Calibre presents the ninth instalment of our 'CVs to Get You Hired' blog series: Insider Tips for the ideal Geotechnical Engineer CV.
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Be project specific and help your CV stand out
The geotechnical area is very broad and can cover a wide variety of projects from transport, commercial and residential, through to oil and gas. If you are applying to a consultancy that work mainly in the residential sector, then help yourself to stand out by detailing your residential project experience – you can do likewise with other sectors. An employer is likely to spend more time assessing a CV that contains skills (e.g. piling, slope stability, retaining walls etc) that can match the projects they are working on. A simple and effective way to do this is by working out exactly what your next employer is looking for (the job description is your main clue) and then adapting your CV accordingly.
The perfect personal profile
Your personal profile is the first chance you have to sell yourself. Employers see multiple CVs on a daily basis, so it’s important to have a clear and concise synopsis at the top of your CV that creates a good first impression. Try and avoid too many buzz-words to describe your soft-skills (dynamic, enthusiastic etc) – be specific on what you are good at technically. It is also beneficial to outline what you are looking for in your next move; if you are wanting to be more design-based, it will separate you from engineers pursuing more site-based roles - when doing this look at the job description - our Geotechnical adverts can be found here. Additionally, this shows that you are being pro-active and thinking about your career.
Avoid the generic
Mentioning soft skills definitely sets you apart, but they need to be evidenced. For example, many people put the generic ‘I am good at working within a team and individually’. This may be true, but the meaning has been diluted by overuse. A much better phrase would be, ‘I am an excellent team player, having successfully worked on [project A] and [project B] in a small team with ‘x’ amount of people, but I can also work independently doing the site work and writing reports on [project C] with little supervision.’ Not only does it sound better, it gives the employer an idea of the level you are working at.
Dont be shy!
For every Geotechnical role in the area, there will be several engineers wanting to be considered. It is important to make yourself stand out; if you had a big, individual impact on a project then ensure that you say this. Don’t undersell yourself.
One for the Graduates: Include details of individual contributions to projects and go into detail about university modules and dissertations
If you are a fresh graduate, always put your education first. While your work experience is relevant and shows that you have skills that can be brought forward, the most relevant are those that you developed in your education. It is what will make you stand out. Go into detail about the main modules and what the dissertation entailed. Civil Engineering is such a wide topic, so it is good if you can outline exactly what it is about the Geotechnical area that interested you.
Still stuck?
Don't worry. The art of CV writing is a tricky one. Our specialist consultants are experts when it comes to writing a great CV, and we're just on the other end of the phone. Find details on how to contact us here - or if you like, drop us a quick email. We'd be happy to help - we can offer advice and even professionally format your CV for you.
