It always starts with the summary
Every resume needs a summary. A summary does two things: first, it summarizes your skill set and benefit to potential employer; second, it gives you a tool for writing your resume. Everything in the resume should support the information provided in the summary.
Next up: skills!
Your skill set is going to be extremely important to potential employers. With engineers especially employers need to verify immediately that you are capable of meeting the requirements of the job at hand. Just below the summary should be a summary of skills, technical knowledge, computer software, etc.
Functional or work history resume format?
Either one you choose is going to utilize the SAR (Situation Action Result) method of resume writing. This is important in order to sell yourself. Remember, you are not just describing what you past job duties were, you are showing your potential employer your ability to solve problems and benefit whomever you are working for. Typically if you have a shorter work history, you are going to accentuate your skills in a so-called ‘functional’ resume. If you have a long work history, then you are going to highlight that (by putting it near the top of the resume).
Don’t forget to include…
Don’t forget to include publications you have written for, awards you have won, societies you are a part of (remembering that they all need to support your summary).
