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Electrical designer skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted experts

Florian Solzbacher,

Florian Solzbacher

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical electrical designer skills. We ranked the top skills for electrical designers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 14.3% of electrical designer resumes contained revit as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills an electrical designer needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 electrical designer skills for your resume and career

1. Revit

Revit, also known as Autodesk Revit, is computer software used by architects, structural engineers, and designers to perform building modeling tasks. Revit was designed to facilitate users, draw building modeling structures in a 2D and 3D format. Creating such models allows architects and engineers to pre-planning, scheduling, estimating the life of the structure and the entire cost of construction.

Here's how electrical designers use revit:

Designed the Intrusion System, based on a prototype provided by Target in REVIT.
Experience in Architectural REVIT Program for 3D Designing.

2. Electrical Design

Electrical design refers to the whole process and includes all the steps which are involved in the development of any electrical equipment. In electrical design, planning and managing the process of designing and development, creating the equipment, and testing it to evaluate the equipment's performance are all integral steps.

Here's how electrical designers use electrical design:

Performed electrical design including ladder diagrams and relay logic for hard-wired safety interlocks, power distribution and thermal heat source.
Served as an AutoCAD Designer for this electrical contractor with responsibility for electrical design layout of commercial buildings.

3. Autocad Electrical

Here's how electrical designers use autocad electrical:

Designed electrical control diagrams, general arrangement diagrams, wiring diagrams using AutoCad Electrical & Micro Station.
Developed schematic sets in AutoCAD Electrical for various automotive and John Deere small assembly applications.

4. UL

Here's how electrical designers use ul:

Designed control systems to NFPA, UL, and CE specifications to comply with country-specific standards.
Design control panels for clean room environment meeting UL requirements.

5. Electrical Systems

Here's how electrical designers use electrical systems:

Designed electrical systems inside hazardous/classified locations and created area classification plans and details from NFPA 497.
Designed electrical systems included electronics, communications, instrumentation, power, and lighting systems.

6. Electrical Schematics

Here's how electrical designers use electrical schematics:

Provided accurate electrical schematics per client conditions and analyzed and tracked technical specifications including dimensions, arrangements and installation procedures.
Spearheaded design of electrical schematics and panel layouts utilizing AutoCad Software from work orders to finished products.

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7. Engineering Drawings

Engineering drawings are technical drawings that tell about the requirements for engineering components or equipment. Such drawings have standardized languages and symbols. There are multiple types of engineering drawings such as isometric drawing, orthographic or multiview drawing, schematic drawings, one view, and two view drawings, etc.

Here's how electrical designers use engineering drawings:

Prepared and produced a variety of engineering drawings to completely define end product requirements using established engineering and drafting standards.
Worked in design teams with other designers and engineers to develop engineering drawings for industrial electrical engineering projects

8. Engineering Design

Engineering design is defined as the method that engineers use to recognize and solve problems. It is an extensive and flexible approach to problem-solving and provides the necessary information needed regarding every step of the process. An engineering design is a collaborative effort of the team to identify problems underlying a process and find out ways to solve them.

Here's how electrical designers use engineering design:

Implemented the engineering design for medium and low voltage overhead and underground power distribution system in subdivisions including roadway lighting.
Assisted Configuration Control Group with multiple Engineering Design Change Packages interpretation for proper documentation update and approval.

9. Aided Design

Here's how electrical designers use aided design:

Performed the drafting plans in Automatic Computer Aided Design (ACAD) or supervised and reviewed the vendor's ACAD works.
Utilized computer aided design equipment and /or graphic tools such as, CAD, CAM or CATIA.

10. Electrical Equipment

Here's how electrical designers use electrical equipment:

Added motor control centers and generated construction drawings for the installation of electrical equipment per client requirements.
Specified electrical equipment and lighting fixtures, referred to company standards for specification of lighting fixtures.

11. Design Drawings

Here's how electrical designers use design drawings:

Developed design drawings, I/O database, installation procedures and safety evaluations.
Worked on design/drafting tasks in Direct Transfer Trip (DTT) design drawings, this design replaced Automatic Ground Switches.

12. Navisworks

Navisworks is a Microsoft Windows 3D design review package, primarily used to complement and combine 3D models in construction industries.

Here's how electrical designers use navisworks:

Utilized NavisWorks to verify equipment location and viability.
Work conducted using PDMS, NavisWorks and AutoCAD.

13. Electrical Drawings

Here's how electrical designers use electrical drawings:

Generated/modified prototypical electrical drawings utilizing effective CAD techniques.
Used mechanical drawing for rubber machines for location of electrical parts and updated mechanical backgrounds for electrical drawings as needed.

14. NFPA

Here's how electrical designers use nfpa:

Designed Electrical and Lighting for Speculative Office Buildings 40 stories and above Per NFPA 70 NEC and Local Codes
Assembled electrical panels using wire lists, wiring diagrams and schematics to NFPA and CE standards.

15. PLC

Here's how electrical designers use plc:

Developed machine control PLC program using Allen-Bradley programming and operator interface software.
Developed comprehensive PLC schematics and instrumentation plans.

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What skills help Electrical Designers find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on electrical designer resumes?

Florian Solzbacher

Department Chair, Professor, Elect & Computer Engineering, University of Utah

Examples of having applied the knowledge gained in their studies to practical examples of solving engineering problems that require the combination of skills and at least some understanding of system engineering aspects are important signals that graduating engineers are ready to be productive in a real-world setting are always important. Obviously, participating in projects that address current "hot topic" problems, e.g., in robotics, AI/machine learning, power systems, biomedical applications, or that resonate with specific problems an employer is currently working on, will raise a student's profile.

Supplemental skills, such as Entrepreneurial or business training, can enhance and differentiate a student's resume. This shows that an engineer is not solely focused on the core technical engineering skills but does have an understanding of the driving forces and their interaction in a real-world business setting, that are not only part of the design requirements for a product (e.g., design to cost), but also often drive the selection of technical solution paths, after all, every development and product has to make business sense. Imagine two young engineers proposing a solution to their manager for a new product: one maybe even over-exceeds the technical requirements, but the development and/or manufacturing and servicing effort and cost is significantly higher than a colleagues solution that may only just about reach the requirements, or maybe even compromise on some specifications, but that is far cheaper to develop, make and service and that may allow entering a far larger market- chances are very high that the business may decide to go for the "inferior" solution from a technical point of view, that is, however, the better product. This supplemental skill set is a significant competitive advantage to have as an engineer.

What soft skills should all electrical designers possess?

Florian Solzbacher

Department Chair, Professor, Elect & Computer Engineering, University of Utah

Engineering is about teamwork. All major quantum leaps and most products require extensive system engineering and diverse skills. Engineers need to be able to understand the languages and workflows not only across engineering disciplines but also ranging into business, legal and ethical aspects of their work. This includes communication and project management skills.

What hard/technical skills are most important for electrical designers?

Florian Solzbacher

Department Chair, Professor, Elect & Computer Engineering, University of Utah

First of all, the fundamentals (mostly math, physics, materials/chemistry) and basic EE/CE concepts need to be solid. As stated above: the ability to solve real-world development and system integration problems that require "global optimization" of technical performance as opposed to local optimization of specific sub-systems or components is really critical.

Beyond that, given the accelerating breadth of specializations and sub-areas, it is important that students have sufficient depth and breadth of knowledge in the specific area they are targeting. It is important that schools are offering tracks and guidance as to what skills are needed to allow students to successfully master engineering tasks across a range of sub-areas. We have to recognize that in the context of a 4-year program, it is no longer possible to train a student in all areas of ECE - a combined BS/MS degree or MS/Ph.D. degree obviously provides more runway to add breadth.

What electrical designer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Dr. Angela Rasmussen

Professor (Lecturer) Director of Mentoring and Advising Director of Electrical Engineering Senior Projects, University of Utah

Hone your skills by taking online classes, or consider getting something such as the University of Utah Electrical and Computer Engineering Online Master's Degree which can increase your overall income, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, by approximately $20,000 in comparison to just having a Bachelor of Science degree. Our department has removed many barriers and streamlined our admittance process for this upcoming Fall 2020 semester.

Another skill to expand is programming. Consider learning a new programming language to build on your current skills. Also, look at different job opportunities and choose a skill that you are lacking to improve upon.

What type of skills will young electrical designers need?

Dr. Ramanarayanan "Vish" Viswanathan Ph.D.

Chair and Professor, University of Mississippi

All graduates need to 1) have a broad understanding of electrical engineering and have programming skills, 2) be able to work collaboratively, and 3) effectively communicate with co-workers, both orally and through writing. Additionally, depending upon the nature of the job, some would need effective communication skills to interface with external stakeholders, and some would need strong foundations on theory and applications of electrical engineering, including networking of computers and devices.

Do you want to know more?

List of electrical designer skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for an electrical designer resume and required skills for an electrical designer to have include:

Revit
Electrical Design
Autocad Electrical
UL
Electrical Systems
Electrical Schematics
Engineering Drawings
Engineering Design
Aided Design
Electrical Equipment
Design Drawings
Navisworks
Electrical Drawings
NFPA
PLC
Oil Gas

One-Line Diagrams
Control Systems
Cost Estimates
Electrical Components
Electrical Code
Solidworks
As-Built
Drawing Packages
Construction Drawings
Auto CAD
Autocad
Control Panel Layouts
I/O
Switchgear
HVAC
IDS

Motor Control Centers
BOM
Shop Drawings
Load Calculations
Cable Management
HMI
Panel Schedules
Assembly Drawings
Security Systems
Construction Administration
Connection Diagrams
Control Schematics
Sketch
Commercial Buildings

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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