Your resume is one of the most critical documents you’ll create in your lifetime. But trends are always changing and it can be hard to keep up with the newest rules and best practices in resume creation. However, if you want to open the door to interviews, you need to make sure your resume makes an impression for the right reasons. Use these tips create an engineering resume that stands out.

Make Your Resume Scannable

The first pass anyone will take at your resume will be a scan. Whether that scan is conducted by a machine or a human, the purpose is still the same: to quickly identify whether you match the requirements of the role by searching for key words, phrases and identifiers.

Create a very brief summary at the top of the page that outlines what you’re looking for and your unique selling proposition as an engineering candidate. Under your summary, include a “Relevant Skills” section the hiring manager or scanning software can read quickly to assess your fitness for the position, as well.

List Experience by Relevance, Not Chronology

Sometimes your most relevant experience is your most recent, but this is not always the case. Look at the requirements of each job you apply to carefully, and rearrange your experience from most relevant to least relevant. If you have to rearrange the order, change the name of your experience section to “Relevant Experience” so the hiring manager doesn’t get confused by out-of-order dates.

Include Hard Data

Hiring managers only care about the potential value you’d bring to the table, so it pays to focus on hard data and quantifiable tasks on your resume. Instead of listing the tasks and responsibilities of previous jobs, focus on your achievements and performance statistics. Just make sure any data you include is verifiable.

Be Concise

No matter how you design your resume, always focus on keeping things clean and crisp. The resume needs to be easy for the hiring manager to read, and that means using concise bullet points rather than lengthy sentences or paragraphs and using white space strategically.

Don’t Be Afraid of Design

While your resume should be clean and crisp and easy to read, don’t be afraid to include design elements that add a bit of flair to the document. A highlighted sidebar that showcases your skills, for example, can a be great way to capture attention without getting too loud. Unexpected but tasteful design elements show your willingness to go the extra mile to get noticed without being flashy.

If you are a talented engineering professional looking to grow your career, PEAK Technical Staffing USA can help you find your ideal position and achieve your career goals. Browse our current engineering job openings or contact us today to take your job search to the next level.

About PEAK

PEAK Technical Staffing can help connect you with employers and opportunities that leverage your engineering expertise and advance your career. We partner with employers nationwide who are looking for people with your skills and experience. Since 1968, PEAK has helped engineering professionals find jobs that offer flexibility, challenges and rewards.