FresumeAn electrical engineer resume is screened for the design work you can do (circuits, PCB, power, controls), the tools you use (Altium, AutoCAD, MATLAB, PLC), and licensure. This guide has a real annotated example, the ATS keywords hiring managers filter for, and how to turn responsibilities into quantified engineering outcomes.
What makes a strong electrical engineer resume?
A strong electrical engineer resume leads with what you designed and the result: yield, cost, power, schedule. Recruiters and the ATS screen for design domains (analog, digital, power, embedded), CAD/EDA tools, and licensure (EIT, PE). Every bullet should pair a technical action with a measurable outcome.
- Name your tools. Altium, OrCAD, AutoCAD Electrical, MATLAB/Simulink, and PLC platforms are common ATS filters.
- Show your design domain. Analog, digital, power systems, embedded, or controls tells recruiters where you fit.
- Quantify the engineering. Cost reduction, yield improvement, power savings, and schedule are what separate strong candidates.
Elena Ortiz, EIT — Electrical Engineer
Denver, CO | [email protected] | (720) 555-0193 | linkedin.com/in/elenaortiz
Summary: Electrical engineer with 5 years designing power and control systems for industrial equipment. Delivered PCB and PLC designs that cut cost and improved reliability, from schematic through production release.
Experience — Electrical Engineer, Summit Controls (2021–Present)
- Designed a 4-layer motor-control PCB in Altium that cut bill-of-materials cost 18% while meeting UL and EMC requirements.
- Programmed PLC and HMI control for a packaging line, reducing changeover time 25% and unplanned downtime 30%.
- Led power-distribution design for a 480V system, passing UL inspection on the first submission.
- Cut prototype iterations from 4 to 2 by adding design-for-test and signal-integrity review to the schematic phase.
- Authored test procedures and validation reports for 12 assemblies, all released on schedule.
Skills: Analog & digital circuit design, PCB layout (Altium, OrCAD), power systems, PLC/HMI (Allen-Bradley, Siemens), MATLAB/Simulink, AutoCAD Electrical, signal integrity, UL/EMC, schematic capture; EIT.
Electrical engineer resume sections & skills
Header: name with EIT/PE if held, city, state, email. Summary: design domain, years, and one standout result. Skills: design areas, CAD/EDA tools, standards. Experience: employer, title, dates, and quantified engineering bullets. Education: BSEE, school, year; note EIT/PE and FE exam status.
ATS keywords for electrical engineers usually include: electrical engineer, circuit design, PCB, Altium, OrCAD, schematic capture, power systems, PLC, HMI, MATLAB, Simulink, AutoCAD Electrical, embedded, signal integrity, EMC, UL, PE, EIT. Pull the exact terms from each posting, then check your resume with our ATS resume checker and start from an ATS-ready resume template.
Before & after bullet rewrites
- Before: Designed circuit boards. After: Designed a 4-layer motor-control PCB in Altium that cut BOM cost 18% while meeting UL and EMC.
- Before: Worked on PLC programming. After: Programmed PLC/HMI control that cut changeover time 25% and unplanned downtime 30%.
How long should an electrical engineer resume be?
One page for under 10 years of experience; two pages for senior or PE-level engineers with extensive projects. Lead each bullet with the tool and the outcome, name your EDA software early, and list licensure (EIT/PE) in the header, since those are the first things a recruiter and the ATS look for.
Common mistakes on electrical engineer resumes
- Describing tasks without cost, yield, power, or schedule outcomes.
- Omitting the specific EDA tools (Altium, OrCAD) that gate the ATS.
- Leaving off EIT/PE status.
Skills and keywords for an Electrical Engineer resume
ATS software ranks resumes by how closely they match the job description, so mirror the posting’s exact terms and load your skills section with role-relevant keywords.
Hard skills and technical keywords
Technical:
- Analog and digital circuit design
- SPICE / LTspice and Cadence Allegro simulation
- VHDL, Verilog, and FPGA development
- Microcontroller and firmware programming (C/C++)
- Power electronics, motor drives, and VFDs
- Three-phase power, transformer sizing, and load-flow analysis (ETAP)
- Protective relaying, grounding and bonding, and arc-flash studies
- NEC / NFPA 70, IEEE, and IEC standards compliance
- SCADA and instrumentation integration
- DFMEA, root-cause analysis, and design-for-manufacturing
- Oscilloscope, DMM, and bench-level validation testing
- Thermal analysis and control-loop tuning
Soft skills
Soft skills:
- Cross-functional collaboration
- Technical documentation and reporting
- Problem-solving under deadline
- Attention to detail and safety mindset
- Project coordination
- Clear communication with non-technical stakeholders
Reflect the precise wording used in each posting, then run your draft through our free ATS resume checker to spot any missing keywords before you apply.
Frequently asked questions
01Do you need a PE license on an electrical engineer resume?
Not for most industry roles, but it helps. List EIT (or FE-passed) early-career and PE once licensed, in the header or a Licenses line. A PE is often required for consulting, power, and public-works roles, so if a posting asks for it, make your status obvious near the top.
02What software should an electrical engineer list?
Name the EDA and design tools you actually use: Altium, OrCAD, or Cadence for PCB; AutoCAD Electrical for schematics; MATLAB/Simulink for modeling; and your PLC/HMI platform (Allen-Bradley, Siemens). These are frequent ATS filters, so match them to the exact tools in the job posting.
03How do you quantify an electrical engineering resume?
Attach numbers to designs: BOM cost reduction, yield or reliability improvement, power savings, downtime reduction, or first-pass UL/EMC approval. “Cut BOM cost 18% while meeting UL and EMC” reads far stronger than “designed circuit boards.”
