Biology Resume Examples with Laboratory Skills List

How to Write the Perfect Biology Resume Example

Whether you’re a microbiology research assistant or recently graduated and looking for an entry-level biologist role, biologists are critical to understanding the living world.

Becoming a biologist isn’t simple and requires intensive study to understand the ins and outs of the subject. So, it’s essential to give yourself a good chance by creating a perfect biology resume designed to grab the hiring manager’s attention.

What Should I Highlight in a Biology Resume?

Biologist candidates require an intensive amount of knowledge to begin working in the scientific field, so it’s essential to showcase this on a resume. For a successful biologist resume, you’ll want to showcase your years of experience, certifications, knowledge of biological sciences and bachelor of science degrees.

Doing this will help the hiring manager assess whether you can fulfill the job’s primary responsibilities. As biology is a specialist career, candidates may need to show the hiring manager or recruiter that they can navigate multiple topics like microbiology, ecology, biochemical study and more. 

The Structure of a Biologist Resume

The structure of a resume will depend on your choice of resume format, and the best format for you depends on your experience and qualificationsChronological resumes focus on employment history, while functional resumes highlight skills. Combination resumes are great for candidates who want to show off their skills and experience and explain how their training has supported their knowledge. Regardless of the resume you choose, your resume will contain specific sections, such as education, professional experience, skills, and certifications. 

Header

The header section is provides all of your primary contact information. Supply your name, town and state of residence, phone number, and email address.If you have a wealth of experience or any additional information that you can’t include in the rest of your resume, then consider providing a link to a professional networking profile. Sites like LinkedIn are great ways to give hiring managers and recruiters a more in-depth look at your skills, experience in prominent research projects, and more. 

Resume summary

A resume summary is usually the first section of your resume and gives you the chance to introduce yourself to the recruiter or hiring manager formally. This section can sum up your experience and skills into two or three brief sentences that grab the reader’s attention. This is a great place to explain why you believe you’re the ideal candidate. Recent graduates looking for junior biology roles can explain why they’re good candidates based on their educational experience and related skills in this section. You can also reference any certifications you have that can set you apart from the crowd, like Registered Environmental Professional Certificate or Occupational Safety and Health Association (OSHA) certificate. 

Skills 

If you’re experiencing a career change or looking for an entry-level role, then you might not have a lot of applicable work history. Therefore, your skills section might be the most dominant part of your resume. Regardless of your experience, this section should list the hard and soft skills that you’ve gained through education or professional work. 

Hard skills

are industry-specific and allow you to carry out the primary job duties. Soft skills are general employability skills that support your day-to-day working life. You need to highlight both to the hiring manager for an effective job search. If you’re struggling to find skills that summarize your knowledge and qualities, then here are some bullet points you can include in your resume skills section: 

• Technical skills 
• Communication
• Data collection 
• Data analysis 
• Fieldwork 
• Problem-solving 
• Troubleshooting 
• Biological research 
• Use of equipment such as microscopes
• Research in polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and cloning
• Report writing 
• Microsoft Office Proficiency (Excel, Word, PowerPoint)

Work Experience

Your work experience section acts as a record of your previous experience and critical responsibilities while employed. If you have previous biology experience, such as a research assistant, you should list your primary duties in reverse chronological order. This means starting from the most recent example and working backward, ensuring you provide the most up-to-date information possible. You should also include the employer’s company name, job title, location, and the dates you started and finished, as well as a list of your major duties and/or achievements in the job.

Education 

The education section is likely to be an essential part of working in the biology field because of the academic knowledge needed. Hiring managers are likely to be looking for candidates with a bachelor’s degree in biology, biotechnology, biophysics, and other life science subjects. It’s unlikely that you’ll need to include your high school GPA in this section, as the hiring manager is usually interested in higher education, employment experience, and resulting skills.

Do’s and Don’ts for a Biology Resume

Here are some do’s and don’ts to help you create the perfect biologist resume: 

Do:

• Read through the job advertisement. This will tell you which skills are the most useful for candidates, including how much experience they should have before applying, and helps you understand the duties listed in the job description. 
• Use resume templates. This can give you a solid foundation for your resume format and help you maintain a structure. 
• Thoroughly proofread once you’re done writing. This ensures there are no mistakes and showcases good written communication skills.

Don’t:

• Write your resume without the help of a resume builder.
• Include employment information that’s irrelevant to the position.
• Go overboard when describing experience, skills, education, or certifications. Give yourself more room to list all your career highlights; this will encourage a hiring manager to seek out more information in an interview.