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Want a successful eye-catching resume?
Then you must include the skills the employer is looking for in a civil engineer.
And we know the skills.
If you include the following 15 skills in your resume, there is a high chance that at least half of those skills are what the employer is looking for.
Do I sound so confident? Because I know it works.
I am a civil engineer, so I know the struggle of applying for a job, but I have also been a recruiter, so I know what dictates a good civil engineering resume.
So let’s jump ahead to those skills:
The 15 Civil Engineer Skills You Must Have In Your Resume
For a civil engineer resume to be successful, it must include 3 types of skills:
- Software Skills: The civil engineering software that you use
- Technical Skills: These are the analytical skills that you know based on your civil engineering field
- Management Skills: The skills you have to run projects effectively
Knowing those skills will help you immeasurably to write the perfect resume. Also, you can check our free guide with the 14 Tips To Write A Perfect Civil Engineer Resume to know exactly where to include every skill.
Now, we will discuss the top 5 skills in each category.
The Top 5 Civil Engineer Software
These are the engineering software that you use. There are 25 Common Civil Engineering Software that is considered the standards in the industry. From these 25 programs, there is 5 must-know software for a civil engineer:
1- AutoCAD
You probably learned how to use AutoCAD at some point in university or during your job. Even if the job description does not require AutoCAD, you should still include it in your resume.
| Type | Drafting and drawing production |
| Made By | AutoDesk |
2- MS Excel
Excel is the tool for everything, and civil engineers love this tool. It can help you manage a project or design a steel structure or make a technical checklist for your project. Even if it is not mentioned in the job description, it is assumed that you know Excel, so make sure it is in your resume.
| Type | Spreadsheet |
| Made By | Microsoft |
3- MS Project
Yes, another Microsoft tool. If you are a structural engineer, for example, you might not use MS Project, but even so, MS Project is so easy to learn that you can learn how to use it in one day, so include it in your resume.
| Type | Project management software |
| Made By | Microsoft |
4-Civil 3D
This is the most versatile tool for infrastructure design and BIM (Building information modelling). If you are a geotechnical, structural or transport engineer, you should definitely have Civil 3D in your resume.
| Type | BIM |
| Made By | AutoDesk |
5- STAAD Pro
One of the best software for structural engineers. Learning how to use this software can open a world of possibilities for you.
| Type | Structural analysis and design software |
| Made By | Bentley |
Top 5 Civil Engineer Technical Skills
There are many Civil Engineering Career Options, but the skills required to do any job are the same.
The best way to showcase those skills in your resume is with an example of a project or a reward you have received during your engineering career that proves that you achieved competency in that skill.
1- Analytical skills
Every civil engineer needs to have good analytical skills. This does not only mean design but also the ability to analyse project and design risks and take the most optimal solution that can be both cost-effective and time efficient.
2- Attention to detail
Attention to detail is the ability to spot issues and mistakes and devise a solution to prevent those issues. Civil Engineering work is very detailed, and mistakes can sometimes pass through the design checks unnoticed. To be a successful civil engineer, you must have a keen sense of attention to spot those mistakes.
3- Problem-solving skills
Problem-solving is the issues spotted during design and construction that do not comply with design standards or common construction practices. Being a civil engineer, you must have a sharp understanding of issues you have achieved from experience or knowledge of design codes and standards.
4- Design skills
Design skills are the ability to engineer something, such as a retaining wall or a two-way slab. This is achieved using design software, drafting software and knowledge of design codes.
5- Multitasking Skills
Multitasking is the ability to do multiple things on the same day, not necessarily doing multiple things at once. It does not matter what type of civil engineer you are. You must be able to organise your tasks and to be able to complete your duties.
The 5 Civil Engineer Management skills
Even if you are a design engineer, you must have some of the following skills on your resume as they show you can work with others or manage people when necessary.
1- Project Management Skills
Project management skills are necessary for every civil engineer, which shows that you can manage any project by setting deadlines and milestones. The project is complete when it achieves all its goals.
2- Communication Skills
On average, civil engineers must communicate with each other about almost any design or operational decision. Being a successful civil engineer is having the ability to communicate both solutions and problems effectively.
3- Leadership Skills
Even if you are not in a senior management position, you must have been in a situation where you needed to take charge of the problem. Civil engineers are the leaders in the construction industry, and they communicate their decisions through drawings and reports. “Taking leadership of your work” is something that all civil engineers must have.
4- Teamwork Skills
If you can not communicate effectively and work in teams, you cannon be a successful civil engineer. One civil engineer can achieve nothing. It is only through teamwork that projects are started and completed.
5- Negotiation Skills
You must be able to negotiate your solutions or even your service if you are an estimating engineer. Clients do not necessarily understand how things work because they are not engineers, so you must be able to negotiate certain things, not only design.
The Top Civil Engineer Skills
If you have not figured it out by now, communication, management, problem-solving, multitasking and attention to detail are the most important skills for a civil engineer.
