Skills
Mechanical Engineer Skills & Tools
The technical skills, people skills and tools employers look for in mechanical engineers, and how to build and show them.
What skills do mechanical engineers need?
Mechanical Engineers need technical skills such as cad, fea, and thermodynamics, plus people skills like problem solving and communication. They also use tools such as SolidWorks or Creo and ANSYS.
Technical (hard) skills
- CAD
- FEA
- Thermodynamics
- Fluid mechanics
- GD&T
- Manufacturing processes
People (soft) skills
- Problem solving
- Communication
- Creativity
- Teamwork
Tools, equipment and technology
- SolidWorks or Creo
- ANSYS
- MATLAB
- Excel
- 3D printers
- Test equipment
Skills in action: common tasks
These step-by-step guides show how mechanical engineers put their skills to work:
How to show these skills on a resume
- Lead your skills section with the technical skills from the job posting, for example, “CAD” and “FEA.”
- Prove soft skills with results: instead of listing “problem solving,” describe a situation where you used it.
- List credentials such as Engineer in Training (EIT) near the top, with the issuing organization and date.
- Use the employer’s vocabulary. Our mechanical engineer glossary covers the terms hiring managers expect.
How to build these skills
Formal training, supervised practice and certification are the most direct routes. Our Mechanical Engineer training introduces each of these skills with plain-language lessons, procedures and a final knowledge check: a strong foundation before hands-on training or your first day.