How To Write an Environmental Engineer Resume

If you’re aiming for an environmental engineer position, craft a resume that showcases your ability to analyze data, perform site inspections, and collaborate with science teams. Tell your unique story as an engineer using tangible examples from your career. In this guide, we provide valuable tips and insights to help translate your professional experience into an accomplishment-driven resume.

  • Entry-Level
  • Mid-career
  • Senior-level
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1. Craft an outstanding profile with a summary of your environmental engineer qualifications

Getting to the main point right away in a short resume profile can help your resume reader take notice of your value. Share three to five specializations along with a summary of your experience in environmental engineering to prompt the recruiter to keep reading.

For example, if you helped design new recycling and waste disposal processes for large companies or have conducted hazardous-waste management studies, highlight those experiences in your profile. The key is to share items that will differentiate you from the competition and increase your chances of landing the interview.

Profile Example #1


Environmental engineer with more than five years of experience in municipal government. Naturally curious and committed to gaining and applying new skills. Focused on isolating and solving complex, large-scale environmental issues.

Profile Example #2


Licensed engineer with nine years of experience in environmental consulting. Ready collaborator who builds positive, productive relationships with diverse internal and external stakeholders. Committed to professional integrity and excellence in all endeavors. Master of Science in Environmental Engineering. Bilingual: fluent in English and Spanish.

2. Add your environmental engineer experience with compelling examples

The professional experience section of your resume is where you get to list in bullet form all of the major accomplishments (not duties) of your job history. Focus on achievements and the results and value that your work has provided to your employers.

For environmental engineers, that could mean emphasizing your ability to develop and implement policies or that you led a large engineering team to complete a project. Be sure to showcase your knowledge of environmental protection, regulations, and sustainability.

Professional Experience Example #1


Environmental Engineer, City of Springfield, Springfield, FL | November 2017–Present

  • Inspect facilities, evaluate data, and prepare environmental reports for managers and the public
  • Control and monitor wastewater and waste air according to environmental regulations
  • Help develop and enforce policies for improved environmental protection and public health

Highlight:

  • Co-developed and led a waste management program that reduced waste by 45%

Professional Experience Example #2


Environmental Engineer, Urban Environmental Consulting, Charlotte, NC | November 2013

  • Design and hone processes for recycling, waste disposal, pollution control, and overall public health
  • Collaborate with environmental scientists, geologists, business directors, city planners, and waste technicians
  • Assess and compare field work against project specifications
  • Analyze data and write environmental reports for clients and local and federal agencies

Highlight:

  • Introduced recycling program that reduced solid and hazardous waste disposal by 75%

3. Include education and certifications relevant to environmental engineers

Employers seeking environmental engineers almost always require at least a bachelor’s degree. In some cases, you’ll also need to show you have relevant certifications or licenses. Obtaining additional industry credentials won’t guarantee you a job interview, but it can help to further establish your credibility within your field.

Education

Template

  • [Degree Name]
  • [School Name], [City, State Abbreviation] | [Graduation Year]

Example

  • Master of Science in Environmental Engineering
  • University of Maryland, College Park, MD | 2019

Certifications

Template

  • [License Name], [State], [Completion Year]

Example

  • Licensed Professional Engineer – Environmental Engineering, North Carolina | 2017

4. List key skills and proficiencies for environmental engineers

Before you can make a great impression with a job recruiter or hiring manager, you may have to get your resume past an applicant tracking system (ATS). These systems are used to screen applications by looking for qualified candidates who list matching skills to the job postings. Incorporating the right keywords from the job description directly into your profile, professional experience, and skills section is so important. To help get you started, here is a list of common keywords used in environmental engineer job postings:

Key Skills and Proficiencies
Biochemistry Complex problem-solving
Cross-functional collaboration Environmental investigation
Environmental protection and sustainability Facility inspection
Field assessment Hazardous-waste management studies
Policy development and enforcement Pollution control
Process redesign and improvement Program development
Project review and management Public health
Quality monitoring and assurance Recycling improvement
Regulatory compliance Reporting and documentation
Scientific data analysis Waste disposal

How To Pick the Best Environmental Engineer Resume Template

The content of your resume is always going to be more impactful than the look of it. That said, for environmental engineer jobs, choose a template that looks clean and organized, and emphasizes your professional accomplishments and key skills in an easy-to-read format. Avoid overly decorative fonts, flashy colors, and graphics that may distract the reader from your qualifications and experience.

Environmental Engineer Text-Only Resume Templates and Examples

  • Example #1
  • Example #2
  • Example #3

Oliver Green
1221 Victoria Street, Charlotte, NC 93402 | (989) 876-5454 | [email protected]

Licensed engineer with nine years of experience in environmental consulting. Ready collaborator who builds positive, productive relationships with diverse internal and external stakeholders. Committed to professional integrity and excellence in all endeavors. Master of Science in Environmental Engineering. Bilingual: fluent in English and Spanish.

Key Skills

  • Biochemistry
  • Complex problem-solving
  • Cross-functional collaboration
  • Customer relations
  • Environmental investigation
  • Environmental protection & sustainability
  • Facility inspection
  • Field assessment
  • Hazardous waste management studies
  • Leadership consulting
  • Policy development & enforcement
  • Pollution control
  • Process redesign & improvement
  • Program development
  • Project review & management
  • Public health
  • Quality monitoring & assurance
  • Recycling improvement
  • Regulatory compliance
  • Reporting & documentation
  • Scientific data analysis
  • Waste disposal

Professional Experience

Environmental Engineer, Urban Environmental Consulting, Charlotte, NC | November 2013

  • Design and hone processes for recycling, waste disposal, pollution control, and overall public health
  • Collaborate with environmental scientists, geologists, business directors, city planners, and waste technicians
  • Assess and compare field work against project specifications
  • Analyze data and write environmental reports for clients and local and federal agencies

Highlight:

  • Introduced recycling program that reduced solid and hazardous waste disposal by 75%

Education & Credentials

  • Master of Science in Environmental Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD
  • Bachelor of Science in Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
  • Licensed Professional Engineer – Environmental Engineering, North Carolina

Languages

Fluency in Spanish | Proficiency in Italian

 

Frequently Asked Questions: Environmental Engineering Resume Examples and Advice

What are common action verbs for environmental engineering resumes?-

It’s easy to get stuck when writing the professional experience section of a resume. You might run out of action verbs to describe your work, especially as an engineer. Incorporating a mix of action verbs can greatly enhance the readability of your bullet points. We’ve compiled a list of action verbs you can use to build your resume:

Action Verbs
Analyze Assess
Collaborate Control
Design Document
Ensure Evaluate
Improve Inspect
Maintain Mitigate
Prepare Protect
Reduce Report
Resolve Review
Study Update
How do you align your resume with an environmental engineering job description?-

The Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts that jobs for environmental engineers will increase by about 6% between 2022 and 2032, which is faster than average across all occupations. To be selected for a job in this growing field, it’s important to tailor your resume for each organization you are targeting.

When you find a job posting that intrigues you, focus on the details provided about the hiring organization. What are the employer’s stated values? Do they overlap with your own? Or are they looking for a particular expertise or skill set like data analytics or dealing with hazardous materials? If so, mention that in your resume’s profile section. Doing so will make your resume more specific to the job at hand and will increase the likelihood of attracting the hiring manager’s notice.

What is the best environmental engineering resume format?-

Chronological or combination resume formats are recommended for environmental engineers. These formats provide a clear picture of your qualifications, making it easier for employers to evaluate your suitability for accounting roles.

In a chronological resume, your work history is presented in reverse order, showcasing your career progression and demonstrating your commitment and growth in accounting roles. Alternatively, the combination format combines the chronological and functional approaches, enabling you to emphasize your work history and key skills upfront.

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Expert Advice
Include a cover letter with your resume
Including a well-written cover letter with your resume can help increase your odds of being called for an interview. It gives you another opportunity to highlight your strengths and show how you’ll be an asset to the organization. To give you an idea of what a cover letter should look like, review our engineering cover letter guide or our civil engineer letter.
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Jacob Meade

Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW, ACRW)

Jacob Meade is a resume writer and editor with nearly a decade of experience. His writing method centers on understanding and then expressing each person’s unique work history and strengths toward their career goal. Jacob has enjoyed working with jobseekers of all ages and career levels, finding that a clear and focused resume can help people from any walk of life. He is an Academy Certified Resume Writer (ACRW) with the Resume Writing Academy, and a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) with the Professional Association of Resume Writers & Career Coaches.

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