As a manufacturing engineer, you will be responsible for ensuring that the manufacturing processes of goods are efficient and cost-effective. You will be involved in the design, development, implementation and optimisation of new products or production lines.
Competition for this role is high so you will need to have a strong CV to impress the employer and get this job.
We have created the guide below to help you write your perfect CV and secure more job interviews for this role. Let’s get started!
I am a committed, hardworking and reliable Manufacturing Engineer with a strong manufacturing/engineering background and a positive attitude to challenges and opportunities. I have previously worked in busy, fast-paced and challenging environments with a track record of introducing improved methods of manufacture, resulting in reduced costs and increased operational efficiency. I take ownership of my tasks, and I’m willing to go the extra mile to deliver and exceed expectations where possible. My current job role involves supporting production in several areas; therefore prioritising my work activities is a key strength that I have developed.
Achievements
Achieved a 2:1 degree in Manufacturing Engineering
Three recommendation letters from former lecturers and current employer
Education
2011 – 2014
BEng Manufacturing Engineering
The University of Nottingham
Grade achieved: [2:1]
Relevant Modules:
Introduction to Materials and Materials Forming
Design and Manufacture
Mechanics of Solids
Dynamics of Mechanical Systems
Automated Manufacture
Ergonomics in Design
2009 – 2011 Results: Design and Technology: A Science: B English: B
A Levels
Regent College
2003 – 2009 Results: 12 GCSEs at Grades A*-C.
GCSEs
Riverside Secondary School
Work experience
Apr 2015 – Present
Manufacturing Engineer Fizzler Products
Main duties performed:
Designing, implementing and refining products, processes and systems
Working on a production line on various shifts manufacturing a broad range of products
Designing and manufacturing a series of components
Providing support in the production area and ensuring the smooth progression of projects through manufacture and assembly
Ensuring the necessary documentation are in order and up-to-date
Introducing new manufacturing processes and systems
Actively participating in continuous improvement activities
Capturing and analysing data of manufacturing processes
Overseeing daily factory production to ensure that processes run according to schedule
Performing daily checks and carrying out root cause/failure analysis and resolution
Assisting the customer service department with fault diagnosis of returned products
Repairing returned products within the given timeframe
Making regular amendments to the documentation when new revisions of documents, drawings and bill of materials (BOM) are released
Redesigning or improving product/service functionality
Working with suppliers to ensure that products are delivered on time and to specifications
Ensuring that processes, materials and operations comply with regulations
Solving manufacturing issues, as and when they arise, in a timely and cost efficient manner
Advising the production team on best methods for manufacture and cost implications
Producing production plans for future and ongoing projects
Liaising with the design team and customers on the potential difficulties in producing the desired design to the specified requirements
Managing stock, including product parts, raw materials, packaging, etc.
Staying up-to-date with technological developments and advising the company accordingly
Carrying out necessary quality checks and safety procedures
Jul 2014 – Mar 2015
Trainee Engineer Toyota
Main duties performed:
Helping with the manufacturing of car parts in a pressurised environment
Testing products for defects and recording their technical specifications
Registering all production work on the computer database
Assisting senior engineers with their projects
Qualifications
Diploma in Manufacturing and Product Design – ALISON
Level 2 in Leadership and Team Skills – ILM
Skills
Technical knowledge: I have the ability to read engineering drawings and specifications and applying the processes in the manufacturing line.
Computer Literacy: I am computer literate with in-depth knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Auto-CAD, Finite Element Analysis (ANSYS), FeatureCAM and Matlab.
Communication skills: I can effectively communicate complex concepts and ideas to both technical and non-technical audiences.
Hobbies
My hobbies include going to the gym and keeping fit in general. I also enjoy going out with my friends and colleagues to restaurants and cinemas. Additionally, I like to keep myself up to date with the latest news in business, manufacturing and politics.
Stick to a standard CV format: The best CVs are those that have a traditional format that is familiar to employers. A typical CV structure starts with the applicant’s personal and contact details at the top, followed by their personal profile statement, achievements, employment, education, qualifications, skills, hobbies and interests and references. You should avoid using an unconventional CV format/structure because it will catch the employers off guard and make it harder for them to find the information that they need.
Keep your CV short and concise: The ideal length of your CV should be 2 A4 pages or less. Surveys have shown that employers only spend around 30 seconds reading each applicant’s CV so it’s important you don’t cause information overload by including too much information on your CV. To reduce the length of your CV, start by removing any irrelevant information such as your date of birth, age, gender, nationality, marital status and salary requirements. Other things you can remove from your CV are irrelevant/outdated educational qualifications or part-time/unpaid jobs from a long time ago.
Avoid long, bulky paragraphs: As previously stated, you don’t have more than 30 seconds to impress the employer with your CV and get shortlisted for an interview so your CV must be easy to read. An effective way to improve the scannability and legibility of your CV is to replace long paragraphs with short sentences, bullet points and appropriate subheadings.
Use a professional font: There are hundreds of fonts available so it can be tempting to use a fancy, unconventional font (such as handwriting fonts) to make your CV stand out from the crowds. Doing this will make your CV stand out for sure but for the wrong reasons! The primary function of fonts is to improve the legibility of text not to decorate documents or entertain the readers, especially important documents such as your CV. Good CV fonts are professional, mainstream and highly legible, such as Verdana, Georgia, Ariel, Helvetica and Times New Roman.
Note: Your name should be the main header of your CV – not “curriculum vitae” or “CV”!
Personal profile
Next, you need to craft a well-written personal profile statement that acts as a short introduction paragraph to your CV. Your personal profile tells the employer about your personal characteristics and key strengths.
Studies have shown that employers take into consideration the content of your personal profile when they decide on your application so make sure it is perfect!
Guidelines:
Place your profile near the top on the first page of your CV
Keep it brief (no longer than four or five sentences)
Back your statements with facts, figures and examples
I am a technical-minded and methodical manufacturing engineer with more than three years of experience in the industry. I have experience in designing, creating, validating and establishing manufacturing controls in machining and assembly processes to improve them and minimise costs. In my current role, my main passion and goal have been to improve the quality, cost and delivery (QCD) of the production processes. I have excellent attention to detail and problem-solving skills, which have enabled me to diagnose and improve various manufacturing processes in the production lines. I am always keen for an opportunity to learn and have the willingness to share my skills with others.
Achievements
Do you have any specific achievements you are proud of?
If yes, then include them in this section of your CV.
Elected for leadership roles (e.g. team leader, project manager, etc.)
Participated in charity events (e.g. organised an event, raised money or ran a marathon for charity)
Relevant work experience
Good performance (e.g. recommendation letters, excellent customer feedback, solved a problem, improved work processes, etc.)
Awards won
Example:
More than 3 years of relevant work experience in the industry
Successfully created and implemented a manufacturing/assembly process plan
Elected to be the project manager on various occasions
Received a silver commendation award during my college studies
Employment and work experience
Your CV’s employment section contains details of your past jobs and work experience. There are many different types of jobs that you can include here, such as full-time, part-time, voluntary and unpaid jobs.
Each job entry should contain the following information:
Start and end dates
Your job title
The employer’s name (and location)
Your main duties and achievements
May 2021 – Present
Manufacturing engineer Laser Systems Ltd.
Main duties and responsibilities performed:
Planned, designed and implemented new manufacturing processes while complying with safety and quality standards.
Improved processes to increase yield, reduce scrap, minimise downtime, reduce cycle time, or resolve any issues identified.
Used lean manufacturing principles to develop, evaluate and improve assembly methods.
Worked with machine suppliers to define new processes based on product design and specifications.
Researched new technology and processes.
Supported the Quality manager towards ISO 9001.
Note: Remember to write the jobs in reverse chronological order (most recent job first).
The types of education you can include in this section:
University-level qualifications such as undergraduate and postgraduate degrees
College-level qualifications such as BTECs and A-Levels
School-level qualifications such as GCSEs
If you are highly qualified, you won’t be able to include all your qualifications so you need to decide which qualifications to include and which ones to omit. It is recommended to remove any old or irrelevant qualifications that do not add value to your CV, such as school-level qualifications from more than two decades ago.
Example:
2016-2019
BEng Hons Manufacturing Engineering with Management
Cardiff University
Degree classification: 2:1.
Relevant Modules:
Introduction to Production Engineering & Management
Analysing & Improving Operations
Production Techniques
Integrating Studies
Total Design
Electrical Circuits
2014 – 2016 Results: 7 IT (B), English (C) and Maths (B).
A-Levels
Abbey College
Qualifications
The qualifications section, sometimes combined with the education section above, contains details of any additional qualifications you have gained.
These are usually professional and work-based training programs that are designed to enhance your skills and abilities in a particular area.
Example:
Level 2 Diploma in Manufacturing (Knowledge and Skills) – Newtown College
Skills
The skills section is another vital section of your CV, containing details about some of your key skills and competencies as they relate to the job.
The ability to work in a complex and high-pressure work environment.
The ability to multi-task and keep track of multiple projects simultaneously.
Creativity to propose new methods and processes.
Attention to detail to ensure no small details are missed.
Problem-solving skills to identify technical issues and offer solutions.
Knowledge of manufacturing techniques and procedures.
Up-to-date knowledge of computer-aided design systems.
System design and analysis.
Hobbies and interests (optional)
You may be wondering, why should I include my personal hobbies on an important document such as my CV? What is the point? The answer is that relevant hobbies and interests can add value to your CV (indirectly).
For example, mentioning that you enjoy solving puzzles or playing chess indicates to employers that you are an intelligent person with excellent problem-solving skills, an essential requirement for being a competent manufacturing engineer!
Example:
In my free time, I enjoy going to the gym and reading industry news, blogs and articles related to my field of work.
Note: This is an optional section so if you have run out of space, don’t worry about squeezing this section into your CV. The preceding sections of your CV are more important and take precedence over the hobbies section.
References
The last section of your CV is called the references section.
Here you need to provide the details of your two references, people who know you well and who can vouch for your character and abilities to prospective employers.
Each entry should accompany the following information:
The referee’s full name
Job title
Organisation/company name
Address
Telephone number
Email address
Example:
Mr Kelvin Wilson Manufacturing Manager, Laser Services Ltd. Address: 24 Hill Street, Leeds, LI2 2BQ Tel: 07663572992 Email:[email protected]
Mrs Kelly Looper Lecturer, The University of London Address: 6 Wigan Road, Catchall, C29 1CN Tel: 078743567810 Email:[email protected]
Important: Make sure you ask permission from your references first before you use their details on your CV. Otherwise, an unexpected call from the employer may make the conversation about you quite awkward.
Alternatively, if you do not wish to disclose your references on your CV you can simply write “References are available upon request.”
Showcase your expertise: A manufacturing engineer’s job is a high-skilled position which requires specialised training and a learned skill-set to perform the work. Your CV should mention your key skills, abilities and experience throughout your CV to demonstrate to the employer that you are an expert in your field. A clever way to achieve this is to use the same key phrases and terms from the job’s personal specification on your CV.
Include a cover letter with your application: No job application is truly complete without the inclusion of a cover letter. A cover letter is a one-page document that introduces you to the employer as a strong candidate for the job and encourages them to invite you for a job interview. The good news, for you, is that only 1 in 3 candidates send a cover letter with their application so this is an excellent opportunity for you to make your application stand out from the others, impress the employer and secure a job interview!
Print your CV on high-quality paper: It is common practice to take two copies of your CV to the interview to give to your interviewers. An effective way to improve your CV’s impact is by printing it on high-quality paper (e.g. 100gsm silk) instead of standard photocopy paper (75gsm). This demonstrates to the employer that you have attention to detail and care about the employer’s perception of you as a serious candidate for the job.
Written by Sobhan Mohmand Sobhan is a qualified Careers Advisor and Professional CV Writer with over 10 years of experience in helping job seekers get a job. He is a Member of the Careers Development Institute (CDI) and is listed on the official UK Register of Career Development Professionals. He holds a Level 6 Diploma in Career Guidance and Development (QCF).