Technical Resumes

For
UGRAD/GRAD
Biomedical Engineering
Students

North Carolina State University

Biomedical Engineering
126 DS Weaver Labs
Campus Box 7625
Raleigh, NC 27695-7625
919.515.6732
bme_info@ncsu.edu

Before you begin writing your resume, determine what you are looking for in a position. Is it an
internship, co-op, permanent or on-campus research position? Then ask the question, what are you
hoping to do and learn in this position. Here are some guidelines regarding the biomedical engineering
industry:
Biotechnology

Skills Utilized: life science, specifically wet lab skills inclusive of chemistry, organic
chemistry, biology, physiology, cellular biomechanics

Application: typically in a pharmaceutical/drug discovery environment

Skills Gained: laboratory expertise, animal handling, small animal surgery, problemsolving

Aspect of Biomedical Engineering: Tissue Engineering, Genomics, Proteomics, Drug

Delivery, Biomolecular Engineering, Cellular Engineering
Best Resources to Find Companies: www.biospace.com , http://www.ncbiotech.org/
Drug Discovery Devices

Skills Utilized: Electrical Engineering, programming, mechanical engineering, life science

Application: typically to create/test/modify devices needed for drug discovery or analysis,

i.e. a PCR machine (Thermocycler)

Skills Gained: In depth engineering skills, knowledge of wet-lab applications

Aspects of Biomedical Engineering: Genomics, Proteomics, instrumentation

Best Resources to Find Companies: www.biospace.com ; http://www.ncbiotech.org/

Medical/Surgical Devices

Skills Utilized: Electronics, Mechanics, programming, physiology

Application: typically to create/test/modify medical devices which is inclusive of Research

and Development, Quality, Regulatory, Manufacturing and Marketing departments

Skills Gained: In-depth engineering skills, FDA regulations and documentation

Aspects of Biomedical Engineering: Instrumentation, Biomechanics, Optics, Imaging,

Manufacturing, Materials

Best Resources to Find Companies: MassMedic Directory, Medical Device Register

Other Options for a BME

Consulting
Law
Medicine
Clinical Research
Technical Sales
Management
Field Specialist

Once you know your job preference, you should develop a resume that highlights the skills needed for
your desired position. As an example, if you are interested in the medical device field, make sure to
include instrumentation projects and computer skills.

Sections of a Resume
(View the University Career Center Resume Guidelines for Format and Style Suggestions:
http://www.ncsu.edu/career/)
Header
Contact Information, inclusive of phone number and e-mail address
Objective/Summary/Summary of Qualifications
Objective

Definition: Short statement explaining what you are looking for in a position

Example: A summer internship in the biomedical engineering industry, focusing on

medical devices

Benefits: Allows recruiters to know your needs, making it easier to find a position that
matches your interest

Drawbacks: If you are too specific, you can narrow yourself out of consideration for a
position

Best Uses: Applying for an entry level or co-op/intern position, having a very specific
position sought, space constraints on resume
Summary

Definition: One to two lines indicating the contributions you hope to make and your
strengths; MAKE SURE THAT YOU SUBSTANTIATE YOUR CLAIMS IN OTHER
PORTIONS OF YOUR RESUME

Example: Highly motivated, dynamic candidate capable of contributing both technical and
leadership skills

Benefits: Demonstrates your soft skills, allows a company to view how you would fit into
their culture

Drawbacks: Does not let the company know what you are seeking in a position

Best Uses: When applying for positions that are not as technically oriented
Summary of Qualifications

Definition: A list of three to five bullets listing both technical and non-technical skills,
specifically your most marketable traits for a position; MAKE SURE THAT YOU
SUBSTANTIATE YOUR CLAIMS IN OTHER PORTIONS OF YOUR RESUME

Example: Experience in biomedical instrumentation; Training in cGMP (current Good

Manufacturing Practices); Demonstrated capacity for leadership; Excellent attention to
detail

Benefits: Allows employers to scan resume quickly, gives a well-rounded synopsis of your
candidacy, highlights both technical and soft skills

Drawbacks: Takes up more space on a resume, really useful only if a developed skill set is
possessed, does not address the goals of the candidate

Best Uses: More experienced candidates trying to neatly summarize capabilities; career
fairs that have a very fast pre-screen period; representing a diverse skill set as a marketable
trait; experienced candidates that would like to change careers
None of the Above

Definition: Omitting this entire section

Benefits: Saves space; company must focus on skills represented, avoids being pigeonholed in a certain category; avoids a narrow job search

Drawbacks: Takes longer for a company to review resume, need a clearly defined cover
letter to address your capabilities and expectations
Best Uses: An applicant that has a general resume fitting all pertinent experiences and has
not yet defined a target industry/job description or is open to a variety of positions

Education
Degree/Date awarded/University/Location

Since many BME jobs do not specify a biomedical engineer, you may want to add a
statement that says Coursework emphasized _________ to more appropriately qualify
your skills

You should mention your GPA if it is over 3.0 or close to it; It should be listed as
3.XX/4.00 maintaining consistent significant digits
Coursework

List the relevant courses you have taken; you do not need to list them by course title, but
can instead list them by content if it is more appropriate

Your coursework should support your career goals and not be a blanket listing of all
classes attended

Freshmen: Courses listed may include Freshman Modules (call them Seminars on your
resume), Chemistry, Programming and Physics

Sophomore: Courses listed may include Mechanics, Biology, Electric Circuit Theory,
Probability and Statistics

Junior: Courses listed may include Human Physiology, Linear Systems, Thermodynamics,
Statistics

Senior: Electives

Graduate: Any courses that demonstrate skills in your preferred area

Additional: Any courses that separate you from other candidates, i.e. business classes
Projects/Labs

List labs and course projects that support your career objective

When writing projects make sure to include the goal of the project, technical skills gained
and the results, if applicable, using technically accurate and precise language

When you develop more substantial project experience, remove older, less technical
projects from your resume

Freshman: Potential projects can be found from Programming, Chemistry and AP classes

Sophomore: Biology, Electric Circuit Theory and Mechanics Projects

Junior: Physiology and Engineering Physiology Laboratory

Senior: Electives and Senior Project (follow the guidelines for thesis work) will provide
project experience
Thesis

A thesis project takes a significant amount of time to complete; give your thesis adequate
space on your resume

Title: Include the title for your project; it may change over time, but make sure it is a title
that could be used in a journal publishing; you may choose to italicize or put the title in
quotes.

First Bullet: Address the overall goal of your thesis; if you are currently doing the research,
use the present or future tense

Second Bullet: Tell how you will/have reached the goal of your project (this make take
more than one bullet), explaining the technical skills gained; This may include laboratory
skills, experience with certain devices, experimental design

Third Bullet: Results of research, if any have been determined, or useful applications of
your research

Fourth Bullet: For seniors, list that your project included a formal proposal, written report
and conference presentation; for graduate students, list if you gave any poster
presentations/lectures on your research and if the research was published (if published, see
guidelines on including publications)

Fifth Bullet: If applicable, include any FDA/Industry Standard regulations that were
followed
Computer Skills:

List all computer skills in which you have demonstrated working knowledge
Laboratory Skills (Optional):

List wet-lab skills such as dissection, PCR, gel electrophoresis, etc

Related Experience

Adequately represent the skills you have gained in the position, with specific attention
given to key technical terms instead of using various or another general term
Points to Include:

Overall goal(s) of the projects you contributed to

Your specific contributions

The skills you used to reach goals, highlighting specific skills gained in this position

Results of your work if at all possible, quantify results

Training for professional development especially including cGMP/GLP/GCP

Any leadership, management, project management experience

Maintenance of laboratory notebook (undergrad only), participation in group meetings,

presentations, patents
Additional Experience (Optional)

Use this section to describe other positions that you have held in the same format as
Related Experience

Important skills to include communication, leadership, management, finances, website

design, multi-tasking, organization

If your position did not provide opportunities in the above areas, just list the position title,
company, locations, and dates working
Leadership (Optional)

Use this section to describe non-work leadership positions such as organization of events,
participation in student groups, Eagle Scout Project, volunteer projects or any other
leadership experience

There are two different methods to list your Leadership First, you can use a format
similar to the Experience section or you can choose to have a bulleted or columned listing
of relevant experience; The decision to use either depends on space available and the level
of importance of the experience

If your leadership experience has a religious affiliation, please be aware that companies
can ask you about your leadership, but cannot ask about your specific affiliation to a
religious group or belief system; If questions are asked, steer the conversation back to your
applicable leadership skills
Awards/Honors (Optional)

List awards and honor societies

Professional Affiliations (Optional)

List all professional societies that you belong to such as: Biomedical Engineering Club,
Society of Women Engineers, National Society of Black Engineers, Minority Engineering
Society
If you are a member of a society with an ethic/racial/gender affiliation, companies may not
ask you questions regarding those issues; They can only address the applicable skills and
experiences you have gained from your participation in the organization

Interests (Optional)

Include any activities that may be an interesting conversation starter things NOT to
include: video games, reading and especially activities that may imply immaturity or
irresponsibility
Languages (Optional)

You may want to list languages that you are fluent or have reading capabilities; This is
very important to multi-national corporations
Publications/Poster Presentations (Optional)

If you have publications, include all of them; list them like you would any journal
publishing

Authors. Title. Journal. Volume (Issue): Pages, Date.

Make sure to bold your name in the series of authors so that a person reviewing your
resume can find it easily

Include all conferences of poster presentations along with the presentation title
Conferences (Optional)

Include conferences attended that demonstrate professional development

Citizenship (Optional)

If you are able to work in the US without sponsorship but have international experience, it
may be beneficial to include that information so companies are aware of your status

If you have Canadian, instead of US citizenship, it may be beneficial to include that on

your resume

If you are on a student visa there are benefits and drawbacks to listing your citizenship
Benefits: Companies will be aware of your status and will only interview you if they are
able to provide sponsorship
Drawbacks: Some companies may choose to not look at your resume further if they know
you do not have a valid work permit, eliminating potential jobs
Special Considerations for Undergraduate Students

Listing High School Education Typically students above a sophomore status should not
list high school for two different reasons: First, space constraints, Secondly, they should
have had more recent experience that demonstrates the same point, i.e. a high school
valedictorian is most likely going to have a high GPA in college, mentioning both is
redundant

No Applicable Work Experience In order to demonstrate a skill set, you can list class
projects and labs and then include work experience that demonstrates leadership,
reliability, etc

No Clear Career Objective This is very common for undergraduate students that have not
been exposed to much BME; Include projects that represent the Biotech/Pharma and
Medical Device skills and you may even want to include the Laboratory Skills section

(Described in the Education section); Your resume ends up being a general resume that
encompasses all of your skills
Special Considerations for Graduate Students

Make sure you include thesis description, presentations, fellowships and publications

Length Feel free to let your resume go onto two pages; Make sure your contact
information is on both pages (use headers/footers), you number the pages and you only
paperclip them together-NO STAPLES

Content Make sure you keep your technical content to the areas applicable to your career
objective; Make sure to include non-technical skills as well such as communication and
leadership

Project Management Many grad students work in the labs deciding on project goals and
mentoring undergraduate researchers; This is pertinent leadership and project management
experience
Special Considerations for Alumni

Follow advice for graduate students if you have a graduate level degree

List your experience before your education

List certifications, especially those concerning Industry Standard Regulations

Focus on the results of your work at an organization, specifically quantifying your

contributions. IE Reduced costs for manufacturing ______ device by 40% through

If you want to stay within the same field, use a chronological resume (samples in College
of Engineering Resume Guide); if you want to change fields, a skill based resume is more
valuable (see attached format)

Skill Based Resume: any headings can be chosen to best represent the skills needed in the
job transition, allowing you to change the focus from position titles to your career goals

Key BME
Terms
3-D mapping
AD converter
Affinity
chromatography
Algorithms
Analog circuit
Anatomical
Assay
Bioinformatics
Biomechanics
Biosignal
Biotechnology
Cardiac
Circulatory
Clinical equipment
Compression
Computational
Algorithms
Concentration
CT
Culture
Cytometry
Diagnostic
Digital signal
processing
ECG
Electrochemical
Electromyographic
Electrophoresis
Encoder
FDA
Filters

Forced oscillatory
technique
Fuzzy logic
Genetic
GMP
Heterogeneity
Hydrophilic
Hydrophobic
Image processing
Impedance
Implants
Input
Instruments
Inverse dynamic
equations
Ion channels
Isolation
Kinematic Analysis
Laser-etching
Math modeling
Medical device
Medical
instrumentation
Membrane
Membrane filtration
Microfluidizers
Micromotion
Microprocessor
Model fitting
MRI
Multiple Model
Technique
Neuroanatomical
Neuromuscular
Neurosurgical
NMR spectroscopy
Oscillator

Output
Parameter
estimation
program
PCR
Plated
Platelet
Pressure
transducer
Proprioception
Pumps
Purification
Respiratory
Restriction mapping
Saccadic eye
movement
Sensory
Sequence
Signal processing
Spectrophotometer
Statistical analysis
Stents
Stimuli
Stoichastic
Resonance Theory
Stroke
Subcloning
Surface area
Time and frequency
domain
Transducer
Ultrasound
Ventilator
Voltage
Web-based model
Wet-lab
Wet- mounts

Industry
Jargon
Acquisition
Activate
Adapt
Aliquot
Analysis
Assay
Autocorrelation
Bind
Characterize
Composition
Contractile
Correlated
Corresponding
Dissection
Durability
Dynamics
Efficiency
Force
Formal proposal
Homology
Impedance
Integrate
Integrity
Interpreted
Manipulate
Mechanics
Methodology
Monitor
Morphology
Noninvasive
Novel
Optimal
Problem solving

Production
Protocol
Prototype
Ratio
Screened
Simulate
Specifications
Statistical
Structural
Synthetic
Tactical
Threshold

Related Courses
Analog Electronics
Applied Dynamics
Biochemistry
Biological Database Analysis
Biomechanics
Biomedical Instrumentation
Biomolecular Architecture
Cardiac/ Respiratory Systems
Cell Biology
Cellular and Molecular
Systems Analysis
Control Systems
Digital Signal Processing
DNA and Protein Sequencing
Analysis
DNA Structure and Function
Electric Circuit Theory
Electronics
Engineering Economy
Engineering Mathematics
Engineering Mechanics
Engineering Physiology Labs
Fluid Mechanics
Genetics
Human Physiology
Logic Design
Medical Imaging

Medical Instrumentation
Design
Microelectronics
Neural Networks
Organic Chemistry
Premed
Probabilistic Systems
Analysis
Quantum Mechanics
Signals and Systems
Solid Biomechanics
Statistical Mechanics
Thermodynamics

Computer Skills
Access
AIX
ANOVA
Architectural Desktop
AutoCAD
AutoSim
Basic
C
C++
Cadence
CGI
Charmm
DasyLab
Dyna 3-D
Essbase
Fortran
GML
HP-VEE
Ideas
LabView
Linux
MacOs
MADYMO
MathCAD
Mathematica
MATLAB

Mechanical Desktop
MEDX
Metamorph
Minitab
MS Office
MySQL
ObjectTime
Origin
PageMaker
Pascal
Perl
PhotoShop
Postgres
Powerview
Pro/E
PSPICE
Quicken
Rasmol
Scion Image
SigmaPlot
Simulink
Solaris
SQL
Statistica
TDT System II
UNIX
Visual Basic
XMGR