it is becoming more common.

In order to achieve maximum scannability, some candidates opt for alternative formatting, mainly for the work experience section of the resume.

For instance, a paragraph can be used instead of bullet points.

So from this:

Wesley Engineering | San Antonio, TX | Engineering Consultant | November 2016-Present

• Assisted architectural clients in design development
• Evaluated existing plans for structural integrity and costs
• Developed relationships with new clients
• Utilized MathCAD to run equations and test designs

To something like this:

Assisted architectural clients in design development phases. Evaluated existing plans for structural integrity and overarching costs.

You could still include bullet points, but limited to just a few that highlight special talents or accomplishments.

Assisted architectural clients in design development phases. Evaluated existing plans for structural integrity and overarching costs.

• Developed fruitful business relationships with new clients
• Utilized MathCAD to run equations & test designs, increasing efficiency

Scanning bots like keywords and the paragraph format allows you to include more than the bullet list format.

However, paragraphs are not ideal for a human reader, especially a busy hiring manager.

We recommend you use a bullet point format for your work history unless, of course, you are certain that beating an ATS should be your chief priority.

How did your education equip you for the job?

Did you receive a specialized degree?

Write about it in this section of your engineering consultant resume.

A hiring manager will want to read about the institution(s) you attended and your areas of study.

Start by listing your highest level of education achieved.

Example:

High School Diploma, Bachelor’s Degree, Master’s Degree, etc.

Remember to include minor degrees and areas of concentration.

Listing your GPA can be helpful if you’ve only just graduated and lack actual experience in the field.

Example:

Bachelor of Science in Structural Engineering
The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX,
GPA: 3.8
Class of 2010

It can also be a benefit to you to list any relevant workshops or seminars you’ve completed since graduation.

Example:

• “Consulting Strategies,” Professional Workshop, Dallas, TX
• “The Science of Bookkeeping,” Online Seminar

Additional Section for Your Resume

An additional section may prove necessary if you have something impressive to list that doesn’t fit anywhere else.

Such as:

• Awards and honors
• Publications
• Noteworthy Projects
• Social Media Influence
• Speaking Engagements
• Hobbies/Interests
• Volunteer Work

This can be of help if you lack experience as well.

What if You Have No Experience?

It takes a while to build up experience. Perhaps you feel your engineering consultant resume is a bit thin in that regard.

Fortunately, there are alterations you can make to adjust for your lack of directly relevant experience.

You can move your education details under your summary, that way they can be seen sooner by the reader.

Your education is going to be one of your chief value points.

When writing out what work experience you have, try and tailor the bullet points to be as relevant as possible.

Consider in what ways your work history can influence your new career path as an Engineering Consultant.

Have you ever provided technical input in a professional capacity?

Do you have experience with planning or drawing?

Are you good with computer software?

All of the above could count as experience points you can list on a resume.

Here are a few more points to keep in mind!

Always list a way to be contacted.

Use your LinkedIn profile, email address, or phone number – whichever is the best way to get in contact with you.

Use your space well

You want to make a good impression with your engineering consultant resume, so use the space on your page to maximum effect. Write a great summary that includes your most important skills. Follow that with your work history and education.

Use effective power words

As we’ve learned, language is a crucial component of a good resume. Power words help you achieve readability by conveying action and confidence.

Use a proofreader

We can read over our written words many times, yet still miss mistakes we’ve made. It is prudent then to acquire a proofreader. Have them look at your engineering consultant resume over and offer suggestions if something catches their eye.

No first person

Keep it professional. That means no “I” or “me” in your resume language. It may seem strange at first, but it’s the standard for resume writing.

Don’t go over one page

You shouldn’t need multiple pages for your engineering consultant resume unless you’re a CEO or VERY accomplished. A single page should suffice for most candidates.

Don’t repeat yourself

Being repetitive with your language misses an opportunity to demonstrate your value and unique characteristics. So keep it varied and use power words!

(We’ve put together a handy table of power words below to use for inspiration.)

Don’t use outlandish fonts or formatting

Since readability and scannability are the main goals, avoid outlandish fonts or alternate formatting. A hiring manager should be able to read through your resume in no time at all.

Power Words

• Assisted
• Evaluated
• Developed
• Utilized
• Consulted
• Met
• Assured
• Employed
• Completed
• Collaborated
• Worked
• Available
• Provided
• Advised

Skills List