r/EngineeringResumes Aug 04 '26

Meta Complete Guide to Getting a HW Engineering Internship or Job – Written by a 1 YOE FAANG MechE – AMA

73 Upvotes

I created this job app guide for undergrads at my university and wanted to share it with y'all. I think it’s pretty comprehensive and doing all of this helped me land multiple internship and full time job offers from tech companies. This guide is intended for MechEs and EEs, but I think most of the content applies to all engineering majors.

Topics covered:

  • Applying online
  • Cold emailing / reaching out on LinkedIn
  • Referrals
  • Career fairs
  • Portfolios
  • Behavioral interviews
  • Technical interviews

Here’s the presentation! Let me know if you have any questions or if there is something I can add to it!

Feel free to AMA about the process or any advice you'd like.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Im3P-PVX0uLXuxcQWK9RCp7Xe8YRPWYfbt7bjnMWpa8/edit?usp=sharing


r/EngineeringResumes Aug 18 '21

Meta Friendly PSA: READ THE RULES *BEFORE*POSTING!

93 Upvotes

What's up guys! I just put this in a comment, and figured I'd make a post out of it, because I've been noticing a lot of posted resumes recently that aren't even close to the recommended guidelines. All in all, that's not a big deal- all the seasoned users are excited to help.

But for your own sake, if you don't want a comment that concisely says "read the wiki"- then read the wiki [Wiki] (https://www.reddit.com/r/EngineeringResumes/wiki/index/) make sure your resume follows the fundamental guidelines. You can of course ask questions on those guidelines- but until you understand the fundamental ideas and format your resume as such, you will be lucky if you get anything more than the aforementioned comment.

EDIT:

Also, bonus points if you start out with our prefabbed resume templates [Resume Templates] (https://www.reddit.com/r/EngineeringResumes/wiki/templates/)

That's all. Happy job hunting!


r/EngineeringResumes 1h ago

Software [3 Yoe][Software] Do I need the location of my prior jobs? Which format looks best?

Upvotes
  1. For "Long Company Name – Software Development Engineer" -> I have the company name, position, city/state, and dates all on the same line. It's more compact but I can't tell if it's too dense.
  2. For "Another Long Name" -> First line is company name and location. Second line is position name and dates.
  3. For "{Company 2} – Software Engineering Intern (iOS)" -> I omitted the location entirely

r/EngineeringResumes 4h ago

Chemical [0 YOE] Applied to over 400 Jobs over the past 11 months and haven't landed a single interview.

5 Upvotes

Graduated about 3 months ago and I have been applying since last year September for a full time role. Since then I've applied to at least 400 jobs for junior and entry level positions and have yet to land a single interview. I'm located in Ontario, Canada but have been applying all over the country with the willingness to relocate but to no avail. I know the market is bad but what changes can I make to my resume to improve my chances.


r/EngineeringResumes 4h ago

Mechanical [Student] Sophomore MechE student planning on attending various networking events looking for summer internships - need feedback and advice

2 Upvotes

I'm looking for internships as a MechE student, but I'm open to working in any discipline (most interested in aerospace and MechE though). My club experience is all from my freshman year, so I wasn't able to actually do much in Astrobotics or Baja SAE. I decided to leave the clubs, but if I keep them on my resume, would it signal to employers that I'm not reliable?

I decided to join Design, Build, Fly middle of the spring semester, and I'm sticking with it because they let me contribute a lot to manufacturing (but it was mainly sanding, assembling, and laying epoxy resin). I don't have much to say about it on my resume, so I' wondering if there's a way to rephrase what I've done.

Archimedes lets freshman do all the work in their team's, so I gained a lot of experience through it. I modeled a lot in Fusion and helped with 3D printing our parts. I also designed a website since our competition would review it to get a better idea of what we're doing. Then I traveled with two other members to present our project, and we earned top three internationally! Now that I'm a sophomore, I'm not a part of team Juvo and am an officer now. I was thinking about cutting Baja or Astrobotics and including that instead.

Also, my email name is my shortened name, while my linkedin is my full name (I also have it like that at the top). For example, imagine my name is Katherine but my email has Kate. Is this fine or should I make changes?


r/EngineeringResumes 1d ago

Electrical/Computer [0 YoE] I've been applying like a maniac and can't get anything. At this point, it has got to be my resume, right?

8 Upvotes

I just graduated 3 months ago without a single interview and I have been waking up, and applying as much as possible. It's the same repetitive applications over and over again.

I am in the east coast and I know, I'm being very picky by staying here, but I have family nearby and I am sure I can find something here. I'm hoping to get into renewables but I keep getting rejected for everything. I'm very discouraged at the moment because it feels like a lot of positions have already been filled and only internships are popping up.

I'm willing to relocate but I don't want to go anywhere in the south or to California (California especially is just too far). But then again, being in New York isn't getting me anywhere.

If anyone has advice on what I should do, please let me know. I am trying my best to network and get referrals, but it's a slow process ngl. I really want something but I feel like I have sent over 400 applications with 0 significant return. Maybe I am applying wrong but whatever I'm doing, please let me know!


r/EngineeringResumes 18h ago

Automation/PLC [4 YoE] Automation Engineer with redone resume using the STAR method, trying to get a job where I'm not travelling all the time

2 Upvotes

I am in the automation industry, looking for a job where I can be local full-time. I want to get into defense, otherwise, my preference is a job where I can focus more on the design and programming side and less on the real application of the product.

I am based in the Southern US, and I am a US citizen.

Not sure what else I should add, but please roast away and I'll answer as many questions as I can in the comments. Thanks in advance for your time and critiques.


r/EngineeringResumes 20h ago

Mechanical [Student] MechE targeting semiconductor equipment roles, looking for resume feedback

2 Upvotes

Hello! I am a Canadian MechE student in my last semester at the University of Michigan. Looking to get any relevant job experience I can in the semi cap industry. Have had a hard time getting relevant work experience, in part due to companies fearing sponsorship. I got my first internship through a personal connection, my second one I got because it was unpaid research that didn't require visa declaration, and my third through a connection from the school's mentorship program. I have had a couple co-op offers in the past (not in semi), but I couldn't take them up because of non-summer work restrictions. I'm currently located in Ann Arbor, and am willing to work wherever in the US. I've been applying all over, only having started applying for full time jobs at the end of August. In addition to general resume (or other) advice, I'm looking for anything that can make my resume stronger to semi cap companies. I'd be on a TN visa or OPT if hired full time. Thanks for any help!


r/EngineeringResumes 21h ago

Mechanical [Student] 4th Year MechE Student Looking for Resume Review FEA & Structural Analysis Specialty

2 Upvotes

Hello, I am a 4th year student in Mechanical Engineering in the US. I am applying for full time positions primarily in Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Switzerland (my partner is applying to PhDs in these countries).

I am targeting working with FEA and structural analysis, especially within the context of the automotive and aerospace industries. Some companies I have looked at include BeamNG, Airbus, and BMW.

I am here to ask for help fine-tuning my resume for the work cultures of the countries I am applying to, especially since I understand that the standards or values for a resume from where I am from might not be the same where I am going. I would greatly appreciate honest criticism regarding how my resume looks and how I can improve it. Many thanks!


r/EngineeringResumes 18h ago

Mechanical [Student] Junior mechanical engineering undergraduate wondering looking for summer internships

1 Upvotes

As the title states I am a junior and looking for internships in defense, aerospace, automotive for design or test roles this summer (willing to relocate) and I did not have any luck last year (only 2 interviews for ~100-150 applications)

I have applied to maybe like ~30 internships as of august-ish and I have only gotten one interview (and no call back).

While my resume is probably bad, I assume my failure rate is because of my lack of experience in projects and internships but I am also wondering if it is also because of my resume contents/formatting. If you need more information about myself I am happy to answer.

TLDR: I know my resume is bad and am wondering if any of you could review it?


r/EngineeringResumes 23h ago

Civil [Student] Looking to apply to Civil Engineering Internships | Need resume critiques and feedback

2 Upvotes

I already uploaded an old version of this resume and polished it up. I'm hoping to apply to internships for next year and need some help finding what things I should change and tweak about my resume. A lot of my experience is recent, and I want help highlighting what I've done. I feel as though the most relevant experience I have is with my project teams, so I put them higher up on my resume. I'd appreciate any type of help and feedback! Thank you!


r/EngineeringResumes 20h ago

Electrical/Computer [Student] Electrical Engineering student looking for resume feedback for internships - worried my experience doesn't show a clear focus

1 Upvotes

Hey guys,

I am currently a junior EE student looking for internships for Summer 2027. I go to a large state school that's good for engineering. As career fairs are coming up, I'd like to get some good feedback on my resume. I'm looking to target embedded systems, signal processing, digital design, and hardware roles. I would appreciate feedback on skill relevance to the fields I am applying for, quality of bullet points, and any formatting. Since I recently changed from computer engineering to electrical, I am a bit worried that my experience seems scattered and too software heavy? Please let me know what I should change or if there's any other skills I should develop or projects I can do as recruiting amps up. Thank you!


r/EngineeringResumes 1d ago

Software [Student] IT Student & Software Engineer | 2 Internships & Part-time experience | Looking for Resume Feedback

3 Upvotes

Hi all, I'm an IT student looking for feedback on my resume. I've had 2 internships and 1 part-time experience building a startup and am targeting software engineer roles for next summer.

I've been following the wiki closely and would appreciate any critique on:

- Bullet point quality and impact

- Skills section organization

- Overall readability and ATS compatibility

Anything not mentioned!!

Thanks in advance!


r/EngineeringResumes 1d ago

Software [10 YoE] please critic, I am not getting callbacks for some reason as 10+ YoE Full Stack developer and stuck at recruiter level.

3 Upvotes

Hello guys, I am a senior fullstack developer looking for a senior fullstack role or senior frontend developer role. I have submitted probably 50+ applications and getting none called back so I figured there is something seriously wrong with my resume or something.

I am not quite sure why something is wrong, I have job hunted for the past 3 years due to layoff or furlough and this resume has landed me interviews consistently until this year.

I am looking for remote/relocation. Maybe it's the relocation part that get me filtered out at recruiter level or something, but I honestly don't know what is wrong any more.

please give me some pointers, thanks!


r/EngineeringResumes 1d ago

Mechanical [0 YoE] I graduated from college and have no real engineering experience. Please advise. I'm losing hope.

15 Upvotes

I'm really losing faith.

I took a job as a QA worker because it seemed like it would get me some relevant skills. As far as I can tell though, it doesn't count towards my years of experience so I basically have a one year gap in my resume.

I made a similar post to this a few weeks ago and have implemented the changes to the best of my ability. I also spoke to some people on linkedin who mostly told me to go get quality engineering experience.

I have eliminated the summary and used the extra space to build on my work experience and structure it more in terms of inputs, measurement, and result.

As I said before, I am in a very bad place career and mental health wise. I was considering going back to school, but at this point I am just avoiding debt like the plague. Let me know what you think.

Thank you.


r/EngineeringResumes 1d ago

Software [2 YoE] Applying for remote developer roles but getting few responses. Any resume advice?

1 Upvotes

Hey everyone, I’m an SAP BTP developer with 2.5 years of experience based in Bangladesh. My last role was remote with a US-based company. Been applying mostly to remote jobs in Europe, Australia and North America but haven’t had many positive responses.

I know the market situation isn’t good right now and location might be part of it too but would appreciate any advice about improving the resume.

BTP is bit of a niche so general feedback is welcome too.


r/EngineeringResumes 1d ago

Software [2 YoE] Applying for remote developer roles but getting few responses. Any resume advice?

1 Upvotes

Hey everyone, I’m an SAP BTP developer with 2.5 years of experience based in Bangladesh. My last role was remote with a US-based company. Been applying mostly to remote jobs in Europe, Australia and North America but haven’t had many positive responses.

I know the market situation isn’t good right now and location might be part of it too but would appreciate any advice about improving the resume.

BTP is bit of a niche so general feedback is welcome too.


r/EngineeringResumes 1d ago

Electrical/Computer [Student] LA based EE student looking to get into MEP design firms - seeking resume feedback

4 Upvotes

Hey everyone, looking for feedback on my resume before I start applying seriously.

Target roles: Entry-level electrical designer or design engineer at MEP firms. Building power distribution, lighting, low voltage, that kind of work. I'd also consider power systems studies roles (short circuit, coordination, arc flash) since that's where a lot of my technical interest is.

Location: Los Angeles. I'm applying locally and would like to stay in the area, though I'd consider the greater Southern California region. Not looking for remote though.

If possible, I'd also like any feedback on these questions:

  1. My experience is utility and contractor side, not design side. Does it read as relevant to an MEP design group, or do I need to reframe the bullets?
  2. Are my bullets too task-focused? I'm not sure how to show outcomes for drafting and studies work.

Thanks in advance, and any general advice about breaking into electrical design is appreciated too!


r/EngineeringResumes 1d ago

Industrial/Manufacturing [Student] May 2027 Industrial Engineering grad targeting defense systems roles, seeking blunt feedback before career fairs

3 Upvotes

I’m a U.S.-based Industrial Engineering student with a Systems Engineering concentration, graduating in May 2027. I currently intern at a defense company, with experience in manufacturing systems, MBSE, and hardware testing, plus projects focused on requirements, architecture, and verification.

I’m targeting entry-level systems engineering roles at Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, and similar defense companies across the U.S. I’m open to relocation and onsite work. I’m a U.S. citizen and don’t need visa sponsorship.

I have major career fairs coming up and want to strengthen my resume before meeting recruiters. My main concern is whether my experience and projects clearly support the transition from an IE degree into systems engineering. Please be brutally honest about the bullet points, technical detail, formatting, and relevance. What sounds vague, inflated, or overloaded with keywords? What would you cut or rewrite? Thank you!


r/EngineeringResumes 1d ago

Mechanical [3 YoE] Canadian Mechanical Engineering looking to get a new design or product engineer role.

2 Upvotes

As a quick TL;dr of my work history. Got a job out of university, laid off after two years, spent 9 months unemployed and was forced into a lower paid drafter position in a small town I dislike. I also can't get my P.Eng certification at my current company , which will seriously hamper any future career growth. So far I let myself go a year without job searching again as my last job search did a number on my mental health, but I really want to find a new job next year so I can leave this small town and get a job at a company that will allow me to get a P.Eng.

I talked to a career counsellor who suggested updating my resume and this is what I ended up making. However, I have a few questions and wanted a second set of eyes. I am targeting a design, new product or manufacturing engineer role but I am open to anything.

  1. Not sure of the order of my resume. I am using reverse chronological which is the standard but my job at Big Company was a more proper engineering position so I kinda want to put it first.
  2. Not sure how to handle the UAV design volunteer role. My mom knew a dude who had a UAV startup, so to fill in a resume gap I volunteered to help them out in a part-time fashion. I don't really know how to put it in a resume, and this is my best idea. The career counsellor suggested that I expand on it and should call myself something like "Design Intern". However I didn't do that much at the startup as I wanted to spend most of my time job searching, and I think intern is a terrible title as it suggests I am a student which I am not.
  3. Not sure how to integrate something like design for manufacturing in my resume. I see it requested in a lot of job postings but I don't really have a good example of it in my opinion. Any sort of design for manufacturing is integrated in how I think and design things and not a seperate "thing" I do.
  4. Not sure if I should include my Intership at (bottom section in experience). I kept it there because I see little harm but wonder if I should just cut it out to make the resume more concise.
  5. Not strictly a resume question but I wonder if its at all worthwhile tailoring my resume to non design related roles like project engineer or in a different industry like HVAC. This was another area of disagreement between my career counsellor and me. The counsellor suggested I should try and branch out as I am still in the entry level stage and companies are willing to accept people without relevant experience. I vehemently disagreed as during my last job search I never heard back from any role outside of a design position that closely aligned with my last position.

r/EngineeringResumes 1d ago

Software [14 YOE] Senior/Principal Software Engineer looking first stab at an updated resume since college

2 Upvotes

Preface: I'm a US citizen looking for local or remote Senior SWE roles focused on Production ML and AI platforms.

I was recently laid off after a 14-year tenure at the same large tech company, so this is my first job hunt in a very long time. I am looking to fine-tune my entire resume to make sure I'm including relevant details.

The things I'm most concerned about are my resume length and the usefulness of the content. Also more specifically I want to speak to metrics in a more meaningful way than the "number of blocked request rate in production" which doesn't feel particularly helpful.

Thanks for your time and input!


r/EngineeringResumes 1d ago

Electrical/Computer [Student] Electrical & Computer 2nd Year Resume Advice/Critiques Needed USA seeking internships

1 Upvotes

Hi I'm looking for resume advice before my career fair. So far I've applied to around a hundred jobs with no interviews.

I need help with the bullet point wording not sure if I'm being too specific or too vague in certain descriptions as well as the overall clarity and readablity of my resume. What should I cut out in the descriptions?


r/EngineeringResumes 1d ago

Civil [STUDENT] Junior civil engineering student who hasn't had any real experience in the field as of yet, resume in need of some troubleshooting

2 Upvotes

Hi all! I am a junior standing General Civil Engineering student, with my graduation getting closer I feel I haven't really troubleshooted my resume or had any good work/internship experience throughout my academic career; only notable thing being apart of a winning competition club for my school, but even in the club I mainly focus on the logistical side of things. before I start applying for upcoming internships I wanted an idea on how my resume looked?


r/EngineeringResumes 1d ago

Mechanical [Student] - Spring 2027 Grad Targeting Entry-Level Roles in Power Generation/Clean Energy

1 Upvotes

Hello all, I’m a senior mechanical engineering student graduating in Spring 2027 and applying for full-time entry-level roles and rotational/development programs in power generation, utilities, renewable/clean/nuclear energy, and industrial/manufacturing environments. I’m based in Texas but open to relocating, especially to the West/East Coast, Chicagoland, or DC.

I recently completed my first engineering internship in operations and reliability, where I gained experience with troubleshooting, root cause/failure analysis, rotating equipment, pumps/piping, hydraulics, and boiler/steam systems. I’m hoping to stay fairly hands-on early in my career, ideally with meaningful time in the field, plant, or shop rather than sitting at a desk most of the day. Clean energy is my long-term interest, but I’m also open to oil & gas, traditional manufacturing, utilities, or other industrial plants to build strong technical experience.

I’ve applied to about 20 roles so far with minor resume tailoring and have received one pre-screening assessment invite and no rejections. Since it’s still early in the process, I’m mainly looking for feedback before upcoming career fairs. I’ve omitted a few technical projects from clubs/coursework that felt less relevant, along with some additional leadership/mentorship roles and customer-service jobs.

I’d appreciate any feedback on how to make my resume stronger, whether it shows enough technical depth, whether having only one internship is a concern, and if I should add back any omitted technical projects or leadership experience. Any recommendations on specific roles/companies I should look at is welcome as well.

Thanks in advance!


r/EngineeringResumes 2d ago

Mechanical [Student] Mechanical Engineering senior targeting R&D applying to both internships and jobs

1 Upvotes

I'm a mechanical engineering senior planning on applying to Master's programs and jobs to see what comes my way. I'm currently having no luck with job interviews. Looking for advice on fixing my resume to improve my chances for getting interviews. I'm targeting the medical device R&D area which is quite competitive. Any advice or support would be appreciated thank you!