Write a Great Data Engineer Resume (& Examples)

In today's world, data is incorporated in everything we do and use, which makes data science an exciting industry to join. The big three professions within the data science industry include data engineers, data analysts, and data scientists. 

The data engineer will prepare the datasets for analysis, the data analyst will interpret data and write reports for better understanding, and the data scientist will conduct research on data and devise plans for the company accordingly.  

If you are skilled in programming and algorithms, you might find yourself leaning towards data engineering. As a data engineer, you will be creating the data framework for data analysis later on in the data processing. 

Before you can start manipulating data, you will need to construct a strong data engineer resume that reflects your credentials.

🖋 1. Adopt an ATS-friendly data engineer resume format.

To create an ATS-friendly data engineer resume, use a clean, text-only resume format with a legible font. Additionally, you can use bolded texts and bullet points to structure your data engineer resume so that the recruiter can easily review your resume.  

🖋 2. Refer to data engineer resume samples or data engineer resume examples online.

A data engineer resume sample encompasses what a data engineer resume should generally contain. Using a sample or example as a guide can direct you to build a professional resume for the data engineer position, whether you are creating an entry-level data engineer resume or a senior data engineer resume. 

🖋 3. Tailor your data engineer resume and incorporate keywords.

Make sure that you create a suitable resume by carefully reviewing job descriptions for each role you apply for, from a resume for a big data engineer role to an AWS data engineer position. 

Some countries (e.g., U.S. and Canada) differentiate CVs and resumes and prefer to use the term resumes, such as data engineer resumes, for regular job applications while others (e.g., Asia and Europe) use CVs and resumes interchangeably, more frequently using the term data engineer CVs. 

🖋 4. Have specific details with numbers added to your data engineer resume. 

Specify the impact you made in your previous roles by including numerical details in your data engineer resume.

🖋 5. Save your data engineer resume as a pdf file. 

As a data engineer, you value how things should be structured due to the results it can provide. For your data engineer resume, you will want to save it as a pdf file to ensure that the contents in your resume stay exactly as you intend them to be for the recruiter to see.

A career objective for a data engineer resume is essential for you if you are recently moving into the role of a data engineer position. It provides the recruiters with what specialties you possess, as well as what you seek to accomplish in your career.

✅ 3 tips for a good objective statement in your data engineer resume: 

1. Begin your career objective for a data engineer with two to three of your strongest abilities. By starting with your strengths, you show the recruiter what you can contribute to the team and how you can benefit the company.

2. Use the data engineer job description as a reference for what to include for your data engineer resume objective. To make the recruiter interested in learning more about you, you will need to include relevant strengths in your objective statement.

3. Wrap up your data engineer resume objective with what you plan to accomplish career-wise. For your career objective conclusion, incorporate what you seek to achieve within the role at the company.

A resume summary is suitable for you if you are an experienced data engineer. It displays to the recruiter what you have excelled in and accomplished, and other credentials you possess.

✅ 3 bits of advice that can help you strengthen your summary statement:  

1. Use the summary framework for a well-structured data engineer resume summary. 

• Professional Title 
• Years of Experience
• Skills/Achievements

2. Begin the summary with your credentials or a powerful adjective describing yourself.

A powerful adjective adds personalization to your summary statement for your data engineer resume. 

3. Select the achievements and strengths to include in your resume summary based on the data engineer job description.

For any data engineer position, the recruiter will be looking for the most fitting applicant based on how well his/her data engineer resume matches the job posting.  

Within the skills section of your data engineer resume, you will want to select a proper structure to show yourself to the best of your capabilities.

• Simple bullets:
  • Pros:
    • simple layout and easy to read
    • can contain many skills
  • Cons:
    • not detailed enough to show your impact
• Expanded bullets:
  • Pros: 
    • easy to read
    • adds details to show how you have made an impact
  • Cons:
    • takes up space in your data engineer resume
• Integrating skills with work experience entries:
  • Pros:
    • fully shows how you utilize the skills that you have included
    • shows professionalism and experience
  • Cons:
    • not recommended for entry-level job seekers or career changers
• A categorized skills section: 
  • Pros:
    • shows the recruiter the various areas in which you’re skilled in an organized way
  • Cons: 
    • provide few contexts for how the skills are utilized

1. Personify your data engineer resume with soft skills. 

Though recruiters love to see your technical strengths, they will also love to learn more about who you are and how well your personality will align with the company and position. 

2. Select the skills for your resume that match the job description of the data engineer job.

Check that the skills you include for your data engineer resume match the job description to ensure that you show yourself as a suitable candidate. For instance, an azure data engineer resume should contain different skillsets than that in a GCP data engineer resume even though they are both data engineering jobs. 

3. Limit the number of data engineer skills on your resume.  

While recruiters love to see your strengths, they will also want to see variety in information regarding you as a data engineer, such as details about what you have accomplished and related experience, on the resume.

✨ Choose a suitable format for your entry-level data engineer resume.

• Chronological resume format
• Functional resume format
• Combinational resume format

From the three resume types above, you might find that the functional resume format will be the most useful in highlighting your skills when you have little to no professional experience.

✨ Compose a career objective for your data engineer resume. 

Unlike a summary statement which only lists skills and experience, a career objective lets you add reasons as to why you are applying for the data engineer role on your resume. It provides the recruiter with additional information about what you aim to accomplish with the data engineer position. 

✨ Highlight your education in your entry-level data engineer resume. 

Show that you have the necessary background of a data engineer by providing your bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, or even doctoral degree, and/or other training/programs you have undergone. 

✨ Include your data science portfolio or data engineering projects.

Throughout past education or work experience, you might have done some personal projects related to data engineering. Create a portfolio and include those projects. Putting the link to your portfolio can help boost your entry-level data engineer resume. 

✨ Write a sincere data engineer cover letter. 

Having a tailored cover letter for the data engineer position can let the recruiter understand your intentions of applying and how you have made an impact throughout your professional experience.

In your cover letter for a data engineer position, you will want to incorporate these main sections: 

• Contact Information
• Introduction
• Motivation
• Qualification
• Closing

--- Originally written by Jessica Sun ---