Chemistry Resume Examples (Guide for Chemists)

Chemists discovered penicillin, fertilizers, plastics, and radiation. You’ll make your mark too, but first you’ll prove your skills with your professional chemist resume.

As seen in:

Here’s a chemist resume sample that makes things happen.

But press pause—

Getting a chemistry job is terrifying.

There are 22,000 new graduates per year, and only 95,000 jobs. Getting hired in chemistry is harder than working with super-heavy elements.

Companies get mols worth of chemistry resumes. They don’t even read most of them.

Yours has to shine like Alain Aspect in a crowd of lab techs.

How can a flimsy piece of paper do that?

It comes down to a few Linus-Pauling-style achievements in the right format.

You’re about to see a chemist resume example you can change to fit any chemistry job. You’ll also get simple steps to write a resume for chemist jobs that’ll catalyze 10x more interviews than any other.

Here’s a chemist resume example made with our builder.

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Sample chemist resume—See more resume templates 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.

Not looking for a chemist resume sample? See these resume guides:

Sample Chemistry Resume to Inspire You (Text Version)

Linsey Bash

Chemist

641-325-4026

linseyzbash@gmail.com

linkedin.com/in/linseyzbash

twitter.com/linseyzbash

Detail-oriented chemist with 6+ years of experience in process chemistry and organic synthesis. Eager to provide innovative process & product development at QGIP Inc. At Johnson Mahoney, led team to rework production process for 25% efficiency boost.

Experience

Chemist

Johnson Mahoney

October 2016–January 2020

Key Qualifications & Responsibilities

Developed innovative processes and products for a key player in the food industry, using practical and theoretical knowledge.
Used organic synthesis to develop 40+ new flavors. Seven were adopted by top brands selling multi-nationally.
Implemented process chemistry to create scalable procedures for mass production of 30 new flavor ingredients.
Collaborated with engineers to ensure smooth flow with upstream & downstream processes.
Operated & maintained rotovaps, vacuum pumps, sonicators.

Key Achievement:

Led team of 10 chemists, lab technicians, and process engineers to redesign cell layout, realizing a 25% increase in efficiency.

Chemist

Hydro Baker Scientific

May 2014 to September 2016

Key Qualifications & Responsibilities

Collaborated in conceptual design of 12 new processes.
Performed experimental validation on 21 innovative processes.
Used organic synthesis to develop 12 new fragrances.

Lab Technician

Middle West Laboratories

June 2013 to June 2014

Set up 9 organic synthesis experiments.
Operated centrifuges, microscopes, agitators, and other equipment and maintained with 100% adherence to laboratory policy.

Education

BS in Chemistry

Drake University

2009–2013

Excelled in organic & process chemistry
Recipient, Margaret Phials Award for Academic Excellence

Skills

Organic Chemistry
Process Chemistry
Organic Synthesis
Catalysis
Upstream/Downstream Processing
Interpersonal Skills
Problem Solving
Communication
Efficiency

Certifications

Certified Professional Chemist — NCCCCE
Toxicological Chemist — NRCC

Member, American Chemical Society

Teach annual classes on organic synthesis to groups of 20+
Mentor 50+ chemists

Now it’s time to get a job-search reaction. Here’s how to write a chemistry resume that works:

1. Start With the Right Format for a Chemist Resume

Format matters in a chemist resume.

Just like double-replacement, you need to put the right elements in the right order.

If you don’t, they’ll know at first blush that you’re a corner-cutter. That can mean costly mistakes down the road.

So—

Here’s how to format a chemistry resume template:

Format: start with the reverse-chronological format for resumes. It places your latest DuPont-level successes up top.
Fonts: choose professional resume fonts to look your best.
Font size: 11–12 points, but make resume headings 2–4 points larger.
Line spacing: single to 1.15.
General look: add enough blank space so you don’t exhaust readers.
Resume margins: one inch on all sides.
File type: send a PDF resume unless the firm warns you not to.

Here are the main sections of a resume to add:

Header: add the right contact information.
Summary: provide a snapshot of your resume in miniature.
Experience: your chemistry job accomplishments to date.
Education: your schooling, plus skills-based achievements.
Skills: your most relevant few skills for the job in question.
Additional sections: add pro association memberships, volunteering, and other attention-getting perks.

Not so sure about the chronological resume format? See our guide: How to Pick the Perfect Resume Format

2. Add Experience to Your Chemist Resume

What’s the first thing you should write on a blank chemistry resume?

Your work history. That’s the best way to get things fizzing. Then go back and add your summary and heading when you’re done.

But so many chemists fail at this—

You can’t just list your chemistry experience.

That’s like throwing elastomers at the wall and hoping they stick. Sure, the hiring team might see something they like in there.

But you need to tailor your resume to get the job.

That starts with an experience section that bonds to the job description.

Include:

Job title (Analytical Chemist, Process Chemist, etc.)
Company name
Work dates with months
Short chemist job description
Successes that prove you’ve used skills in the new company’s job description
A key achievement that pops like hydrogen fluoride

Also, target your resume so it fits each job you apply to. Last, use the PAR (Problem-Action-Result) formula and resume action words for interesting reading.

See these chemist resume samples:

Chemist Resume Job Description

Right

Experience

Chemist

Johnson Mahoney

Oct 2016 to Jan 2020

Developed innovative processes and products for a key player in the food industry, using practical and theoretical knowledge.
Used organic synthesis to develop 40+ new flavors. Seven were adopted by top brands selling multi-nationally.
Implemented process chemistry to create scalable procedures for mass production of 30 new flavor ingredients.
Collaborated with engineers to ensure smooth flow with upstream & downstream processes.
Operated & maintained rotovaps, vacuum pumps, and sonicators.

Key Achievement:

Led team of 10 chemists, lab technicians, and process engineers to redesign cell layout, realizing a 25% increase in efficiency.

Wrong
Improved processes and formulas for better efficiency. Wrote reports and technical papers. Developed new experimental design techniques. Created innovative laboratory processes.

That’s almost ionic.

Can you see why the first of those chemist resume examples works best? It proves success again and again.

But that wrong example is just basically a chemist job description. It doesn’t show you did a good job.

You can do this with a resume with no experience too.

These examples show the steps:

Entry-Level Chemist Resume Samples [Experience]

Right

Lab Technician

Middle West Laboratories

May 2013 to Sept 2014

Set up 9 organic synthesis experiments.
Operated centrifuges, microscopes, agitators, and other equipment and maintained with 100% adherence to laboratory policy.
Tested materials for purity, stability, density, and gas chromatography.

Wrong
Cleaned and sterilized laboratory equipment. Tested materials for melting and flash point. Prepared chemical solutions by following standard formulas.

That first sample is BASF-worthy. To show experience with no experience—

List chemistry achievements from non-chemist jobs.

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.

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

Don’t render the hiring team inert with boring language. Catalyze them with action words. See our guide: 240 Resume Action Words & Power Words

3. Get Your Education Section to a Higher Level

How should you show education in a chemistry resume? Well—

You worked hard for that degree. But it won’t speak for itself.

To get noticed, seek duties, skills, and responsibilities in the chemist job description.

Then list 1–2 school wins in your education section that match.

The next of our chemist resume examples shows how:

Chemist Resume Example [Education]

Right

Education

BS in Chemistry

Drake University

2009–2013

Excelled in organic & process chemistry.
Recipient, Margaret Phials Award for Academic Excellence.

That example is anything but plain ‘ol “BS.”

Pro Tip: If you got your degree 5 years ago, a single chemistry degree achievement is enough. If it was last week, you can also list extracurricular activities or GPA on your resume.

Want your chemistry resume education section to stand out like an eyewash? See our guide: How to Put Your Education on a Resume [Tips & Examples]

4. Use the Right Skills in Your Chemist Resume

Caution.

Chemistry resumes without the right skills fizzle. That’s because the hiring manager has the perfect employee in mind.

If you just list skills at random, you won’t match that picture. To engage employers, pick skills that fit her dream employee.

See this list of skills for chemist resumes:

Chemist Resume Skills (Hard Skills)

Analytical Chemistry
Organic Chemistry
Process Chemistry
Analytical Chemistry
Experimental Design & Validation
Lab Equipment Operation & Maintenance
Inorganic Analysis
Documentation & Reporting
Catalysis
Quality Control

Chemist Skills (Soft Skills)

But—

Double-check the chemist job description. What hard vs soft skills does it show? You’ll need to prove those to get phone calls.

Here’s how to select the right chemistry skills:

Make a list of the chemist skills and resume keywords in the job ad.
Make another list of your chemistry skills, as seen in your education and experience sections.
Find places where the two lists match. Those are the right ones to list
Include hard skills and soft skills for a winning formula.

The next chemistry resume example provides a catalyst.

Pretend the job wants conceptual design, experimental validation, and organic synthesis.

Chemist Resume Examples [Skills]

Right
Collaborated in conceptual design of 13 new processes. Performed experimental validation on 19 innovative processes. Used organic synthesis to develop 12 new fragrances.

Eureka.

The right skills and added numbers are a winning formula.

There are more than a few skills that work in chemistry resumes. See our guide: +30 Best Examples of What Skills to Put on a Resume (Proven Tips)

5. Add Additional Sections to Your Chemist Resume

It sounds easy.

Just put your past jobs and college on a chemist resume, and you’re done.

But—

That won’t tell the hiring manager what you’re like to work with.

To do that, add Dow-level other resume sections.

Choose from:

Resume Volunteer Work

Organizing blood drives or helping with disaster relief efforts looks great on a resume. If your resume is on the inert side, heat it up with volunteer work.

Second Languages on a Resume

Do you speak Spanish? German? Russian? Languages look extra good on resumes when other employees in the firm speak your second language too.

Awards and Honors

Did you get awards in school, or win the Alfred Stock Memorial Prize? Honors and awards can show your skills aren’t lacking an electron.

Conferences Attended or Spoken At

Attendance in chemistry conferences like Organic Process Research and Development shows you’re not just marking time. Bonus points if you’ve led a panel.

Resume Licenses & Certifications

Do you have certifications or licenses that’ll make the hiring team sit up and notice you? List those in a dedicated section near the bottom of your resume. See these examples:

The sample chemistry resume sections below show how.

Chemist Resume Examples [Other Sections]

Right

Certifications

Certified Professional Chemist — NCCCCE
Toxicological Chemist — NRCC

Member, American Chemical Society

Teach annual classes on organic synthesis to groups of 20+
Mentor 50+ chemists

Wrong
Volunteer work Dedicated mother of 2

The first of those chemist resume examples nails it. The certifications and ACE activities add punch.

The other one is dead as argon.

Pro Tip: How long should a resume be for chemist jobs? One page is enough, but if you’ve got pages of Niels-Bohr-worthy achievements, don’t be afraid to go longer.

You can add hobbies to a chemistry resume if it’s too short. See our guide: List of Hobbies & Interests for a Resume or CV

6. Write a Chemist Resume Objective or Resume Summary

Nightmare time.

You’ve written a great chemistry resume. But the hiring manager, Steve, barely glances at it.

He misses your best achievements. You’re the best pick for the job, but he hires someone else.

You know this happens all the time.

The culprit?

You didn’t write a strong enough chemist resume objective or resume summary.

Those are like the abstract for your resume. Both show your best properties. But a resume objective is for entry-level chemists.

These two examples give the formula:

Chemist Resume Summary

Right
Detail-oriented chemist with 6+ years of experience in process chemistry and organic synthesis. Eager to provide innovative process & product development at QGIP Inc. At Johnson Mahoney, led team to rework production process for 25% efficiency boost.

Wrong
Working chemist, expert in organic synthesis and process chemistry. Looking for full-time work with a food service or fragrance firm. Skilled in teamwork, lab equipment operation, calibration, and maintenance, and product and process development.

So different.

That first sample gets the right reaction. It’s got your years of experience, and the “25%” is skills proof.

But—

Can you do that in an entry-level chemistry resume?

See these entry-level analytical chemist resume examples:

Chemist Resume Objective

right
Chemist with 1+ year of experience as a lab technician in a high-volume test facility. Set up 20+ analytical processes and operated and maintained centrifuges, agitators, and microscopes with 100% policy adherence. Collaborated with 3 chemists to design 5 new processes.

Wrong
Entry-level chemist skilled in analytical chemistry, process chemistry, and operating laboratory equipment like centrifuges, microscopes, spectrophotometers, colorimeters, agitators, and other equipment. Haven’t yet worked full time as a chemist but am a fast learner.

The second of those chemist resume examples is as common as SiO2. The other one shows real-world work experience.

To write resume objective or resume summary for chemist jobs that works like a covalent bond, see our guides:+20 Resume Objective Examples and Professional Resume Summary Examples

7. What About a Chemist Cover Letter?

Do chemist resumes need cover letters?

Without exception.

Half of chemistry job hiring managers don’t read them.

But half don’t read chemistry resumes without them.

And your letter has a big job to do.

It has to show:

You understand this chemist role
You’ve succeeded at chemistry job duties like this in the past

Do it like this:

Set up your cover letter format first.
Start your chemist cover letter with the hiring manager’s name.
Write a first sentence for your cover letter that gets attention like pure magnesium in the fishtank.
Fill the middle paragraph with proof you’re the chemist they’ve been looking for.
Always end a cover letter with something they want.

Pro Tip: If you know someone inside the business, that makes a great kickoff for a chemist cover letter. Referrals are job search magic.

Want your chemist resume and cover letter to sizzle? See our guides: How To Write A Cover Letter and How to Make a Resume

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:

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See more cover letter templates and start writing.

Key Takeaway

Here’s a recap of how to write a chemist resume:

Format your chemistry resume template with a respected resume font and 1-inch margins.
Start by writing a targeted work experience section with your best properties.
Put achievements in your resume that bond you to the job almost ionically.
Get the right chemistry resume skills from the employers job listing.
Add additional resume sections to show an ACE certification or volunteer work.
Write a chemistry cover letter for maximum hirability.

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