How to create an engineering portfolio
Several jobs in engineering may require or benefit from an engineering portfolio.
- Design Engineer: Design engineers are often required to showcase their design skills and technical abilities. They may include engineering drawings, CAD models, simulations, and prototypes in their portfolio to demonstrate their expertise in designing and problem-solving.
- Project Engineer: Project engineers who work on large-scale engineering projects can benefit from having a portfolio that illustrates their involvement and contributions to previous projects. This may include project plans, progress reports, technical specifications, and successfully completed milestones.
- Structural Engineer: Structural engineers may create a portfolio highlighting the structural designs they have worked on, such as buildings, bridges, or other infrastructure. They can include calculations, analysis reports, design drawings, and photographs to showcase their experience in structural engineering.
- Software Engineer: Software engineers may showcase their coding projects, software development process, and any unique algorithms or applications they have developed. This can include code samples, project documentation, and examples of software applications they have built.
- Industrial Engineer: Industrial engineers may include process optimization projects, workflow improvements, and lean manufacturing experiences in their portfolio. They can present before-and-after comparisons, data analysis, and any cost or efficiency improvements achieved through their efforts.
- Environmental Engineer: Environmental engineers may include examples of their environmental impact assessments, pollution control projects, and remediation plans in their portfolio. They can demonstrate their expertise in environmental regulations, sustainability strategies, and successful project outcomes.
- Robotics Engineer: Robotics engineers might include their work on robot design, programming, and automation projects. They can showcase videos, algorithms, sensor integration, and real-life applications to demonstrate their proficiency and innovation in robotics.
While not every engineering job explicitly requires a portfolio, creating one can be advantageous in showcasing your skills and experiences in a visual and organized manner. Keep in mind that the specific requirements for a portfolio may vary depending on the industry, company, or role you are applying to. It’s always helpful to research and tailor your portfolio to align with the expectations of the job you’re seeking.
An engineering portfolio can include a collection of academic and personal projects. It can also include documents, images, videos, and other evidence that demonstrate your involvement and contribution to various projects.
Select a few projects to include in your portfolio. Each project should be on its own page with a title, start and completion dates, a description, and photos. In the description, include the objectives and the process. Always focus on the positive aspects of the project and emphasize your successes.
Photos are one of the most important features of a portfolio because they allow the reviewer to see the work you have done. Include at least one photo with each project and have the photo(s) fill about one-third of the page.
Video instruction for making a Mechanical Engineering portfolio
Engineering Template using Canva
Other examples
Mechanical engineer focusing on robotic systems and aerospace Using a personal website
Engineering Portfolio Using personal website
Mechanical Engineering Portfolio Using PowerPoint