11 Security Engineer Resume Examples for 2024

As a hiring manager, I know a resume for security engineering roles must show your expertise in protecting systems. This article offers proven examples and tips to present your skills effectively. Expect advice on industry terms like 'cybersecurity' and 'encryption', ensuring your resume reflects the technical strength needed for the job.

  Compiled and approved by Liz Bowen
  Last updated on See history of changes

  Next update scheduled for

At a Glance

Here's what we see in strong security engineer resumes.

  • Show Impact With Numbers: The best resumes show impact with clear metrics like reduced risk by 30%, responded to 100+ daily alerts, improved system uptime by 99.9%, and cut down response time by 50%. These numbers show the value you can bring to a team.

  • Match Skills With Job Description: Include skills you have that are also in the job description. Add strong skills like firewall management, intrusion detection, cryptography, penetration testing, and security protocols. Pick those you are good at and match the job you want.

  • Highlight Relevant Experience: Show experience with phrases like managed network security and designed threat models. If you worked on big projects, say oversaw enterprise-wide upgrades. This tells the hiring manager you have experience that matters.

Ordering your education history

If you're a recent graduate or have completed significant further education like a bootcamp or a master's recently in a field related to security engineering, place your education at the top of your resume. This will explain to potential employers why there might be a recent gap in your employment history.

On the other hand, if you're currently employed in a security-related role or have been out in the workforce for a while, put your experience first. Your hands-on experience will speak louder than your academic qualifications, showing potential employers that you have already proven yourself capable in real-world situations.

Tailoring experiences for tackling security threats

As a budding security engineer, employers would be looking at your ability to tackle security threats. Hence, in the experience section, include specific achievements where you proactively handled security threats or issues, or improved security infrastructure. If you can, quantify these experiences to show measurable impact.

If you have different kinds of experiences, prioritize those that are more relevant to the job you're applying for. For example, if you managed network security in a previous job and the new role involves network security, bump that experience up on the list.

Length of your resume

Remember, a shorter, concise and well-formatted resume makes a strong impression. If you have less than 10 years of relevant experience, stick to a one-page resume. This forces you to present only your strongest, most relevant qualifications.

For senior-level candidates with more than a decade of experience or a wide range of relevant skills, a longer, two-page resume might be necessary. However, focus on highlighting the most recent, relevant and impactful experiences, and be succinct.

Breaking into security engineering

If you're looking to break into the field of security engineering, besides the standard qualifications and relevant technical skills, showcasing your problem-solving abilities can work to your advantage. Many employers value a demonstrated ability to identify and deal with security issues, so include specific examples where you've troubleshooted problems.

Also, if you have them, certifications like Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) or CompTIA Security+ can significantly boost your resume. These show your commitment and expertise in the field of security engineering.

Beat the applicant tracking system

Applicant tracking systems (ATS) can be tough to get past, but you can improve your chances. Think about how a security engineer resume must show your skills to both people and computers. Here are ways to make your resume ATS-friendly:

  • Use keywords from the job description. For example, if the job asks for experience with 'network security' or 'intrusion detection,' make sure these terms are in your resume.
  • Format your resume clearly. Use simple, clean fonts and clear headings for sections like 'work experience' and 'education.'

Remember, your goal is to make it easy for the ATS to see you're a good fit for the job. Focus on clear, relevant information that matches the job you want.

Customize your resume

When you apply for a job in security, make sure your resume shows you have the right skills. You should talk about the systems and tools you know. List your experience that shows you can keep information safe. It's important to show you understand what this job needs.

  • Under skills, list the security tools you have used, like firewalls and intrusion detection systems.
  • Show how you have led. If you have led a team, say how many people were in it and what security projects you worked on.
  • If you're coming from another job, say what skills you have that are also needed for security work. If you've worked in IT, mention your experience with network security.

Show your achievements

When crafting your resume, it’s vital to focus on what you've achieved as a security professional, not just the tasks you've done. You want to showcase your impact on past projects and how it has made a difference. This often speaks louder than a simple list of job duties.

Think about how you can turn each of your past responsibilities into a specific accomplishment. This highlights your value. Here are two examples:

  • Before: 'Responsible for monitoring network security'
  • After: 'Improved network security monitoring, reducing breach incidents by 30% over six months'
  • Before: 'Managed firewall configurations'
  • After: 'Optimized firewall configurations, enhancing system efficiency by 20% and cutting down false positives'

These examples change the focus from what you were tasked to do, to what you successfully did. Remember to quantify your successes with numbers if you can, like percentages or other measurable outcomes. They show your potential to a future employer in a clear and effective way.

Use dynamic verbs for impact

As a hiring manager, I suggest you choose action verbs that show your direct involvement in securing systems and resolving issues. The verbs you pick should reflect the precision and proactive nature of your work. Remember, the right verbs can help you stand out in a sea of applicants.

Start with verbs that demonstrate your skills in analysis, problem-solving, and system enhancement. These words will help convey your experience effectively to hiring managers. Consider the following list as a guide:

  • To display your ability to assess and fortify security measures, use verbs like analyzed, fortified, assessed, upgraded, and implemented.
  • Showcase your proactive incident response skills with responded, neutralized, investigated, remediated, and resolved.
  • Highlight your development of security strategies using designed, engineered, developed, established, and integrated.
  • To illustrate your maintenance and continuous improvement efforts, include verbs such as maintained, enhanced, optimized, monitored, and reviewed.
  • If you've led teams or projects, demonstrate your leadership with led, coordinated, managed, directed, and oversaw.

Key skills for security engineers

When crafting your resume, it's crucial to highlight your technical expertise. Here's a list of important skills you should consider including if they match your experience and the role you're after:

  • Network security
  • Encryption algorithms
  • Firewall administration
  • Security protocols
  • Penetration testing
  • Vulnerability assessment
  • Incident response
  • Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)
  • Identity and Access Management (IAM)
  • Cloud security

You don't need to include all these skills, just the ones that best match your experience. Place them in a dedicated 'Skills' section for clarity. This helps with Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) which employers use to filter resumes based on keyword matches. If you have certifications like a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), make sure to list it; certifications can be a key requirement for security engineering roles.

Remember, your resume should show what you can do for the company. So, use real project examples to demonstrate your expertise with these skills. For instance, how you managed a network security upgrade or implemented new security protocols can set you apart.

Quantify your impact

When you write your resume, showing your impact with numbers can help us see your value. Numbers catch our eye and tell us how you made things better or solved problems. In your role as a security engineer, think about how you helped. Maybe you made systems safer or found ways to spot dangers faster. Here are some ways you can show this:

  • How much did you reduce security incidents? Use a percentage to show the decrease. For example, 'Reduced security breaches by 20% year-over-year.'
  • Did you speed up the time to fix security issues? Give us the time saved. You could say, 'Cut down threat response time from 24 hours to 3 hours.'

Even if you are not sure of the exact numbers, you can estimate. Think about:

  • The size of the systems you protected. How many users or devices were there? You might say, 'Managed security for a network with over 10,000 users.'
  • The money you saved the company. If you helped avoid a security issue, what would that issue have cost? You could write, 'Implemented a new firewall that prevented potential losses of over $1 million.'

Use numbers to show your skills and how you make a difference. This will help us see why you would be good for the job.

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