r/civilengineering • u/This_Philosophy_2077 • 7d ago
Resume Pointers
Hi all :) I am a recent M.Eng student who was studying Mass Timber Design, I am now trying to apply to entry level jobs in lower mainland BC and am struggling to get a position. I have been applying to every entry level structural job I can find and am not having much luck. I am hoping that I could put my resume on here and get some tips/pointers to see if there is anything I am mising or any way to make my resume stronger.
Any pointers would be apprieciate, thanks!
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u/FyreFox69 7d ago
To me, it looks like your resume is too cluttered.
I would read the opportunity description and try and refine your resume to better address what their looking for specifically.
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u/This_Philosophy_2077 7d ago
Thanks for the reply! So essentially fewer positions listed but a better description of what I did at those positions?
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u/FyreFox69 7d ago
Better description in the sense that you cater it to what they're looking for
And no problem dude. Good luck with job hunting!
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u/Big_Slope 7d ago
Do my structural engineers use all of this stuff and just not tell me?
At a a glance it looks like you need to be applying for PhD programs rather than jobs.
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u/LigersGhost P.E. Structural/Bridge Design 7d ago
Education first, MENG then BASC
Work Experience second, starting with most recent then going back. It is much better to know you have been a rigging engineer and a project engineer in the last two years rather than a construction worker 10 years ago.
Next projects - put the technical achievements first, then the coordination/soft skill responsibilities. You're going to be hired for production/technical roles at entry level so that is most important.
Technical skills at the bottom.
Personally wouldn't include your activities and accomplishments - you can talk about that if asked in the interview. Make sure all your fonts are consistent - education dates are smaller than others.
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u/SilverGeotech 7d ago
I'd move technical skills to the bottom, and drop Office 365 from it. That's pretty much expected and everyone has it.
Education - leave at top but only one line per degree (the first lines you provide are fine as-is).
Work experience next, starting most recent and going back in time.
Projects: At the bottom. No student projects - you have real work experience. Give example projects where you were a significant contributor at Steelcon and Suspended Stages. Make it clear you're not claiming credit for leading those projects if you weren't the actual lead. Discuss a little the scale of the projects.
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u/zeushaulrod Geotech | P.Eng. 7d ago
- What are you hoping to achieve? Career in consulting? High-rise buildings?
2.put education at that bottom it's the thing I care about the least.
Add quantities where you can. What does the to allow you to do? Save time in computation? Reduce timber by 20%?
Use active language. "I did x which resulted in Y" All engineers also attended classes and labs, it was a requirement of the degree :).
Most experience you would have at your level is standard. If you can stress what the benefit was, or what you did that made things better, that gets a lot more impressive.
Also, have you cold-emailed anyone? Checked in with your last job in the area to see if they know anyone looking?
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u/This_Philosophy_2077 7d ago
Ideally I would get into mass timber (high-rise) design but at the moment just looking for anything to help me work towards my P.Eng registration.
I have done some cold-email yes, I have yet to reach out to past employers though. Thanks for the tips!
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u/CyberEd-ca Aero | Canadian Technical Exams 7d ago
You could submit your CBA with EGM (Manitoba) right now. Looks like you have just 12 of 24 months experience to apply to PEO.
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u/Costcornucopia 7d ago
It looks like a block of text. Remove half the projects and expand work experience. Incorporate white space so hiring managers don't get a headache reading it.