Civil Engineer Resume + Tips, Templates & More

Civil engineers have open gates to work in some of the most profitable areas, including:

• Transportation Engineering
• Hydraulics and Water Resources Engineering
• Structural Engineering
• Construction Technology and Management(CTM)
• Geotechnical Engineering
• Environmental Engineering
• Coastal Engineering
• Forensic Engineering

But the first step comes down to the resume.

Whether you are a recent graduate or a professional engineer looking for new opportunities, our civil engineer resume guide and example will help you craft a resume that will help you stand out. You can also check out our resume templates and resume builder to help you structure your resume without leaving any vital information.

Let's look at some resume writing tips to get the manager’s attention.

Salary & Employment rates for civil engineers

According to the U.S Bureau of Statistics, employment of civil engineers is expected to grow at a rate of 8% from 2020 to 2030, about as fast as the average for all occupations.

The industries with the highest levels of employment in Civil Engineers include:

• Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services
• State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation)
• Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation)
• Nonresidential Building Construction
• Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation)

The average salary per year for a civil engineer varies depending on the candidate's professional experience, skills, and education and is as follows:

• 0-2 years $69,000
• 2-4 years $85,000
• 4-7 years $105,000
• 7+ years $121,000
• 10+ years $148,000
• 12+ years $196,000

How to make a good resume for Civil Engineering

Great educational background and professional experience go a long way in helping your civil engineering resume get noticed, but you need to structure your resume correctly.

The average hiring manager takes less than ten seconds on each resume and will therefore not hesitate to put your resume in the 'no pile' if it’s not easy to read.

You can check out our resume examples which will help you with writing your resume. We also have our other engineering resume guides for candidates in different fields of engineering below:

• Electrical engineer resume
• Resume for student engineers
• Mechanical engineer resume
• Network engineer resume

The structure of your civil engineer resume should have the following sections:

• The header
• The resume summary/resume objective
• Work experience section
• Education section
• Skills section
• An additional section(computer skills and certifications, languages, volunteer work, awards/honors, and interests)

You can personalize your resume in the following ways:

• Research the company and use the right tone when writing your resume to show that you are the right fit.
• Use the right layout to ensure your qualifications are correctly presented.
• Tailor the job title to match the job and company you are applying to.
• Check the job description for specific keywords and skills that are required and add them to your resume.

The layout for this resume

The way you organize the information on your resume determines whether the recruiting manager will read your resume or not. It is essential to choose fonts that are easy to read, like Cambria, Times New Roman, Calibri, and Arial. The ideal font size is 10-12pt, and the length of your resume should be one page.

Best resume format for a civil engineer

The right format showcases your top accomplishments first, and the best format for your civil engineer resume is the reverse-chronological format. This format focuses on experience, allowing you to showcase your expertise on the job. Most hiring managers also love this format because it is easy to scan on ATS systems.

If you are a recent graduate or career changer and don't have much experience, the functional resume format is an excellent option for you. It allows you to focus on your skills and is sometimes referred to as a skills-based resume. If you've worked at other jobs, you can focus on the transferable skills that will be useful in the new position.

The combination/hybrid resume blends the best features of the reverse-chronological and functional resume formats. If you have years of relevant experience and skills, this is the perfect format for you.

Start with the Header Section

The header section has your full name, job title, phone number, email address, location, and a link to your LinkedIn profile or website. This is the first section of your resume, and it should be accurate because the hiring manager will use this information to reach you. If your email address is not professional, you should create one because using an unprofessional one can cost you an opportunity.

A good header

A bad header

Unless the recruiting manager has asked for a photo on your resume, it is better to leave it out. This is because most hiring managers believe it increases the chances of discrimination against a candidate.

Work Experience in Civil Engineering Resume (+ what to do if you have no experience)

The work experience section allows you to show your potential employer what you can do based on your previous work history. You can consider using civil engineer resume examples to help you write this section and ensure your resume stands out.

When listing your experience, you will start with your most recent workplace then add the previous workplaces. You will also include the title held and the duration you worked at each place.

If you don't have the relevant experience, you should highlight the transferable skills that set you apart from the other candidates and show the hiring manager how those skills will be helpful in the new job.

Example of work experience for graduate and entry-level civil engineers

Example of work experience for mid-level candidates

Example of work experience for senior civil engineers

Education: include your academic background

Civil engineering is a competitive field that requires multiple qualifications to secure a job. Your educational qualifications better your chances of beating the other candidates and should not be left out of your resume.

Each civil engineering job is different and will have specific requirements depending on the company, but most of these jobs will require a bachelor’s degree. If you have a Master’s degree, you don’t need to add your high school diploma.

When listing your education, you will start with the name of the degree, the university/college attended, and the year of completion. You don’t have to add your GPA unless it helps your application.

Example of the education in a Civil Engineering Resume

Skills for a civil engineer resume

A professional engineer should have the perfect blend of experience, skills, and educational training. The skills allow you to do your job effectively, so they are a requirement for most jobs.

A civil engineer needs to have a mix of hard/technical skills and soft skills. Hard skills are teachable abilities learned through education/training or years of experience/practice. Soft skills are interpersonal abilities that relate to how you interact with people and do your work. These abilities allow you to perform your duties properly and help your resume get past the applicant tracking systems.

Recent graduates and career changers can take advantage of this section to showcase transferable skills from other positions that will be useful in the new position.

Hard skills

• AutoCAD
• Adobe Illustrator
• Proficient in SolidWorks
• Quantity surveys
• Mathematical principles
• Map creation software
• Seismic design
• Knowledgeable in PCBA
• Technical plan execution
• Permit applications

Soft skills

• Creative problem solving
• Decision-making
• Multi-tasking
• Creative thinking
• Critical thinking
• Communication
• Interpersonal skills
• Detail-oriented
• Time management
• Organization skills

Professional summary for a civil engineer

A professional summary allows you to introduce your resume and give the recruiting manager insight into who you are and what you can do. ’s usually a short paragraph with two to three sentences, so you have to focus on your top achievements to convince the hiring manager to read the rest of your resume.

Professional objective (and when to use it)

A professional objective highlights your skills, career goals and expresses your interest in the job. It is perfect for recent graduates and career changers who do not have years of relevant experience to convince the recruiter to read the rest of their resume.

Additional sections for your resume

Your civil engineering resume would be incomplete without an additional section. This section allows you to highlight your other qualifications that you did not include in the previous sections of your resume. Some of these sections require a separate section to ensure the recruiter does not miss them because they can help you stand out and increase your chances of getting the job.

Let’s look at some of the qualifications you can add to this section.

Computing Skills & Certifications

You may have seen computing skills listed under the skills section on a civil engineer resume sample, but it is always better to have a separate section for them. This allows you to give more details on the computer skills and ensures that the recruiting manager does not miss them.

Certifications also help your resume stand out and allow you to beat the competition, especially if you are tied to all other qualifications. These are credentials that show you have specific skills and competence to perform the job efficiently. Certifications that will help your civil engineer resume stand out include:

• Certified Public Infrastructure Instructor
• Certified Construction Manager
• Certified Planning Engineer

Languages

Most hiring managers love a bilingual candidate, so do list your language skills and use the official language reference as follows:

• Goethe Zertifikat for German
• TOEFL or IELTS for English
• Delf for French

Publications

If your work has been published in a journal or magazine, you should add it to your resume under the publications section and a link to the publication for the recruiting manager to check it out.

Example of a publication

Tips to boost your resume

• Customize all job titles to match the job you are applying for and ensure they are keyword optimized.
• Use keywords and action verbs in your resume to increase the chances of your resume getting past the ATS systems.
• Avoid using a generic resume for different applications and instead personalize each resume to match the job and company you are applying to work for.
• Highlight your top accomplishments to ensure the hiring manager stays engaged and reads your entire resume.

Summary: Writing a perfect resume for jobs in civil engineering

• The structure of your resume should have a header, resume summary/objective, work experience, education, skills, and additional information section.
• Your resume layout should be simple to understand, and the length should be one page.
• A resume summary introduces your resume and should be catchy and interesting to compel the recruiter to continue reading your resume.
• A professional objective is perfect for recent graduates and career changers. It allows them to express interest in the job and talk about their career goals and how they align with company goals.
• You can highlight your transferable skills if you don’t have relevant experience and show the recruiter how they will be helpful in the new job.

Write a proper cover letter for your resume

Cover letters help complete your application, and unless a hiring manager states otherwise, you should always accompany your resume with one. A cover letter gives you a chance to showcase your creative writing skills and personality as you express your passion for the job and highlight some of your achievements.

With the help of our cover letter examples, you can create your own that captures the recruiter’s attention and helps your application stand out.

Frequently Asked Questions

What building companies offer the best salaries?

According to Glassdoor, some of the companies that offer the best salaries and their average salary per year are as follows:

• Balfour Beatty $107,000 per year
• Bechtel $99,000 per year
• Skanska $86,000 per year
• Kimley-Horn $86,000
• Atkins $86,000
• Arup $81,000 per year
• Jacobs Engineering Group per year
• Turner Construction $75,000 per year
• AECOM $76,000
• Kiewit Corporation $73,000

How is the hiring process for civil engineers?

The job search doesn’t finish when the resume is accepted.

The hiring process for civil engineers involves a series of interviews for the recruiter to ensure the candidate has the desired skills and expertise they need for the job. You may be required to fill out an online application and fill out supplemental questions and enter data into their system.

Once you pass this stage, the second part of the recruitment process might be a panel interview. The panel will ask you standard questions, and if they are satisfied and believe you are a strong candidate, you will be called for a hiring interview. You will be asked some more questions relating to the job in this interview, and if you pass this stage, you will be given a job offer.

Check other templates for Civil Engineering