Top 12 Formulation Chemist Skills to Put on Your Resume
Breaking through in formulation chemistry takes more than lab muscle. It’s a mix of sharp analytical technique, smart experimental design, and judgment honed by messy real-world constraints. Put your strongest formulation chemist skills front and center on your resume so hiring managers see evidence of rigor, creativity, and day-in, day-out reliability.
Formulation Chemist Skills
- HPLC (High-Performance Liquid Chromatography)
- GC-MS (Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry)
- FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy)
- UV/Vis Spectroscopy
- NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance)
- Rheology
- DSC (Differential Scanning Calorimetry)
- TGA (Thermogravimetric Analysis)
- GPC (Gel Permeation Chromatography)
- Formulation Stability
- Particle Size Analysis
- Emulsion Technology
1. HPLC (High-Performance Liquid Chromatography)
HPLC is a precise, high-resolution technique for separating, identifying, and quantifying components in complex mixtures. In formulations, it’s the workhorse for potency, purity, content uniformity, and degradation profiling.
Why It's Important
It safeguards product quality. You can track actives and impurities, verify batch-to-batch consistency, and validate shelf-life claims with confidence.
How to Improve HPLC (High-Performance Liquid Chromatography) Skills
Sharpening HPLC means tuning both chemistry and hardware:
Column selection: Match stationary phase, particle size, and dimensions to analyte polarity and complexity. Smaller particles boost resolution; expect higher backpressure.
Mobile phase control: Optimize organic/aqueous ratios, pH, buffer strength, and gradients. Mind buffer volatility for MS detection.
Flow and temperature: Balance speed and separation. Elevated column temps can tighten peaks and stabilize retention.
Sample prep discipline: Filter, dilute, and clean up matrices to protect columns and reduce tailing. Consistency beats heroics.
Method development and validation: Systematically optimize selectivity, linearity, accuracy, precision, LOD/LOQ, robustness, and specificity.
Instrument care: Prime, degas, replace seals/lamps, and track performance with system suitability tests.
Do this well and your chromatograms stop arguing with you.
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 components by GC, then pinpoints identities and quantities via mass spectra. Perfect for residual solvents, fragrance/allergen mapping, extractables/leachables, and trace impurities.
Why It's Important
You get unambiguous IDs, sensitive quantitation, and forensic-level insight into complex matrices, which keeps products consistent and compliant.
How to Improve GC-MS (Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry) Skills
Sample prep: Use appropriate extraction/cleanup (SPME, LLE, QuEChERS). Control carryover; keep vials clean and caps tight.
Tune and calibrate: Verify mass accuracy, detector gain, and ion source conditions. A clean source is a quiet source.
Column choices: Select stationary phase and film thickness for volatility and polarity ranges; mind maximum oven temp.
Method optimization: Adjust inlet liners, split ratios, temperature ramps, and MS acquisition (SIM vs. scan) for sensitivity and speed.
Data analysis: Use high-quality spectral libraries, apply deconvolution where needed, and sanity-check match factors.
Preventive maintenance: Replace septa and liners regularly, check leaks, watch vacuum levels, and document trends.
Ongoing learning: Short courses, vendor seminars, and internal round-robins sharpen judgment fast.
How to Display GC-MS (Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry) Skills on Your Resume

3. FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy)
FTIR reads molecular vibrations to reveal functional groups, interactions, and material identity. ATR makes it fast; transmission offers depth when you need it.
Why It's Important
Compatibility checks, raw material ID, polymorph hints, and degradation fingerprints—FTIR handles them in minutes, often non-destructively.
How to Improve FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy) Skills
Right sampling mode: ATR for minimal prep; KBr pellets or thin films when deeper penetration or better signal is required.
Resolution and scans: Commonly 4 cm-1; increase scans for dilute samples to improve signal-to-noise.
Background rigor: Collect frequent backgrounds; purge if water/CO2 interference creeps in.
Mindful processing: Baseline correct and smooth sparingly; avoid over-processing that hides real peaks.
Calibration/verification: Use standards to confirm wavenumber accuracy and instrument health.
Environmental control: Stable temperature and humidity reduce drift and noise.
How to Display FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy) Skills on Your Resume

4. UV/Vis Spectroscopy
UV/Vis measures light absorption to quantify analytes, check purity, and monitor reactions. Quick, gentle, and perfect for routine checks or stability trending.
Why It's Important
It offers rapid quantitation with minimal sample prep—ideal for in-process control, release testing, and kinetic studies.
How to Improve UV/Vis Spectroscopy Skills
Clean samples: Filter or centrifuge to curb scattering. Pick solvents transparent in your wavelength window.
Right pathlength: Match cuvette pathlength to concentration; avoid saturating the detector.
Proper blanks: Baseline with matching solvent and vessel to minimize drift and artifacts.
Wavelength checks: Verify wavelength accuracy with standards; recalibrate on schedule.
Thoughtful analysis: Use spectral scans to catch interferences, apply appropriate calibration models, and validate linear ranges.
How to Display UV/Vis Spectroscopy Skills on Your Resume

5. NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance)
NMR reveals molecular structure, dynamics, and composition by probing nuclear spins in a magnetic field. For formulations, it can confirm identity, detect trace residuals, and assess interactions.
Why It's Important
Structural certainty. When purity or identity questions linger, NMR settles them with detail other techniques can’t touch.
How to Improve NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) Skills
Sample discipline: Use deuterated solvents, correct concentrations, and clean tubes. Homogeneity matters.
Shimming and locking: Good shims tighten lines; stable locks keep data steady.
Pulse programs: Choose 1D/2D sequences wisely (COSY, HSQC, HMBC, NOESY) to resolve complexity.
Solvent suppression: Apply presaturation or modern suppression schemes to reveal minor components.
Temperature control: Adjust to manage exchange broadening or conformational effects.
Decoupling strategies: Use proton or carbon decoupling to simplify spectra and boost sensitivity.
Robust processing: Zero filling, apodization, phase/baseline correction—do them deliberately, not by habit.
How to Display NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) Skills on Your Resume

6. Rheology
Rheology examines how materials flow and deform. For creams, gels, suspensions, and pastes, it dictates feel, stability, and performance.
Why It's Important
From pumpability to spread, from suspension stability to pour—rheology shapes user experience and keeps products intact through shelf life.
How to Improve Rheology Skills
Rheology modifiers: Select thickeners, gellants, or associative polymers fit for your solvent system and ionic strength.
pH and ionic balance: Ionization shifts viscosity and yield stress; tune pH and electrolytes deliberately.
Thermal profile: Map viscosity vs. temperature to set processing and storage windows.
Particle interactions: Control flocculation with surfactants, dispersants, or salts; consider nano-fillers for reinforcement.
Processing history: Shear, time, and order of addition rewrite rheology. Record and replicate.
Measure smart: Use appropriate geometries, shear rates, and time sweeps; capture thixotropy and yield behavior.
How to Display Rheology Skills on Your Resume

7. DSC (Differential Scanning Calorimetry)
DSC measures heat flow into or out of a sample during controlled heating or cooling. It spots melting, crystallization, glass transitions, curing, and other thermal events central to stability and process design.
Why It's Important
Thermal transitions govern form, function, and shelf life. DSC tells you where trouble starts—and how to avoid it.
How to Improve DSC (Differential Scanning Calorimetry) Skills
Prepare samples well: Homogeneous, right-sized loads; use sealed pans for volatiles or moisture-sensitive materials.
Calibrate routinely: Verify temperature and enthalpy with known standards.
Baselines matter: Run empty-pan references to correct drift; keep pans consistent.
Optimize rates: Slower ramps sharpen transitions; faster ramps mimic processing—pick what answers the question.
Analyze thoroughly: Deconvolute overlapping peaks, compare heating/cooling cycles, and correlate with other methods (e.g., XRPD, TGA).
How to Display DSC (Differential Scanning Calorimetry) Skills on Your Resume

8. TGA (Thermogravimetric Analysis)
TGA tracks mass changes as temperature shifts. Moisture, solvent loss, decomposition steps, filler content—TGA lays them out clearly.
Why It's Important
Thermal stability and composition drive processing limits and storage guidance. TGA gives the numbers, not guesswork.
How to Improve TGA (Thermogravimetric Analysis) Skills
Instrument checks: Calibrate temperature and mass routinely; confirm buoyancy corrections.
Consistent samples: Uniform masses and particle size reduce variability; avoid overloading pans.
Atmosphere control: Inert vs. oxidative gases reveal different mechanisms; use purges and flow rates consistently.
Heating profiles: Adjust ramps to separate overlapping events; isotherms help quantify steady-state loss.
Combined techniques: Couple with DSC, MS, or FTIR to identify evolved gases and decode mechanisms.
Clean baselines: Condition pans and balance arms; keep the furnace spotless.
How to Display TGA (Thermogravimetric Analysis) Skills on Your Resume

9. GPC (Gel Permeation Chromatography)
GPC, a size-exclusion method, determines polymer molecular weight and distribution. For rheology, film strength, and release profiles, this data is golden.
Why It's Important
Polymer performance lives in the distribution, not just the average. GPC maps it, guiding selection and process tweaks.
How to Improve GPC (Gel Permeation Chromatography) Skills
Sample integrity: Fully dissolve, filter particulates, and avoid shear degradation or aggregation.
Column strategy: Choose pore sizes to span the expected MW range; consider multi-column sets for broad distributions.
Solvent quality: HPLC-grade solvents, rigorously degassed, keep baselines calm.
Flow and temperature: Stabilize column temperature; set flow rates that preserve resolution without ballooning run times.
Detector fit: RI for most, UV for chromophores, light scattering/viscometry for absolute MW and branching.
Standards and models: Calibrate with appropriate standards; pick Mark–Houwink parameters thoughtfully.
How to Display GPC (Gel Permeation Chromatography) Skills on Your Resume

10. Formulation Stability
Stability means your product holds its physical, chemical, and microbiological profile through shelf life and use. No surprises. Just reliable performance.
Why It's Important
It protects patients and consumers, satisfies regulators, and prevents costly recalls. It’s the backbone of quality.
How to Improve Formulation Stability Skills
Pick robust ingredients: Favor stable actives/excipients with known compatibility and low impurity profiles.
pH and buffering: Park the system where hydrolysis and oxidation slow down; bolster preservative efficacy.
Antioxidants/chelators: Quench radicals and bind metals that catalyze degradation.
Microbial control: Design layered preservation strategies; validate efficacy in real matrices.
Packaging synergy: Protect from light, oxygen, and moisture; check extractables/leachables early.
Design of Experiments: Map variable space to find robust optima; don’t chase single-factor ghosts.
Stress and accelerated studies: Use forced degradation and ICH-aligned conditions to predict failure modes and timelines.
How to Display Formulation Stability Skills on Your Resume

11. Particle Size Analysis
PSA measures distribution across particles, influencing dissolution, suspendability, texture, and bioavailability. Size isn’t everything—distribution and shape matter too.
Why It's Important
From sedimentation to mouthfeel to release rate, particle size drives performance and stability across dosage forms and consumer products.
How to Improve Particle Size Analysis Skills
Method match: DLS for nano ranges, laser diffraction for wide spans, imaging for shape—pick what fits the question.
Preparation: Disperse without destroying; use surfactants or sonication judiciously to break soft agglomerates.
Calibration and QC: Verify with reference materials; run controls to watch instrument drift.
Avoid bias: Choose number/volume/area weighting that suits the application and report it clearly.
Replicates and stats: Multiple runs reveal variability; outliers tell stories—listen.
Cross-check: Correlate with microscopy or rheology when results seem off-kilter.
How to Display Particle Size Analysis Skills on Your Resume

12. Emulsion Technology
Emulsion technology creates and stabilizes oil-in-water or water-in-oil systems using surfactants, polymers, or particles. Droplet size, interfacial film strength, and continuous-phase rheology write the rules.
Why It's Important
Texture, appearance, release behavior, and stability hinge on emulsion design. Get it right and products feel luxurious and last.
How to Improve Emulsion Technology Skills
Emulsifier selection: Balance HLB, charge, and chain architecture; blend emulsifiers to toughen interfaces.
Co-emulsifiers and stabilizers: Add polymers, waxes, or particles to prevent coalescence and Ostwald ripening.
High-energy processing: Use high shear, ultrasonication, or microfluidization to drive smaller, tighter droplet distributions.
pH and electrolytes: Tune interfacial charge and hydration layers to control stability.
Order of addition and temperature: Build phases carefully; emulsify near optimal viscosity and interfacial tension conditions.
Stress testing: Cycle temperature, centrifuge, and age samples to reveal failure modes early.
Sustainable choices: Where possible, pick biodegradable surfactants and responsible supply chains—without trading away stability.
How to Display Emulsion Technology Skills on Your Resume

