Nuclear Engineer resume example
A resume for a Nuclear Engineer needs to show the work itself: conduct research on nuclear engineering projects or apply principles and theory of nuclear science to problems concerned with release, control, and use of nuclear energy and nuclear waste disposal. Day to day that means work like this: design or develop nuclear equipment, such as reactor cores, radiation shielding, or associated instrumentation or control mechanisms; monitor nuclear facility operations to identify any design, construction, or operation practices that violate safety regulations and laws or could jeopardize safe operations. Recruiters and applicant tracking systems both read for the tasks and tools this role actually involves, so the strongest resume names them in your own experience rather than describing the job in the abstract. Below are the tasks O*NET records for this occupation, the software and tools it uses, the titles it is advertised under, and the skills worth naming if they are genuinely yours.
Also advertised as
The same job is posted under many titles. Searching only your own job title hides most of the openings you could apply to.
- Engineer
- Nuclear Licensing Engineer
- Nuclear Reactor Engineer
- Nuclear Design Engineer
- Nuclear Process Engineer
- Nuclear Safety Engineer
- Nuclear Steam Supply System Engineer
- NSSS Engineer
- Radiological Engineer
- Reactor Engineer
- Atomic Process Engineer
- Core Measures Abstractor
- Engineering Officer
- Nuclear Criticality Safety Engineer
- Nuclear Equipment Design Engineer
- Nuclear Equipment Research Engineer
- Nuclear Equipment Test Engineer
- Nuclear Fuels Reclamation Engineer
O*NET records 36 titles for this occupation in total.
What this work actually involves
Tasks recorded for this occupation, in O*NET's words. If your experience covers one of these, it belongs on your resume in your own words.
- Design or develop nuclear equipment, such as reactor cores, radiation shielding, or associated instrumentation or control mechanisms.
- Monitor nuclear facility operations to identify any design, construction, or operation practices that violate safety regulations and laws or could jeopardize safe operations.
- Initiate corrective actions or order plant shutdowns in emergency situations.
- Examine accidents to obtain data for use in design of preventive measures.
- Direct operating or maintenance activities of nuclear power plants to ensure efficiency and conformity to safety standards.
- Design or oversee construction or operation of nuclear reactors, power plants, or nuclear fuels reprocessing and reclamation systems.
- Direct environmental compliance activities associated with nuclear plant operations or maintenance.
- Write operational instructions to be used in nuclear plant operation or nuclear fuel or waste handling and disposal.
- Prepare technical reports of findings or recommendations, based on synthesized analyses of test results.
- Prepare environmental impact statements, reports, or presentations for regulatory or other agencies.
- Develop or contribute to the development of plans to remediate or restore environments affected by nuclear radiation, such as waste disposal sites.
- Conduct tests of nuclear fuel behavior and cycles or performance of nuclear machinery and equipment to optimize performance of existing plants.
20 tasks are recorded in total; these are the most central.
Example bullets for this role
Built from this occupation's own tasks. The brackets stay empty on purpose: we will not invent a number for you, and a fabricated metric is the fastest way to lose an interview you had already won.
- Design or develop nuclear equipment, such as reactor cores, radiation shielding, or associated instrumentation or control mechanisms, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
- Monitor nuclear facility operations to identify any design, construction, or operation practices that violate safety regulations and laws or could jeopardize safe operations, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
- Initiate corrective actions or order plant shutdowns in emergency situations, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
- Examine accidents to obtain data for use in design of preventive measures, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
Software used in this role
Recorded for this occupation by O*NET. An applicant tracking system matches the exact product name, so write the tool the way the posting writes it.
- ANISN dose assessment computer code
- BERMUDA nuclear transport computer codes
- C++
- Computer aided design CAD software
- Desktop publishing software
- Discrete ordinates DORT dose assessment computer codes
- FOLLOW code
- Formula translation/translator FORTRAN
- Graphics software
- INCORE code
- Linux
- Maplesoft Maple
- Mathematical simulation software
- Mathsoft Mathcad
43 software entries are recorded in total.
Tools and equipment
The physical equipment this occupation is recorded as using. Worth naming when a posting asks for it by name.
- Anticontamination clothing
- Desktop computers
- Face masks
- Nuclear wireline logging instruments
- Personal computers
- Reactivity computer systems
- Respirators
Skills an ATS reads for
Worth naming only if they are genuinely yours. Keyword overlap is one input to a resume's score, not a verdict.
- Python
What this job rates as most important
O*NET rates every skill for importance to this occupation. These are the highest rated, in order.
- 01Critical Thinking
- 02Science
- 03Active Listening
- 04Complex Problem Solving
- 05Judgment and Decision Making
- 06Mathematics
- 07Monitoring
- 08Reading Comprehension
- 09Writing
- 10Active Learning
Knowledge areas
The subject knowledge this occupation draws on, rated by importance.
- Engineering and Technology
- Physics
- Mathematics
- English Language
- Public Safety and Security
- Chemistry
- Computers and Electronics
- Design
What qualifications people in this job have
From O*NET's survey of people doing this work. This is what postholders reported, not a requirement any single employer sets.
- 81%Bachelor's Degree
- 19%Master's Degree
What level this role is pitched at
O*NET places this occupation in “Considerable Preparation Needed”. Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Common questions
- What does a Nuclear Engineer do?
- Conduct research on nuclear engineering projects or apply principles and theory of nuclear science to problems concerned with release, control, and use of nuclear energy and nuclear waste disposal. Day to day that includes work like design or develop nuclear equipment, such as reactor cores, radiation shielding, or associated instrumentation or control mechanisms and Monitor nuclear facility operations to identify any design, construction, or operation practices that violate safety regulations and laws or could jeopardize safe operations.
- What skills should a Nuclear Engineer put on a resume?
- O*NET rates Critical Thinking, Science, Active Listening, Complex Problem Solving, and Judgment and Decision Making among the most important skills for this occupation. Name the ones that are genuinely yours and show where you used them. A resume that lists skills you do not have is weaker than one that lists fewer.
- What software should a Nuclear Engineer list?
- Software recorded for this occupation includes ANISN dose assessment computer code, BERMUDA nuclear transport computer codes, C++, Computer aided design CAD software, and Desktop publishing software. Applicant tracking systems match on the exact product name, so write the tool as the posting writes it rather than describing it in general terms.
- What other job titles cover Nuclear Engineer work?
- O*NET records 36 titles for this occupation, including Engineer, Nuclear Licensing Engineer, Nuclear Reactor Engineer, and Nuclear Design Engineer. Searching only your own job title hides most of the openings you could apply to.
- What qualifications does a Nuclear Engineer need?
- In O*NET's survey of people doing this job, 81% reported their level of education as "Bachelor's Degree". That is what current postholders reported, not a requirement any single employer sets.
- Will this resume pass an ATS for a Nuclear Engineer role?
- No tool outside an employer can tell you how that employer's system is configured, including ours. What you can control is that the resume parses cleanly, names the work in the words the posting uses, and does not claim anything you cannot back up.
Related roles
Occupations O*NET records as closest to this one, and worth looking at if this search is not moving.
What this page cannot tell you
- No tool outside an employer can tell you how that employer’s ATS is configured, including ours.
- This page makes no claim about pay, demand or how many people hold this job. O*NET does not publish that here and we will not estimate it.
- Keyword overlap is one input to a resume’s score, not a verdict on you. A resume that names skills you do not have is worse than one that names fewer.
If this is the job you are aiming at, the guide to tailoring a resume covers how to aim one posting properly, and building and exporting a resume here is free.
Occupation data from the O*NET 29.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. SpartanResume is not endorsed by USDOL/ETA.