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Mechanical engineer skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

7 min read

Quoted experts

Charles Jenckes,

Bryant Harrison

Much of a mechanical engineer's job is based in being highly technically skilled in a specific area, so the exact technical skills a mechanical engineer will need depend on the area of work. Of these specializations though, some of the most highly in-demand hard skills are experience with the software SolidWorks, work with electrical systems, and work with HVAC systems. For all mechanical engineers, engineering design and computer-aided design (CAD) are crucial skills.

When it comes to soft skills, mechanical engineers should have strong problem-solving and teamwork skills. Mechanical engineers need to collaborate with many different people in the course of their work, so teamwork skills are a huge plus.

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical mechanical engineer skills. We ranked the top skills for mechanical engineers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 9.6% of mechanical engineer resumes contained cad as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a mechanical engineer needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 mechanical engineer skills for your resume and career

1. CAD

Here's how mechanical engineers use cad:

Created methodology to predict cable and harness requirements by importing electrical engineering data into mechanical CAD system.
Provided CAD design and manufacturing drawings of several satellites and complex experiments.

2. Solidworks

Here's how mechanical engineers use solidworks:

Utilized skills in three-dimensional computer-aided design software (SolidWorks) to facilitate completion of computer models and drawing packages for manufacture.
Validated form fit and function using SolidWorks and tolerance stack-up analysis producing accurate prototype builds requiring no re-work of mechanical parts.

3. Mechanical Systems

Here's how mechanical engineers use mechanical systems:

Design and test prototype optical mechanical systems for large aperture telescope *Develop maintenance procedures and operator manuals *Responsible for general telescope maintenance
Defined verification requirements and appropriate test methods for mechanical systems and components of medical devices to verify compliance to engineering specifications.

4. Mechanical Design

Here's how mechanical engineers use mechanical design:

Developed new products, provided mechanical designs for progressively stamped and injection molded components, for micro-miniature connector products.
Performed mechanical design and analysis of components for implementation into submarine and surface ship systems and their ancillary equipment.

5. HVAC

Here's how mechanical engineers use hvac:

Provided HVAC and plumbing design engineering and field construction support for industrial manufacturing facilities additions and renovations both in-house and on-site.
Designed major modifications of nuclear power generation plant systems to maintain safe operation and implement plant piping and HVAC improvements.

6. Plumbing

Here's how mechanical engineers use plumbing:

Coordinated lab activities including plumbing, instrumentation, execution of testing, collection and analysis of data and assembly of components.
Performed construction administration to ensure installation of mechanical, electrical, fire protection and plumbing systems adhered to construction documents.

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7. 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 mechanical engineers use engineering design:

Created Pneumatic and mechanical product-development from conceptualizing new product ideas through sketching, creating models, developing engineering designs and testing.
Managed and coordinated fabrication and installation activities to ensure products and systems conform to engineering design and quality specifications.

8. Project Management

Here's how mechanical engineers use project management:

Conducted project management * Coordinated purchasing and deliveries with vendors and contractors * Wrote capital appropriation requests * Provided daily production support
Provided engineering assistance for Project Management meetings and applicable support in resolving design issues related to Phase 1 design and scope-of-work.

9. Creo

Here's how mechanical engineers use creo:

Designed test fixtures using CREO for component-level experimental testing and assembly-level validation testing.
Attained SolidWorks CSWP certification and maintaining proficiency within CREO & AutoCad

10. UL

Here's how mechanical engineers use ul:

Document UL & CSA certification control of Recognized Components and create vendor material certification and labeling responsibility documentation for purchasing.
Maintained documentation for UL testing and procedures and ensured products performed under UL specification.

11. GD

GD refers to Grade Delay and is often mentioned on report cards or academic records when the instructor of a particular subject decides to hold the grade of a student. This is usually done if the instructor wants the student to improve their grade by retaking the exam or doing something for extra credit that will ultimately enhance their overall grade. Eventually, when the grade is assigned, the GD is then replaced with the original grade.

Here's how mechanical engineers use gd:

Improved reliability and cleanliness of the drive system through GD & T and material selection.
Performed GD & T and tolerance analysis for vendor parts preventing future issues.

12. Finite Element Analysis

Finite Element Analysis is a simulated or computerized method of predicting a product's reaction to real-world forces, such as heat, vibration, fluid flow and other physical effects. FEA runs a computer simulation to determine whether a product will effectively work, break, or wear out based on the way it's designed. Developers can test the efficiency or durability of a product through FEA before going into mass-production.

Here's how mechanical engineers use finite element analysis:

Improved calculations of mud pump components by using finite element analysis and performing fatigue analysis to meet new department quality standards.
Participated in the development of a blood treatment device including Pro/ENGINEER modeling and finite element analysis simulations in SolidWorks.

13. Fire Protection

Here's how mechanical engineers use fire protection:

Liaised with the vendor for valve-fire protection jackets and ensured delivery within stipulated deadline.
Performed material condition assessment for fire protection systems.

14. System Design

System design refers to the electronic structural component of a system.

Here's how mechanical engineers use system design:

Generated system design requirements, design specifications, and interface control documents and supported failure modes and effects analysis efforts.
Led engineering sub-system design teams to ensure product designs met all customer requirements and integrated properly with external systems.

15. Design Reviews

A dеѕіgn review іѕ a mіlеѕtоnе wіthіn a рrоduсt dеvеlорmеnt рrосеѕѕ іn whісh a design іѕ evaluated bаѕеd on іtѕ rеԛuіrеmеntѕ. Thе рurроѕе of dеѕіgn rеvіеwѕ іѕ tо examine thе overall design or a ѕресіfіс аѕресt оf a dеѕіgn аt еасh ѕtаgе of the development оf a nеw оr еxіѕtіng рrоduсt.

Here's how mechanical engineers use design reviews:

Provided technical support and interface for reporting requirements, associated documentation, design reviews, engineering schedules and general business objectives.
Led across department design reviews to resolve technical problems and conflicting requirements and to comply with regulatory requirements.

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What skills help Mechanical Engineers find jobs?

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

What skills stand out on mechanical engineer resumes?

Charles Jenckes

Assistant Professor, University of North Carolina at Charlotte

For new graduates
1.Where the candidate went to school and what was studied
2.GPA
3.Any successful internships
4.Projects completed by the student

What soft skills should all mechanical engineers possess?

Bryant Harrison

Instructor, Murray State University

Engineers are constantly working with a variety of people on a project. These people could be other engineers in the same department or other departments, managers, stakeholders, and customers. The ability to communicate both on a technical and non-technical level with these people is likely the most important soft skill for a design engineer.

What hard/technical skills are most important for mechanical engineers?

Bryant Harrison

Instructor, Murray State University

Designing, prototyping, testing, and iterating are likely the most important skills for a design engineer. This is what we strive to teach at Murray State in our Design Engineering Technology program. Many sub-skills would fall into these categories, such as CAD, design for manufacturing, 3D printing, and destructive/non-destructive testing.

What mechanical engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Dr. Sridhar Santhanam Ph.D.

Professor and Chair, Villanova University

In a gap year, graduates could consider retooling themselves by acquiring advanced knowledge and skills. Graduate school provides a perfect avenue for this. Enrolling in a Masters's program that aligns with one's interests and aptitudes can be an excellent investment. Many graduate schools also offer shorter certificate programs targeted to specific sub-disciplines within mechanical engineerings, such as robotics, sustainable energy, or additive manufacturing. Certificates can be obtained in a calendar year, or less, and can significantly bolster one's resume in preparation for exploring the job market after the gap year. Several programs offer online graduate classes, thereby providing convenience and accessibility to students.

What type of skills will young mechanical engineers need?

Andy Gerrick

Associate Professor and Chair, Embry-Riddle, Prescott

Most important is the ability to pull together the problem-solving skills learned in the different engineering courses to solve real-world, multidisciplinary, engineering problems. This requires a clear understanding of the problem and the requirements, and it requires a thorough understanding of engineering concepts. Memorizing problem solutions is of no value because no one will pay you to solve a problem that has already been solved. An engineer's ability to communicate is also extremely important. Engineering is a collaborative endeavor, so if you are not able to communicate your ideas, you are not contributing.

What technical skills for a mechanical engineer stand out to employers?

Martin Pietrucha Ph.D.

Program Coordinator and Professor, Pennsylvania State University

Given this trend, employers will be looking for the usual superior engineering knowledge and skill sets, but they will also be interested in those who can prove that they are excellent self-starters and time managers. Being able to demonstrate one's "flexibility" and an ability to think on one's feet will also be highly desirable.

Do you want to know more?

List of mechanical engineer skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a mechanical engineer resume and required skills for a mechanical engineer to have include:

CAD
Solidworks
Mechanical Systems
Mechanical Design
HVAC
Plumbing
Engineering Design
Project Management
Creo
UL
GD
Finite Element Analysis
Fire Protection
System Design
Design Reviews
Mechanical Components
Ventilation

Engineering Drawings
Product Design
Mechanical Equipment
Ansys
Structural Analysis
Engineering Support
Aided Design
Prototyping
Technical Support
Mechanical Engineering Design
Troubleshoot
MATLAB
Cost Estimates
Co-Op
Engineering Calculations
CFD
Technical Reports

Test Procedures
Product Development
R
ISO
Stress Analysis
Good Communication
Test Equipment
Sigma
BOM
Calculation
Work Ethic
CNC
Failure Analysis
Tolerance Analysis
Design Changes
Strong Analytical

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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