How to Write an Electrical Engineer Resume: Examples and Guide

When writing a resume as an electrical engineer, it’s essential to find a format and structure that reflects your qualifications and achievements. Electrical engineering is a competitive field with a high level of educational requirements, but a good resume can help you stand out to employers and increase your chances of landing an interview. 

In this article, you'll learn more about how to craft an electrical engineer resume, including how to properly format it, and find some examples to help guide you.

What do electrical engineers do?

Electrical engineers are experts in designing and building electrical equipment to advance technological outcomes. Examples include motors, vehicles and aircraft, computer systems, navigation systems, and computer hardware. 

Electrical engineers have a unique skill set for developing and improving electrical products, drawing on their strong background in math and physics. 

Read more: Types of Engineering Degrees: Your Guide

How to write a resume for an electrical engineer

Your electrical engineer resume is an opportunity for you to showcase to all your relevant knowledge, work experience, skills, and training. There's no one way to create a resume, but the following tips can help you craft one that meets common electrical engineer requirements while also showcasing your unique talents. 

1. Have a role in mind.

It’s crucial that you tailor your resume to the role to which you're applying. Start by having the job description in hand, noting the essential requirements, and paying attention to keywords in the job description. These help you know what you need to write. Throughout your resume, you can demonstrate that you have everything the recruiter is looking for, and using the keywords effectively ensures your resume is ATS compliant. 

2. Pick an appropriate format.

The layout of your resume doesn’t always have to be the same. Different industries, roles, levels of experience, and educational attainment will play a part in the resume template you choose. 

Electrical engineering is a mathematical, systematic, logic-oriented profession, so a resume that reflects those qualities will likely work well. Keep a professional, simple template with a logical progression. A reverse chronological resume is a good choice for this industry unless you have compelling reasons to choose another, such as a lack of experience. 

Read more: Types of Resumes: Choosing the Right Format For Your Needs

3. Make an impact with your summary.

An effective resume starts with a summary that gives the reader an overview of who you are, your most relevant skills and experience, and what you hope to achieve in your new role. It should be short, concise, and, as a result, easy to scan. Everything in your summary is a precursor to what is to come in the resume’s body. 

Writing an entry-level electrical engineer resume without work experience 

Writing a resume without work experience may necessitate a change in design. Instead of a reverse chronological resume that lists experience above all else, using a skills-based resume allows you to give precedent to a detailed skills section that includes real-life examples and projects outside of professional experience. 

With this approach, you’ll clarify what you can do, even with limited professional experience. You can also move your education section above the experience section if it’s more relevant and recent.

4. Highlight your education.

Make sure to include your credentials on your resume. Typically, students earn a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, accredited by the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET). It’s a requirement to obtain a Professional Engineer license to practice. You can also reach accreditation through a master’s in engineering if your bachelor’s degree is not accredited. 

If you have the necessary electrical engineering qualifications, make sure to include them in your resume with additional relevant details of any projects and classes you’ve completed. A recruiter will check your educational attainment as a critical criterion.

Read more: What Is a STEM Degree? And What Can You Do With One?

5. Focus on your accomplishments.

An employer wants to know what you have done that makes you stand out. Listing and categorizing your experience is essential, but focusing on your electrical engineering successes is more effective than writing a list of duties. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Results) to highlight your list of accomplishments. 

6. Emphasize your skills.

Many workplace and technical electrical engineering skills are necessary for the position, so make sure you feature these prominently on your resume. You can list them in a focused skills section, but ensure they’re also evident in other areas, including the summary and experience section, where you can use examples. 

Read more: How to Write a Resume with No Experience: 5 Tips

Electrical engineer resume examples

Before you write your resume, use these electrical engineer resume samples to help you gain inspiration. They're easily adaptable, so feel free to tailor them to the role you’re to which you're applying.

Resume format for electrical engineer

You’ll want to include some essential sections in your electrical engineering resume. Find an example outline below:

• Headline

• Summary

• Professional experience

• Education

• Skills

Keep in mind that you can reorder these sections to suit your needs and add any additional sections, such as licenses or certifications, you think are necessary.

Headline example

The headline provides a brief highlight of you and your greatest qualifications with just one line. Your goal is to gain the reader’s attention and set yourself apart. Consider a headline similar to this:

Motivated electrical engineer graduate with strong programming experience

Summary example

A summary is the first part of a resume that a recruiter will read, so make sure it draws them in and encourages them to continue reading:

Electrical engineer with over 10 years of experience in electrical power generation, transmission, and distribution. Technically skilled with specific circuit design and Java programming expertise, contributing to developing a large hydroelectricity installation. An experienced team manager with circuit management experience and the ability to lead by example and support team efforts.

Professional experience example

When listing your professional experience, do so in reverse chronological order and include the job title, organization, work location, and employment timeline. Also, detail how you contributed to the role using skills relevant to the position that you’re applying to. For example:

ABC Electric, Washington, DC

Junior Electrical Engineer

June 2022 to February 2024

• Performed quality assurance testing according to manufacturing guidelines

• Provided support in response to customer concerns and advised them on potential solutions

Education example 

List your education experience starting with your most recent degree if you have more than one. Then, add the institution’s name and location along with your graduation date. If this is your first job after graduating, include your GPA if it’s above a 3.0. You can also list relevant information about your educational experience, like the following example:

Bachelor of Science, Electrical Engineering

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

• 3.6 cumulative GPA

• Coursework included circuit design, digital logic, and C++ programming

Skills section example

Skills you might highlight in your skills section include:

Technical skills

• C++ and Java programming

• AutoCAD 

• Circuit design

• Linux

• Electrical measurements

Workplace skills

• Communication

• Critical thinking

• Leadership

• Innovation

• Eye for detail

• Teamwork

Read more: Resume Sections: How to Organize Your Resume

Boost your electrical engineer resume with an online degree or course

As an electrical engineer, you'll design, build, and test electrical equipment, with the opportunity to contribute to a wide range of industries. By taking the time to construct a quality resume, you can help improve your chances of landing a job.

If you’re ready to start writing your resume but want to earn more credentials to make you stand out, take a look at some electrical engineering courses on Coursera, such as The University of Colorado, Boulder's Power Electronics Specialization or Renewable Energy Specialization. You can also pursue your Master of Science in Electrical Engineering online from the University of Colorado Boulder on Coursera.