Civil engineering postings filter on the specific design software (AutoCAD Civil 3D vs. Bentley MicroStation), the specific code standard (AASHTO), and specific licensure status (PE vs. EIT) — "engineering design experience" without naming the software and the license status is unverifiable to both an ATS filter and a hiring manager who needs to know exactly what you're cleared to stamp. Yoxon's CV builder automates exactly that — it rewrites your bullets around the specific keywords each job posting uses.
These are exact-match terms — not synonyms — that recruiters commonly build screening filters around for this role. If you genuinely have the experience, make sure the specific term appears in your CV, not just a paraphrase of it. Before you spend that time, it's worth confirming the listing is a real, active opening — run it through our free ghost job detector first.
And before you rewrite your resume, it's worth checking how your CV or LinkedIn profile itself reads — run our free Resume Auditor to see your score and get rewrite suggestions.
Example 1
Designed civil engineering plans for construction projects.
Produced grading, drainage, and stormwater management plans in AutoCAD Civil 3D for 8 commercial site-development projects totaling $22M, all approved on first permitting submission.
Example 2
Worked with contractors and reviewed project documents.
Coordinated construction documents and geotechnical reports across a 5-engineer team as PE, resolving 15+ RFIs during construction with zero design-related change orders.
Do I need my PE to list civil engineering design experience, or is EIT enough?
List whichever you actually hold — PE if licensed, EIT if in progress — and don't round EIT up to PE. Postings requiring a PE stamp filter hard on that exact term, and misrepresenting it is discoverable at the license-verification stage.
Should I name AutoCAD Civil 3D specifically, or is 'CAD software' enough?
Name it specifically, and list Bentley MicroStation too if you've used it — these are scored as different keywords by ATS filters, and many DOT/municipal employers standardize on one or the other.
How do I quantify design work when the real outcome is 'the project got approved,' not a percentage?
Quantify what's countable: project size/value, number of plan sets or RFIs handled, permitting turnaround time, or change-order reduction — these translate an approval outcome into a number a reviewer can compare across candidates.
Applying in a different field? Our Mechanical Engineer CV guide covers the same keyword-matching approach for that role.
More role-specific CV guides