An automation CV is not judged like a technical manual.

The first person reading it will not carefully study every PLC platform, machine project and training certificate. They will scan the page and try to answer a few basic questions:

• Does this person match our equipment?
• Can they troubleshoot independently?
• Have they worked on real machines?
• Can they program, commission or design?
• Are they willing to travel or work shifts?
• Is their experience at the level we need?

Treat your CV as though it must pass a 20-second test.

The important information should be visible without searching through paragraphs. European career guidance similarly recommends tailoring each CV, prioritising the most relevant information and using short, clear descriptions supported by examples.

What Hiring Managers Look for First

For an automation or controls position, the first scan usually focuses on five areas.

Current automation vacancies commonly combine PLC programming with HMI or SCADA, industrial communications, drives, electrical drawings, documentation and commissioning. More advanced positions increasingly mention scripting, databases, IT/OT integration and cybersecurity as well.

Your CV should make those areas easy to find.

Start With a Clear Professional Title

Do not begin with:

Hard-working and motivated professional seeking an exciting opportunity in a growing company.

That says almost nothing.

Use a title that describes what you actually do:

Automation Technician | Siemens TIA Portal | VFD and PROFINET Troubleshooting

or:

Controls Engineer | Allen-Bradley Studio 5000 | Machine Commissioning

or:

Industrial Electrician Transitioning Into PLC Programming

The employer should understand your professional direction immediately.

Write a Short Technical Profile

Keep the profile to three or four lines.

A strong example:

Automation technician with six years of industrial maintenance experience supporting PLC-controlled packaging and conveyor systems. Experienced with Siemens S7-1200/1500, TIA Portal, WinCC, PROFINET and Danfoss and Siemens drives. Strong background in electrical fault finding, PLC diagnostics, controlled software modifications and production-line commissioning.

This paragraph establishes:

• Experience level
• PLC platform
• Equipment type
• Main technical skills
• Type of work performed

Avoid unsupported claims such as:

• Automation expert
• PLC master
• Highly skilled engineer
• Excellent problem solver

Show the evidence elsewhere.

Put a Technical Skills Section Near the Top

Automation hiring managers look for specific hardware and software.

Organise the section so it can be scanned quickly.

Technical Skills

PLCs: Siemens S7-1200, S7-1500, S7-300
Software: TIA Portal, STEP 7 Classic, CODESYS
HMI/SCADA: WinCC Comfort, WinCC Unified, Ignition
Drives: SINAMICS G120, PowerFlex 525, Danfoss FC 302
Networks: PROFINET, PROFIBUS, Modbus TCP, Modbus RTU
Programming: Ladder Diagram, Structured Text, Function Block Diagram
Electrical: Three-phase motors, control circuits, contactors, sensors, 24 V DC systems
Additional: EPLAN, AutoCAD Electrical, SQL, Python, OPC UA

Only include technology you could discuss during an interview.

Writing “Studio 5000” because you watched one tutorial creates an awkward technical interview when the manager asks how you organise tasks, programs, routines and Add-On Instructions.

Match the Vacancy’s Language

Use the platform names appearing in the advertisement.

For example, an employer may search for:

• Siemens S7 rather than simply PLC
• TIA Portal rather than Siemens software
• Studio 5000 rather than Allen-Bradley programming
• WinCC rather than HMI
• PROFINET rather than industrial Ethernet

EURES guidance recommends including relevant skills and keywords from the position, especially when your direct experience is limited.

Do not stuff every imaginable keyword into the CV. Match the technologies you genuinely know to the work being advertised.

Describe Experience Through Technical Results

A list of general duties makes you look interchangeable.

Weak example:

Responsible for machine maintenance, troubleshooting and repairs.

Stronger example:

Diagnosed electrical and automation faults across five packaging lines using TIA Portal, electrical schematics and drive diagnostics.

Even stronger:

Reduced recurring conveyor stoppages by identifying an intermittent PROFINET connection, replacing the damaged network section and documenting the switch-port layout for future troubleshooting.

The strongest bullets explain:

Problem
→ Technical action
→ Result

Useful Experience Bullets

• Created and maintained PLC, HMI and VFD backups for 30 production machines.
• Used online PLC monitoring to trace missing permissives and sequence failures.
• Configured replacement VFDs using approved motor, communication and control parameters.
• Added diagnostic alarms showing missing start conditions and failed equipment feedback.
• Supported I/O testing and commissioning during a production-line expansion.
• Updated electrical schematics and terminal documentation following field modifications.
• Diagnosed intermittent remote-I/O failures caused by damaged industrial Ethernet cabling.
• Developed a reusable PLC motor block with feedback monitoring, timeout alarms and runtime accumulation.

Use numbers where they add meaning, but do not invent artificial percentages.

“Reduced downtime by 37%” is only useful when you can explain how it was measured.

Separate Troubleshooting From Programming

Many candidates write:

Worked with Siemens PLCs.

The employer cannot tell whether that means:

• Observed PLC status
• Connected to a controller
• Backed up projects
• Monitored ladder logic
• Modified existing code
• Created complete programs
• Led commissioning

Be specific.

PLC Troubleshooting

Used TIA Portal to monitor inputs, outputs, interlocks and sequence steps during production breakdowns.

PLC Modification

Made controlled changes to timers, permissives, alarm logic and equipment sequences under the site change-management procedure.

PLC Development

Developed PLC and HMI software for conveyor and material-handling systems from I/O testing through customer acceptance.

This prevents you from accidentally presenting technician-level exposure as full engineering experience.

Include a Projects Section

A projects section is especially valuable when you are:

• Moving from electrician to PLC programmer
• Moving from maintenance into controls engineering
• Applying for your first automation job
• Unable to show confidential employer software
• Learning through simulation or personal hardware

Example Project

Two-Pump Control System — Siemens S7-1200 and WinCC

• Developed duty and standby pump control with automatic alternation.
• Added failed-start detection and standby takeover.
• Scaled a simulated 4–20 mA pressure signal.
• Created HMI controls, alarms, trends and runtime displays.
• Tested sensor failures, drive faults and power-recovery behaviour.

A complete project demonstrates more than a course certificate because it shows how you organise an application and handle abnormal conditions.

Show Commissioning and Field Experience Clearly

Commissioning is highly valuable because it proves that you have worked beyond simulation.

Current automation roles frequently request experience in testing, startup, industrial communication, troubleshooting, documentation and customer-site commissioning.

Mention experience with:

• I/O checks
• FAT and SAT
• Motor-direction testing
• Sensor adjustment
• VFD configuration
• Network commissioning
• Production trials
• Operator training
• Punch-list completion
• Customer handover

Also state your travel availability honestly.

Available for approximately 30% EU travel.

is better than:

Willing to travel.

when you know you cannot spend three months continuously abroad.

Education and Certifications

List:

• Degree, diploma or vocational qualification
• Electrical licence or authorisation
• Relevant manufacturer training
• Functional-safety training
• Networking or cybersecurity certificates
• Languages

Do not allow a long training section to push real experience onto page two.

A current Siemens vacancy, for example, combines formal education with practical requirements covering PLCs, SCADA, industrial communication, drives, electrical drawings, databases and commissioning.

Qualifications help you pass formal filters.

Experience proves that you can perform the work.

What to Remove

Delete information that does not support the position:

• Full descriptions of unrelated temporary jobs
• Generic personality claims
• Every course completed
• Basic software such as Microsoft Word
• Long lists of ordinary maintenance duties
• References available upon request
• Personal identification numbers
• Marital status
• Unnecessary private information

In most European applications, one or two pages is a sensible target. EU guidance repeatedly recommends keeping the CV clear, concise and tailored, with two A4 pages generally treated as an appropriate upper limit.

Photo expectations vary by country and employer. Do not assume that one European CV convention applies everywhere.

Automation and Controls CV Template

NAME SURNAME

Automation Technician | PLC Programmer | Controls Engineer

City, country
Phone | Email | LinkedIn | Portfolio
Travel availability | Driving licence | Work authorisation

Professional Profile

Automation professional with [number] years of experience in [industry]. Experienced with [PLC platforms], [HMI/SCADA], [networks] and [drives]. Strong background in [troubleshooting/programming/design/commissioning], including [specific responsibility].

Technical Skills

PLCs:
HMI/SCADA:
Drives and Motion:
Networks:
Programming Languages:
Electrical:
Engineering Software:
Additional Technologies:

Professional Experience

Job Title — Company
City | Month Year–Present

• Diagnosed…
• Programmed…
• Commissioned…
• Improved…
• Documented…
• Reduced or prevented…

Previous Job Title — Company
City | Month Year–Month Year

• Supported…
• Configured…
• Tested…
• Repaired…
• Assisted…

Selected Projects

Project Name — Platform

• Project purpose
• Hardware and software used
• Your responsibility
• Main technical features
• Testing or commissioning completed
• Final result

Education

Qualification — Institution
Year

Certifications

• Relevant electrical qualification
• PLC or vendor training
• Safety, networking or cybersecurity training

Languages

• Lithuanian — Native
• English — Professional working proficiency
• Other language — Level

The Final 20-Second Check

Before sending the CV, look only at the first half of page one.

Can a manager immediately find:

[ ] Current professional level
[ ] Years of relevant experience
[ ] Main PLC platform
[ ] HMI or SCADA experience
[ ] Industrial networks
[ ] Drives or motion experience
[ ] Industry background
[ ] Troubleshooting, programming or commissioning scope
[ ] Location and travel availability

Then compare your CV with the job advertisement.

Remove technologies the role does not need. Move matching experience upward. Use concrete examples instead of adjectives.

A hiring manager does not need your complete life history.

They need enough evidence to decide that a technical interview is worth their time.