Chemical Engineering Resume Sample (Guide & Template)

You use your brains, industrial problem solving skills, teamwork, and chemical engineering skills to make the world a better place. Prove it with this chemical engineering resume.

Tom Gerencer

Career Expert

Updated 11/17/2021

As seen in:

Chemical Engineering Resume Sample

Tim Kasteler, Chemical Engineer

tim.q.kasteler@gmail.com

linkedin.com/in/timqkasteler

641-234-1466

Professional Summary

Perceptive chemical engineer with 2+ years of experience. Skilled in process design and project management. Seeking to deliver out-of-the-box solutions at Agaffre, inc. At Lesiliti, lowered equipment malfunctions by 20% through improved work procedures and maintenance. Raised throughput 25% by designing two new production processes.

Work Experience

Chemical Engineer

Lesiliti, Inc.

Feb 2017–May 2019

Slashed equipment malfunctions by 20% with improved work procedures and maintenance.
Trained 20 technicians and chemists in production best practices, cutting defects by 15%.
Designed and implemented new changeover procedures that saved 18 labor hours per week.
Increased throughput 25% through design of two new production processes.

Chemist

Trukgill, Inc.

Feb 2016–Jan 2017

Developed new waste-stream treatment process that reduced waste output by 18%.
Created a new technique to retrieve by-products that saved $20,000 a year.

Education

2011–2015 University of Northern Iowa

Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering

Pursued a passion for process design coursework.
Conducted project in waste stream management that was written up in IChemE blog.

Skills

Technical Skills: Project management, process design, testing, management
Soft Skills: Interpersonal skills, collaboration, communication, efficiency

Activities

Leader of weekly fishing club.
Article, “Waste Stream Management” published in Chemical Processing Blog.

Are you sure you need a chemical engineering resume? See our guides:

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Sample Chemical Engineer—See more templates and create your resume here.

One of our users, Nikos, had this to say:

[I used] a nice template I found on Zety. My resume is now one page long, not three. With the same stuff.

Here’s how to write a chemical engineer resume that gets jobs:

1. Pick the Best Chemical Engineer Resume Format

Chemical engineers design and develop chemical processes in the manufacturing industry. They use chemistry, physics, biology, and other sciences to solve problems through chemistry in multiple industries. A chemical engineer resume should show skills in problem solving, IT, and project management.

Attention!

Disorganized chemical engineering resumes wind up in the waste stream.

So—

Begin with a professional resume layout.

The most effective resume format is the chronological resume type.

For the right formula:

Start with a resume header template that puts all your contact info in easy reach.
Write your name on a resume just above your title.
What are the main sections of a resume? Header, summary, work experience, education, and your skills.
Use good resume fonts like Noto, Dido, and Cambria.

Pro Tip: The best resumes use PDF formats because PDFs don’t change on different machines. Does the online job announcement say “no PDFs?” Then use MS Word.

2. Write a Chemical Engineer Resume Objective or Resume Summary

Warning.

The hiring team will gloss over your chemical engineering resume

Unless—

You create a compelling resume summary statement.

That’s a short elevator pitch of yourself, including:

A couple adjectives (perceptive, detail-oriented)
Title (Chemical Engineer)
Years of experience (2+, 5+)
Goal (deliver out-of-the-box solutions)
Skills accomplishments with measures (Raised throughput 25% through process design)

Writing a resume for college students with no experience?

Start with an objective in your resume.

They’re similar to summaries, but—spotlight transferable work abilities in a chemical engineer resume for freshers. (Example: as a restaurant supervisor, you led a team of 6 employees.)

Pro Tip: Here’s how long a resume should be for chemical engineering jobs: a single page, unless you’re more accomplished than Marie Curie.

3. Bind Your Resume to the Chemical Engineer Job Description

Disaster.

They hired someone else for that chemical engineering job.

Why?

They found a “better fit.”

The truth is, you were the best, but you didn’t show relevant work experience in your chemical engineer resume.

In your experience section:

Use the right job titles. If they want a “Chemical Process Engineer” use that.
Pick the right achievements to put on a resume for chemical engineering jobs. Do they want waste stream management? Tell about a time you improved that.

Pro Tip: What are the right words to use on a resume? Choose power words like slashed, trained, designed, increased, and created.

4. Catalyze Your Chemical Engineer Resume Education Section

You know your chemical engineering resume needs an education section.

But did you know most people make it wrong?

That’s great news for you.

It gives you a chance to outshine the rest.

You already know to list your school’s name and your degree. You know to add years of attendance, too.

But did you know to use the space to offer more proof of the skills they’re looking for?

Example: they need a chemical engineer skilled in process design, and—

You were passionate about process design coursework.

Pro Tip: Does education on a resume for chemical engineers need GPA info? If it’s 3.8 or above, or if it’s recent, list it. If not, use the space for something that’ll wow them.

5. List Chemical Engineer Skills in Your Resume

You need skills on a resume for chemical engineer jobs:

Chemical Engineer Resume Skills

Start with technical skills in your resume:

Chemistry
Physics
Biology
Mathematics
IT
Project management
Process design
Resource management
Working with factory workers
Testing materials
Equipment configuration design
Production optimization
Management

But don’t skimp on soft skills:

Pro Tip: There’s no hard vs soft skills debate for chemical engineering resumes. You need a list of each. Then you need to prove each with experience in your resume bullets.

When making a resume in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building a professional resume template here for free.

Create my resume now

When you’re done, Zety’s resume builder will score your resume and tell you exactly how to make it better.

6. Add “Other” Sections to Your Chemical Engineer Resume

Don’t look inert.

Write bonus sections for your chemical engineer resume.

Suggestions:

Activities
Commendations
Conferences
Publications
Work associations like ACS
Appearances in the media or on podcasts
Work projects
School projects
Freelance work
List of interests
Awards
Sports or fitness
Volunteer experience on a resume

Include language proficiency levels on a resume in your skills list if they’re critical to the job.

Pro Tip: Here’s how to mention certifications in a resume for chemical engineering jobs: List them in a dedicated section underneath your “Education” section.

7. Send a Cover Letter With Your Chemical Engineer Resume

Are cover letters necessary?

Yes.

More recruiters will read your chemical engineering resume if you attach a letter.

But you need to know how to write an application letter that gets them on your side.

To format a cover letter, use these steps:

Start strong in your chemical engineering cover letter opening paragraph. Mention your biggest achievement that showcases a skill they want.
Next, show you understand the role they’re offering, and that you fit.
Last, know how to end a cover letter with a bang. Ask for the interview and say what they’ll get out of it. (Example: you’ll tell how you raised throughput 25%.)

Is your cover letter too long? Stick to half a page.

Send a follow up email after sending a resume for chemical engineer positions—not just once, but each week.

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:

See more cover letter templates and start writing.

That’s it!

That’s how to write a chemical engineer resume.

Does your chemical engineer resume seem unstable? Be honest: do you think it will convince them to interview you? If not, why not? Give us a shout in the comments. We’d love to talk!

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