Locomotive Engineer Resume: Examples and Tips

A locomotive engineer — also known as a train engineer — is responsible for safely operating trains and transporting passengers or freights. Some of their essential duties include interpreting train orders and railroad rules, monitoring gauges and meters, documenting issues and diagnosing minor problems. Locomotive engineers should have physical strength, excellent customer service skills, hand-eye coordination and mechanical skills.

Get your locomotive engineer resume on track with these expert tips and resume examples.

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Locomotive Engineer Resume Example

Top 4 characteristics of a best-in-class locomotive engineer resume

  1. Summary In just a few sentences, talk about the top strengths and skills that make you an excellent candidate for the job. Use phrases and details that display both your abilities as well as top work achievements. For example, “Dependable locomotive engineer with expertise in coordinating and controlling train movement while adjusting to changing tasks in a fast-paced environment.”
  2. Skills Include a blend of hard and soft skills. A good rule of thumb is to consult the job posting for major requirements and add the abilities that apply to your skills section. Mention hard skills such as applicable safety procedures, diesel-electric locomotives and yard operations, and soft skills such as logical thinking, stress management and adaptability.
  3. Work History List the jobs you’ve had within the past 10 years and include work accomplishments relevant to the job instead of mundane, everyday activities. If possible, include quantifiable metrics to help make your achievements more impressive. For example, “Managed a team of 12 employees to ensure timely departures” or “Operated over 5 different locomotive engines, including electric and diesel-electric, as needed.”
  4. Education Include your highest education credential, whether it’s a high school diploma (or equivalent) or college degree, as well as any formal training programs you have completed. You can also enlist your certification with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), a must to be a locomotive engineer.

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Do’s and don’ts for your resume

  • DO keep your resume short and to-the-point. Recruiters only spend a few seconds reading through a resume. It’s best to cut down the unimportant information and stick to the relevant skills and work experiences that best relate to the job you’re pursuing. Aim for a one-page resume with concise bullet points, and only have a two-page resume if you have more than 10 years of work experience.
  • DO proofread your resume. Read over your document multiple times to make sure it’s free of grammatical, spelling and formatting errors — these mistakes can decrease your chances of getting an interview. Proofing your resume also gives you a chance to see if you have missed any important information or key skills. Our Resume Builder makes spell-checking easier for you with a tool that scans the document and shows any mistakes.
  • DO tailor your resume to different job applications. Customize the information on your resume to each job based on the employer’s specific requirements. One locomotive engineer position, for example, might be looking for someone who interprets train orders and signals or works on accident reports, while another might want a candidate who focuses on monitoring gauges or conferring with traffic control personnel. In both cases, list skills and experiences that meet these requirements and showcase you have the experience and the aptitude for this job position.
  • DON’T miss out on creating an elevator pitch. To get the recruiter’s attention, start your summary with an engaging opening statement. Sum up who you are within three to four lines, making a well-rounded paragraph that covers your most important work achievement and skills. For example, “Dedicated locomotive engineer with 5+ years of experience. Adept at operating steam and gas locomotives and maintaining rail-related equipment while managing the train yard.”
  • DON’T forget to add quantifiable metrics to your achievements.Highlight your achievements using numbers and provable statistics to give the recruiter a clear insight into how you can push your potential. Turn a generic statement like, “Worked on Union Pacific railroads and repaired engines” into a more effective statement such as: “Operated on over 2,500 miles of Union Pacific railroads while repairing small engine parts on the course.”
  • DON’T refer to yourself in first person.Using pronouns like “I,” “my” or “me” isn’t an accepted resume practice and hiring managers will see it as something unprofessional. Omit any personal pronouns from your resume and instead start your statements with strong action verbs or adjectives. So instead of writing, “I am a dependable locomotive engineer and I have over 3 years of experience,” you should write: “Dependable locomotive engineer with 3+ years of experience.”