Properly formatting and writing a resume work experience section is a critical part of getting an interview for a position as a civil engineer. This section lists your career experience so recruiters can get a sense of the development of your career path and whether that fits in with their position. Follow these guidelines to make sure your work experience will be seen and fully appreciated.
What to Include in a Civil Engineer Resume Work Experience Section
Writing a resume work experience section means compiling a list of highlights from your work history over the last 15 to 20 years. For civil engineers, experience in construction and public works is key. Have you had opportunities to supervise or consult on projects? Have you worked in related fields, like surveying, contracting or architecture? What licenses and certification have you obtained?
You have likely built your career towards certain specializations, such as designing industrial facilities or environmental compliance. Focus your resume work experience section towards those areas. If you have served on professional boards, are a member of any engineering societies or have attended special seminars and conferences, include these in their own subsections as well.
How to Format a Civil Engineer Resume Work Experience Section
For each item you include, list the name of the employer, the city and state where you worked and the dates you worked there by month and year. Write out a brief description of what you did in your job using bullet points. Quantify metrics as much as possible. For example, in a job where you supervised a large number of employees or found ways to trim down material costs to make a project significantly under budget, don't hesitate to include the numbers as a bullet point. You may even consider including these achievements under an accomplishments or career highlights section before writing a resume work experience section.
It's a good idea to place an education section before work history on a resume if you're writing a resume work experience section as a new grad with no professional experience. However, you can still put internships under professional experience. Professional certifications and licenses can also be included under your professional experience. Many civil engineering positions require you to have certain certification in order to consider hiring you, so read the job posting thoroughly to make sure you have the proper credentials.
Great Example of a Civil Engineer Resume Work Experience Section
Professional Experience
- Phillips Construction, Madison, WI
Civil Engineer (Planning Division), 2006 to 2011
Assessed quality assurance and project milestones through weekly reports and meetings, resulting in 25 percent increase in time efficiency.
- Prepared Construction and environmental compliance documents.
- Designed sewage tunnels for city development projects.
- coordinated design for project teams.
- Reviewed drawings for technical accuracy and Provided extensive feedback.
- Bolduch and Danes Inc., Charleston, WV
Senior Civil Engineer, 2011 to present
- Prepare and execute designs on stormwater drainage, sanitary sewer and water distribution systems.
- Prepare Erosion Prevention and Sediment Control (EPSC) plans.
- Select and supervise installation of pumps for wastewater pressure distribution systems.
- Prepare design, Construction and permit plans and documents through AutoCAD.
- Team lead on 15 major construction projects, including supervising the installation of a sewage treatment facility.
- Member: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
- Member: International Erosion Control Association (IECA)
Professional Societies/Boards
If you need more help with writing a resume work experience section and the rest of your application, you can find more resources at LiveCareer.
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