Lab Technician Resume Example

The aim of this article is to equip you with all the knowledge required to create a resume that positions you to succeed in your lab technician applications. The guide will show you practical examples of how to structure your resume to show off your best and most relevant skills and career achievements. It will also show you how to tailor your resume according to the job description and your unique skill set. Read on to learn how to write a perfect lab technician resume, from the advice of careers experts at Jobseeker.

What to include in a lab technician resume

Although the content of a lab technician resume may differ according to your experience and seniority, the main sections will remain the same.

You will have some choice over your resume layout and structure, but be sure to include these sections as the core of your document:

Resume Header

Your lab technician resume header is the place to add your contact details. Start by adding your full name and underneath, include your email address, phone number and location. Adding your LinkedIn profile, if you have one, can help the employer get a better insight into your skills and industry expertise. You don't need to include any additional personal information or a photo. Be aware of the amount of space your resume header takes up. You don't want your contact details to take space away from the main content of your resume, so keep this section as brief as possible.

Use an email address that's professional and appropriate for professional communication. Typically this would be an email address based on your first and last name, or your initials. If necessary, you could include your profession or another unique identifier. Avoid using old email addresses that could be considered unprofessional or inappropriate. Additionally, always check your contact details before sending your resume to ensure they're up-to-date.

Resume Profile

The next section is the resume summary. The section might also be called 'resume objective' or 'personal profile'. This is a brief introduction to you, your key skills and your career achievements and ambitions. While a resume summary focuses on your career achievements and experience, a resume objective typically focuses on your ambitions for the future. However, make sure you keep your resume summary short and snappy, and focused on the skills and experience listed in the job description.

Alternatively, use this section to emphasize your career objectives and explain how and why this role is a suitable step for you at this stage of your career.

A strong resume summary focuses on two or three key skills and achievements that showcase your suitability for lab technician roles in a clear, quantifiable way. It also gives an insight into your personal qualities, to help the reader understand why you're a suitable candidate. You can see some positive examples of a resume summary for lab technician jobs below.

Conversely, a bad resume summary might be too generic, lacking focus on the specifics of the job description. It will also fail to provide any useful insights on what makes you a unique candidate. See above for some examples of things to avoid when writing your lab technician resume summary.

Work Experience

In your work experience section, list any previous relevant roles you've worked in, as well as your key achievements as a lab technician. Include any relevant jobs you've held in reverse-chronological order. Start with your current or most recent roles and work back through previous roles. For each job, list your title, the name of the company, its location and the dates you worked there.

For each job listed in this section, add some bullet points so the employer can understand the skills you developed, and your achievements. Focus on showcasing the impact you made on the organization, and show evidence of how you made a difference.

The best resume work experience sections focus only on the most relevant previous jobs, and link each bullet point back to a skill or experience listed in the job description. It's also critical to provide evidence that shows the value you added to each role in a quantifiable way, such as project outcomes, key performance indicators or feedback from customers, colleagues or managers. See below for some good examples of what to include in your resume work experience section.

The example above can give you some idea of what not to include in your resume work experience section. Less effective resume work experience sections might take a more vague, descriptive approach to previous jobs. They focus on responsibilities and everyday duties rather than referencing career achievements and the value you've added for previous employers.

Education

Under education, add details of any degrees or professional qualifications relevant to lab technician roles.

To work as a lab technician, employers tend to require candidates to have a specialist degree, such as a Bachelor of Science in Medical Laboratory Science. If you have this degree, focus on it in your education section, while also mentioning any educational achievements that show your microscopy techniques or GLP compliance.

List every relevant qualification, including the name and level of the course, the name of the school, college or university, its location and your graduation date. Include bullet points to show any specialist modules you studied, awards or exceptional grades and achievements that can set you apart from other candidates. These will all contribute to creating a positive impression on employers.

Additionally, mentioning any leadership roles or any societies and clubs you participated in while studying shows proactivity and initiative.

Projects and Publications

Resume sections for projects and publications can be a useful way of showing your specialist knowledge, and your standing and reputation within your chosen discipline. Choose projects and publications that mark you out as a thought leader in your field of expertise. You may wish to include any key academic projects you've directed or taken part in, along with publications such as books, chapters, academic journal articles or articles for mainstream publications such as magazines and newspapers.

Select the most appropriate publication citation style from the Modern Language Association (MLA) and American Psychological Association (APA). While MLA is more common for humanities subjects, APA is used for scientific and engineering disciplines. Both include variations on the following information: author name, year of publication, article title (if necessary), publication name, volume, issue, page numbers and publisher. Here's an (APA-style) example publication that you might see included in a laboratory technician resume:

Hard and Soft Skills

The skills section of a laboratory technician resume is a chance to list any skills you have that match those of the job description. You could include spectrophotometry, problem-solving skills or any other skills that show you're a suitable candidate. Again, refer to the job description and make sure you include skills that the employer has listed as essential or desirable for employment as a lab technician.

Listing hard skills on your lab technician resume

For your hard skills list, include any technical abilities or specific industry knowledge that's essential to working as a lab technician. These could be skills gained through work experience or qualifications. Furthermore, these skills are essential for a lab technician resume as they showcase your expertise in the field. Include around four or five key hard skills that are listed in the job description. These skills will help to convince the hiring manager that you're a good fit for the position.

For an effective resume hard skills section, focus on the technical skills that are most essential in the job description, and that match your specific expertise. Some examples of the best hard skills for a lab technician resume are listed below.

Listing soft skills on your lab technician resume

Your soft skills are the core qualities and personal characteristics that make you a good employee. They tend to apply to multiple professions and jobs, though the soft skills you'll require may change as you move from junior to senior positions. Indeed, as the nature of work changes, soft skills are growing in importance, so make sure you include them in your resume. Think of your best soft skills and add up to five that match the requirements of the job description.

Your soft skills section should make the most of your unique personal qualities and strengths, while also reflecting the requirements laid out in the job description. See below for some examples of useful soft skills for a laboratory technician resume.

Certifications and Training

Your certifications section is the place to mention any relevant professional lab technician certifications, licenses or qualifications. Add any official certifications or accreditations that increase your level of qualification and suitability for working as a lab technician. Therefore, include the details of any licenses and professional certifications required for lab technician roles, along with completion dates so employers can see you're up-to-date.

Review the list below for some suitable certifications for a lab technician resume:

Optional Information

There are several additional sections you could add to a laboratory technician resume, to improve your chances of success. Add any of the sections below that help you showcase your key skills and experience.

Personal Hobbies and Interests

Adding your hobbies and interests is a legitimate way of showing off your skills and personal qualities. These are particularly useful for your resume if you're short of work experience and need to showcase a particular skill or experience. Don't include hobbies and interests in your resume unless they showcase a specific interest or aspect of your personality. You'll want them to add something to your application that you can't add elsewhere.

Volunteer Work

Voluntary work can help you develop useful skills, so it's a valuable addition to your lab technician resume. Write your volunteer section in a similar format to your work experience, including your role, the organization name, relevant dates and the details of your contribution.

References

References aren't a standard lab technician resume section, but employers do sometimes ask for them. Check the job advert and only include them if requested. Before adding any referees to your resume, ask them for their assistance and prepare them for contact by the employer.

Best action words for your lab technician resume

Action words can help illustrate to the hiring manager the difference you made in each of your previous jobs. The suggested action verbs below will help the reader to understand your key qualities and the impact you made on the organization.

For help creating an eye-catching resume design to catch the attention of hiring managers, see Jobseeker's professional resume layouts. You can also use our clear, effective cover letter templates to complete your application.

Example of a lab technician resume

Now that you know everything that needs to go into your lab technician resume, let's review an example resume that you can use as a guide when creating your own:

Tips on creating an ATS-optimized resume

Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) are one of the key ways recruiters and employers manage the hiring process. The systems can screen candidates by scanning and ranking resumes based on each candidate's likely suitability for the vacancy. If you follow a few simple tips when writing your lab technician resume, you'll give yourself a better chance of ranking highly in the ATS screening and progressing to the next stage.

Here a some simple tips to follow for an ATS-friendly resume:

• Use a traditional resume format, such as reverse-chronological or functional. These will give your resume a structure that's easier for ATS systems to scan.
• Include keywords throughout your resume that align with the job description. ATS software tends to compare your resume to the job description for points of similarity, so careful, considered use of keywords should help your chances of success.
• Include clear headings that make it easy to identify each section of your resume. This will help any ATS software navigate your resume during the scanning process.
• Adopt a resume design that uses clear, professional design principles and leaves white space for your content to breathe. Use the most readable fonts and incorporate subtle design elements to enhance the readability of your document.
• Use concise language to keep the length of your resume to between one and two pages. This will make it easier to scan for ATS applications.

Key takeaways for your lab technician resume

The key to a strong resume is to showcase your relevant skills and achievements through your work experience and other activities. Choose a resume structure that makes the most of your relevant experience, whether through work or other activities, and be sure to tailor your resume to match the job description.

HR-approved resume templates and other tools by Jobseeker are the easiest way to create a winning job application. Sign up and follow the simple instructions to complete a resume that stands out from the crowd. To make the best possible impression with your applications, write a cover letter with the help of Jobseeker. You can also find plenty of expert-designed cover letter examples for inspiration.

Sources:

(1) Resumes & Cover Letters for PhD Students, Hardvard University: https://careerservices.fas.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/161/2024/08/2024-GSAS_phd_resume_cover_letters-1.pdf

(2) Guide to Résumés and Curricula Vitae, National Institutes of Health: https://www.training.nih.gov/documents/16/Guide_to_Resumes_and_Curricula_Vitae.pdf