Chemical Engineer CV Guide + Tips + Example
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Build a professional chemical engineer CV to showcase your analytical skills and Use our guide, tips and example to create or improve your chemical engineer CV. Create an effective customer service executive CV. Showcase your technical and soft skills by using this guide, tips and examples. Use our CV Maker to move forward in your career!
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Chemical engineer CV example (text version)
Fiona Myers
Phoenix, AZ 85051
(555) 555-5555
example@example.com
Summary Statement
Resourceful chemical engineer specializing in the development of environmentally friendly construction materials. Combined knowledge of chemistry and product design to create functional products and manufacturing equipment. Fabricates prototypes, collects testing data, runs statistical analysis and redesigns as necessary. Ensures products comply with industry safety standards.
Core Qualifications
- Organic chemistry
- Technical documentation
- Hazardous materials
- Chemical manufacturing
- Data analysis FTIR
- Time management
- Attention to detail
Education
- Arizona State University Tempe, AZ
Master of Science Chemical Engineering - Arizona State University Tempe, AZ
Bachelor of Science Chemical Engineering
Work Experience
November 2020 – Current
Tarr, LLC – Phoenix, AZ
Senior Chemical Engineer
- Develop three construction products from recycled materials, reducing waste by 55%.
- Lead 10 focus groups with contractors to pinpoint sought-after traits for new products.
- Invent methods for converting metal scraps into sturdy and functional construction components.
- Improve the composition of standard cement to make it stronger, more flexible and more versatile.
- Design a custom cement mixer that will create optimal texture for a new formula.
- Collaborate with fabrication teams to ensure product quality.
- Build a machine that simplifies the sorting of construction waste, promoting environmentally-friendly disposal practices and reducing safety risks by 97%.
- Model prototypes in AutoCAD.
- Test products in development for function and safety.
September 2015 – October 2020
Kaeko, Inc. – Phoenix, AZ
Chemical Engineer
- Tested and analyzed household cleaning products in development.
- Directed experiments comparing the strength levels of various formulas.
- Assessed formulas for cleaning efficiency and rated the performance of each ingredient, reducing safety risk by 96%.
- Estimated cost for mass-producing each formula.
- Ran statistical analyses to identify formulas with an optimal blend of production costs, cleaning effectiveness and safety for household use.
- Consistently recommended profitable formulas that were highly rated by consumers, increasing the company’s profits by 15% after formulas entered the market.
June 2012 – August 2015
CDM Smith – Phoenix, AZ
Assistant Chemical Engineer
- Investigated properties and functions of chemical compounds.
- Proposed plan to start a line of outdoor recreation products, leading the company to access a new market, boosting 10% of revenues.
- Formulated compounds that improved upon waterproofing technologies.
- Invented tarp with the increased water-repelling ability and advanced durability.
- Recommended and implemented sustainable manufacturing processes for products, improving durability by 35%.
Research Experience
- Conducted research within the consumer base to determine gaps in the market and identify desirable characteristics for new products.
- Worked and participated in thesis assessment as Research Lead in “Enhancing and Optimizing Production and Experimentation Process” (2018) Arizona State University
- Validated incoming data to check information accuracy and integrity while independently locating and correcting concerns as a research assistant in “Chemical Engineering: Safety, Ethics and Environment” (2015), Arizona State University
Conference Attendance
- 19th Global Congress on Process Safety, Houston, TX – (2023)
- International Conference on Instrumentation and Control Systems (CICS), Vancouver, Canada – (2023)
- Annual AIChE Meeting, Phoenix, AZ – (2022)
- American Chemical Society Annual Convention, Virtual – (2021)
Honors and Awards
- Community Service Award, winner – (2017)
- Earned the 2015 National Sustainability Star Award for contributions to the construction industry. (2015)
Professional Affiliations and Memberships
- American Chemical Society – (2022)
- American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) – (2021)
- Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Arizona State University – (2015)
Certifications and Licenses
- Certified Chemical Engineer (CChE) – (Updated 2022)
- Certified Professional Chemist (CPC) – (Updated 2021)
- Safety and Chemical Engineering Education (SAChE) – (2021)
Profession Relevant Skills
- Detail-oriented mindset enables me to notice errors and recognize advantages.
- Persistent problem-solver, reevaluating obstacles as many times as necessary to make market-ready products.
- Proficient with MS Office, MATLAB, AutoCAD, SolidWorks, Microsoft Visio and SQL.
- Strong command of business principles, enabling me to make intelligent product proposals and formulate accurate job estimates for supervisors and customers.
- Expertise working with flash column chromatography.
Languages
- English
Native or Bilingual - German
Native or Bilingual - Spanish
Professional Working - French
Professional Working
Hobbies and Interests
- Participates in equestrian competitions and shows.
- Leads local Girl Scouts troop.
- Volunteers with Habitat for Humanity every summer.
- Plays the oboe in a local amateur orchestra.
- Attends weekly practices and has quarterly performances.
5 essentials of a top chemical engineer CV
Contact details
Start with the basics: your contact details. This section should include your full name, city, state and ZIP code, phone number and email address. Finally, include your professional website, portfolio, LinkedIn profile or any other professional networking profile, like a specialized association or other membership.
Personal statement
This section is your introduction to the hiring manager. Also called the professional summary, it consists of five or fewer sentences where you introduce yourself, present your strongest skills, best professional accomplishments and years of experience. Always tailor it to the job description to grab the hiring manager’s attention.
Skills
Create a skills section that catches the recruiter’s attention by including keywords from the chemical engineer job description. Use a bulleted list to highlight your hard skills, like thin film deposition and optical microscopy, and soft skills, such as collaboration and time management.
If you’re applying for your first chemical engineer job, you can include transferable skills from other employment and skills from your academic career.
Work history
List your previous employment in reverse-chronological order. Add the company name, location and dates of employment and, under each job, add a bulleted list with achievements. For example, the type of analysis completed, developments you made and research presentation. Write as much detail as possible for each achievement.
If you’re applying for your first chemical engineer, include relevant work experience and academic accomplishments.
Education
Include the school’s name, the degree conferred and the graduation date. Also, include your research, thesis and important projects. Omit the date if it has been more than 10 years since graduation.
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Action words for a stand-out chemical engineer CV
Action words are powerful. Use them to directly state what you’ve done and accomplished during your professional or academic career. Combine them with numbers to make an impact with a showstopper chemical engineer CV.
Here’s a short list of action words for a chemical engineer CV:
- Provided
- Analyzed
- Developed
- Organized
- Performed
- Constructed
- Evaluated
- Led
- Finalized
- Increased
- Measured
- Simulated
- Synthesized
- Presented
We can help you create or improve your chemical engineering CV. Our CV Maker has all the tools you need, plus it provides a step-by-step guide. Consider the expert suggestions, and once you’re satisfied, download it in multiple formats. We have 300+ CV examples to help you create the perfect chemical engineer CV.
Top skills for a chemical engineer CV
Review the job description carefully and match the required skills to the skills and traits that fit you.
These are examples of skills to include in your chemical engineer CV:
- Organic Chemistry
- Electrochemistry
- Safety
- Kinetic
- FTIR
- UV-VIS Spectroscopy
- Flash Column Chromatography
- Data analysis
- Problem-solving
- Microsoft Office
- MATLAB
- Object-oriented design
- Collaboration
- Time management
- Attention to detail
Certifications for a chemical engineer CV
A CV for a chemical engineer should list the certifications that support your knowledge and expertise.
Here are a few certifications for a chemical engineer:
- Certified Chemical Engineer (CChE)
- Certified Professional Chemist (CPC)
- Safety and Chemical Engineering Education (SAChE)
Pair your CV with a matching cover letter
Chemical engineer CV FAQ
How to write a CV for a chemical engineer?
A CV is a comprehensive overview of your career as a chemical engineer.
To start:
- Save or screenshot the job description — Use the keywords from the skills and requirements to tailor your resume. This will catch the employer’s attention.
- Choose a clear and modern template — Your template can show personal style, but, most importantly, it should highlight your career.
- Write your primary sections: contact details, personal statement, work experience and education.
Once you’ve completed the basics, move on to sections that could make a difference.
- Create a section for each: training and certifications. Include the completed or expiry date, as applicable.
- Include awards and honors with the names and dates received.
- Add another section for special projects or important academic work you’ve collaborated on.
- Add a section focused on community initiatives and volunteer work.
- If you have hobbies related to your industry or the company’s mission, add them in a special category using bullet points.
How much does a chemical engineer make?
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median pay of a chemical engineer is $105,550 per year, $50.75 per hour. This career is projected to grow 14% during this decade, faster than the 7% average for most occupations. Building or updating your CV to highlight your strongest skills and most job-relevant experience can help you stand out. Tools like our CV Maker can help you create a CV to grab the hiring manager’s attention.
What skills should you put on your CV as a chemical engineer?
- Match your skills to the job description, to attract the right attention.
- Your strongest skills should go in the summary of your chemical engineer CV.
- You can separate skills by area, for example, laboratory skills, computational skills, experimental skills and so on.
- Remember that your work history will include your accomplishments, which also show your skills.
Do’s and don’ts for building a chemical engineer CV
- Use measurable achievements to describe your chemical engineer skills and experience.
- Use action words to make an impact on your chemical engineer CV.
- Tailor your CV to your target chemical engineer job.
- Use keywords from the job description throughout your chemical engineer CV.
- Format your chemical engineer CV so that it is easy to read by ATS software and human eyes.
- Lie about your chemical engineer experience and skills.
- Boast about your “incomparable” chemical engineer abilities.
- Include irrelevant personal information such as your ethnicity and age.
- Add skills and experience not pertaining to a chemical engineer CV.
- Forget to proofread. A chemical engineer CV with errors is unprofessional.
Top 4 tips for acing a chemical engineer interview
Research your potential employer.
Before your chemical engineer interview, learn about the company, its history, values and mission. It will help prepare you for the interview and create questions to showcase your strength as a candidate. Use their official channels, the news and, if you know a previous or current employee, ask them about their experience working for the company.
Practice.
Prepare for the big day by practicing an interview at home. Start by reviewing the most common interview questions, such as:
- How Do You Determine Priorities in Scheduling Your Time?
- What Kind of Supervisor Do You Work Best for?
- Tell Me About a Time When You Went Beyond the Call of Duty to Get the Job Done
- Talk About a Time When You Were Under a Heavy Workload. How Did You Handle It?
Ask a trusted person to perform a practice interview. Use these questions or research for others. Once you’re done, ask your interview partner for feedback on your answers, tone and body language. Practice will ease your nerves and help you in future interviews.
Pro tip: Practice your answers in front of a mirror.
Ask good questions
You are also interviewing the employer. Use the opportunity to learn more about the inner workings of the company and how it could help your career. Prepare three to five open-ended questions and give the interviewer time to answer. Be ready to come up with new questions during the interview.
Here are a few examples for inspiration:
- What is the day-to-day like for this position?
- What are the expectations for the role?
- What type of training do you provide to the executive level?
- Is this a new role? If not, how has it changed? If yes, why was it created?
Get references.
Contact former managers and colleagues to be potential references. They should vouch for you, your experience, work ethic and skills. Explain to them where you are in the process and let them know when to expect a phone call or email. Also, ask your references to prepare two letters of recommendation for you.
If this is your first job as a chemical engineer, you can reach out to mentors, professors and supervisors from other employment.
Resume examples for the next step in your engineering career
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Chemical Engineer CV Example
Nilda Melissa is a Certified Professional Resume Writer who has written for The Washington Post and Latina Style Magazine. She has a master's in Journalism from Columbia University and is a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.
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