How many people get hired because of a resume? Zero. Your resume is only a means to an interview, and is more so used as a screening tool to limit the number of interviews required. This blog will show you the key considerations for resume writing learned first hand from working as a Biomedical Engineer in the Medtech Industry.
Sections:
General Rules for Writing your resume
Contrary to some articles online, there isn't a lot of definitive rules that would make your resume a definitive rejection if you didn't abide by them. However, the below are advised guidelines we follow based on our experience both reviewing and applying for engineering roles.
Below 2 pages in length, preferably 1 page. This relates mostly to experience level, as you may have more experience you wish to highlight requiring more space. Remember as mentioned above, the resume being "skimmable" is important so as you submit 3 and 4 page resumes the important information can start to be diluted with things that may not be relevant.
No artistic design. This seems more of a trend in graphic design applications, and rightly so. From an engineering perspective, a colourful artistic design isn't required. What is needed is a clean layout with clear sections and a writing style that displays an ability to convey information concisely and coherently.
No head shots attached. It isn't relevant to an application and unlikely to have a positive impact either. Instead, attach a link to your LinkedIn page which your employer could review if desired.
Two Key Questions
When you are starting to write your resume you should continuously ask yourself the following:
Is my resume tailored for the role I am applying for?
Is my resume easy to read for my reviewer?
These are the two most critical aspects of your resume to address and these should act as guiding principals for everything else we will talk about. Writing style, formatting, length, using a job description for phrasing etc. are all just factors that contribute to making your resume easy to read and making your reviewers life easier.
So, how do you tailor a resume for a role?
Presuming the role you are applying for is an advertised role the company will have released a job description. Read through the job description line by line and cross reference this with your resume. Look specifically at the terminology the hiring company is using and mirror this in your resume in the skills and work experience section. It is likely you have some of the required experience but it may be worded differently, aligning the wording will help avoid issues with an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). It will also help with your reviewer reading through your information as the terminology in the job description would likely be what is already in use in that company.
How do I make my resume easy to read?
They key idea here is a resume that is "skimmable" for a reviewer. This means you have clear formatting making good use of bold and italic text to draw the readers eye to key information.
What information will the reader be looking for? Generally, they'll look for things regarding your employment history (what company, what role, for how long) and the types of skills you have (FEA, CAD, Minitab, validations, test method development, DOE etc.) as well as education and qualifications. The time spent reviewing your resume will be very short, but by presenting the right information in the right way you make the hiring managers life easier and improve your own chances of an interview.
Writing Style for Biomedical Engineer Resumes
How long would you say your Resume is reviewed before you are either selected for an interview or disregarded for the role? 20 - 30 seconds. This is the most difficult aspect of creating your resume, to design and write it in such a manner that all the benefits you will bring to your new employer can be conveyed in under half a minute. This short review time makes having the correct writing style vital.
Your resume should be like a well written report that has a focus on concise, meaningful information. Below are the main considerations that contribute to the ideal writing style.
Use short sentences. These are easier to read. Avoid using paragraphs in the work experience section as our goal is to be "skimmable".
Utilise bullet points. You don’t need to present any great detail on your resume, remember the only purpose it serves is to get you an interview. You won’t be hired based off anything you say so you should treat it as a brief synopsis of your skills and accomplishments.
Write in the third person. This is standard for resumes. Avoid use of I, my, we etc. Instead start points with action words in the third person. Managed, lead, designed etc.
Review the below example to see how much clearer the same information can be conveyed by writing using the correct style. In an ideal scenario the bullet points listed in person B would be aligned with the job description for the role to address key requirements.
Person A:
Graduate Engineer with Company X 2015 – 2017
During my time with X I worked on the development of a next generation structural heart implant. I was responsible for the delivery system for the device where I completed testing on several different configurations of materials in order to select the optimum design to proceed to animal trials with. To analyse test data I utilised Minitab statistical software and created development reports following this. I worked closely with senior engineers and project managers to communicate timelines as well as risks identified during the development.
Person B:
Graduate Engineer with Company X 2015 – 2017
Worked on the development of a next generation structural heart implant. Some tasks/ accomplishments during this time were as follows:
· Material selection and testing for delivery system of product.
· Gathering, collating and analysing test data using MiniTab statistical software.
· Generating development reports to be shared with wider project team.
· Development of prototypes for animal trials.
· Communicating timelines and risks with senior engineers and project managers during the development of the device.
Although Person A and Person B demonstrate the same experience, Person B has a much clearer breakdown of what they have accomplished. Presenting your experience in bullet point format makes it easy for someone to skim through your resume leading to more call backs for interviews.
Leveraging Experience for Other Roles
When moving within industry you will likely find yourself looking to move from one function to another (R&D to Process Development etc.) or moving therapy area (Structural Heart to Orthopaedic etc.) at some point in your career. It requires some creativity and selection of the right experience examples for your intended role.
For example, imagine applying for a design role but all of your experience is based on process development and you haven’t tailored your resume to reflect the differences in key skills required. The hiring manager will be interested in the skills that overlap and how you can develop into the role rather than purely looking for your accomplishments in your previous role.
Fortunately, most engineering skills are highly transferable. Focus on highlighting common skills, such as project management and problem solving experience. Complete some research into the requirements you have not met for the new role. Perhaps test method development is a requirement but you only have experience with process development. Look for the overlap areas here (assessing reproducibility, use of statistical analysis, design of fixtures and aids) and frame it up as valuable experience to bring into a new role.
Resume Layout
As your Resume will be looked over so briefly it is important that it looks the part. Some good rules for this are:
Consistent use of headings and subheadings. Ensure that you are making good use of headings and subheading features in Word. Look to provide good visual breaks between your sections.
Avoid use of side sections. These are common on resumes but not recommended. A simple one page flow is sufficient and looks visually appealing and easy to read when done well.
Avoid having a cluttered looking document. Use good spacing between sections rather than presenting a wall of text to the reviewer.
Include a hyperlink to your LinkedIn profile. Embed a link into an image of the Linked In logo as a nice visual to add to your resume.
Include education, employment history and skills sections at a minimum. These are the most important area and will be reviewed first.
Common Mistakes
The most common mistakes on Biomedical Engineer resumes are as follows:
Inconsistent formatting and different text styles
Use of first person
Long sentences that are not clear
Not using job description terminology
Inconsistency with use of full stops after bullet points
Test alignment issues
Use of experience that is not relevant to the role
In conclusion, your resume is very important, but it will not get you hired. Don't give your reviewer an excuse not to interview you. Use a simple template but execute on it perfectly rather than trying to create something entirely unique that is error prone. Think quality over quantity.
If you would like assistance in writing your resume for a specific role make use of this in our shop.
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