Chemical Engineer Resume—Examples & Writing Tips

Chemical engineer jobs aren’t exactly a dime-a-dozen.

So when the right opportunity comes your way, there won’t be any room for experimentation with your chemical engineer resume. You’ll need tried-and-tested methods guaranteed to yield predictable results—

And here they are, ready to be put into practice! 

In this guide:

• A chemical engineering resume sample better than most.
• How to make the perfect chemical engineer job description for resumes.
• How to write a resume for chemical engineering jobs that stands out.
• Expert tips and examples to boost your chances of landing a chemical engineer job.

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Looking for other resume examples and guides for different professions? Check out these articles: 

• Chemistry Resume Example
• Computer Engineer Resume Example
• Electrical Engineering Resume Example
• Engineering Internship Resume Example
• Engineering Resume Example
• Engineering Student Resume Example
• Manufacturing Engineer Resume Example
• Mechanical Engineer Resume Example
• Project Engineer Resume Example
• Science Resume Example
• Best Resume Examples for Every Industry & Profession

Chemical Engineering Resume Sample

Chemical engineers develop, monitor, and improve chemical processes required in manufacturing, food production, energy production, and other industries. A chemical engineer resume should show appropriate experience, plus a skill set that matches the employer's requirements and your chosen industry. 

Here’s how to write a chemical engineer resume that produces the expected reaction: 

1. Format Your Resume for Chemical Engineer Jobs the Right Way

In your line of work, you rarely get points for creativity—what matters are the results you produce. So, for your resume format, don’t try to reinvent the wheel. Go with the most stable solution: 

Chemical Engineer Resume Format

• Apply the reverse-chronological layout to your resume—your most recent experience goes first to highlight your latest accomplishments. 
• Pick a font for your resume that’s easy to read at 10–12 points—Arial or Calibri will be safe choices. 
• Set one-inch margins on your resume to add some white space to the page. 1–1.15 line spacing is also recommended. 
• Make an eye-catching header for your resume—add your contact information (email, phone number, relevant social media links). 
• Use standard resume sections, each with a clear heading: profile, work experience, education, key skills, and other information. 
• Stick to the recommended resume length: one page if possible, and two pages if necessary. Two-page resumes are only really an option for engineers with 10+ years of experience and an extensive list of accomplishments. 

Before submitting your resume, check whether the job ad mentions a preferred file format. If not, save your resume as a PDF. 

2. Synthesize a Chemical Engineer Resume Objective or Summary

Your resume profile statement is a lot like an abstract on an academic paper or article—It highlights the main ideas in a few short sentences, aiming to convey key information in one short paragraph. 

The purpose of a profile paragraph on a resume is simple: to let the recruiter know your strengths and value, enticing them to read the rest of your application. 

Here’s how to write a potent profile paragraph of your own: 

1. Start with an adjective (safety-conscious, detail-oriented, reliable, proven)
2. Add your job title and years of experience (chemical engineer with 4+ years of experience)
3. Outline how your skills will make you invaluable in this position (eager to apply my expertise towards boosting chemical process efficiency and sales at XYZ Company while maintaining the highest standards of safety and an incident-free manufacturing environment)
4. Mention 2–3 of your best, most relevant accomplishments that prove you’re capable of achieving what you mentioned in Step 3 (cut rate of incidents by 10% by introducing new chemical safety manuals, improved efficiency by 15% with no loss in final product quality, streamlined manufacturing processes and saved 20 man-hours per week without compromising sales or quality)
5. Weave in a few key skills if possible

And that’s the formula for producing a job-winning resume summary. It’s ideal if you have relevant work experience already—

If you’re an entry-level chemical engineer, write a resume objective instead. Use accomplishments from education, volunteering, placements, internships, and other jobs to highlight your skills and potential value to the employer. That’s how you formulate a job-winning chemical engineer resume objective.

Starting your resume can be tricky, especially if you’re trying to write a summary on an otherwise empty page. If you find you’re not making much progress, skip the profile for now and come back to it at the end. 

3. Compound Your Accomplishments Into a Work Experience Section With the Right Skills

You spend your days designing tailored solutions and improvements—So this next part should feel pretty familiar. 

The best way to prove you’re the ideal candidate for the job is to target your resume to the role, taking the company’s requirements and priorities into account. This way, when the recruiter picks up your resume, they’ll see straight away that you’re the answer to their troubles. 

It’ll be most evident in your resume’s work experience section, so take the time to tailor each of your job descriptions to the best of your ability. Here’s how: 

1. Analyze the job ad and isolate resume keywords—specific skills the employer mentions as requirements.
2. Think about each of those keywords—when have you used those skills in your previous jobs? 
3. Turn those examples into resume-worthy achievement statements—you’re aiming for short bullet points that start with verbs and include plenty of numbers to quantify your accomplishments. 

The magic number of bullets for each of your previous jobs is between 3 and 6. Feel free to highlight particularly impressive accomplishments as separate ‘key achievements’. And of course, remember to include the basic info about each of your previous jobs: your job title, the name of the employer, and dates of employment. 

Keywords serve another function, too: they make your resume more ATS-compliant. ATS, or Applicant Tracking Systems, are software solutions that scan, sort, and sometimes score incoming resumes for completeness and relevance. More keywords = higher score. 

So, include a bunch of them in your resume skills section as well—go for up to 10 most relevant skills, with a mix of hard (trade-specific) and soft (general) ones. Here are some ideas: 

Chemical Engineering Resume Skills

• Project Safety Management (PSM)
• Technical skills
• Project management skills
• OSHA regulations
• Management skills
• Troubleshooting
• Process improvement
• Risk mitigation
• Incident analysis
• Safe use of chemicals
• Risk assessment
• Analytical thinking
• Resource management
• Cost-effective production methods
• Hazardous waste disposal
• IT skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Time management skills
• Leadership skills
• Critical thinking skills
• Product design
• Product development
• Research
• Conceptual skills
• Data collection
• Communication skills
• Problem-solving skills
• Quality control
• Internal audits
• Computer skills
• Process simulation software
• Attention to detail
• Relevant legislation

Expert hint: Not sure where to list your internships? If you have a few years of paid work experience as a chemical engineer, mention internships under the education section (or skip them altogether if they no longer feel relevant). If you’re writing a resume with no experience, you can put internships under work experience and treat them as you would any other job. 

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4. Include an Education Section on Your Chemical Engineer Resume

A resume education section is a must-have, especially in a scientific field like yours—Start by listing the basics: your highest degree, the name of the college, and your years of attendance. If you graduated a few years ago and have been working in relevant jobs since, that’s all you need to do for this part. 

If you’re a recent grad and/or this will be your first chemical engineering job, include more detail with your education. Things like relevant coursework on your resume or a high GPA (3.7+) can prove you have the necessary skills to succeed. Extracurricular activities, scholarships, projects, and other accomplishments are fair game, too. 

Expert hint: Did you know that Texas is the number one state for chemical engineer employment? It’s also the one with the highest average earnings in the profession. If your area lacks job opportunities in your field and relocation is a viable option for you, consider broadening your search to include places with higher demand for chemical engineers. 

5. Complete Your Chemical Engineering Resume With Optional Sections

You have the essential components in place—Now for some optional ingredients. What else can you share with the recruiter that is relevant to your application and could boost your chances of getting hired? 

Think things like: 

• Your licenses and certifications, including continuing education and other courses
• Foreign languages you can speak
• Memberships in professional associations
• Publications
• Public appearances
• Conferences
• Projects
• Volunteer work

You can also list your interests on your resume, though that’s only a good idea if they’re directly relevant to your application. 

For best results, combine your resume with a cover letter. Writing a cover letter is an opportunity to highlight your most relevant experience to the recruiter and provide them with outright reasons to call you. 

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Key Points

Alright, let’s recap—Here’s how to write a successful chemical engineer resume: 

• Use the formula outlined above to format your document the right way. One-inch margins, clear sections, and a simple font will help keep your resume easy to read and navigate. 
• Start with a resume profile paragraph that outlines what you have to offer the employer. 
• Target your main resume sections to the job ad—focus on showing skills mentioned by the employer. In your work experience section, aim for achievement statements rather than basic descriptions of responsibilities. 
• Write a cover letter to go with your resume, outlining what makes you the perfect candidate for the role. 

Thanks for reading! Are you feeling confident about writing your chemical engineer resume? Perhaps you’d like more tips or have a question you’d like to ask? Use the comments section below, we’ll be sure to get back to you!

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