Structural Engineer Resume Examples and Writing Guide for 2025

Structural engineering is a highly technical field, and employers are looking for precision, clarity, and proof that you and your work can handle the pressure (sometimes literally). It’s not just about listing the right skills, but demonstrating how you can take ideas from blueprint to reality.

Whether you're a recent graduate eager to put your engineering degree to work or a seasoned pro designing complex high-rise structures, your resume needs to hold up to scrutiny. Just like the buildings you help design, it needs a strong foundation.

By following the tips in this guide, you’ll be well on your way to crafting a strong, well-structured resume that highlights your engineering expertise. Because, when it comes to landing interviews, a polished resume can make all the difference.

If you need more assistance, Weekday’s AI-powered resume builder helps you highlight your strengths with smart formatting, customizable templates, and built-in tips tailored for structural engineers. It’s a fast, professional way to present your best self.

Fundamental Sections for a Structural Engineer Resume

If you want your resume to stand out, it's important to focus on the key sections that will best showcase your technical expertise and experience. These sections should be concise and focused, and provide employers with a clear snapshot of your qualifications to make it easy for them to assess your fit for the role.

Here are the essential sections to include:

1. Contact Information

A basic necessity for any resume. At the very top, include your full name, phone number, email address, and LinkedIn profile (if applicable). You may also want to add your location (city, state), though it’s optional unless a job specifically requires local candidates. 

Keep this information easy to find and professional.

2. Professional Summary or Objective

This section is your chance to grab the hiring manager’s attention right away. A well-crafted professional summary should succinctly highlight your skills, experience, and what makes you an excellent fit for the role. 

If you're an entry-level engineer, an objective statement is a great way to show your career goals and what you hope to bring to the job. If you're a seasoned professional, a summary statement can highlight your expertise, key accomplishments, and the unique value you bring to the role.

We’ll get into the details of writing a compelling professional summary below.

3. Skills Section

This section should list the key technical and soft skills that are relevant to structural engineering. Be sure to highlight both your hands-on technical abilities and your ability to collaborate effectively on teams. 

Consider including skills such as:

• Structural analysis and design software (AutoCAD, Revit, STAAD Pro, SAP2000)
• Knowledge of building codes and regulations (e.g., AISC, IBC)
• Load calculations and stress analysis
• Project management
• Problem-solving and critical thinking
• Communication and teamwork skills

4. Work Experience

The work experience section is arguably the most important part of your resume. Highlight your previous positions and the responsibilities you had in each role, making sure to include specific examples of projects you've worked on and any quantifiable achievements (such as cost savings, project completion times, etc.).

Keep it in a simple and easy to read format.

Example:
Structural Engineer
XYZ Engineering, New York, NY
June 2018 – Present

• Designed structural components for high-rise buildings, ensuring compliance with local and international building codes.
• Coordinated with architects and contractors to ensure seamless project execution.
• Managed structural analysis for multiple projects, resulting in a 15% reduction in material costs.

5. Education

List your educational background, including your degree(s), the school(s) you attended, and the year of graduation. For most structural engineering roles, a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering or structural engineering is a must. If you’ve completed any post-graduate studies or certifications, include those as well.

Example:

Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering

University of California, Berkeley, CA

Graduated: May 2018

6. Certifications and Licenses

For structural engineers, having certifications and licenses is key to demonstrating your expertise and credibility. This section should include any certifications you’ve earned, such as:

• Professional Engineer (PE) license
• Engineer-in-Training (EIT) certification
• LEED accreditation (if applicable)
• OSHA certification

Be sure to list the institution or licensing board that issued the certification, as well as the dates of issuance.

7. Projects

If you have significant experience working on large-scale or notable projects, consider creating a section dedicated to highlighting these projects. For each project, include details about the scope of work, your role, and any key outcomes or accomplishments.

Example:
High-Rise Building Project

• Designed the structural framework for a 25-story commercial building, while collaborating with architects and contractors to meet project goals.
• Implemented advanced load-bearing techniques to ensure structural integrity during high winds.

8. Professional Affiliations

Membership in industry organizations, such as the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) or the Structural Engineering Association (SEA), can help demonstrate your commitment to professional development. If you hold leadership positions in these organizations, be sure to mention them.

Also read: Create a Process Engineer Resume That Gets Noticed

Crafting a Compelling Professional Summary

Your professional summary is your first chance to grab the employer's attention, so it’s essential to make it count. On average, recruiters spend about 7 seconds on a resume, so think of it as your elevator pitch; it needs to be brief but impactful.

Here’s a simple structure you can follow:

• Sell Yourself: Start with a punch – mention your years of experience and highlight standout achievements. Show how you’ve tackled tough projects, solved complex problems, and made an impact.
• Specialization: Focus on what sets you apart. Whether it’s seismic design, sustainability, or another niche area, let your specialization shine through so employers know you're the expert they need.
• Keep It Concise: You’re not writing a novel; keep it to 3-4 lines max. Employers are busy, so get straight to the point with a summary that makes them want to read more.

Example:

With 7+ years of experience in structural engineering, I’ve successfully managed high-profile commercial and residential projects, consistently delivering them on time and under budget. Specializing in seismic design and sustainable building practices, I pride myself on creating safe, efficient and durable structures. My hands-on approach and ability to solve complex design challenges make me the ideal candidate to elevate your next project.

Leveraging Keywords for ATS

Before your resume ever reaches human eyes, it likely has to pass through an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). Think of the ATS as a digital gatekeeper: it scans resumes for specific keywords to decide which candidates move forward and which get filtered out.

If your resume doesn’t include the right terms, it might never make it to a hiring manager, no matter how qualified you are. To beat the bots, you need to mirror the language used in the job description. 

Read the JD closely and identify recurring skills, certifications, tools, and responsibilities. Then, naturally weave those terms into your resume, especially in your professional summary, skills list, and work experience sections.

Here are some common ATS-friendly keywords for structural engineering roles you might want to include:

• Structural analysis
• AutoCAD / Revit / STAAD.Pro / SAP2000
• Load calculations
• Seismic design
• Building codes and standards (e.g., IBC, ACI, AISC)
• Project management
• Construction documentation
• Finite element analysis
• Steel and concrete design
• Foundation design
• Sustainability / LEED
• Site inspections
• Client coordination
• Civil/structural engineering
• Budgeting and cost estimation

Don’t just stuff these in, but use them strategically and contextually. The goal is to show that you speak the same language as the employer and can hit the ground running.

Also read: Crafting an Impactful Engineering Resume: Balancing Technical Expertise with Essential Soft Skills

Tailor Your Resume for Each Application

Sending the same resume to every job is like wearing the same outfit to every occasion; it might work sometimes, but it’s far from ideal. Every company and role is slightly different, and hiring managers want to see that you get that.

Tailoring your resume not only shows that you’ve put in the effort, but also increases your chances of passing through ATS filters and grabbing a recruiter’s attention. Here’s how to tailor your resume effectively:

• Read the Job Description Like a Blueprint: Analyze the job posting carefully. Highlight keywords, required skills, and preferred qualifications. This will give you a clear idea of what the employer values most.
• Update Your Professional Summary: This is prime real estate. Customize it to reflect the core responsibilities and goals of the job you’re applying for to make it obvious why you’re the perfect fit.
• Mirror the Language Used: If the description emphasizes “project coordination” or “structural analysis using STAAD.Pro,” use that exact phrasing (if it genuinely applies to you). This helps your resume feel aligned with their expectations and improves ATS performance.
• Match Skills to Their Needs: Include both hard and soft skills that are specifically requested in the job description. Prioritize the ones listed in the posting, and back them up with concrete examples in your experience section.
• Reorder or Emphasize Relevant Experience: If you have multiple project types under your belt, lead with the ones that most closely match the role. Tailoring isn’t just about what you include, it’s also about how you present it.

By fine-tuning your resume for each opportunity, you’re making it easy for recruiters and hiring managers to say, “This is the one.”

Tips for Creating a Polished Resume

A solid resume should sell your experience. From the words you use to the way it looks on the page, every element should reflect your professionalism and attention to detail. 

Here’s how to make sure your resume makes the right impression:

1. Use Action Verbs Effectively

Start each bullet point with a powerful verb that shows initiative and impact. Skip the bland “responsible for” and go for dynamic alternatives that pack a punch. Try verbs like:
Designed, Analyzed, Managed, Implemented, Led, Collaborated, Optimized, Inspected, Engineered, Executed.

These not only sound more compelling but clearly convey the value you brought to past roles.

2. Formatting and Presentation for Readability

You already know that recruiters spend seconds scanning resumes, so make yours effortless to read.

• Use a clean, professional font like Calibri, Arial, or Helvetica (no Comic Sans, ever).
• Stick to 10–12 pt font size with consistent spacing and margins.
• Use bullet points, not paragraphs, to list responsibilities and achievements.
• Leave enough white space to avoid visual clutter and make your content easy on the eyes.
• Keep your layout consistent: dates aligned, headers bolded, sections clearly separated.

Proofreading and Editing – The Importance of Detail

Structural engineers are expected to be precise, and your resume should reflect that. Even a single typo or grammar slip can create the impression of carelessness.

Before submitting, triple-check for errors. Use tools like Grammarly, read it out loud, and have a friend or colleague review it. Attention to detail matters here as much as it does on the job site.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Here are a few pitfalls that trip up even experienced professionals:

• Too much jargon: Use technical terms sparingly. Assume your resume might be read by HR or non-engineering stakeholders first.
• Generic summaries: Skip vague intros like “hard-working professional.” Be specific about what you do and what you bring.
• Overstuffed content: Don’t try to fit your entire career into one page (this is not your biography). Focus on relevant, recent roles and trim the rest.
• Neglecting metrics: Numbers speak volumes. “Reduced material cost by 15%” is far more impressive than “cut costs.”

With these tips, your resume won’t just look polished, it’ll feel polished. And in a detail-driven field like structural engineering, that can make all the difference.

However, if you want to take the stress out of creating a great resume, then maybe what you need is a user-friendly tool that will guide you through the process.

Create the Perfect Resume with Weekday

When it comes to landing a role in structural engineering, your resume needs to be more than just accurate — it must be sharp, strategic, and built to impress both hiring managers and ATS systems. Weekday makes that easier with intelligent tools that streamline the process and helps you craft a resume engineered for real results.

• Build with Speed and Precision: Weekday’s AI-powered resume builder is designed to make the task effortless. Instead of formatting from scratch, you can pull in your LinkedIn data or upload your existing resume for instant auto-fill. From there, just pick a clean, professional template and start tailoring.
• Designed to Pass ATS Filters: Not sure if your resume hits the mark? Our ATS scoring tool and Resume Checker gives you a real-time score along with suggestions to improve. It helps ensure your resume includes the right keywords and structure to get past ATS without a hitch. It’s like giving your resume a built-in radar for job description match-ups.
• Iterate with Confidence: As you tweak your resume, Weekday responds with immediate insights so you’re not guessing what works. With every improvement, you’re getting closer to a document that reflects your skills, speaks the language of recruiters, and stands out in a competitive field.

Weekday helps you present your skills and experience in the best possible light and ensure your resume stands out when you’re applying for your next structural engineering opportunity.

Final Thoughts

As you refine your structural engineering resume, remember that it's not just about showcasing your qualifications—it's about presenting yourself as the solution to a company's needs. By incorporating the strategies and tools outlined above, you'll be well-equipped to stand out in a competitive industry and take your career to the next level.

Build the perfect resume with Weekly, and once it's ready, you can even use our additional resources to enhance your job search. With tools like the AI Apply feature, you can easily submit your optimized resume to the right roles, making the process faster and more efficient.

Try out Weekday today and take the next step toward securing your ideal structural engineering position.