3 Chemistry Resume Examples - Here's What Works In 2023

Want to work in chemistry in 2023? We’ve compiled three resume templates for you that’ll help you land your dream chemistry role, along with other tips and knowledge you’ll need to gain an extra edge against the competition. (Google Docs and PDFs attached).

See Chemistry Resume Examples

Author: Mike McDonald

Senior Hiring Manager - Chemistry Roles
16+ Years of Experience

Chemists are patient, logical, and analytical. You’re curious about how the world works and love to tinker with something until you get it just right. You pay meticulous attention to detail and have a passion for the molecular.

Sound like you?

If you’re recruiting in this industry, you’ve probably gone through several years of schooling or working in labs. Chemistry is a highly specialized and ever-evolving field, and demand is never scarce for chemists.

That’s not to say you can phone it in on your application. Competition can be fierce in the science world, and recruiters are looking for those who are not only book-smart, but who have the practical ability to apply their knowledge to a variety of disciplines. Whether that’s biochemistry, neurochemistry, or forensic chemistry, there’s no shortage of jobs for those with a background in this unique science.

Landing a chemistry job shouldn’t be nerve-wracking and confusing -- we’re here to demystify and destress the chemistry job hunting process. We’ve researched what works in 2023, and below we’ve compiled three chemistry resumes that you can use to stand out from the crowd.

Chemistry Resume Templates

Jump to a template:

Chemistry Lab Assistant

Chemistry Lab Technician

Chemistry Research Student

Jump to a resource:

Keywords for Chemistry Resumes

Action Verbs to Use

Related Research & Science Resumes

Similar Careers to a Chemistry

Template 1 of 3: Chemistry Lab Assistant Resume Example

A chemistry lab assistant is usually the next level up from a chemistry research student assistant. You will likely support more complex chemical procedures, while also performing administrative and clerical duties like cleaning and sterilizing equipment. When crafting your chemistry lab assistant resume, keep this in mind as you choose what kind of examples to include in your professional experience section. Emphasize your numerical achievements and relevant skills in the field.

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When writing your chemistry laboratory assistant resume, emphasize your numerical achievements and relevant skills.

Tips to help you write your Chemistry Lab Assistant resume in 2023

Emphasize numerical achievements in chemistry and science

When crafting your chemistry lab assistant resume, it’s important to quantify your past achievements with clear numerical metrics. You’ll be required to assist other chemists and scientists in the lab to perform extensive tests and maintain laboratory equipment, all the while ensuring compliance of safety rules. Recruiting managers want to see concrete evidence that you can perform such responsibilities. Show your skills by including different numerical metrics -- for example, a time when you saved budget by cutting supply costs, or when you reduced experimental error by a certain percentage.

Also see: How to Write Resume Bullets That Get Interviews

Tailored skill section to chemistry skills

Chemists use a diverse array of equipment and software. Some employers may have specific requirements that they utilize to conduct experiments or model outcomes. To demonstrate to recruiters that you are serious about the job you’re applying to, it’s important to carefully read through the job description and ensure that you tailor your skills accordingly. For example, if a lab emphasizes their use of quantitative analysis techniques, include details of what sort of techniques you have experience in.

Also see: Tailor Your Resume to a Job Description

Tailored skill section to chemistry skills - Chemistry Lab Assistant Resume

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Skills you can include on your Chemistry Lab Assistant resume

Template 2 of 3: Chemistry Lab Technician Resume Example

After you’ve worked for a few years in a chemistry lab assistant role, you may be ready to apply to the next position up -- a chemistry lab technician. You’ve demonstrated your ability and skills in lab environments, and can take on more demanding responsibilities, like carrying out routine tests and procedures. As you’ll be taking on more authority and duties, it’s key to highlight your leadership skills on your resume and show your career path.

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As you craft your chemistry lab technician resume, leverage your career experience and highlight your leadership qualities.

Tips to help you write your Chemistry Lab Technician resume in 2023

Highlight leadership skills as a lab technician

As you brainstorm examples and skills to add to your professional experience section, make a point of stressing your ability to manage others. That may include training younger research chemistry student assistants, or working smoothly with lab assistants to implement new systems or testing procedures. Great leadership is as crucial in chemistry as it is in other industries, and recruiters want to know that they can rely on you to supervise others effectively.

Also see: Recruiter View: How To Show Leadership Skills on Your Resume

Highlight leadership skills as a lab technician - Chemistry Lab Technician Resume

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Showcase your career trajectory in chemistry and science

Chemists are uniquely dedicated to their craft -- it takes many years of hard work and commitment to perfect the skills needed to become a professional chemist. No amount of schooling or knowledge of scientific theory can replace hours in the laboratory. That’s why it’s key to leverage your years of lab experience and detail your career path through the years. Point out where you took on duties outside of your job scope, or got promoted ahead of schedule.

Also see: How to Show Promotions on Your Resume

Showcase your career trajectory in chemistry and science - Chemistry Lab Technician Resume

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Skills you can include on your Chemistry Lab Technician resume

Template 3 of 3: Chemistry Research Student Resume Example

When applying to be a chemistry research student assistant, emphasize your past research experience and chemistry skills in your resume. Chemistry is a specific and precise discipline, and your resume should reflect these qualities. Aim to choose instances that detail your expertise in hands-on lab procedures or with relevant software, as opposed to simply listing out the responsibilities you were assigned. Use strong action verbs and be deliberate with what you include.

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Chemistry research student assistants should emphasize the skills and expertise they’ve developed through past experiences.

Tips to help you write your Chemistry Research Student resume in 2023

Emphasize hard skills with metrics relevant to chemistry

As mentioned above, chemistry is a precise discipline -- you’re often working in the lab with dangerous chemicals or complex equipment. That means that the employers reading your resume -- labs, government agencies, or academic institutions -- are looking for evidence of your experience and skills in those areas. Do your research to find what types of software the job posting notes, whether that’s MATLAB, Solidworks, or ANSYS. Emphasize the hard skills you’ve learned through your past experience with powerful action verbs, and highlight your achievements with quantifiable metrics.

Also see: Find Hard Skills To Include In Your Resume

Emphasize hard skills with metrics relevant to chemistry - Chemistry Research Student Resume

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Concise, informational chemistry resume summary

This resume makes great use of a concise, information-packed elevator pitch that is well-written and to the point. Chemistry recruiting managers often don’t have time to carefully read through every detail of your resume, so a resume summary is a great way for them to get a high-level overview of your work history. When brainstorming what to put in your chemistry resume elevator pitch, include your personal strengths as a chemist, or even the types of people you’ve learned to work with (i.e., biostatisticians, pathologists, professors).

Also see: Resume Summary Examples: How to Write One + 20 Examples

Concise, informational chemistry resume summary - Chemistry Research Student Resume

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Skills you can include on your Chemistry Research Student resume

Skills For Chemistry Resumes

When choosing what to include in your chemistry resume, follow these tips to ensure that you’re picking the best skills you can to help your application stand out.

After finding the chemistry roles that you want to apply to, carefully read the job description from front to end. Required skills and experience with certain types of equipment vary widely, depending on if you’re applying to a lab, government agency, or academic institution. Take time to research the employer and figure out what techniques they are known for using so you have a better idea of what skills to include.

For example, if a job posting requires knowledge of certain analytical techniques such as Mass spectrometry or HPLC Chromatography, make sure you list that in your skills section. Better yet, you can further expand on instances you’ve applied this knowledge within experiments in your professional experience section.

Chemistry
High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)
Organic Chemistry
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR)
Laboratory Skills
Analytical Chemistry
UV/Vis Spectroscopy
Organic Synthesis
Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS)
Spectroscopy
GC-MS
Chromatography
NMR Spectroscopy
Biochemistry
Gas Chromatography
Research
Medicinal Chemistry
Mass Spectrometry
Science
IR Spectroscopy

For more skills, visit Chemistry Skills & Keywords.

Skills Word Cloud For Chemistry Resumes

This word cloud highlights the important keywords that appear on Chemistry job descriptions and resumes. The bigger the word, the more frequently it appears on job postings, and the more 'important' it is.

Top Chemistry Skills and Keywords to Include On Your Resume

Action Verbs For Chemistry Resumes

Chemists are inquisitive, analytical, and scientifically inclined. You can work well with others to solve complicated problems and can patiently chip away at intricate, seemingly impenetrable enigmas. At the same time, you are great at communicating with others and keeping close inventory of all the equipment and processes you are working with.

It’s important to not only have these skills, but also be able to communicate them in your application. As you write your chemistry resume, make sure to use powerful action verbs such as “researched” and “proposed” to emphasize your analytical skills.

Try your best not to use generic verbs. Instead, use strong action verbs that create an image in the reader’s mind of a confident, well-organized chemist.

Processed
Implemented
Conducted
Performed
Generated
Analyzed
Combined
Organized
Researched
Proposed
Introduced
Outlined
Investigated
Interpreted
Formulated
Designed

For a full list of effective resume action verbs, visit Resume Action Verbs.

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