Countless candidates pick a resume design either from the net or from one of their friends to construct their resume.  The outline therefore dictates what is written in a resume. As a consequence crucially significant information is lost.

A resume must tell a company what they precisely want to know. Many a resume fails to realize this goal.  Where resumes do not meet an employer’s expectations, they are not read.

The final format of an engineering resume is dependent upon a candidate’s qualifications and experiences.  It is also important that all aspects of a resume relate to one another. If a candidate for example claims to be a high achiever, what evidence is there in the rest of the resume that the candidate is a high achiever? If a candidate has worked on similar projects to that required by an organisation seeking candidates, how have these been highlighted in the candidate’s resume.

 Do Not rely on Job Interview to Fill Gaps in your Resume

Many engineering candidates rely on their presentation at a job interview to fill in gaps in their resumes.  For this reason, inadequate information on projects they have worked in or their specific achievements are provided. Furthermore, the lack of ability to identify critical skills and competencies and record this in their resume omits further requisite information. One danger with this approach is that you may not be called for an interview if your resume provides insufficient details. It is therefore crucial that you do not rely on interviews to fill in gaps.

 Consider what a Hiring Manager is Looking for

A hiring Manager is looking for skills and competencies of a candidate in their resume.  These requirements are generally included in an advertisement for a role the company has advertised. For Engineers for example, it is critical that they ensure that all requisite information relevant to their qualifications and experience applicable to an advertised role are included in their resume. In skimming through applications for a role, the hiring Manager is searching for the candidates that match the criteria.  This criteria is that they meet the skill requirements for a role and are able to demonstrate supporting competencies. Many engineering candidates fail to understand how vital this information is.  As a result, they are not invited for interviews.

What makes you different?

There are a lot of Engineers in the job market.  What makes you different from the others and how can you add value to an organisation. If your resume is very broad, it will not attract the Hiring Manager.

In highlighting your difference to other candidates, you could talk about your job achievements, your presentations, your skills and competencies, your projects or your other points of difference.  A skilled resume writer who has specifically written engineering resumes will take the time to understand your situation and present to you a number of ways in which your resume can be written.