Chemistry Resume Examples (Guide for Chemists)

Getting hired in chemistry is harder than working with super-heavy elements. There are 22,000 new graduates annually and only 95,000 jobs. Companies get moles worth of chemistry resumes, and they don’t even read most of them. 

Your chemist resume has to shine like Alain Aspect in a crowd of lab techs. Display Linus-Pauling-style achievements. Have the right format. Well… Let’s make it happen.

This guide will show you:

• How to write a resume for chemist jobs that’ll catalyze 10x more interviews than any other.
• A chemist resume sample you can change to fit any chemistry job.
• Tips on how to put chemistry skills and achievements on a chemist resume.

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

• Chemical Engineer Resume
• Lab Assistant Resume
• Science Resume
• Lab Technician Resume
• Environmental Science Resume
• Process Engineer Resume
• Engineer Resume
• Biology Resume
• Bioinformatics Resume
• Best Resume Examples

Sample Chemistry Resume to Inspire You (Text Version)

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

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]

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

List chemistry achievements from non-chemist jobs.

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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]

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 relevant coursework, 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)

• Interpersonal Skills
• Collaboration Skills
• Communication
• Problem Solving
• Creative Thinking
• Time Management
• Attention to Detail
• Active Listening
• Decision Making

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:

1. Make a list of the chemist skills and resume keywords in the job ad.
2. Make another list of your chemistry skills, as seen in your education and experience sections.
3. Find places where the two lists match. Those are the right ones to list
4. 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]

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:

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. Conferences Attended or Spoken At

Attending ACS events or other chemistry conferences shows you’re actively engaged in your field, not just marking time

5. 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:

• California Clinical Chemist License
• Chemist Certification from AIC
• Environmental Analytical Chemist

6. Hobbies and Interests

If you've got any relevant interests that might back your soft skills or help you create a resume that stands out more, don't hesitate and add them to your document.

7. Relevant Publications

Having some articles published will position you not only as a pro, but also as an authority.

The sample chemistry resume sections below show how.

Chemist Resume Examples [Other Sections]

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 resume profile: a career objective or a professional 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

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

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:

1. You understand this chemist role
2. 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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Key Takeaway

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

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

That’s it! Now, we’d love to hear from you: 

• What’s the hardest part about writing your chemist resume? 
• Are you having a tough time finding the right skills and accomplishments
• Does your education section seem too mediocre?

Let’s chat below in the comments, and thanks for reading!

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Sources

• California Department of Public Health
• The National Registry of Certified Chemists: Education and Experience Standards for Environmental Analytical Chemist Certification