Process Engineer Resume Example & Writing Guide
Use this Process Engineer resume example and guide to improve your career and write a powerful resume that will separate you from the competition.
As an engineer, you’re part scientist, part builder. You use your knowledge of science and math to create new technology or to improve existing products. You’re also a problem solver who thrives on challenges.
As a process engineer, you might work in manufacturing or food service or any number of other industries. In most cases, you’ll be responsible for designing and implementing processes that are safer, more efficient, or more cost effective. And because process engineers are tasked with improving upon existing systems, they often have opportunities to work on highly visible projects that have a big impact on their organizations.
Whether you’re looking for your first job or ready for a new challenge after years in the industry, you’ll need a resume that showcases your engineering skills and experience. Here are some tips and an example to help you write yours.
How to Write a Process Engineer Resume
Here’s how to write a process engineer resume of your own.
Write Compelling Bullet Points
Bullet points are the most important part of your resume because they’re the first thing recruiters will see. And if they’re not compelling, you’ll lose the chance to make a lasting impression.
The best way to make your bullet points stand out is to use specific numbers and statistics. For example, rather than saying you “managed engineering team,” you could say you “managed engineering team of 15 engineers to develop new product line in six months, resulting in $2 million in revenue.”
The second bullet point is much more interesting and provides a clear sense of what you did and the outcome of your work.
Related: What Is a Process Engineer? How to Become One
Identify and Include Relevant Keywords
When you apply for a job as a process engineer, your resume is likely to be scanned by an applicant tracking system (ATS) for certain keywords. These programs look for specific terms related to the position, like “piping” or “instrumentation,” in order to determine whether your skills are a match for the job opening. If you don’t have enough of the right keywords on your resume, the ATS might discard your application before a recruiter ever sees it.
To make sure this doesn’t happen, make sure to include relevant keywords throughout all the sections of your resume. You can add them into the work experience, skills, summary, and education sections. Here are some of the most commonly used process engineer keywords:
- Process Engineering
- Engineering
- Process Design
- Process Control
- Chemical Engineering
- Engineering Management
- Continuous Improvement
- Lean Manufacturing
- Manufacturing
- Operations Management
- Petroleum
- Upstream
- Six Sigma
- Oil & Gas
- Project Engineering
- Construction
- Power Plants
- Power Generation
- Project Planning
- Petroleum Engineering
- Process Optimization
- Manufacturing Engineering
- Total Productive Maintenance (TPM)
- Computer-Aided Design (CAD)
- Kaizen
- 5S
- Process Safety
- Root Cause Analysis
- PTC Creo
- Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA)
Showcase Your Technical Skills
As a process engineer, you are responsible for the design, development, and optimization of manufacturing processes. In order to be successful in this role, it is essential that you are proficient in a variety of technical systems and procedures. Recruiters are looking for process engineers who are skilled in programs like Microsoft Office Suite, ERP systems, and manufacturing software. Additionally, it is important that process engineers are familiar with government regulations related to their industry, as they will often be responsible for ensuring that the organization is in compliance with these regulations.
Related: How Much Does a Process Engineer Make?
Remember The Basics
As you write your resume, it’s important to keep a few basic rules in mind.
Create Scannable Sections
There are a few things you can do to your resume to make it easier to read and understand quickly. Aligning everything to the left, using a standard font type and size, and keeping bullets under 2 lines will help make your resume more skimmable. You should also try to leave some white space on the page to help the recruiter easily scan through your information.
Be Concise
A resume should be as concise as possible and one or two pages long. It is important to tailor your resume to the specific role you are applying for and to focus on the most relevant information. When in doubt, less is more.
Check Your Work
Proofreading your resume is key in ensuring that it looks good and makes the best possible first impression. Spelling errors, incorrect punctuation, and incorrect verb tense are all common mistakes that can be easily corrected. Having friends or family members proofread your resume can help you catch any mistakes that you may have missed.
Consider a Summary
Resume summaries can be a great way for job seekers to explain how they see their experience will translate into a new role. As you write your own, be sure to play up your relevant soft skills, mention your most highly transferable experiences, clearly state your intentions, and try to keep it to just a couple of lines. When executed well, summaries can serve as a valuable tool in helping recruiters understand how your skills might translate into the role you’re hoping to land.
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