Civil Engineering Resume Examples
Planning to take the next step in your career? Our civil engineering resume examples will show you how to write a resume to land the job you want.
Our Recommended Example
Civil Engineer
Popular Examples in the Civil Engineering Space
Project Engineer
Assistant Civil Engineer
Facilities Engineer
Materials Engineer
Table of Contents
Civil Engineering Resume
Civil Engineering Cover Letter
Get Expert Writing Recommendations for Your Civil Engineering Resume
Whether you have years of professional work experience or are looking for your first civil engineering job, it can be challenging to know exactly how to describe your qualifications on your resume. With our resume builder, it’s easy to fine-tune the language of your resume to ensure it catches a recruiter’s eye.
LiveCareer’s Resume Builder offers prewritten text suggestions come from our certified resume writers who know what industry terms and skills employers want to see.
Here are some text suggestions our builder might provide for a civil engineering resume:
- Studied local architectural regulations and codes.
- Operated large commercial projects under budget with effective management of people and materials.
- Reviewed calculations and analytical data to maintain accuracy of technical reports.
- Supported capital improvement plan (CIP) projects and managed street and pavement projects.
- Reviewed and assisted in performing technical bid analysis.
- Educated general public about civil works through professional presentations.
- Crafted detailed drawings that met customer requirements.
8 Do's and Don’ts for Writing a Civil Engineering Resume
- Do indicate your proficiency with specific computer programs. Civil engineers use a wide variety of unique software programs and digital tools to build models, create presentations, run simulations and draw blueprints. There are numerous computer-aided design and 3D modeling programs on the market, so look at the job description to find out which ones the employer is looking for. Then, list by name the ones you can use proficiently.
- Do include professional certifications and licenses. Some jobs, especially upper-level positions, require a Professional Engineer license. There are also board certifications, such as for geotechnical engineering, water resources engineering and coastal engineering, that may be relevant to certain jobs. List your credentials with your education, or create another section for licenses and certifications.
- Do draw attention to your manual drawing skills. Some engineering firms and their clients need professionals who can manually draw blueprints, cross-sections and elevation models. If you have these skills, be sure to mention them on your resume to set yourself apart from other candidates who may only be familiar with digital design tools.
- Do emphasize soft skills. Civil engineers must be able to communicate well in a variety of ways. You may need to deliver presentations to clients, discuss blueprints with other engineers or explain architectural notes to a construction foreman. Make sure your resume showcases your ability to communicate with both engineers and nontechnical personnel.
- Don’t use abbreviations. Like many technical fields, the civil engineering world is full of acronyms and abbreviations. While it is fine to use commonly known ones such as CAD and PE, don’t litter your work experience and skills sections with abbreviations. Too many acronyms can reduce readability for both a recruiter and an applicant tracking system.
- Don’t forget to mention hands-on experience. Some civil engineering jobs may require you to spend time on a working job site, interacting with construction professionals and gathering physical data. If the job you are applying for includes on-site work, be sure to point out any relevant experience you’ve had. If you don’t have such experience in your work history, indicate your willingness to learn on the job and/or outside of the office.
- Don’t leave out budgeting skills. Many civil engineering projects require strong accounting skills. Use your Professional Summary, Skills and Work History sections to draw attention to your money-handling abilities, such as creating bids, tracking budgets, reducing waste, providing estimates and calculating the cost of materials.
- Don’t forget the metrics. To be a successful engineer, you need to have strong problem-solving, critical thinking and mathematics skills. Use your Work History section to describe how you’ve demonstrated these skills on the job. For example, “reduced costs by $10K in construction materials estimates” is more powerful than simply mentioning that you reduced costs. Use real numbers wherever possible to quantify your value as an employee.
Beat the ATS With These Civil Engineering Resume Skills
If you are applying for a government job or one with a high-profile employer, there is a high probability that recruiters will utilize applicant tracking systems (ATS) to make the first round of cuts in the hiring process. These software programs search resumes for specific keywords, such as CAD, drafting, construction, project management or structural analysis.
Our resume builder provides suggestions for skills unique to the civil engineering industry. Here are a few that the builder might recommend for your resume:
- Construction management.
- AutoCAD.
- Cost estimation.
- Structural analysis.
- Site layout.
- Drafting.
- Stormwater management.
- Sustainability and green design.
- 2D and 3D modeling.
- MATLAB.
- Stress analysis.
Civil Engineering Resumes for Every Professional Level
This entry-level candidate uses a combination resume format to draw attention to the skills and qualifications civil engineering employers want. Under the Summary of Qualifications section, the candidate provides details on specific knowledge and experience pertinent to a civil engineering internship. This section includes information on the candidate’s experience with soil testing, construction risk analysis and permit applications. Drawing attention to these practical skills shows a recruiter the candidate is ready to make real contributions even as an intern.
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This candidate’s combination resume format showcases her advanced education, engineering skills and history of career advancement. The Relevant Skills section focuses on three key abilities required for engineers: problem-solving, communication and decision-making. The candidate provides real-world examples of how she applied each skill in various ways throughout her career. Each bullet point tells a story, describing how her skills brought quantifiable results: writing operational documents, editing project reports, improving testing capabilities and implementing change orders.
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A chronological resume format allows this senior-level candidate to draw attention to his impressive work history and career achievements. The Professional Summary section focuses on the candidate’s qualifications for upper management: risk assessment, start-to-finish project oversight and a dedication to ongoing success. In the Skills section, there are several key civil engineering abilities: stress analysis, 2D and 3D modeling and knowledge of MATLAB. The language throughout the resume also indicates eligibility for a senior position with strong verbs such as oversaw, conducted and facilitated.
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Resume Success Stories
Statistics and Facts About Civil Engineering Jobs
Popular Job Titles
Job titles that fall under the umbrella of civil engineering include the following:
- City engineer
- Traffic engineer
- Railroad design consultant
- Bridge inspection team leader
- Structural engineer
Source: O*Net
Job Growth, Civil Engineering (2018–2028)
Approximately 20,500 jobs added over the decade.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
Racial Diversity of Civil Engineers
| 0 | 50% | 100% |
|---|---|---|
| White | 80.4% | |
| Asian | 10.9% | |
| Black | 5.3% | |
| Other | 3.4% |
Source: DataUSA
Average Annual Salary
| 0 | 75k | 150k |
|---|---|---|
| Average salary in civil engineering | $89,777 | |
| Rail transportation | $61,000 | |
| Scientific research and development | $150,000 |
Source: DataUSA
Education
- Entry-level: Bachelor’s degree.
- Many jobs: postgraduate degrees and/or a Professional Engineer (PE) license.
- Jobs may require specific certifications, such as from the American Society of Civil Engineers
Earning a PE license is a four-step process. Here are the steps:
- Completing a four-year engineering degree from an accredited program
- Passing the Fundamentals of Engineering exam
- Gaining at least four years of engineering experience working under a PE
- Passing the Principles and Practice of Engineering exam
Source: BLS, National Society of Professional Engineers
Fields in Renewable Energy
- Solar energy civil engineer
- Renewable energy project engineer
- Power generation project engineer
- Energy storage design engineer
Source: Glassdoor
Types of Employers
| 0 | 50% | 100% |
|---|---|---|
| Architectural or engineering services | 64% | |
| Construction | 22.6% | |
| Space research and economic program administration | 2.6% | |
| Legislative bodies and executive office organizations | 1.4% | |
| Other industries | 9.4% |
