Job Skills Should I leave an Automotive Mechanic's Degree on my Engineering Resume?

[YoshiMoshi]

I'm an electrical systems engineer and work on electrical mechanical systems.

I am getting an automotive mechanic associates degree. Should I leave an associates car repair degree on my engineering resume?

It's not related to engineering, but I think it could help with hands on mechanic experience for electrical mechanic systems engineering?

I don't know if it would throw someone off? It's also my most recent degree so I put it in chronological order, so it's the first one on the list before my other ones.

 

[Dale]

Should I leave an associates car repair degree on my engineering resume?

Yes. For most jobs, where it doesn’t matter, then it doesn’t matter. For the few jobs where it matters it will help set you apart from other applicants. And for all jobs if it came up in the interview and you hadn’t put it in the resume then it would seem weird.

 

[Lnewqban]

That is a very desirable skill to have for anyone working on electrical mechanical systems.
Whether or not a particular hiring person knows enough to recognize that fact, is out of your control.

Once, I didn't get a position that perfectly harmonized with my skills, simply because the HR manager who interviewed me, could not find the word "commissioning" in my resume.

Nevertheless, I had been doing HVAC commissioning work during a full previous year, which appeared explained in my resume without using the key magic word.

She sent me a very elegant rejection letter in which she clearly explained her unique reason.

 

[berkeman]

I don't know if it would throw someone off? It's also my most recent degree so I put it in chronological order, so it's the first one on the list before my other ones.

I agree with the other replies, and would include it on your resume. I would not list it first unless that is the position you are applying for. I would list it near the end of your resume.

On my EE resume, I list my medical license/experience and my radio operator license/experience last on the resume.

 

[DaveE]

I agree with the other replies, and would include it on your resume. I would not list it first unless that is the position you are applying for. I would list it near the end of your resume.

On my EE resume, I list my medical license/experience and my radio operator license/experience last on the resume.

I totally agree with this. The experience is definitely a positive. But the chronology could get you in trouble with the gate keepers. I would look into structuring your resume to deemphasize the order of these things.

Once you get an interview then I wouldn't hide anything. You had good reasons to do what you did and real hiring managers should understand that. Don't let them make up stories to fit the data, just tell them.

Back in the day when I was hiring Analog/Controls/PS EEs, I really valued people that had both academic and practical knowledge. If all you could do was math, and you didn't understand about transistors getting too hot or problems with oscilloscope probes, then I wasn't very excited about having to teach you that stuff. But I would also want to know why someone is studying "outside of their specialty". That's not necessarily a negative thing, it could be a positive attribute. I'd just want to understand it.

 

[DaveE]

because the HR manager who interviewed me, could not find the word "commissioning" in my resume.

This is why I always wanted to see ALL of the resumes that weren't ridiculous. Yes, it's more work, but if you want to hire good people, you have to do the work. The HR types (including machines) don't understand what they're seeing. Hiring is the most important task a mid level manager has in the tech world, but everyone wants it to go away, to make it automated or easy. It will never be easy.