Electrical Engineer CV Keywords: What UK Employers Search For

Ask a specialist engineering recruiter what they type into their database first, and the answer is rarely "electrical engineer". It's a voltage level, a standard or a piece of software: "11kV", "BS 7671", "ETAP", "TIA Portal". If those terms are missing from your CV, you may not appear in the search, however good your experience.

Electrical engineering recruiters usually know exactly what they are looking for. They filter by sector, voltage, standards and tools, then read the few CVs that match.

This guide covers the keywords that matter most for UK electrical engineering roles. Use the ones that are true for you, and back each with a project or result.

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Core technical keywords

These terms appear across most UK electrical engineering adverts, from building services to utilities. Use them inside your project descriptions, not just in a skills list.

• electrical design and specification
• power distribution, LV and HV (state the voltage levels you have worked at)
• protection and discrimination (coordination) studies
• load flow, fault level, voltage drop and cable sizing calculations
• switchgear, transformers, distribution boards and busbar systems
• earthing, bonding and lightning protection
• testing, inspection and commissioning
• single line diagrams, schematics and cable schedules
• design risk assessment and design reviews

The most underused keyword on electrical CVs is the voltage itself. "LV and HV experience" is vague. "LV distribution to 400V, HV switching on 11kV networks" tells a recruiter precisely where you fit.

Key Takeaway: State voltage levels, equipment and calculation types exactly. Specific numbers make your CV searchable and credible.

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Keywords by sector

Electrical engineering covers very different industries, and each has its own vocabulary. Match your terms to the sector you are applying into.

Sector	Keywords to use (where true)
Building services	small power, lighting design, emergency lighting, containment, fire alarm systems, BMS, CIBSE guidance, MEP coordination, BIM, RIBA stages
Power and utilities	substations, grid connections, DNO and IDNO, ICP, renewables, battery energy storage (BESS), solar PV, network studies, G99 applications
Controls and automation	PLC, SCADA, HMI, control panels, instrumentation, functional safety, SIL assessment
Manufacturing and maintenance	maintenance engineering, root cause analysis, reliability, motors and drives, VSDs, PPM, CMMS, fault finding
Rail and infrastructure	signalling power, traction power, 25kV AC OLE or 750V DC third rail, asset management, design assurance, Network Rail standards
Oil, gas and process	hazardous areas, ATEX, DSEAR, CompEx, IEC 61511, process control

Moving between sectors

If you're changing sector, translate your experience into the new sector's language. A manufacturing maintenance engineer moving into utilities should lead with HV switching, protection and substations, if they have that experience, rather than production uptime.

Key Takeaway: Sector vocabulary is how recruiters decide whether you'll need retraining. Use the terms of the sector you want, backed by real experience.

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Standards and regulations

UK employers expect you to name the standards you work to. Listing them shows you understand the compliance side of the job, which is often what separates an engineer from a technician.

• BS 7671 (the IET Wiring Regulations, 18th Edition), stating the amendment you design to
• Electricity at Work Regulations 1989
• CDM Regulations 2015, including designer duties
• ESQCR 2002 (Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations) for network roles
• ENA Engineering Recommendations such as G99 (generation connections) and G5/5 (harmonics)
• BS EN 61439 for low-voltage switchgear and controlgear assemblies
• BS EN 60204-1 for the electrical equipment of machines
• BS 5839-1 (fire detection and alarm) and BS 5266-1 (emergency lighting) for building services
• BS EN 62305 for lightning protection
• IEC 61508 and IEC 61511 for functional safety, or BS EN ISO 13849-1 for machinery safety controls

Here's the contrarian advice: don't list a standard you couldn't discuss at interview. Specialist interviewers often pick one from your CV and ask how you applied it. Five standards you know well beat fifteen you have heard of.

Key Takeaway: Name the standards you genuinely work to, with the context. They are searched for, and they will be tested.

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Software

Recruiters search for software directly, so list tools by their exact product names.

Area	Examples to name (where true)
Drawing and design	AutoCAD, AutoCAD Electrical, Revit, EPLAN Electric P8
Building services calculations	Amtech, DIALux evo, Relux
Power system analysis	ETAP, DIgSILENT PowerFactory, PSS/E, IPSA
PLC and automation	Siemens TIA Portal, Rockwell Studio 5000, SCADA platforms
Analysis and modelling	MATLAB, Simulink, Python

Pair each tool with the work you did in it. "ETAP" alone is a keyword; "arc flash and protection studies in ETAP" is evidence.

Key Takeaway: Software names are one of the most common recruiter search filters. Write them exactly and attach a task to each.

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Professional registration and safety authorisations

If you have registration or are working towards it, say so near the top of your CV. Many senior adverts list it as essential.

• CEng (Chartered Engineer), IEng (Incorporated Engineer) or EngTech, registered with the Engineering Council
• Membership of the IET (Institution of Engineering and Technology)
• "Working towards CEng" is worth including if it's true, ideally with your target date
• Authorised Person (AP) or Senior Authorised Person (SAP) for HV systems, with the voltage and the organisation's safety rules you are appointed under
• Site and safety cards, such as ECS or CSCS, where the role involves site work

Authorisations are high-value keywords for operations and utilities roles, because they take time and training to earn. Don't hide them at the bottom of page two.

Key Takeaway: Registration and HV authorisations are hard filters for many roles. Put them in your profile, not just your qualifications section.

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Turning keywords into results

A keyword proves you know a term. A project with scale and outcome proves you can deliver. The figures below are examples; use your own.

Weak line	Stronger line
Responsible for electrical design.	Led LV electrical design for a four-storey office refurbishment, producing single line diagrams, cable calculations and specifications to BS 7671 in AutoCAD and Amtech.
Carried out protection studies.	Completed protection coordination studies in ETAP for an 11kV industrial site, reducing nuisance trips on two feeders.
Commissioning experience.	Tested and commissioned control panels for a water treatment upgrade, working with the client and contractor to close out snagging before handover.
Worked on solar projects.	Designed the LV and 11kV connection for a 5MW solar PV site, preparing the G99 application and liaising with the DNO through to energisation.

For each role, lead with your biggest project: its value or scale, your responsibility and the result. Recruiters skim, and the first line of each role carries the most weight.

Key Takeaway: Every major keyword should sit inside a project with a scale, a standard or an outcome attached.

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Formatting and testing your CV

• Put a short technical skills section near the top, grouped (design, software, standards)
• Spell out acronyms once, for example "Building Management System (BMS)"
• Use one column and standard headings so the ATS reads the page correctly
• Keep project lists concise; move older or minor projects to a short summary line

To see which terms a particular advert prioritises, paste it into CVPilot's keyword extractor. Then run your CV through CVPilot's free ATS checker to find the missing keywords before a recruiter does.

Key Takeaway: Clean formatting keeps your technical terms readable by software. Check your CV against each advert before you apply.

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Quick checklist

• Voltage levels and sector stated
• Standards named, including BS 7671 where relevant
• Software listed by exact name, with tasks
• Professional registration, authorisations or progress towards them
• Project scale and outcomes in every role

For more terms, see our electrical engineer keywords page.

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