Explains the process of creating a personal statement for a mechanical design engineer changing jobs! Also includes example sentences!

2024.05.20

  • Industry Information
機械設計エンジニアが転職する際の自己PRの作成手順を解説!例文も紹介

In the job search process, "self-promotion" is one of the most difficult questions for many applicants when preparing their resumes and CVs. Along with the motivation for applying for a job, it is an important item, and effective self-promotion is essential for getting through the screening process. However, many people may be stuck at the moment, thinking, "I don't know what to write and how to write it.

In this article, we will explain the procedure for creating a personal PR for mechanical design engineers who are changing jobs. The article also includes tips for creating a personal PR and PR examples.

General steps in creating a self-promotion


自己PRを作成する際の大まかな手順

Let's begin by looking at the general steps involved in creating a personal statement. In general, there are four steps to follow
 

  • Identify past work achievements.
  • Review your experience and accomplishments in light of the skills and abilities required for the position you are changing to.
  • Replace the experience and accomplishments you have examined with your skills and abilities.
  • Write a short PR (100 to 200 words)

Identify past work achievements.

First, look back at past jobs you have been involved in and identify them as experiences and achievements. It is effective to have concrete results and figures, as shown below.
 

  • As the person in charge of the new development project "00," I led the entire development of the product, which became a product that sold △△△¥ in one year.
  • In addition to detailed design and basic design, I was also involved in conceptual design and material selection for 0 years.
  • Experienced many troubles such as prototypes not working as planned.
  • Trained 100 local technical staff members at an overseas base.

Achievements do not necessarily have to be major. What is important is to clarify how you tackled the job, how you solved the problem, and how you utilized your strengths in the process. Even small achievements and accomplishments are good to pick up, as they may be useful for some positions in your new company.

Since these experiences and achievements will be organized and scrutinized in the next step, the key here is to identify as many achievements as possible while recalling specific figures and situations.

Scrutinize experience and achievements in anticipation of the abilities required for the new position.

Once you have identified your achievements, the next step is to write down the abilities required for the position you are changing jobs. It is tempting to list many experiences and accomplishments in your self-promotion, but what is important is the abilities and experiences required for the position.

No matter how high your abilities and skill level, if they are not useful for the job at the company you are applying for, you will not attract the interest of the hiring manager. Therefore, it is important to have a clear understanding of the kind of person the company wants to hire and to present content that will make them feel that you are likely to play an active role and that you are a good fit for the position. While considering these points, carefully examine the experience and achievements that should be included in your personal PR.

At this point, it is a good idea to focus on two or three appealing elements. Your personal PR should be concise, both in your resume and CV, and in your responses at the interview. Cramming in too many elements can be counterproductive, as the content will be thin and lacking in specificity.

Replacing the experience and accomplishments you have scrutinized with skills and abilities

Next, replace the experience and accomplishments that you have carefully reviewed in the previous step with the skills and abilities that can be derived from them.

For example, from the experience and accomplishments of "leading the entire development of a new development project as the person in charge of XX, which resulted in a product that sold XX yen in one year," we can derive abilities and skills such as "project management skills," "leadership," and "execution skills. In addition, from the experience and track record of "experiencing many troubles such as prototypes not working as planned," we can derive skills and abilities such as "problem-solving ability," "analytical ability," and "flexibility/adaptability.

By replacing these skills and abilities in this way, it will be easier to create a self-promotion that matches the skill set sought by the company you are changing jobs with.

Summarize your self-promotion into short sentences of 100 to 200 words.

Finally, summarize your personal PR statement in short sentences based on your chosen achievements. Since space is tight in the self-promotion sections of resumes and CVs, it is best to aim for 100 to 200 characters.

If you use too many words, it will be difficult for the hiring manager to read, so it is important to keep the amount of text to about 70% to 80% of the space.

The self-promotional essay should be organized in the following order: "Strengths," "Episodes (evidence of strengths)," and "What you can do or contribute to the company you are changing jobs with. The episodes should be as specific as possible, and achievements and benefits can be more persuasive if they are accompanied by numerical figures. Conclude with positive words, explaining how the skills and abilities you replaced in the previous step can be put to use after you join the company.

Tips for mechanical design engineers on creating a personal statement


機械設計エンジニアが自己PRを作成する際のコツ

There are three main tips for mechanical design engineers when creating a personal statement
 

  • When scrutinizing your achievements, make sure that you can visualize your technical skills.
  • Describe your history of using tools and software that can be utilized in your new job.
  • Describe your wealth of experience and how long you have been in the field.

When reviewing your accomplishments, make sure they reflect your technical skills.

When reviewing your achievements, it is important to make it easy to visualize your technical capabilities. For example, including details of products and projects you have worked on in the past, the scale of the projects, experience using CAD and CAM, and points of ingenuity in your design work will help convey your specific technical capabilities.

Since the required skills and abilities vary from company to company, make sure to carefully check the job opening requirements and choose appealing points that match the needs of each company.

Include specific information about your history of using tools and software that can be utilized after changing jobs.

For mechanical design engineers in technical positions, it is important to clearly communicate your skill level in specialized tools and software. Specify not only the duration of your experience, but also the extent to which you are able to use the software.

For example, instead of "I have extensive experience using CAD," state that you can "create and edit drawings using the latest version. You can also differentiate yourself from other candidates by showing that you can handle the latest technology and software used by the company you are applying for, and that you have skills that are in high demand in the marketplace.

Describe your experience and length of experience.

In the job market, it is advantageous to have experience in your occupation and industry. Especially if your next position is also in the engineering field, "length of experience (i.e., depth)" is a major advantage, so clearly indicate "which tasks you have experienced and for how long.

Rather than simply writing, "I have experience in prototype design and mass production design," you can be more persuasive by clearly stating the specifics of your work and its duration, such as, "I was involved in prototype design for three years and mass production design for two years. In this way, the key point is not only to list the items of your past experience, but also to describe them in a way that conveys the "depth" of each item.

It is not always easy to create a self-promotional profile on your own. A recruitment agent has a wealth of experience in helping people change jobs, so they know how to find your strengths and how to effectively present them. If you need help correcting your writing to make it more appealing, or if you are not sure what to write in the first place, consult with a career advisor to create an effective self-promotional statement.

Talk to United World about 
career change.

Skills that are easily valued in a mechanical design engineer


機械設計エンジニアで評価されやすいスキル

The skills possessed by mechanical design engineers are widely valued when changing careers. Here we introduce three skills that are particularly advantageous.

Knowledge of mechanical engineering

Knowledge of mechanical engineering gained as a mechanical design engineer is a major advantage when changing jobs.

You may think that mechanical design engineers can only change jobs at manufacturers that make machines, but that is not the case. There are many industries in the world that work with machinery, and people with the skills to operate and repair such machinery are needed by a wide range of companies.

For example, food factories use machinery, so they need people who can maintain production equipment, and even in the medical and welfare industry, testing equipment cannot be operated or maintained without people with specialized knowledge.

Thus, in today's society, there is hardly an industry that does not use the power of machines, and knowledge of mechanical engineering is a rare and valuable skill that is valued regardless of the industry sector.

Knowledge of mechanics and material mechanics

A mechanical design engineer's knowledge of mechanics and mechanics of materials is also highly valued in the job market. Knowledge of mechanics is useful in the design of mechanical structures, vibration analysis, and the efficient transmission of motion and power.

For example, in the automotive and heavy equipment manufacturing industries, it will be useful in designing the strength of car bodies and frames, vibration control, and drive train efficiency. In these fields, knowledge of mechanics is essential for improving product performance and ensuring safety.

In addition, material mechanics is knowledge about strength, deformation, fatigue, and fracture of mechanical parts, which is essential in the pursuit of product durability and weight reduction. Especially in the fields of aerospace, automotive, and electronics, knowledge of material mechanics is directly useful in design and development.

Knowledge of fluid mechanics and thermodynamics

Another skill that is highly valued by mechanical design engineers is knowledge of fluid mechanics and thermodynamics. These are important knowledge that underpins manufacturing and are useful in a variety of fields, including automotive design, aircraft design, plant design, dam design, disaster prevention design, and sports.

Especially in today's world, where there is a need to improve energy efficiency and reduce environmental impact, engineers with this knowledge are highly valued in other professions as well. It would be effective if you can show how this knowledge has led to achievements and results in your personal PR statement with specific examples.

CAD Skills

Computer-Aided Design (CAD) skills are another skill that is highly valued by mechanical design engineers who are looking for a new position. Simulation of complex structures is also possible.

Recently, the use of 3D CAD is expanding in various industries, and the demand for engineers who can handle 3D CAD is on the rise. As 3D printer innovation is expected to continue in the future, CAD skills will become increasingly important. Against this backdrop, mechanical design engineers with CAD skills are highly valued by companies and will have an advantage in their job search.

Therefore, it is a good idea to actively promote your CAD experience in your personal PR and show that you can be an immediate asset to the company after joining.

Self-Promotion Example for Mechanical Design Engineer


機械設計エンジニアの自己PR例文

The following three patterns of self-promotion examples for mechanical design engineers are introduced below.
 

  • Self-PR example sentences for appealing the breadth of your work area
  • Example of self-promotion to demonstrate your problem-solving skills
  • Example of a self-promotional essay to demonstrate strong project management skills

We encourage you to use the following example sentences to create your own original self-promotional message.

Example sentence (1): Appealing to the breadth of your business domain

The first is an example of a self-promotional essay that demonstrates the breadth of your business domain.

 

Example sentence.
My strength is the breadth of my work area in the mechanical design process. In my previous job, I started as a design assistant and experienced a wide range of work, including basic design, detailed design, conceptual design, and material selection. Particularly in the downstream process, I gained more than seven years of practical experience and developed a bird's-eye view of the entire design process and problem-solving skills.

In one project, he reviewed the conventional design method and succeeded in reducing the number of parts by 30%. Also, in the selection of materials, we used our expertise to propose materials with high cost performance, resulting in a 15% reduction in manufacturing costs. After joining the company, I would like to take on the challenge of 00 by utilizing the broad knowledge and problem-solving skills I have cultivated so far.

Example 2: Appealing your problem-solving skills

The second is an example of a self-promotional message in which the applicant demonstrates a high level of problem-solving ability.

 

Example sentence.
My strength is that I can take the initiative in solving problems. In a new product development project, I experienced many times when prototypes did not work as planned, but I worked with my team to identify the cause and quickly optimized the design and improved the manufacturing process.

As a result, we were able to complete the project on time and reduce the product defect rate by 10%. After joining the company, I would like to utilize this ability to take action to solve problems, take the initiative to think about what I can do at that time, and contribute to the organization.

Example 3: Appealing your strong project management skills

The third example is a self-promotional sentence for appealing your high level of project management skills.

 

Example sentence.
My strength is my strong project management ability, which I developed as a mechanical design engineer. I served as a project leader in a new product development project and led the project to success by achieving efficient teamwork in each process from design to manufacturing.

In particular, by focusing on schedule management and resource allocation, I have experience in reducing delivery time by 0% while improving quality by 0%. With this experience, I believe I can contribute to the smooth progress of projects and achievement of goals at your company as well.

United World" for a career change from mechanical design engineer.


機械設計エンジニアから転職を目指すなら「United World」

In this article, we have explained the procedure for creating a personal PR when a mechanical design engineer is changing jobs, as well as tips for creating a personal PR.

At United World Inc., our dedicated career advisors work closely with each and every one of our clients to support their job search. After carefully listening to your detailed requirements and career plans, we will introduce you to the best job opportunities that suit you. If you want to make your job change more efficient, please click the button below to contact us.

Talk to United World about 
career change.

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