Effective Civil Engineer Resume: Tips, Examples and Templates

Civil engineers play a vital role in building the world we live in today. It's no wonder that despite the challenges of working as a civil engineer, this career continues to grow and be in demand by many.

You can build great civil engineering resumes by understanding the landscape of this industry. The work of a civil engineer ranges from designing to building the infrastructure that we currently use on a daily basis.

The civil engineering profession also requires you to have extensive knowledge, both theoretical and practical, of transportation systems, environmental ethics, and geospatial technology.

We have prepared all the information you need to create a civil engineer resume. There are three civil engineer resume template and examples that you can also use as a guide. Have fun exploring the intricacies of the civil engineering profession!

Understanding the Civil Engineering Industry

As you drive down the highway or through the airport, have you ever wondered who is responsible for building the infrastructure? Civil engineers are the people behind the vital buildings that support the nation's economy.

According to Engineering Passion, the work of civil engineers is divided into 7 specialties. When designing a development, the seven specializations complement each other. Understanding these areas will help you organize the content of your civil engineering resume. 

1. Structural and Civil Engineering

One civil engineering project we often hear about is structural engineering, which is used to create the initial design of large buildings. At this stage, a structural engineer will select the materials to be used by considering strength, durability, stability, and budget availability.

2. Construction Engineering and Management

Civil engineers who specialize in construction will carry out the construction according to the design and structure created by architects and other civil engineers.

 3. Transportation and Civil Engineering

A qualified transportation system is needed in areas of high economic activity. A professional engineer specializing in this field is responsible for planning the creation of public transportation routes such as ports, airports, highways, railways, and others.

4. Environmental and Civil Engineering

Civil engineering jobs that are quite challenging are in the environmental field. A civil engineer is required to be able to solve environmental problems such as measuring pollutants in waterways near industrial areas, treating wastewater, and getting involved in overcoming air pollution caused by industrial activities.

5. Hydraulic and Water Resources Engineering

The availability of water resources is critical to human survival. If you want to build an impressive civil engineering resume in this field, you will need to learn the practical and theoretical principles of building dams, irrigation systems, erosion control systems, levees, and waterways in urban areas. 

Additionally, you will be responsible for ensuring that every region has water resources in the form of canals, dams, ditches, and other channels.

6. Geotechnical Engineering

Soils and rocks vary from region to region, which affects the design of buildings built on them. Geotechnical engineers are responsible for analyzing and designing appropriate building foundations. 

7. Geodetic Engineering

The last type of civil engineer specialization is the geodetic engineer. For those of you who are interested in this field, you must have at least qualified technical skills in measuring and mapping the earth's surface. The results of these measurements and mapping are used for site surveys, determining construction projects, and other complex infrastructure projects.

Types of Employers You Can Work for as a Civil Engineer

Five industries need civil engineers the most, with a total of 326,300 jobs in the United States by 2022:

• Engineering services - 48%
• State government, excluding education and hospitals - 12%
• Local government, excluding education and hospitals - 10%
• Nonresidential building construction - 6%
• The federal government, excluding the postal service - 3%

Average Civil Engineering Salaries in the USA

Data shows that there is a significant increase in the income of civil engineers. US News noted that by 2022, the median income will be $89,940 in one year. In the same year, the highest income will be $117,540 per year and the lowest will be $74,330 per year.

By May 2023, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the average civil engineer will earn $95,890 per year. This income may be lower or higher depending on the minimum wage standards of each country.

How to Craft a Compelling Civil Engineering Resume

Are you ready to create a civil engineer resume? If so, buckle up because it's time to learn the important engineering resume sections that will catch the attention of hiring managers.

So, how long should a civil engineering resume be?  It's best to keep your resume to 1-3 pages. Data shows that recruiters spend an average of 6 to 7 seconds reviewing each resume.

They will skim the civil engineering content of your resume. This is the critical moment when the hiring manager decides whether or not to read more information about you.

So make the most of every space in your resume. There are at least 5 to 7 important sections to include in your civil engineering resume.

1) Add Contact Info to Your Civil Engineering Resume

Contact information is basic information about who you are. However, not all personal information should be included in a civil engineer resume.

It's best to avoid listing your full address, just the city where you live. Also, avoid including information about your bank account, insurance card, identification card, and so on.

This cautious approach can protect you from possible fraud or data leakage later on. Only provide personal information if the company is sure to hire you.

Another thing to keep in mind when writing this section is to be careful about including information that could lead to bias in judgment.

U.S. data shows that in 2022, only 17.1% of the 437,414 people working in the sector will be women. This means that gender representation is not balanced.

If the company does not list gender requirements, it would be better not to share this information. The same goes for marital status, age and religion. That way, you can be truly judged on your merits.

• Your name
• Active email address
• Phone number
• Your city
• LinkedIn account

2) Write a Brief Civil Engineer Resume Summary or Objective of Your Qualifications

A civil engineer resume summary is a brief overview of important information about your professional activities. Since it's just a professional summary, two to three sentences that include your skills, experience, and career accomplishments should suffice.

Remember to use keywords that are relevant to the civil engineering job description. With this strategy, your profile will be included in the company's "suitable" list.

The sentence in bold is part of the keywords in the job posting for "Water Resource Engineer II".

For those with experience, an objective civil engineering resume is used for recent graduates who want to showcase their passion and skills but lack experience.

3) Outline Your Experience in a Compelling List

Your work experience is the most important information on a civil engineer resume.  This section determines whether you have the qualifications the employer is looking for. If you are a recent graduate, you can fill this section with your internship experience.

Hiring managers expect to see your accomplishments, not just a list of duties and responsibilities. That's why it's important to use metrics, percentages, and numbers to highlight the scope and impact of your projects in your civil engineering resume.

Let's compare:

Example number two is certainly more interesting because it successfully summarizes your contribution to infrastructure projects in your previous company.

4) Add Education and Certifications in Your Civil Engineering Resume

To work in civil engineering, you need to have a good academic background. So, listing your educational history is very important in a civil engineering resume.

There are thousands of civil engineering job seekers out there who have a bachelor's degree in civil engineering. You need to think of ways to stand out from the crowd by listing the professional certifications you have earned.

These certifications are a way to give you a competitive edge by validating your expertise in specific software, design methodologies, and adherence to industry standards.

Some of the civil engineering certifications you can earn include:

• Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control (CPESC)
• Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification
• Autodesk Certified Professional (ACP)
• Project Management Professional (PMP)
• Certified Construction Manager (CCM)
• Geographic Information System (GIS) Certification

List Your Civil Engineering-Related Skills and Proficiencies

The night before you send in your application, you may be thinking, "What are the skills of a civil engineer? Believe me, being a civil engineer means you have to be willing to do a lot of things.

Civil engineering is a hands-on profession that requires specialized skills. In an increasingly modern world, a civil engineer must have a strong background in fields such as computer science, design, mathematics, chemistry, physics, and even biology.

To ensure that you can collaborate effectively and navigate complex civil engineering projects, you also need to be at least proficient in

• Risk analysis skills
• Mathematical skills
• Communication skills
• Ability to work in a team
• Project management skills
• Leadership skills
• Language skills

To make sure your hard and soft skills match the requirements, review the information in the job posting. Typically, companies will include a list of things you need to master with a proven track record.

Other Information

Did you manage to get a letter of recommendation when you left your previous employer? If so, it doesn't hurt to include it in the "Other Information" section or at the bottom of your resume.  You can also mention the reference list as a plus point in your cover letter!

Tips When Writing a Civil Engineering Resume

1) Choose the right format

In some professions, candidates with 0-1 years of experience are considered entry-level. However, especially for civil engineers, the amount of experience required for entry-level may be more even.

For large-scale infrastructure projects, companies looking for junior civil engineers usually set a minimum work requirement of 2-5 years. For the senior civil engineer level, the amount of work experience is over 10 years.

Three types of resume formats are commonly used in the working world. Each format has its own function and way of writing, depending on the needs of the candidate and the level of experience they have.

- Chronological resume: The chronological resume is the oldest and most commonly used format. Information from work experience to education is written in reverse order, with the most recent position at the top. The chronological format works best for civil engineer resumes because the work history for this position is usually consistent from the beginning. However, if you are a recent graduate, the functional format is also appropriate.

- Functional resume: The functional resume format emphasizes your relevant skills rather than your work history. This type of resume is more appropriate for recent graduates with limited work experience or those looking to change careers.

- Combination Resume: Finally, the combination resume is a blend of functional and chronological resumes. The format in a combination resume emphasizes work experience backed by your skills.

The combination resume format is not commonly used for job applications. Typically, this format is more commonly used by freelancers who have a variety of work backgrounds,

Of the three types of formats above, the combination resume is the type that should be avoided when creating a civil engineer resume. In terms of career, a civil engineer is better off having a consistent path.

2) Beat the ATS by Doing Research

Using AI engines to filter suitable candidates benefits all parties. Companies receive hundreds or even thousands of civil engineering resumes for just one job opening.

To save time, AI engines such as Applicant Tracking System (ATS) are used to process the first stage of selection. This engine searches for appropriate keywords in the civil engineering resume.

The more appropriate the keywords are, the more likely it is that the candidate will move on to the next stage. The research stage before writing a civil engineer resume can reduce the risk of failure.

Research is an attempt to understand what kind of company you are applying to, what kind of work they do, what benefits you will get, and so on.

You can start your research by looking at job postings. Look at the qualifications, responsibilities, and the recruiter's questionnaire. After that, you can check the company's official website and social media.

The information you gather will make it easier for you to build your civil engineering resume. In addition, when you get to the next stage, you won't have any trouble answering the question, "What do you know about our company?

3) Quantify Your Experience

Quantifying your civil engineering resume is a concept that is easy to understand but difficult to put into practice. A civil engineer resume is one type of application that requires measurable accomplishments.

Hiring managers want to see how many projects you've worked on, the size of the projects you've completed, and the overall impact of the work you've done.

Does this mean that all information needs to be written in numbers, metrics, or statistics? Not really. Work It Daily suggests 3 simple ways to quantify your work experience: How many, how much, and how often.

• How many: Example: Conceived, designed, engineered, and supervised the construction of 5 overpasses in 3 different cities in 3 months.
• How much: Example: Participated as a structural engineer in the construction of 3 city government buildings worth $1 billion.
• How often: Example: Developed safety training materials and procedures for a team of junior structural engineers over 3 months.

Not all work experience items need to be measurable because not all types of work can be simplified into numbers.

4) Target the Job You Want and Use Keywords In A Civil Engineering Resume

In the previous paragraph, 7 job specifications for civil engineers were mentioned. These specifications are necessary because each job requires different skills.

The company will also include the specifications of the candidates they are looking for in civil engineer job postings. Therefore, you need keywords to ensure that your civil engineer resume matches what the company is looking for.

The keywords you can use are Site Supervisor, Civil Engineer, Civil Engineering, Auto Cad, Master Schedule, and S-curve. You can use the above keywords in the summary, cover letter, and work experience sections.

4) Select Engineering-Related Action Words

The final step is to use action verbs related to the technique. Action verbs make your sentences more powerful, which helps get your points across. 

Cornell University has even compiled verbs to use in a civil engineer resume. Here are some of the most common

• Accomplished: Achieved, designed, selected, established, executed, expanded, produced, Handled, Implemented, Improved, Optimized, Spearheaded, Reduced (losses), Resolved, Restored, Changed.
• Communication Skills: Addressed, Advertised, Organized, Arranged, Articulated, Attended, Wrote, Collaborated, Cooperated, Committed, Convinced, Corresponded, Demonstrated, Explained, Developed, Directed. 
• Creative Skills: Acted, Anticipated, Emerged, Conceptualized, Invented, Adapted, Embellished, Designed, Developed. 
• Function/Task: Approved, Organized, Analogized, Mapped, Classified, Collected, Compiled, Delivered, Sent, Distributed.

Civil Engineering Resume Examples and Templates

1. Entry-Level Civil Engineer Resume Example

2. Mid-Level Civil Engineer Resume Example

3. Experienced Civil Engineer Resume Example

A Civil Engineering Cover Letter Example

Sometimes a civil engineer resume is not enough to explain who you are professionally. That's when a cover letter takes over, introducing you to the hiring manager in more detail.

Many job seekers think that writing a cover letter is a waste of time because the hiring manager won't read it anyway. The results of a 2020 survey were a bit disappointing; in fact, 55% of hiring managers chose to skip a candidate's cover letter.

However, the facts above also show that there are at least 45% of hiring managers who still take the time to explore the personal side of candidates through cover letters. And we can't help but agree that no one knows which recruiters are in that 45% group.

So why pass up the opportunity to write a cover letter if it's a way to boost the civil engineering rating of your resume? Now your task has increased because the civil engineer cover letter that you create must also be written with a strategy.

The following are the crucial points that you should include in your civil engineer cover letter:

1. Information about yourself: The first thing you should include in the top left corner is your full name, current address, phone number, LinkedIn account, and portfolio account (if you have one). 
2. Date: Adding the date you wrote your cover letter adds a personal touch.
3. Include information about the employer: You can maximize the potential for your cover letter to be read by including the office address of the company you are applying to.
4. Salutation: Choose an appropriate salutation for the hiring manager. It would be even better if you knew his or her name. If not, there are a few options you can try:

5. Opening paragraph: This paragraph contains your introduction: name, position in your previous company, accomplishments, and also the position you are applying for. It would be better if you use measurable achievements because the opening paragraph is the most read part.
6. Clarify your responsibilities: In the second and third paragraphs, you can clarify the responsibilities you had in your previous company and what you accomplished.
7. Reasons for applying: Is there a specific reason you're interested in the company? Do you have any memories, admiration, or other personal things about the company you are applying for? If so, explain them here.
8. Additional Information: Do you have any information that is missing from your civil engineering resume? If so, add it here. For example, the reason why there are gaps in your resume, or you want to refer to people who recommended you to apply to the company.
9. End your cover letter with enthusiasm: Don't forget to include a closing statement. State that you look forward to discussing the position further. 

Civil Engineer Cover Letter Example

Conclusion

1. Civil engineering is a field that is projected to grow by 5% through 2032, with wage standards also rising significantly.
2. There are 7 types of civil engineering resumes, namely structural engineering, construction engineering and management, transportation engineering, environmental engineering, hydraulic and water resources engineering, geotechnical engineering, and geodetic engineering.
3. To make your resume civil engineer stand out, you must be brave enough to do your research, include the right keywords, and quantify your accomplishments.
4. In addition to a civil engineer resume, don't forget to create a cover letter, a personal statement that contains explanations that can't be included in a resume.
5. Okay, you've written all the sections well. Now it's time to make sure there are no more typos in your civil engineering resume, right?

— Originally written by Erika Rizqi —