Top 12 Analytical Chemist Skills to Put on Your Resume
In the high-signal, high-stakes world of analytical chemistry, the skills you showcase can tilt the scales. Hiring managers scan fast. Clear, credible capabilities win attention. Below you’ll find the core technical strengths analytical chemists should highlight—practical, current, and tuned for real lab work and real hiring.
Analytical Chemist Skills
- HPLC (High-Performance Liquid Chromatography)
- GC-MS (Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry)
- NMR Spectroscopy (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance)
- FTIR Spectroscopy (Fourier Transform Infrared)
- ICP-MS (Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry)
- UV/Vis Spectrophotometry
- LC-MS (Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry)
- GPC (Gel Permeation Chromatography)
- Electrochemistry
- TGA (Thermogravimetric Analysis)
- DSC (Differential Scanning Calorimetry)
- XRD (X-ray Diffraction)
1. HPLC (High-Performance Liquid Chromatography)
HPLC separates, identifies, and quantifies components in complex mixtures by pushing a mobile phase through a packed column under high pressure. Sharp peaks. Clean baselines. Actionable data.
Why It's Important
It’s the go-to for purity checks, stability studies, and trace-level quantitation across pharma, environmental, and materials workflows—fast, precise, and broadly adaptable.
How to Improve HPLC (High-Performance Liquid Chromatography) Skills
Dial in performance with small, targeted changes:
Column choice: Match stationary phase and particle size to analyte chemistry and required resolution; UHPLC particles boost efficiency but demand higher pressure.
Mobile phase: Tune pH, buffer strength, and organic modifier; consider gradients for complex matrices and volatile buffers if pairing with MS.
Flow and temperature: Adjust flow rate and column temperature to sharpen peaks and cut run times without sacrificing resolution.
Sample prep: Filter, dilute, or use SPE/QuEChERS as needed to prevent fouling and improve reproducibility.
Detector settings: Set wavelengths, bandwidths, and sampling rates sensibly; validate linearity and dynamic range.
Method validation: Assess specificity, accuracy, precision, LOD/LOQ, linearity, and robustness.
Maintenance: Replace seals and frits, flush salts, condition columns, and track system backpressure trends.
How to Display HPLC (High-Performance Liquid Chromatography) Skills on Your Resume
2. GC-MS (Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry)
GC-MS separates volatile/semi-volatile compounds by GC, then identifies and quantifies them by mass spectrometry. Fingerprints and fragments tell the story.
Why It's Important
High selectivity and sensitivity for trace organics, residual solvents, flavors, forensics, and environmental targets—often with definitive identification.
How to Improve GC-MS (Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry) Skills
Small tweaks, big payoffs:
Column parameters: Length, ID, and film thickness should match analyte volatility and complexity. Shorter/thinner can speed runs but may reduce resolution—balance carefully.
Carrier gas strategy: Choose gas and linear velocity for efficiency and safety; verify leak-free pneumatics and stable flows.
Oven program: Use smart ramps and holds to resolve coelutions while keeping cycle times tight.
Injection optimization: Pick split/splitless/PTV based on concentration and matrix; use fresh liners and septa to protect peak shape.
MS tuning: Optimize ion source conditions, quadrupole settings, and detector parameters; schedule periodic autotune and contamination checks.
Data processing: Apply deconvolution, spectral libraries, and appropriate quant/qual ions; verify integration rules and calibration models.
Preventive care: Replace liners, trim columns, clean sources, and monitor high vacuum health to preserve sensitivity.
How to Display GC-MS (Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry) Skills on Your Resume
3. NMR Spectroscopy (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance)
NMR reveals molecular structure and dynamics by probing nuclei in a magnetic field. Subtle couplings, chemical shifts, and relaxation behavior map connectivity and conformation.
Why It's Important
Structure confirmation, impurity profiling, stereochemistry—NMR answers questions chromatographic methods can’t touch.
How to Improve NMR Spectroscopy (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) Skills
Push signal clarity and interpretability:
Sample prep: Use deuterated solvents, correct concentrations, and clean tubes; avoid paramagnetic impurities.
Shimming and calibration: Maintain field homogeneity and lock stability; reference properly.
Temperature control: Stabilize temperature to reduce line broadening and conformational averaging.
Pulse sequences: Select targeted 1D/2D experiments (COSY, HSQC, HMBC, NOESY/ROESY) based on the question at hand.
Acquisition parameters: Optimize relaxation delays, number of scans, and spectral width for sensitivity and quantitation.
Processing: Apply thoughtful apodization, phase correction, baseline correction, and peak picking; use robust fitting where needed.
Higher fields/cryoprobes: When available, leverage for throughput or low-abundance samples.
How to Display NMR Spectroscopy (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) Skills on Your Resume
4. FTIR Spectroscopy (Fourier Transform Infrared)
FTIR measures infrared absorption to identify functional groups and characterize chemical structures in solids, liquids, and gases—quickly and without destroying the sample.
Why It's Important
Ideal for rapid ID, contamination checks, polymer characterization, and QA decisions where speed matters.
How to Improve FTIR Spectroscopy (Fourier Transform Infrared) Skills
Raise signal, lower noise:
Smart sampling: Use ATR for most solids and liquids; ensure good contact and clean crystals. For pellets or films, aim for uniform thickness.
Instrument care: Calibrate regularly; pick resolution and scan counts that balance S/N with throughput.
Atmospheric control: Limit water and CO₂ interference with desiccation or purge gases if needed.
Spectral processing: Apply baseline correction, smoothing, and deconvolution judiciously; avoid over-processing.
Libraries and chemometrics: Maintain current libraries and consider multivariate models for complex mixtures.
Good hygiene: Clean optics, keep consumables lint-free, and standardize sampling pressure and timing.
How to Display FTIR Spectroscopy (Fourier Transform Infrared) Skills on Your Resume
5. ICP-MS (Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry)
ICP-MS ionizes elements in a hot plasma and measures mass-to-charge ratios with extreme sensitivity. Trace metals, isotopes, and ultratrace contaminants—measured swiftly.
Why It's Important
When regulations tighten and limits drop, ICP-MS delivers low detection limits, wide dynamic range, and speed across environmental, bioanalytical, and industrial matrices.
How to Improve ICP-MS (Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry) Skills
Stability first, then sensitivity:
Sample introduction: Match nebulizer and spray chamber to matrix; optimize gas flows and uptake; filter or dilute high-TDS samples.
Plasma robustness: Tune RF power and gas flows for stable ionization and minimal matrix suppression.
Interference control: Use collision/reaction cell methods, appropriate reaction gases, and smart isotope selection.
Internal standards: Correct for drift and matrix effects with carefully chosen internal standards.
Calibration and QC: Use multi-point curves, independent check standards, and frequent blanks; track control charts.
Cleanliness and maintenance: Keep cones, torch, lenses, and nebulizers clean; replace worn parts on schedule.
How to Display ICP-MS (Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry) Skills on Your Resume
6. UV/Vis Spectrophotometry
UV/Vis measures absorbance or transmittance across ultraviolet and visible wavelengths to quantify analytes and study reaction kinetics or purity.
Why It's Important
Fast, economical, and reliable for concentration measurements, assay development, and routine QC checks.
How to Improve UV/Vis Spectrophotometry Skills
Clarity in, clarity out:
Clean samples: Use appropriate solvents; remove particulates and bubbles; match blanks carefully.
Calibration: Verify wavelength accuracy and photometric linearity with standards; recalibrate on schedule.
Cuvettes: Choose correct path length and material (quartz for UV); align consistently and keep surfaces pristine.
Baseline handling: Run baselines frequently and apply corrections to limit drift artifacts.
Method validation: Demonstrate specificity, linearity, precision, and accuracy for your matrix.
Data integrity: Standardize integration windows and smoothing; document instrument settings.
How to Display UV/Vis Spectrophotometry Skills on Your Resume
7. LC-MS (Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry)
LC-MS merges chromatographic separation with mass detection for high-selectivity analysis in complex matrices—small molecules, lipids, peptides, you name it.
Why It's Important
Trace-level sensitivity, selectivity against interferences, and structural clues make LC-MS indispensable in pharma, proteomics, food safety, and metabolomics.
How to Improve LC-MS (Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry) Skills
Keep systems clean and methods sharp:
Sample cleanup: Use SPE, protein precipitation, or dilution to reduce matrix effects and ion suppression.
Column strategy: Select phase, dimensions, and temperature for retention and peak shape; guard columns protect investment.
Mobile phases: Use volatile buffers; adjust pH and ionic strength to stabilize ionization and improve peak symmetry.
Gradient design: Shape gradients to resolve critical pairs while maintaining throughput; include re-equilibration time.
Source and MS tuning: Optimize nebulizer gas, temperatures, voltages, and scan settings; pick MRM/PRM transitions thoughtfully.
Calibration and QC: Use stable isotope-labeled internal standards when possible; verify recovery and matrix effects.
Preventive maintenance: Flush salts, replace frits and seals, and monitor vacuum and source contamination.
How to Display LC-MS (Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry) Skills on Your Resume
8. GPC (Gel Permeation Chromatography)
Also known as SEC, GPC separates polymers by hydrodynamic volume to determine molecular weight averages and distributions—key to performance and processing.
Why It's Important
Polymer properties hinge on molecular weight and dispersity. GPC provides those numbers with the fidelity needed for R&D and QC.
How to Improve GPC (Gel Permeation Chromatography) Skills
Resolution and reliability are the targets:
Column selection: Choose pore sizes covering the expected range; stack columns for broader distributions; use guard columns.
Solvent and temperature: Match solvent to polymer solubility; control viscosity and temperature for reproducibility.
Sample handling: Filter gently to avoid shear; ensure full dissolution and avoid aggregation.
Calibration: Use appropriate standards (narrow dispersity) and verify against multi-detector methods when available.
Flow stability: Keep pump pulses low; verify system dwell volume and minimize dead volume.
Data analysis: Apply correct dn/dc values and universal calibration when using viscometry; record dispersity with context.
How to Display GPC (Gel Permeation Chromatography) Skills on Your Resume
9. Electrochemistry
Electrochemistry explores redox processes and charge transfer at interfaces. Techniques like voltammetry, amperometry, and potentiometry unlock composition, kinetics, and mechanisms.
Why It's Important
Sensors, batteries, corrosion studies, trace analyte detection—electrochemistry underpins them all with direct, sensitive measurements.
How to Improve Electrochemistry Skills
Clean interfaces and controlled conditions rule the day:
Electrode materials: Select and condition electrodes (glassy carbon, gold, platinum, modified carbons) to enhance electron transfer.
Surface prep: Polish consistently; regenerate surfaces between runs; minimize fouling with proper potentials and cleaning protocols.
Electrolyte design: Choose supporting electrolytes and pH to stabilize analytes and reduce migration effects.
Cell geometry: Use suitable reference and counter electrodes; control iR drop and stirring.
Method selection: Match technique to goal (CV for mechanisms, SWV/DPV for sensitivity, EIS for interfaces and kinetics).
Temperature and oxygen: Control temperature; deoxygenate where oxygen reduction interferes.
How to Display Electrochemistry Skills on Your Resume
10. TGA (Thermogravimetric Analysis)
TGA tracks mass change with temperature or time under controlled atmospheres. It reveals composition, thermal stability, moisture, and decomposition pathways.
Why It's Important
From polymers to pharmaceuticals, TGA informs formulation, processing limits, and lifetime predictions.
How to Improve TGA (Thermogravimetric Analysis) Skills
Sharper events, cleaner baselines:
Sample prep: Use representative, uniform masses and pan types; avoid overloading; ensure good contact.
Calibration: Regularly calibrate temperature and mass using certified references; verify buoyancy corrections.
Atmosphere control: Select purge gas and flow carefully (inert for stability, oxidative for combustion profiles); maintain stable flows.
Heating profiles: Adjust rates to resolve overlapping steps; combine dynamic ramps with isothermal holds when needed.
DTG and kinetics: Use derivative curves to separate events; apply kinetic models for activation energies and mechanisms.
Coupled techniques: Consider TGA-FTIR or TGA-MS to identify evolved gases for deeper insight.
How to Display TGA (Thermogravimetric Analysis) Skills on Your Resume
11. DSC (Differential Scanning Calorimetry)
DSC measures heat flow associated with transitions and reactions—melting, glass transitions, crystallization, curing—across temperature ramps or holds.
Why It's Important
It maps thermal behavior that drives processing, stability, and performance in pharmaceuticals, polymers, and composites.
How to Improve DSC (Differential Scanning Calorimetry) Skills
Resolution and repeatability are your allies:
Sample integrity: Use homogeneous samples with appropriate mass; seal pans properly (hermetic when needed).
Calibration: Calibrate temperature and enthalpy with high-purity standards; verify baseline stability.
Atmosphere: Choose inert or oxidative purges purposefully; keep flows consistent.
Scan rates: Slower rates improve resolution; faster rates accelerate throughput—pick per objective.
Modulated DSC: Separate reversing and nonreversing events to clarify complex transitions.
Complementary data: Pair with TGA or microscopy to interpret overlapping events or subtle transitions.
How to Display DSC (Differential Scanning Calorimetry) Skills on Your Resume
12. XRD (X-ray Diffraction)
XRD determines crystalline structures, identifies phases, and measures lattice parameters by analyzing diffraction patterns produced by X-ray interaction with matter.
Why It's Important
Crystallinity, polymorphs, phase purity—XRD provides the structural fingerprints that guide materials design and QC.
How to Improve XRD (X-ray Diffraction) Skills
Peak quality in, peak quality out:
Sample preparation: Use back-loading for powders to reduce preferred orientation; ensure flat, smooth surfaces; prepare thin films with uniform thickness.
Acquisition settings: Balance resolution and time with smart step sizes and scan speeds; set voltage/current to maximize intensity without damaging samples.
Optics: Apply monochromators or filters to reduce Kα2; use appropriate slits/collimators for peak shape and intensity.
Environment control: Use temperature, humidity, or controlled-atmosphere stages to study phase changes and stability.
Data analysis: Use robust phase ID and refinement routines; apply Rietveld refinement for quantitative phase analysis and structural parameters.
Calibration and care: Check instrument alignment with standards; maintain tubes and detectors for consistent performance.
How to Display XRD (X-ray Diffraction) Skills on Your Resume
