Crafting a CV that effectively highlights the intricate balance of technical expertise and project management skills is a significant challenge for a systems engineer. Our guide provides tailored advice on structuring your achievements and demonstrating your unique value proposition to potential employers.
- Applying the simplest CV design, so that recruiters can easily understand your expertise, skills, and professional background;
- Ensuring you stand out with your header, summary or objective statement, and a designated skills section;
- Creating your CV experience section - no matter how much expertise you have;
- Using real life professional CV examples to enhance the structure and outline of your profile.
If you still have no muse to write your professional CV, find some more industry-leading examples.
How complex should the format of your systems engineer CV be?
Perhaps, you decided to use a fancy font and plenty of colours to ensure your systems engineer CV stands out amongst the pile of other candidate profiles. Alas - this may confuse recruiters. By keeping your format simple and organising your information coherently, you'll ultimately make a better impression. What matters most is your experience, while your CV format should act as complementary thing by:- Presenting the information in a reverse chronological order with the most recent of your jobs first. This is done so that your career history stays organised and is aligned to the role;
- Making it easy for recruiters to get in touch with you by including your contact details in the CV header. Regarding the design of your CV header, include plenty of white space and icons to draw attention to your information. If you're applying for roles in the UK, don't include a photo, as this is considered a bad practice;
- Organising your most important CV sections with consistent colours, plenty of white space, and appropriate margins (2.54 cm). Remember that your CV design should always aim at legibility and to spotlight your key information;
- Writing no more than two pages of your relevant experience. For candidates who are just starting out in the field, we recommend to have an one-page CV.
One more thing about your CV format - you may be worried if your double column CV is Applicant Tracker System (ATS) complaint. In our recent study, we discovered that both single and double-column CVs are ATS-friendly . Most ATSes out there can also read all serif and sans serif fonts. We suggest you go with modern, yet simple, fonts (e.g. Rubik, Lato, Raleway) instead of the classic Times New Roman. You'll want your application to stand out, and many candidates still go for the classics. Finally, you'll have to export your CV. If you're wondering if you should select Doc or PDF, we always advise going with PDF. Your CV in PDF will stay intact and opens easily on every OS, including Mac OS.
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Be mindful of white space; too much can make the CV look sparse, too little can make it look cluttered. Strive for a balance that makes the document easy on the eyes.
The top sections on a systems engineer CV
- Professional Summary highlights expertise in systems engineering, reflecting the candidate's abilities and accomplishments.
- Technical Skills section showcases specific systems engineering tools, languages, and methodologies the applicant is proficient in.
- Work Experience details the roles and projects relevant to systems engineering, emphasising leadership and technical achievements.
- Relevant Education lists degrees or certifications pertinent to systems engineering, ensuring the candidate's formal training is visible.
- Projects and Achievements emphasizes notable contributions to systems engineering projects, underscoring real-world experience and success.
What recruiters value on your CV:
- Emphasise your understanding of the entire system architecture by detailing your experience with systems integration, operations, and maintenance, as well as your ability to ensure all components work harmoniously.
- Highlight specific technical proficiencies in systems engineering software and tools, such as MATLAB, Simulink or enterprise architecture frameworks, that are relevant to the position you’re applying for.
- Include any successful projects where you've implemented systems engineering methodologies such as requirements engineering, trade studies, and model-based systems engineering to demonstrate your practical application of theoretical knowledge.
- Showcase your problem-solving skills by detailing complex systems challenges you've encountered and how you've overcome them, illustrating your methodical and analytical approach.
- Mention any professional certifications, such as INCOSE CSEP or ESEP, or relevant training that prove your commitment to continuing professional development within systems engineering.
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Tips and tricks on writing a job-winning systems engineer CV header
The CV header is the space which most recruiters would be referring most often to, in the beginning and end of your application. That is as the CV header includes your contact details, but also a headline and a professional photo. When writing your CV header:
- Double-check your contact details for spelling errors or if you've missed any digits. Also, ensure you've provided your personal details, and not your current work email or telephone number;
- Include your location in the form of the city and country you live in. If you want to be more detailed, you can list your full address to show proximity to your potential work place;
- Don't include your CV photo, if you're applying for roles in the UK or US, as this may bias initial recruiters' assessments;
- Write a professional headline that either integrates the job title, some relevant industry keywords, or your most noteworthy achievement.
In the next part of our guide, we'll provide you with professional CVs that showcase some of the best practices when it comes to writing your headline.
Examples of good CV headlines for systems engineer:
- Systems Engineer | Cloud Solutions Architect | AWS Certified | Agile Methodologies | 10+ Years Experience
- Senior Systems Engineer | DevOps Specialist | CI/CD Integration | Cybersecurity Focus | ITIL Certified | 15 Years Expertise
- Junior Systems Engineer | Network Design Graduate | Cisco CCNA | Virtualisation Technologies | 2 Years in Industry
- Systems Engineering Lead | Infrastructure Management | Systems Automation | Prince2 Practitioner | 12 Years Professional Track Record
- Associate Systems Engineer | Embedded Systems Developer | Robotics Enthusiast | BEng Honours | 3 Years Hands-On Experience
- Advanced Systems Engineer | Enterprise Software Integration | Data Analysis & Modelling | Masters in Systems Engineering | 8 Years Field Experience
What's the difference between a systems engineer CV summary and objective
Why should it matter to you?
- Your systems engineer CV summary is a showcasing your career ambitions and your unique value. Use the objective to answer why your potential employers should hire you based on goals and ambitions. The objective is the ideal choice for candidates who happen to have less professional experience, but still meet some of the job requirements.
Before you select which one will be more relevant to your experience, have a look at some industry-leading CV summaries and objectives.
CV summaries for a systems engineer job:
- Seasoned Systems Engineer with 12 years of robust experience in aerospace systems design and integration at BAE Systems. Expert in sophisticated avionics, with a significant accomplishment in leading the development of a state-of-the-art navigation system that resulted in a 30% increase in flight efficiency.
- Dedicated professional with 8 years in IT infrastructure management pivoting to Systems Engineering at Airbus. Mastered complex network configurations and data centre optimisations, achieving a record 99.98% system uptime last year, which surpassed the industry standard.
- Driven individual with over a decade of experience in developing advanced propulsion systems at Rolls-Royce, keen to apply unique expertise to space industry challenges. Instrumental in designing a groundbreaking eco-friendly engine that reduced emissions by 40% in test flights.
- Software Developer with a flair for algorithm optimisation transitioning to Systems Engineering, eager to transfer analytical skills to enhance system functionalities. Recognised for crafting a machine learning tool that improved data processing speeds by 150% at Tech Innovations Ltd.
- Aiming to leverage a strong foundation in mechanical engineering principles and a recent MSc in Systems Engineering to contribute fresh perspectives to complex projects. Eager to embrace the challenges of ensuring seamless systems integration and operations in the engineering sector.
- Aspiring Systems Engineer with a passion for technology and problem-solving, seeking to develop a career in systems design and analysis. With a background in computer science and cybernetics, keen to apply theoretical knowledge and innovative thinking to practical engineering solutions.
How to meet job requirements with your systems engineer CV experience
We've now reached the essence of your actual CV - your experience section. This is the space where you can list your career roles and on-the-job successes. Many candidates tend to underestimate just how much time and effort they should put into writing this CV section. Your experience shouldn't be a random list of your responsibilities, but instead:
- Match the job description with your skills, values, and accomplishments;
- Start each bullet with a strong action verb, followed up with one key skill and your outcome of applying this skill;
- Spotlight parts of your career history that are relevant to the job you're applying for.
Before we move on, make sure to check out some professional CV experience sections.
Best practices for your CV's work experience section
- Designed, implemented, and maintained scalable, high-availability systems, ensuring 99.9% uptime and significantly boosting business operations efficiency.
- Led a cross-functional team in a large-scale migration of on-premises data centre to cloud-based infrastructure, reducing costs by 30% and increasing agility.
- Developed custom automation scripts in Python and PowerShell, streamlining deployment processes and reducing manual intervention by 60%.
- Managed the lifecycle of over 500 virtual machines using VMware and Hyper-V, including provisioning, monitoring, and performance tuning.
- Implemented robust disaster recovery and business continuity plans, conducting regular drills that resulted in a 50% reduction in potential data loss exposure.
- Documented system configuration and architecture, creating detailed guidelines that improved knowledge transfer and onboarding of new staff.
- Collaborated with cybersecurity teams to harden systems against threats, leading to a 40% decrease in vulnerability exploits year-over-year.
- Analysed system bottlenecks and implemented optimisation strategies, which lead to a 25% improvement in system response times and user satisfaction.
- Contributed to the selection and procurement of IT hardware and software, ensuring alignment with strategic goals and cost-effectiveness.
- Led the design and implementation of a new real-time data processing platform, enhancing system throughput by 250%.
- Orchestrated the migration of legacy systems to cloud-based infrastructure, reducing operational costs by 20% and improving scalability.
- Conducted comprehensive system audits, identifying and rectifying 150+ potential security vulnerabilities, bolstering overall system integrity.
- Developed and optimised network performance monitoring tools, yielding a 30% decrease in downtime.
- Collaborated on the rollout of a company-wide ERP system, leading to improved operational efficiency and a 15% reduction in process cycle time.
- Provided mentorship to a team of junior engineers, improving team productivity by 35%.
- Coordinated the successful integration of cross-functional software systems for a major telecommunications project, streamlining data flow and improving customer experience.
- Spearheaded the development of a robust backup and disaster recovery plan, ensuring 99.99% system availability.
- Managed vendor relations and successfully negotiated contracts resulting in a 10% cost saving on software licenses.
- Led the deployment of infrastructure automation, reducing manual provisioning time by 40%.
- Initiated a cross-departmental collaboration to create unified APIs, significantly improving inter-system communication and reducing data silos.
- Authored technical documentation and standard operating procedures, which became the template for future projects.
- Developed a customised monitoring solution for server performance that was adopted by the entire IT department.
- Managed the complete lifecycle of a critical software deployment project, meeting all milestones ahead of schedule.
- Pioneered a proof-of-concept for network segmentation that substantially increased security posture.
- Mapped out and improved business processes using systems analysis, boosting overall productivity by 25%.
- Directed a team in implementing a new inventory management system that cut inventory carrying costs by 18%.
- Played a key role in a cross-functional team that designed a custom CRM solution, enhancing sales tracking and customer engagement.
- Implemented an automated code deployment system that reduced deployment errors by 60%.
- Established a collaborative culture applying DevOps practices, which reduced the time-to-market for new product features by 20%.
- Championed the use of machine learning for predictive maintenance within the systems infrastructure, decreasing unscheduled maintenance instances by 25%.
- Engineered a scalable server architecture to support a 300% surge in user activity for an online platform.
- Facilitated a 50% increase in system processing efficiency by refining algorithmic models in collaboration with the software engineering team.
- Initiated and led a cross-functional team to standardise the IT infrastructure, significantly reducing complexity and maintenance costs.
What to add in your systems engineer CV experience section with no professional experience
If you don't have the standard nine-to-five professional experience, yet are still keen on applying for the job, here's what you can do:
- List any internships, part-time roles, volunteer experience, or basically any work you've done that meets the job requirements and is in the same industry;
- Showcase any project you've done in your free time (even if you completed them with family and friends) that will hint at your experience and skill set;
- Replace the standard, CV experience section with a strengths or achievements one. This will help you spotlight your transferrable skills that apply to the role.
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Talk about any positive changes you helped bring about in your previous jobs, like improving a process or helping increase efficiency.
Hard skills and soft skills to showcase your unique skill set on your systems engineer CV
Did you know that your CV will mostly likely be assessed by recruiters based on skill alignment? And that means that the way you feature your key skills across different CV sections will play a crucial role in landing you that first interview. We recommend you add your:
- technical capabilities or hard skills in your CV experience, certificates, projects, etc. Use your past accomplishments to prove your technical capabilities. List up to a dozen different software or hardware in your dedicated skills section to match the job keywords;
- personal and communication skills or soft skills in your CV strengths, achievements, summary/ objective, etc. Soft skills are a bit more difficult to prove. How do you define your aptitude in active listening? So, instead of just listing the skill name, include a tangible metric to show your success.
On a final note, when you're in a hurry to create your profile, you may misspell a particular technology or soft skill. That's why we suggest you copy and paste the particular skill name (or keyword), directly from the job advert. This would also help you to pass any initial Applicant Tracker System (ATS) tests.
Top skills for your systems engineer CV:
Systems analysis and design
Knowledge of operating systems (Windows, Linux, macOS)
Experience with virtualisation technologies (VMware, Hyper-V)
Understanding of network infrastructure (TCP/IP, LAN/WAN)
Proficiency in programming/scripting languages (Python, Bash, PowerShell)
Familiarity with database management (SQL, NoSQL)
Experience with cloud services (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud)
Configuration management tools (Ansible, Puppet, Chef)
Version control systems (Git, SVN)
Performance monitoring and troubleshooting
Problem-solving
Critical thinking
Teamwork
Effective communication
Time management
Adaptability
Attention to detail
Project management
Continuous learning
Stakeholder engagement
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If there's a noticeable gap in your skillset for the role you're applying for, mention any steps you're taking to acquire these skills, such as online courses or self-study.
Listing your university education and certificates on your systems engineer CV
The best proof of your technical capabilities would be your education and certifications sections. Your education should list all of your relevant university degrees, followed up by their start and completion dates. Make sure to also include the name of the university/-ies you graduated from. If you happen to have less professional experience (or you deem it would be impressive and relevant to your application), spotlight in the education section:
- that you were awarded a "First" degree;
- industry-specific coursework and projects;
- extracurricular clubs, societies, and activities.
When selecting your certificates, first ask yourself how applicable they'd be to the role. Ater your initial assessment, write the certificate and institution name. Don't miss out on including the completion date. In the below panel, we've curated relevant examples of industry-leading certificates.
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If you have received professional endorsements or recommendations for certain skills, especially on platforms like LinkedIn, mention these to add credibility.
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Key takeaways
Your successful job application depends on how you well you have aligned your systems engineer CV to the job description and portrayed your best skills and traits. Make sure to:
- Select your CV format, so that it ensures your experience is easy to read and understand;
- Include your professional contact details and a link to your portfolio, so that recruiters can easily get in touch with you and preview your work;
- Write a CV summary if you happen to have more relevant professional experience. Meanwhile, use the objective to showcase your career dreams and ambitions;
- In your CV experience section bullets, back up your individual skills and responsibilities with tangible achievements;
- Have a healthy balance between hard and soft skills to answer the job requirements and hint at your unique professional value.
