Chemist: Resume Example
Chemists study substances at the atomic and molecular levels and the ways in which the substances interact with one another. They use their knowledge to develop new and improved products and to test the quality of manufactured goods.
Chemists’ resumes should emphasize their education. Applicants for chemist positions should have at least a bachelor’s degree in chemistry or a related field, and experience working in laboratories and offices.
Jobseekers in the field of chemistry who have a master’s degree or Ph.D. should include these and related credentials on a resume, as many positions require that candidates have advanced degrees.
Top Skills To Include in a Science Resume
- Dedicated analyst with practical mathematical knowledge
- Thorough understanding of the scientific method
- Conscientious and ethical
- Solution-oriented with strong critical-thinking abilities
- In-depth knowledge of laboratory safety and best practices
- Attentive and organized
- Excellent note-taking using both physical and digital records
- Proficient with MATLAB, LabTrack, Microsoft Access, and digital imaging programs
- Good written and oral communicator
Resume Writing Tips for Science Professionals
1. Create a clear header
You want to do everything you can to make yourself stand out from other candidates, so start off with a strong header. Choose a clean font a few points larger than the rest of your document. List your full name, and include academic titles if they are relevant to the science industry. Follow up with a professional email address and single phone number. If you have an online profile on LinkedIn or a similar site, include that URL as well.
2. Showcase your formal education
As a scientist, your degrees, licenses, and certifications are essential to your success in the field. The education section of your resume is the perfect place to show off your academic credentials. You can include formal degrees, professional development courses, and relevant certifications and licenses. For each entry, include the full title, conferring institution, and location. You can list recent graduation dates. If your formal education took place more than a couple years ago, it’s better to leave out the dates.
3. Market yourself in your professional summary
The first section below your header should be the professional summary. In this section, use confident, concise language to pitch yourself to the hiring manager and convince him or her that you are the best candidate for the position.
You don’t want to make this section too long since that can cause a reader to lose interest. Limit yourself to a few sentences or bullet points. Include your professional title, a few hard and soft skills that are commonly in demand in careers in science, and an example of your professional success.
You can also include the URL of your LinkedIn profile so interested hiring managers can learn more about you and your previous work in social services.
4. Use easy-to-understand language
The complex nature of the science industry has created a unique set of terminology that most scientists use in daily communication. It can be tempting to use these words and phrases throughout your document to prove your expertise. However, using too much technical jargon in your resume can have negative consequences. Your skills and accomplishments can be lost in translation if the hiring manager reading your resume is not a scientist. Make your resume memorable by using clear, easy-to-understand language to describe your skills and accomplishments.
