Stop Losing Jobs Over Your Resume
Structural engineers: fix the 7 biggest resume errors that keep hiring managers from calling you.
Common Mistakes That Kill Your Chances
Each mistake includes why it hurts, how to fix it, and before/after examples
- Hiring managers can’t see your impact
- ATS keywords are missing
- Your expertise appears generic
- Quantify achievements with numbers
- Use action verbs and specific engineering terms
- Align duties with the job posting keywords
Responsible for design work on various projects.
Designed and oversaw construction of 3 multi‑story office buildings, reducing material costs by 12% through optimized load calculations.
- Licenses are mandatory for many engineering roles
- Hiring managers may discard resumes lacking this info
- ATS may filter out unlicensed candidates
- Create a dedicated 'Licenses & Certifications' section
- List PE, SE, or relevant state licenses with numbers and dates
- Place it near the top of the resume
Certifications: AutoCAD, Revit.
Licenses & Certifications: Professional Engineer (PE), State of California, License #123456 (2021); Autodesk Certified Professional – Revit (2020).
- Hiring managers spend <30 seconds scanning
- ATS may truncate after 2 pages
- Key info can be buried
- Limit resume to 2 pages for <10 years experience
- Use bullet points, white space, and consistent fonts
- Prioritize recent, relevant projects
Experience: I worked on many projects involving structural analysis, design, and coordination with other disciplines, ensuring compliance with codes and standards while managing client expectations and delivering on time.
Experience: • Lead structural designer for 3‑story office tower, performed load analysis using SAP2000, achieved 12% cost reduction. • Coordinated multidisciplinary team to meet LEED Gold certification, delivering project 2 weeks ahead of schedule. • Produced construction documents for seismic retrofitting of historic building, complying with ASCE 7‑16.
- Structural engineers rely on specific tools
- ATS scans for software keywords
- Recruiters may think you lack technical depth
- Add a 'Technical Skills' section
- List software with proficiency level
- Match tools mentioned in the job posting
Skills: Project management, teamwork.
Technical Skills: SAP2000 (Advanced), ETABS (Advanced), AutoCAD (Proficient), Revit Structure (Intermediate), MATLAB (Proficient).
- Employers can’t gauge growth
- ATS may misinterpret gaps
- You may appear stagnant
- Show promotions, increased responsibilities
- Use clear headings with dates
- Explain gaps with brief notes
Structural Engineer, XYZ Corp, 2018‑2022.
Structural Engineer II, XYZ Corp, Jan 2018 – Jun 2020 (Promoted after 18 months) Senior Structural Engineer, XYZ Corp, Jul 2020 – Present
- Use a clear professional title
- Include PE license number
- Quantify project outcomes
- List relevant software with proficiency
- Keep formatting consistent
- Save as PDF with searchable text
- Tailor keywords to the job description
- Extract bullet points
- Add quantifiable metrics
- Insert missing license section
- Standardize date and location formats
- Optimize for ATS keywords
