Ensuring your CV stands out in the competitive field of biomedical engineering is a significant challenge, given the need to effectively showcase both technical expertise and innovative research experience. By following the strategies in our guide, you will learn how to emphasise your unique qualifications and successfully navigate through the nuances of crafting a compelling biomedical engineering CV.
- Design and format your professional biomedical engineer CV;
- Curate your key contact information, skills, and achievements throughout your CV sections;
- Ensure your profile stays competitive by studying other industry-leading biomedical engineer CVs;
- Create a great CV even if you happen to have less professional experience, or switching fields.
When writing your biomedical engineer CV, you may need plenty of insights from hiring managers. We have prepared industry-leading advice in the form of our relevant CV guides.
Structuring your biomedical engineer CV layout: four factors to keep in mind
There are plenty of best practices out there for your CV layout and design. At the end of the day, a clear format and concise CV message should be your top priority. Use your CV design to enhance separate sections, bringing them to the forefront of recruiters' attention. At the same time, you can write content that:- Follows the reverse chronological order in the experience section by first listing your most recent jobs;
- Incorporates your contact information in the header, but do skip out on the CV photo for roles in the UK;
- Is spotlighted in the most important sections of your CV, e.g. the summary or objective, experience, education, etc. to show just how you meet the job requirements;
- Is no longer than two-pages. Often, the one-page format can be optimal for your biomedical engineer CV.
Before submitting your CV, you may wonder whether to export it in Doc or PDF. With the PDF format, your information and layout stay intact. This is quite useful when your CV is assessed by the Applicant Tracker System (or the ATS) . The ATS is a software that scans your profile for all relevant information and can easily understand latest study on the ATS , which looks at your CV columns, design, and so much more.
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Be mindful of white space; too much can make the CV look sparse, too little can make it look cluttered. Strive for a balance that makes the document easy on the eyes.
The top sections on a biomedical engineer CV
- Personal Statement: Highlights your passion for the field.
- Education and Qualifications: Shows relevant knowledge base.
- Professional Experience: Demonstrates practical skills and achievements.
- Technical Skills: Details expertise with industry-specific tools.
- Research and Publications: Exhibits contributions to biomedical science.
What recruiters value on your CV:
- Highlight your expertise in designing and developing medical devices by detailing projects that demonstrate innovative solutions to healthcare challenges and an ability to work within regulatory frameworks.
- Emphasise your proficiency in biomedical software tools and languages, such as MATLAB and Python, by mentioning your experience with simulations, data analysis, and algorithm development.
- Include your experience with clinical trials and regulatory submissions, as well as your understanding of standards like ISO 13485 and FDA regulations, to show your comprehensive knowledge in bringing medical products to market.
- Showcase your interdisciplinary skills by describing collaborations with healthcare professionals in clinics or hospitals, and how you've integrated their feedback into engineering design.
- Demonstrate your commitment to continuous learning and staying current in the field by listing relevant certifications, courses, and professional society memberships, such as those from the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET) or the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE).
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What information should you include in your biomedical engineer CV header?
The CV header is potentially the section that recruiters would refer to the most, as it should include your:
- Contact details - your professional (non-work) email address and phone number;
- Professional photograph - if you're applying hinting at the value you bring as a professional.
Many professionals often struggle with writing their biomedical engineer CV headline. That's why in the next section of this guide, we've curated examples of how you can optimise this space to pass any form of assessment.
Examples of good CV headlines for biomedical engineer:
- Biomedical Design Engineer | Prosthetics Researcher | MSc in Bioengineering | 4 Years Experience
- Clinical Engineer Lead | Imaging Technology Specialist | Certified Clinical Engineer | 9+ Years Expertise
- Biomedical Signal Processing Manager | Analytics in Neuroengineering | PhD Holder | 6 Years in Field
- Junior Biomedical Engineer | Medical Device QA/QC | BEng Graduate | Regulatory Affairs Enthusiast
- Senior Biomedical Research Scientist | Stem Cell Therapy Innovator | 12 Years Applied Research
- Principal Biomedical Systems Developer | Wearable Health Tech | Chartered Engineer | 15 Years Leading Projects
Opting between a biomedical engineer CV summary or objective
Within the top one third of your biomedical engineer CV, you have the opportunity to briefly summarise your best achievements or present your professional goals and dreams. Those two functions are met by either the CV summary or the objective.
- The summary is three-to-five sentences long and should narrate your best successes, while answering key requirements for the role. Select up to three skills which you can feature in your summary. Always aim to present what the actual outcomes were of using your particular skill set. The summary is an excellent choice for more experienced professionals.
- The objective is more focused on showcasing your unique value as a candidate and defining your dreams and ambitions. Think about highlighting how this current opportunity would answer your career vision. Also, about how you could help your potential employers grow. The objective matches the needs of less experienced candidates, who need to prove their skill set and, in particular, their soft skills.
Still not sure about how to write your CV opening statement? Use some best industry examples as inspiration:
CV summaries for a biomedical engineer job:
The best formula for your biomedical engineer CV experience section
The CV experience section is the space where many candidates go wrong by merely listing their work history and duties. Don't do that. Instead, use the job description to better understand what matters most for the role and integrate these keywords across your CV. Thus, you should focus on:
- showcasing your accomplishments to hint that you're results-oriented;
- highlighting your skill set by integrating job keywords, technologies, and transferrable skills in your experience bullets;
- listing your roles in reverse chronological order, starting with the latest and most senior, to hint at how you have grown your career;
- featuring metrics, in the form of percentage, numbers, etc. to make your success more tangible.
When writing each experience bullet, start with a strong, actionable verb, then follow it up with a skill, accomplishment, or metric. Use these professional examples to perfect your CV experience section:
Best practices for your CV's work experience section
- Developed a novel bio-sensor for blood glucose monitoring, improving measurement accuracy by 15% over existing models, leading to a patent application.
- Managed cross-functional teams in the design of a new artificial heart valve, shortening the product development lifecycle by three months through effective project leadership.
- Designed and executed in vitro and in vivo testing protocols for a range of biomedical devices, ensuring compliance with both EU MDR and FDA regulations.
- Led the integration of CAD/CAM technology in prosthetic limb manufacturing, resulting in a 20% increase in production efficiency and enhanced customisation options for patients.
- Published 5 peer-reviewed articles on biomaterials and tissue engineering, contributing to advancements in the field and enhancing the company's thought leadership.
- Implemented a quality management system in line with ISO 13485 standards, achieving a 30% reduction in product non-conformities over a 12-month period.
- Collaborated with clinical teams to gather user requirements for a new dialysis machine, ensuring the end product met the practical needs of patients and healthcare professionals.
- Utilised finite element analysis to optimise the structural integrity of implantable devices, significantly enhancing patient safety and device longevity.
- Conducted rigorous risk analysis and mitigation planning during medical device development, minimising potential safety issues and ensuring a 100% success rate in pre-market approval processes.
- Led a team to design a cutting-edge implantable glucose monitor, improving patient compliance by 40%
- Spearheaded the integration of AI algorithms into diagnostic imaging tools, increasing detection accuracy by 25%
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to reduce the time-to-market for a new cardiac pacemaker by six months
- Developed a prototype for a portable dialysis machine, enhancing the mobility of patients with kidney diseases
- Conducted rigorous testing on prosthetic limbs, resulting in a 15% improvement in mobility for amputees
- Authored and published three research papers on biomaterials used in joint replacement technologies
- Managed the implementation of a hospital-wide software system for monitoring patient vitals, leading to a 30% drop in adverse events
- Directed the validation of sterilization processes for medical instruments, ensuring compliance with FDA guidelines
- Enhanced MRI imaging techniques by incorporating new signal processing methods, improving image clarity by 20%
- Innovated a new non-invasive blood analysis tool, which reduced the need for traditional blood draws by 50%
- Participated in the creation of a patent-pending synthetic skin graft, which drastically reduced recovery times
- Organized a symposium on biomedical engineering advances, attended by over 150 industry professionals
- Collaborated on the development of a telesurgery robotic system, which allowed for unprecedented precision in complex procedures
- Trained over 100 medical staff on the effective use of new orthopedic surgical equipment
- Conducted a successful clinical trial for a novel heart valve, which was later approved by the FDA
- Supported research in tissue engineering that contributed to the company receiving a $2M grant for further development
- Developed documentation and SOPs for lab processes, enhancing operational efficiency by 15%
- Assisted in patenting a new biocompatible stent design, which subsequently captured a 10% market share
Writing your CV without professional experience for your first job or when switching industries
There comes a day, when applying for a job, you happen to have no relevant experience, whatsoever. Yet, you're keen on putting your name in the hat. What should you do? Candidates who part-time experience , internships, and volunteer work.
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Talk about any positive changes you helped bring about in your previous jobs, like improving a process or helping increase efficiency.
The CV skills' divide: between hard and soft skills
Of course, you may have read the job requirements plenty of times now, but it's key to note that there is a difference between technical and personal skills. Both are equally relevant to your job application. When writing about your skill set, ensure you've copy-pasted the precise skill from the job requirement. This would not only help you ensure you have the correct spelling, but also pass any Applicant Tracker System (ATS) assessments.
- Hard skills show your technological capabilities. Or whether you'll be a good technical fit to the organisation. Ensure you've spotlighted your hard skills in various sections of your CV (e.g. skills section, projects, experience) by including the technology and what you've attained;
- Soft skills pinpoint your personality and people or communication skills, hinting at if you'll easily accomodate into the team or organisation. Quantify your soft skills in your CV achievements, strengths, summary/objective, and experience sections. Always support your soft skills with how they've helped you grow as a professional.
Top skills for your biomedical engineer CV:
Biomedical device design
Computer-aided design (CAD)
Biomechanics
Bioinstrumentation
Tissue engineering
Biomaterials knowledge
Medical imaging processing
Data analysis and statistics
Regulatory knowledge (FDA, CE marking)
Electronic circuit design
Problem-solving
Innovation
Project management
Attention to detail
Communication
Teamwork
Adaptability
Interpersonal skills
Critical thinking
Time management
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If there's a noticeable gap in your skillset for the role you're applying for, mention any steps you're taking to acquire these skills, such as online courses or self-study.
CV education and certificates: your academic background as proof of your skill set
A common misconception about your biomedical engineer CV education is that you only need it, if you have less professional experience. That is completely false. The CV education section serves to back up your technical (and sometimes personal) capabilities, fill in gaps in your work history, and show you have the initial industry background and know-how. When creating your education section:
- List your degrees in the reverse chronological order, starting with the most recent (and relevant) ones first;
- Include your degree and university names, start and graduation dates. It's optional to also denote you received a "First-Class Honours" for diplomas that are more relevant to the role;
- Curate your relevant university coursework, projects, or thesis work if you happen to have less professional expertise and need to integrate more job keywords and skills.
Your professional qualifications don't need to stop at your academic background. It's advisable to also select up to three of your most noteworthy (and relevant) industry certificates and feature them in a dedicated section. Once more, include the certificate name, the institution that issued it out, and the date you obtained it on. You could feature both hard skills and soft skills certificates, as in the examples below:
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Focus on describing skills in the context of the outcomes they’ve helped you achieve, linking them directly to tangible results or successes in your career.
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Key takeaways
Here are five things you need to remember about writing your biomedical engineer CV for success:
- Sort your experience based on the reverse chronological order, starting with your most recent career items, to showcase how you've grown your career;
- Include within your CV header your relevant contact details, a headline that could spotlight your unique value, and a photo - if you're applying for roles outside the UK or US;
- Decide to use the CV summary, if you happen to have more professional experience, and an objective, if you want to showcase your career goals;
- Within the experience section, write your bullets using action verbs, skills, and success, instead of just merely listing your on-the-job responsibilities;
- Prove your technical skills, using your education and certificates, and your soft skills, with your achievements and strengths sections.
