Mechanical Engineer resume keywords
Most mechanical engineer applications are screened by software before a person reads them: the ATS ranks resumes by how many of the posting's words they contain. The lists below are the terms that show up most in mechanical engineer job ads. Use the ones that are true for you, with the same spelling the ad uses.
Hard skills and ATS keywords
- SolidWorks
- FEA
- GD&T
- DFM
- Prototyping
- Root cause analysis
- MATLAB
- Project management
- CAD
- AutoCAD
- Finite element analysis
- Tolerance analysis
- Design for manufacturing
- Product development
- Testing and validation
- Thermodynamics
- ANSYS
- Lean manufacturing
Soft skills recruiters look for
- Analytical thinking
- Problem solving
- Cross-functional collaboration
- Attention to detail
- Communication
Soft skills only count when a bullet proves them. "Team player" is ignored; "Redesigned a pump housing for casting, cutting unit cost by 22% on 8,000 units a year." shows it.
Action verbs to start your bullets
- Designed
- Reduced
- Developed
- Tested
- Optimised
- Led
- Validated
- Improved
How to use these keywords
- Mirror the job ad: if it says "CAD", do not write a synonym.
- Put the top 6–8 in a skills section and repeat the key ones inside experience bullets with a number.
- Never list a skill you cannot talk about in an interview.
- Keep the file text-based (no skills inside images or tables), or the ATS cannot read it.
Which ones is your resume missing?
Every posting is different. Paste your resume and the job ad — free ATS Match Score Score your resume free (0-100)
No signup. It lists the keywords from the ad that your resume does not contain.
Need the resume itself? See the mechanical engineer resume example and generate one free from rough notes.