How do I write a resume for a chemical engineer?

Your resume should include:

• A header section at the top with your name and contact information

• An objective statement regarding why you are interested in this specific position with the company.

• If you are a recent graduate, you can include more of your core skills

• Include which software you are proficient with

• If you have work experience, make sure to quantify achievements

• Finish with Education and Certifications

Important note: it is important to explain how your work experience or skill set is relevant to the job you are applying for. If you are new in the field and want to show the employer that you have other accomplishments like managing or leading people in an unrelated field, like the military or retail, include numbers or statistics, such as:

• How many people you have managed

• Under what conditions

• What kinds of problems did you solve as a leader or team member?

Employers are interested to see what kind of process improvements, laboratory testing, and experiments you have worked on. Keywords that are frequently searched by employers in resume databases are:

• Chemistry

• Statistics

• Improvement process

• Continual Improvement process

• Chromatography

• Experiment

Work experience can include internships, work projects, and accomplishments. A background in chemical manufacturing is a plus. Do not exclude or underplay any relevant experience.

You may have to spell things out for the algorithm or the human resource professional who is the gatekeeper that refers you to the next stage hiring party. It's important to keep acronyms or workplace jargon to a minimum in the application.

You will have better results researching a job and crafting a resume relevant to the position you are applying for, rather than mass submission of a generic resume. Another strategy for success is to find a chemical engineer or manager who works for the company to learn more about the hiring process and what employers are looking for.