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Beat the competition by understanding how to create a high quality Civil Engineer CV
Applying for your next civil engineering job? You want your CV to stand out. To make hiring managers sit up and take notice of your application, you'll need a compelling and well-written civil engineer CV that brings your skills to the forefront. Luckily, you've come to the right place. In the following guide, we take a look at how you can create a stellar CV that turns heads.
How to structure a civil engineer CV
First up, let's talk about your CV structure. Your civil engineer CV follows many of the same rules as other professional CVs. You should include the following sections:
- CV header: This part contains your name, role / job title, and your contact details.
- Professional summary: Also known as a professional profile, this is where you show off your value to the hiring manager in a short and sweet bio.
- Work experience: Here's where you detail your prior positions in the construction field.
- Education: Include details of your qualifications and education.
- Skills: List the skills that you have as long as they pertain directly to the job.
Expert tip: Use a format that's clear, professional, and easy to decipher. Additionally, avoid unnecessary boxes, tables, and logos, as these don't go down well with ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems).
What CV format should you use?
As a general rule, we recommend using the chronological CV format when structuring a CV. If you have had a linear career path, this tends to work best. For example, civil engineers who have been working in the sector for a few years or longer will benefit from this approach.
Other format options are also available. If you're a recent graduate or new to the sector, you might find that a functional CV format is the smarter move. This format highlights your skill set over your work experience. At a glance, the hiring manager will understand what your strengths are and won't be distracted by your lack of civil engineering experience.
Don't panic if you can't decide between the two. There's a third option – the combination CV format takes elements of the others to create a flexible document. Before you start working on your civil engineer CV, make sure you think about which of these approaches is right for you.
5 steps to writing a civil engineering CV
Now that you understand the structure of your civil engineer CV, let's talk about how you can perfect this document. Understand what to include in each section of your CV with our 5-step guide (plus top tips!) below:
Step 1: create a clear header
To be easily accessible for the hiring manager, your contact details need to be at the top of your civil engineer CV. You can do this by creating a simple header for the CV. Include your name, location, email address, mobile number, and a link to your LinkedIn profile, if you have one.
You don't need to include irrelevant information, such as your marital status, your date of birth (or age), or whether you have children. These details aren't important. What's more, including them can get you into murky waters when it comes to issues like age discrimination.
Step 2: write an impactful professional summary
The paragraph underneath your contact details, often called the professional summary or professional profile, should give an overview of your strengths in just three or four lines. It needs to convince the reader to read the rest of your CV, so choose your words carefully.
Here's an example of a professional profile suitable for a civil engineering CV. Note how a lot of the key skills mentioned have been included in this section:
A positive, methodical, and tenacious Construction Director with extensive expertise in rail, highway, and civil infrastructure projects on a global scale. Fosters beneficial relationships using highly developed communication skills. At ease leading teams of over 100, building an inclusive culture where there is a determination to excel and succeed. Leads on major projects from the front in both urban and remote, challenging locations.
Tips for writing your professional summary
Not sure how to make the most of this section? Don't worry. Here are some tips that will help you perfect the art of writing your civil engineering summary.
1. Keep it short and sweet
If you're a seasoned civil engineer, chances are you'll have a lot to say in the career summary section, including details of high-profile projects. But don't be tempted to dump everything that you've ever done on there, as you need to keep the CV to two pages.
Focus on the last 10 years of your career, starting with your current or most recent role, and include the name of the company, your job title, and dates of employment. Underneath this, detail out your responsibilities, projects, and clients – especially if you've worked for reputable, national, and even international companies.
For a graduate civil engineer CV, or if you're at the very beginning of your civil engineering career, one page will suffice if you don't have much work experience to impart. It's best to concentrate on your recent academic achievements.
2. Quantify your claims and statements
The pertinent use of facts and figures can add value to any key achievements, so make sure you include the values of the projects, the number of staff you managed, any savings or budget figures you've controlled, and how many staff hours were worked without incident.
Adding evidence to the claims you make is a clever move. When the hiring manager looks at your civil engineering CV, they will instantly see your value. Since you've shared details of your biggest achievements, you will be in a better position to land that interview.
3. Use persuasive language
The words that you choose to use matter. When you're writing your civil engineer CV, you need to engage with the hiring manager. One of the ways you can do that is by using the right language in your professional summary. For example, you can weave action verbs throughout this bio. This approach makes it clear that you're an active worker who takes ownership.
You should also avoid overused adjectives. Examples might include “driven,” “dedicated,” “experienced,” and “hard-working.” Don't be afraid to let the hiring manager know what unique traits you have. Since they haven't met you yet, maximise this chance to make your profile memorable.
Before you start writing this part of your civil engineer CV, take a look at our CV summary examples for inspiration as you start writing your own.
Step 3: list your prior work experience
Now that you've got the hiring manager's interest, let them know what experience you have. Do this by completing a compact work experience section. We recommend listing around three to four positions in this section of your civil engineering CV. Alternatively, if you've had a long career, you should go back up to 10-15 years in the past.
Tips for listing your work experience
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Get the basics right first – that is, your job title, the company, the location, and your dates of employment. Once you've done that, you can add bullet points beneath each header to share your accomplishments.
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Each bullet point needs to tell the hiring manager something significant. For example, you might choose to include details of a time you excelled or an award you gained. You should aim to quantify these points whenever you can. This may mean adding numbers, statistics, or facts to give the hiring manager a deeper understanding of your value.
Step 4: include details of your education
If you have a civil engineering degree – normally required for a job in the industry nowadays – include this with the university you went to. If you were awarded the degree over 10 years ago, there's no need to put the year.
Tips for listing your education
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List all of the courses you've been on plus any certificates you've achieved, such as COSHH, NEBOSH, and the CSCS card. These can be set out in a bulleted list with the qualification, awarding body, and year obtained in one line. Continuing professional development (CPD) is increasingly important in this profession, so don't skimp on this part.
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List your certificates and acclaims in reverse chronological order. That means starting with your most recent certificates and working your way back in time.
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Whenever you're considering including a certain accomplishment, think about what it tells the hiring manager. Does it add value to your application? Is it relevant to the construction industry? If the answer is yes to both of those questions, then list it down.
Step 5: showcase relevant engineering skills
Now, consider the hard and soft skills required to be an outstanding civil engineer. You'll then need to weave these skills throughout your CV.
A civil engineer plans, designs, constructs, and maintains infrastructure, while remaining mindful of health and safety processes, and improves existing infrastructure when required. So project management and effective communication are high on the skills list, as are critical thinking, problem-solving, and proficiency for maths.
Civil engineers need to be able to work together in a team environment, so you'll want to showcase your teamwork skills as well.
Top tip: tailor your CV's skills to the job description
Refer back to the original job advert for a list of necessary and desirable competencies outlined for the role. Then, consider which of those competencies you have under your belt. Including them on your CV is sure to boost your chances of landing an interview. Remember, the idea is to show the hiring manager that you align perfectly with the demands of the vacancy they're advertising.
Civil engineering CV example
To illustrate all the above points, check out the civil engineering CV example below, which highlights key strengths and in-depth civil engineer capabilities.
What is the market like for civil engineers?
While the construction industry has stayed strong in recent years, we are now seeing a shift. At the end of 2023 and the start of 2024, there has been a decline in the gross value added of construction in the United Kingdom. There are many reasons for this trend including the rise in material costs, an uncertain economy, and a shortage of workers across the board.
Long story short: the jobs are out there, but it's competitive. You need to have an edge to get your civil engineer CV to the top of the pile. When applying for jobs, make sure to take the extra time to tailor your CV to meet the needs of the vacancy and construction company.
Onwards and upwards
Ready to get started? You're now armed with the tools you need to draft your own civil engineer CV and, once completed, you can have your own little “topping out” ceremony! But before sending it out, double-check your CV for errors, and make sure that you've tailored it to each job advert.
If you're still unsure if you've highlighted your skills in the best possible way on your civil engineer CV, consider a free CV review, as this could help you land your next role much faster.
This article was originally written by Elizabeth Openshaw and has been updated by Charlotte Grainger.