Resume Preparation – Tips for Chemical Professionals
This booklet, written for the chemical professional at any career stage, is based on a review of various résumé sources and interviews with recruiters.
This guide has been written to help you make the best possible first impression on a potential employer. It is based on various résumé writing sources and interviews with industrial recruiters, who offer their best advice on how to craft attention-getting résumés. (See the bibliography in Appendix A.)
Creating the perfect résumé is part science, part art—and a lot of hard work. You must be willing to spend considerable time reflecting on your skills and accomplishments, formulating career goals for your future, then composing and editing the document. Because this important tool is used to get you an interview with a potential employer, it should be clear, accurate, and concise.
Your résumé outlines your career objective and/or highlights of your career to date, education, major skills and accomplishments, work experience, references, and other items. Its purpose is to convince a potential employer that you’re an outstanding candidate who will make positive contributions.
There are four kinds of career documentation:
- Résumés: use this form when applying for industrial and corporate positions
- Curriculum vitae: use this form when applying for academic positions
- Federal Job Application, OF-612 (formerly the SF-171): this is a requirement of the federal job application process
- Federal government résumé (a specific form dictated by government needs): this is sometimes an option offered by a government agency to the applicant--meaning that an applicant may either submit an OF-612 or a federal government resume.
As you read this guide, keep in mind that if you talk to 10 different people, you’ll get 10 different versions of what to put on your résumé. Formats can vary. Your primary goal is to communicate enough information about yourself to prompt an interview.
After you have created your résumé, written your curriculum vitae, or filled out your OF-612, take advantage of the many professional and employment services offered by the ACS. (See Appendix B for details).
The American Chemical Society Department of Career Services (DCS) offers career assistance and information on employment issues to chemistry professionals.
Disclaimer
This guide is meant to serve as a basic information resource on résumé preparation to chemists. Information was compiled from published sources that we deemed reliable (see Bibliography, Appendix A and Appendix B). Readers should consult the appropriate authorities for additional information or assistance beyond the scope of this guide. The American Chemical Society (ACS) does not guarantee employment to any reader of this document or accept responsibility for setting standards with regard to any topic discussed herein. ACS and the authors, contributors, and reviewers also are not responsible for the accuracy of information obtained from other sources