Resume guide · Job Zone 4

Aerospace Engineersresume guide.

Perform engineering duties in designing, constructing, and testing aircraft, missiles, and spacecraft. A strong Aerospace Engineers resume shows critical thinking, reading comprehension and complex problem solving, and names the tools you have worked with, such as The MathWorks MATLAB, C and Microsoft Visual Studio.

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01Also called

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Aeronautical EngineerAerospace Stress EngineerAvionics EngineerDesign EngineerFlight Controls EngineerFlight Systems Test EngineerFlight Test EngineerSpecial Mission EngineerStructural Analysis EngineerStructural Test Engineer

02Skills employers expect

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Importance is how much the skill matters to the job; level is how much of it the job demands. Both are worth naming on the resume, in this order.

SkillImportanceLevel
Critical ThinkingVery highAdvanced
Reading ComprehensionVery highAdvanced
Complex Problem SolvingVery highAdvanced
Judgment and Decision MakingVery highAdvanced
MathematicsVery highAdvanced
ScienceVery highAdvanced
WritingVery highAdvanced
Active LearningHighAdvanced
Active ListeningHighAdvanced
Operations AnalysisHighAdvanced

03Knowledge areas

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  • Engineering and Technology
  • Design
  • Mechanical
  • Mathematics
  • Physics
  • Computers and Electronics
  • English Language
  • Production and Processing
  • Administration and Management
  • Education and Training

04Common responsibilities

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Ordered by importance. Each one is a bullet waiting for a result and a number.

  1. Formulate conceptual design of aeronautical or aerospace products or systems to meet customer requirements or conform to environmental regulations.
  2. Evaluate product data or design from inspections or reports for conformance to engineering principles, customer requirements, environmental regulations, or quality standards.
  3. Direct or coordinate activities of engineering or technical personnel involved in designing, fabricating, modifying, or testing of aircraft or aerospace products.
  4. Plan or conduct experimental, environmental, operational, or stress tests on models or prototypes of aircraft or aerospace systems or equipment.
  5. Diagnose performance problems by reviewing reports or documentation from customers or field engineers or by inspecting malfunctioning or damaged products.
  6. Formulate mathematical models or other methods of computer analysis to develop, evaluate, or modify design, according to customer engineering requirements.
  7. Write technical reports or other documentation, such as handbooks or bulletins, for use by engineering staff, management, or customers.
  8. Maintain records of performance reports for future reference.
  9. Analyze project requests, proposals, or engineering data to determine feasibility, productibility, cost, or production time of aerospace or aeronautical products.
  10. Plan or coordinate investigation and resolution of customers' reports of technical problems with aircraft or aerospace vehicles.

05Software and tools

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84 tools across 19 categories. The six largest categories are below; Hot marks a hot technology, In demand a tool employers ask for most often.

Analytical or scientific software39
  • The MathWorks MATLABHotIn demand
  • MathWorks SimulinkIn demand
  • ANSYS simulation softwareIn demand
  • Wolfram Research Mathematica
  • Mathsoft Mathcad
  • Maplesoft Maple
  • Finite element method FEM software
  • Dassault Systemes Abaqus
  • Finite element analysis FEA software
  • Computational fluid dynamics CFD software
  • MAYA Nastran
  • MSC Software Nastran
  • Computer-aided engineering CAE software
  • Data acquisition systems
  • MSC Software Patran
  • Altera Quartus II
  • Grid generation software
  • Alstom ESARAD
  • Alstom ESATAN
  • Analytical Graphics STK Expert Edition
  • Collier Research HyperSizer
  • Cullimore & Ring Technologies SINDA/FLUINT
  • Cullimore & Ring Technologies Thermal Desktop
  • ESI Group AutoSEA2
  • Fatigue analysis software
  • Flexible dynamics modeling software
  • Harvard Thermal TAS
  • K&K Associates Thermal Analysis Kit TAK
  • MSC Software Fatigue
  • Network Analysis SINDA-G
  • Phoenix Integration ModelCenter
  • Southwest Research Institute NASGRO
  • Stress analysis software
  • TEAM Engineering FEMAP
  • Tecplot Focus
  • Thermal analysis software
  • Thermal Radiation Analysis System TRASYS
  • Thermal Synthesizer System TSS
  • Universal Technical Systems TK Solver
+ 34 more
Development environment software9
  • CHotIn demand
  • Microsoft Visual StudioHotIn demand
  • Microsoft Visual BasicHot
  • National Instruments LabVIEWIn demand
  • VerilogIn demand
  • Formula translation/translator FORTRAN
  • Ada
  • IBM Rational ClearQuest
  • Digital Equipment Corporation DIGITAL Fortran 90
+ 4 more
Computer aided design CAD software8
  • Autodesk AutoCADHotIn demand
  • Dassault Systemes SolidWorksHotIn demand
  • Dassault Systemes CATIAIn demand
  • PTC Creo ParametricIn demand
  • Computer aided design and drafting CADD software
  • UGS Solid Edge
  • Thermal design software
  • Xilinx TMRTool
+ 3 more
Object or component oriented development software6
  • PythonHotIn demand
  • C++HotIn demand
  • Oracle JavaHotIn demand
  • PerlHotIn demand
  • C#HotIn demand
  • Sun Microsystems Java
+ 1 more
Operating system software5
Data base user interface and query software2
Project management software2
Requirements analysis and system architecture software2
  • IBM Rational RequisitePro
  • IBM Rational DOORS
Computer aided manufacturing CAM software1
  • 1CadCam Unigraphics
Configuration management software1
  • IBM Rational ClearCase
Electronic mail software1
Enterprise application integration software1
Enterprise resource planning ERP software1
Graphics or photo imaging software1
  • Image processing systems
Office suite software1
Presentation software1
Process mapping and design software1
Spreadsheet software1
Word processing software1

06Education and preparation

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Typical education
Bachelor's Degree
80% of surveyed workers. Others report Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree (18%) and Master's Degree (2%).
Preparation level
Job Zone 4 · Considerable preparation
Usually a four-year degree and several years of related experience.

07Putting it on your resume

ResumeXRays guidance
BEE · How to show it

Lead with what you built. For a Job Zone 4 role, hiring managers and parsers both look for outcomes before credentials. Put two or three results at the top of each job entry, with the scale or effect stated plainly.

Name the tools exactly. This occupation is heavy on named software. A skills section that says "The MathWorks MATLAB, C, Microsoft Visual Studio, Autodesk AutoCAD" matches more job descriptions than a general phrase. Use the spelling employers use.

Show reading comprehension and complex problem solving, not just critical thinking. Reading comprehension and complex problem solving rank close to critical thinking for this occupation. One bullet per role that shows a decision, a tradeoff or a result covers them.

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