A laboratory chemist needs a variety of hard skills to excel in their role. These include proficiency in using lab equipment, knowledge of analytical methods, and experience with laboratory procedures. They should also be familiar with chromatography, sample preparation, and LIMS. According to Stephanie Hooper Marosek Ph.D., Chair and Associate Professor at Methodist University's Department of Chemistry and Physical Science, "Skills that make recent chemistry graduates stand out are research experience, internships, part-time work in labs, and hands-on familiarity with certain types of preparation, techniques, and analysis equipment."
In addition to these hard skills, laboratory chemists also need soft skills to succeed. They must be able to effectively communicate their findings and work well in diverse teams. As Daniel Ludwigsen, Department Head and Associate Professor of Physics at Kettering University, puts it, "Graduates from our programs often find that graduate degrees, masters, or even doctorates, fit into their career trajectories well. While these incorporate broadly applicable skills as well as valuable disciplinary perspective, these certificate programs often offer credit that can later be applied toward a graduate degree."
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical laboratory chemist skills. We ranked the top skills for laboratory chemists based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 7.7% of laboratory chemist resumes contained lab equipment as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a laboratory chemist needs to be successful in the workplace.
The eight most common skills for laboratory chemists in 2024 based on resume usage.