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.