
35+ Successful Cover Letter Tips & Advice (With Examples)
Cover letter writing tips—sure to turn any boring letter into something employers want to read.
Crafting a professional electrical engineer resume will be decisive for your future career. Why? IEEE describes electrical engineering job trends nowadays with one word: high. High growth, high salaries, high demand, and, at the same time, extremely high competition.
The good news is, you are going to beat all your competitors. Just follow the proven resume writing advice I’m about to share.
Read on, and I’ll show you:
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Writing a resume for a specific engineering occupation? Check out these guides:
Here's how to write an electrical engineer resume:
1
Before you start writing a resume for electrical engineer jobs, you need to pick a good resume format. It will help recruiters find the most important details about you in a flash.
What should you do?
Long story short—pick the respected, elegant reverse-chronological resume format.
Recruiters are familiar with it, plus, it helps you highlight your best assets.
Here’s what sections to include in an electrical engineering rev-chron resume format.
Pro Tip: Once you finish crafting your electrical engineer resume, save it in PDF so that your resume layout stays intact. But make sure to read the job ad carefully. Some employers don’t accept PDF files—if such is the case, send your electrical engineer resume in DOC.
Writing an entry-level electrical engineer resume with no experience to show off? Check out the best tips for your fresher EE resume here: Entry-Level Resume: Sample and Writing Guide
For more information on resume formatting, visit our comprehensive guide: Resume Format: How to Choose the Best One
Now, have a look at how to write each consecutive section of your resume:
2
7 seconds.
That’s how much time, on average, recruiters spend scanning each resume they receive, according to our HR statistics report.
But here’s the twist—
You can make them read your electrical engineering resume in full. How?
Start your EE resume with either a resume summary or resume objective—a brief paragraph that explains why you’re the perfect electrical engineer for the job.
Think about it as a trailer for your job application. If it’s interesting for the hiring manager, they’ll want to read on.
If you’re an experienced electrical engineer writing a senior electrical engineer resume, use a resume summary. Highlight your career progress and skills set.
Writing a fresher electrical engineering resume? Go for a resume objective. Show what you’ve already learned and what you can offer your employer.
Whichever one you choose, remember—
In the headline of an electrical engineering resume, don’t write about what you want out of the job. Focus on what you have to offer instead.
Check out these sample electrical engineering objectives and summaries to see what I mean.
right |
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Technical-minded, EIT Certified electrical engineering graduate looking for a junior Electrical Engineer position at Entech Engineering. Looking to leverage my working knowledge of AutoCAD, Microstation, and Revit, and experience in electronic troubleshooting activities to help you with your upcoming projects. |
Wow, right?
Despite no working experience, this candidate delivers a clear message—
I’ve got what it takes to perform well in this job and I can help you with your challenges.
wrong |
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I am a recent electrical engineering graduate and I would like to get a junior electrical engineer job with a company where I could further develop my electrical knowledge by hands-on experience. |
Why is it so bad?
Because it reads like something along the lines of: I want any job so I can learn more.
You won’t land your next job if you don’t show what you’ve got to offer.
Now, let’s have a look at two very different professional summaries for an electrical engineering resume.
RIGHT |
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Detailed-oriented senior electrical engineer with 10+ years of experience with construction and industrial electrical installations. Upgraded XYZ’s old test system to a new system running on C++, cutting average testing time by 58%. Seeking to leverage my knowledge of and expertise in industrial control, circuit management, and power distribution to help ABC Corp. maximize productivity and quality of electrical operations. Traveling as needed. |
This one’s guaranteed to make every recruiter think: “We’ve got a future Nikola Tesla over here! I’d have to be a lunatic not to hire this one.”
WRONG |
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Experienced (over 10 years) MEP electrical engineer. Have designed, developed, installed, and tested electrical and mechanical equipment for clients in diverse industries. Have worked with both business and individual clients. |
Do you think you could be any more generic?
“Clients in diverse industries?!” What industries exactly?
The biggest problem with this summary is that it fails to achieve its main purpose—introduce the candidate to the employer in a brief but comprehensive way.
Pro Tip: In every resume objective or summary for electrical engineering positions, address the company by name and indicate the position you’re targeting. Yup—that means you cannot send an identical resume for every application. And that’s the point. Personalize every resume you send!
When making a resume in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building a professional resume template here for free.
When you’re done, Zety’s resume builder will score your resume and tell you exactly how to make it better.
Writing the perfect electrical engineering resume objective or summary can be challenging. For more expert tips and real-life examples, check out our handy guides: How to Write a Professional Summary for a Resume and How to Write a Resume Career Objective
3
What matters most for recruiters is your work experience. This section of your electrical engineering resume gets the most attention.
If you want to land that dream job, your resume’s work experience section has to be perfect.
How to make it happen?
Don’t talk only about your duties and responsibilities. Highlight your achievements and accomplishments instead.
Take a look:
Let’s see how it works in practice.
RIGHT |
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Electrical Engineer Delta Constructors, Watford City, ND 2014–present
Key achievement: Redesigned machine arrangements for improved efficiency. Increased production efficiency by 35% over previous arrangement. |
WRONG |
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Electrical Engineer 2013 - 2018, Warley Parsons
Responsibilities:
|
See the difference?
The right electrical engineering resume sample showcases quantifiable achievements and specific duties. Plus, it’s packed full of action words.
The wrong one? That reads like a re-written description of responsibilities listed in the job ad.
Pro Tip: The common advice is to keep your resume one-page. But you know the old saying: the most expensive wire is the one cut short. The same goes for your electrical engineering resume. It’s better to have a two-page resume than to omit any important information.
If you want to learn more useful tricks on how to put work experience on a professional electrical engineering resume, see this handy guide: How to List Work Experience on Your Resume
4
Good news!
Listing education on your resume is usually easy. Here’s what to include:
List only your highest degree of education (the only exception is if you’ve completed graduate studies—in this case, include your Bachelor’s too).
If you’ve got more than 6 months of working experience, skip your GPA. Also, don’t include it if it’s lower than 3.5. It could do you more harm than good.
Have a look:
BSc Electrical Engineering 2014
Toledo University, Toledo, OH
These are the basics.
Things get a bit more tricky if you’re writing a fresher electrical engineering resume, an undergraduate EE resume, or any other entry-level electrical engineering resume. If this is your case, elaborate on your education a bit more.
Consider including:
Pro Tip: Eyeing graduation and unsure what should your next career step be? Check out this report and see the highest-paying industries for electrical engineering graduates.
If you want to learn more about listing your education on a resume for electrical engineers, check out this piece: How to Put Education on a Resume [Tips & Examples]
5
The rules for writing an electrical engineering internship resume or an electrical engineering student resume are slightly different from general resume writing principles.
The first thing you should do is to put your education section above the work experience section.
If you’re an electrical engineering student, your education is probably your best asset. Lead with it and put it right under your resume objective.
As explained in the section above, provide additional info about your academic experience.
Have a look at this example.
Virginia Tech
BS in Electrical Engineering
Expected to graduate in 2019
What about your experience section? Should you omit it altogether?
Not at all.
You might not have full-time professional experience, but if you’re an electrical engineer student, any experience can dazzle recruiters.
For instance:
It doesn’t have to be strictly related to electrical engineering. Check out the sample below.
Freelance Engineer
2016 to present
Yup, that’ll do the trick. You don’t need fancy achievements at this point of your career. But recruiters want to know you’re willing to constantly learn and self-develop. That’s one of the most crucial qualities they seek in prospective interns.
Want more in-depth information on writing a killer electrical engineering student resume? Visit this guide: Student Resume: Sample and Writing Guide
Desperate to land that dream electrical engineering internship? Go here: Internship Resume: Sample and Writing Guide
6
At the end of the day, your skills are what’s of most value to employers.
But that doesn’t mean your electrical engineer resume should feature a list of 20+ skills listed in whatever order you see fit.
Again, relevance is key. Take a look:
Pro Tip: Apart from the skills section, you should also mention your best electrical engineering and technical skills throughout your work experience section and refer to one or two of the most relevant ones in your electrical engineer resume objective or summary.
Need some inspiration?
Check out our list of the most desired electrical engineering resume skills.
Technical Skills for an Electrical Engineering Resume | |
Microcontrollers (8051, ARM, AVR, PIC etc.) | Communication with non-technical team members |
Linux | Working odd hours |
Programming (C/C++/Java) | Presentation skills |
Circuit designing | Innovative and critical thinking |
Electrical measurements | |
Orcad | Initiative |
P Spice | Complex problem-solving |
Eagle | Precision |
PCB designing | |
PLC | Accuracy |
AutoCAD/Microstation | |
Revit | Mentoring skills |
NFPA Standards | Active learning |
Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC) | Willingness to travel |
EIT |
See more examples of job-winning skills sets that could supercharge any electrical engineer resume here: 30+ Best Examples of What Skills to Put on a Resume (Proven Tips)
7
So far so good—
You’ve got your career objective or a professional summary at the top of your electrical engineering resume, you’ve described your experience, education, and skills.
That’s a really decent resume you’ve got there.
Want to take it from decent to the best electrical engineering resume on the recruiter’s desk?
Add an extra section that not only shows but proves your value. Mention your verifiable achievements.
Such as?
Have a look:
Don’t have any of the above? Don’t fret. A junior electrical engineer resume can still greatly benefit from an extra section. Here are some ideas:
Not sure what to include in that additional section of your professional electrical engg resume? See this handy guide: What to Put on a Resume to Make It Perfect
8
Yes, you do need a cover letter.
Why?
Because almost half of the recruiters won’t even bother to cast a glance at your resume if there’s no electrical engineer cover letter attached.
Yup. You read that right.
Plus, a well-written cover letter can be used to your massive advantage.
Think about writing an electrical engineering internship resume or a student resume for electrical engineering jobs. Daunting, right?
Here comes your savior: the cover letter.
In it, you can showcase your creativity and explain why you’re interested in electrical engineering career.
Your cover letter can prove to the recruiters that you’re motivated and really mean business.
But it’s not only freshers who should include a cover letter in their application.
It doesn’t matter if you’ve got 1 year experience, if you’re a mid level electrical engineer, or a seasoned professional in marine electrical engineering.
Attaching a cover letter doubles your chances of getting hired. There’s no arguing with hard numbers, is there?
Pro Tip: Once you send your electrical engineer resume and a cover letter—follow up. A nudge by phone, email, or in person can prove your follow-through ability!
Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:
See more cover letter templates and start writing.
Need an example cover letter for your engineering resume? See the sample in this guide: Electrical Engineering Cover Letter Sample & Step-by-Step Guide [15+ Examples]
For general cover letter writing tips, give this article a read: Cover Letter in 8 Simple Steps
To have the best electrical engineering resume possible, follow the key steps we covered:
All check? Well then—Good luck at your big interview!
Got any questions? Need further help? Want to chat about writing your electrical engineer resume? That’s great cause I can’t wait to hear your thoughts! Drop me a line in the comments and I’ll make sure to get back to you right off!
Cover letter writing tips—sure to turn any boring letter into something employers want to read.
The only engineering cover letter guide you’ll ever need. See sample engineer cover letters, actionable examples, and expert tips. Follow a foolproof step-by-step cover letter writing formula and have an engineer cover letter better than 9 out of 10 others in no time. Read more, get the interview, and land your next job!
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