Lab Technician Resumes & Guide

When searching for a job as a Lab Technician, it is necessary to look at a high-quality Lab Technician resume sample.

Transforming your resume into a magnificent document that is sure to land you an interview will be easy with our Lab Technician Roles Resume examples, with samples for each resume section. Get inspired, land an interview!

Lab Technician Resume Examples

(Free sample downloads are at the bottom of this page)

Lab Technician Resume Writing Guide

Resume Sections:

1. Contact Information: 

  • Name
  • Address
  • Phone Number
  • Email
  • Optional: LinkedIn

What to Highlight in a Lab Technician Resume

Often enough, the reviewers read resumes in less than 60 seconds; therefore, build yours in such a way that your distinctive characteristics quickly catch their eye. Include specific phrases that were listed in terms of the job advertisement. This shows that you understand what responsibilities the position holds and that you have tailored your application to meet the requirements. There are some critical things that recruiters would want to ensure you are the candidate for their projects.

Firstly, highlight the setting in which you prefer to work and of course have relevant experience in. The work of Lab Technicians is mostly done in laboratories or research facilities and could either be done alone or in teams with scientific staff. They work in most areas in science, such as forensics, health, and manufacturing, or environmental agencies. Lab Technicians are also found in specialist research organizations, universities, hospitals and clinics, civil service, water companies, pharmaceutical companies, chemical companies, and food manufacturing companies. 

Secondly, give examples of the specimens that you work with. These will depend on the types of companies of have been employed by previously. A Lab Technician must often examine body fluids and tissues in a medical environment, conduct blood tests, and examine the cells. In a food and drink manufacturing environment, they will test food and drink samples to ensure no contamination.

In the third place, highlight your primary duties and responsibilities. Laboratory Technicians often take on different roles in a laboratory team, depending on their field of expertise. They work in various fields of scientific research and development. Fields such as Chemistry, Physics, and Biology. It is also possible for Lab Technicians to be employed in some business areas of a company, such as Forensics, Cosmetics, Manufacturing, and Pharmacology. Depending on the area in which a Lab Technician works, they may be required to work independently or under a professional's supervision. These are some of the duties and responsibilities you may choose when explaining your primary functions to recruiters:

  • planning, setting up, and undertaking controlled experiments and trials
  • recording and analyzing data
  • demonstrating procedures
  • collecting, preparing, and/or testing samples
  • maintaining, calibrating, cleaning, and testing sterility of the equipment
  • providing technical support
  • presenting results to senior staff
  • writing reports, reviews, and summaries
  • keeping up to date with relevant scientific and technological developments
  • supervising staff
  • carrying out risk assessments
  • ordering and maintaining stock and resources

Some Lab Technicians work in environments with high-risk encounters with infectious specimens and toxic chemicals. Therefore, they are required to take the proper precautions to ensure such an encounter does not happen. The proper precautions include wearing protective gear and goggles. If this is you, make sure to go into sufficient detail for the recruiter to understand exactly what your working environment is like.

Lastly, Lab Technicians are required to have excellent tech skills and know-how the lab tools work and how to apply digital applications. Present your competencies in a technology stack as given below: 

MERCK MANUALQXMDEPROCRATES
LABGEAR ICD-10MOBILE MIMVISIBLE BODY
MATLABPYTHONR SHINY
ADVACED EXCELPROLISAVALON LIS
MINITABPOLYTECHLIMITLESS
ELABORCHARD LISGAUSS APPS

Career Summary

For Lab Technician positions, it is usually Lab Managers, University Professors or Research Institute Directors that make hiring decisions. Their positions are daunting and busy. Therefore your resume has about 6 seconds to convince the manager that you are the perfect candidate. Keep your career summary short and simple. Add the most relevant information to grab the attention of the person scanning through your resume. 

Begin your career summary with the amount of experience you have in this particular industry, as well as your main responsibilities. Use the job advertisement as a guide to describe how you are the perfect candidate for the job by adding keywords that their computer resume application might pick up. 

After that, add any qualities that the company might value. The hiring manager wants to know if you are “good with research and administrative work, or pay extra attention to detail if you are good with people, and if you have excellent time management.”  Remember to support these qualities with examples in the professional experience section to establish that these qualities are true to you.

End your summary with your qualifications. Any degrees/diplomas, certifications, or professional memberships relevant to the job you are applying for. It is important to note that many companies may prefer applicants with a Master's degree or a Ph.D. Still, some laboratories may accept candidates with an Associate's degree or a Bachelor's degree. 


Three Examples:


Summary Example 1
"Determined Medical Laboratory Technician with experience in a hospital environment, as well as a private laboratory setting. Proven to pay special attention to detail in all lab areas while maintaining deadlines and respecting patient confidentiality. Enforcing lab safety and following lab rules as well as the protocols and procedures. Completed an Associate's Degree in Medical Laboratory Technology."
Summary Example 2:
"Trained Lab Technician with experience in a medical laboratory environment including a wide range of quantitative and qualitative tests and also responsible for enforcing top-notch quality control. Excellent in preparing and testing standards, buffers, pH, balances, and calibrating/verifying equipment, ensuring regulatory compliance.  Received a Bachelor of Science in Biological Science and a minor in Chemistry, with a 3.89 GPA average."
Summary Example 3:
"A professional Lab Technician dedicated to the process of examination and testing of bodily fluids and tissue. Disciplined working habits and respect for safety procedures. Can work an automatic inventory system to ensure the lab is sufficiently stocked with resources crucial for testing monsters. Identified a virus in the screening equipment and corrected it. Certified by the NAACLS (National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Science)."

Job Descriptions Examples

List your laboratory research and testing experience from the most recent in reverse chronological order. Place the information that is relevant to the position you are applying for at the top of your work experience section. Remember to add the details about the duties and responsibilities that you were entrusted with. Leave a longer description of the project for the job application cover letter. Your resume should be 2 pages in length. Mention specialized equipment and analytical methods you used as part of your research.

Be sure to include your job titles and the places you were employed when describing your work experience. Remember to add the place you were employed at as well as the location you worked at. List the name of your supervisor (if possible and prudent)  and list in bullet form your duties and responsibilities that were expected of you. Use past tense verbs for previous positions you held and use active present tense for current jobs. Make sure that your lists are parallel — that is, if the first item of your list begins with a verb, then all the items in the list should start with a verb. All the verbs within a single entry also should be the same tense.

Samples

Comprehensive Laboratory Technician Job Description

  • Ensure that the laboratory equipment functions effectively by correctly calibrating and adjusting equipment 
  • Clean, disinfect and sanitize work area and equipment 
  • Keep the laboratory stocked with sufficient resources and supplies 
  • Prepare and conduct biological and chemical analyses as requested by the lab supervisor
  • Use laboratory equipment and specialized machinery for experiments, sample collections, and scientific
  • Assist with most procedures, like sample taking, testing, and experiment setup 
  • Perform sample receipt activities as per laboratory protocols and assign identification numbers to said samples
  • Prepare, catalog, and identify samples for tests and storage purposes 
  • Maintain detailed and accurate records of research and experimental findings, tests results, reports, reviews, and data analysis 
  • Enter test results into a database ensuring accuracy and relevance 
  • Comply with all security, safety, and health procedures according to company policies
  • Keep abreast of research innovation and scientific trends 
  • Investigate and analyze chemical and biological processes, 
  • Prepare samples and specimens for use in tests and experiments
  • Perform scientific experiments, run tests, and analyze results
  • Write and present tests and experiment results to employers and colleagues.

Accomplishments 

Do not be tempted to copy and paste your duties and responsibilities, because in doing this, you would not stand out from other applicants with similar work experiences.

After an excellent profile statement, the most essential aspect for a recruiter is reviewing your achievements and accomplishments. 

If you can showcase your skills and abilities in an actionable format and the results that came from your contributions, an interview is almost guaranteed. Quantifying your achievements will place you higher on the pecking order as opposed to a candidate who merely listed skills and abilities. Numbers act as proof that you are competent in the workplace and that you are a better candidate for the position.

Here's how you may attempt to write accomplishment statements:

  • Think back when to when you achieved something in your previous jobs that exceeded what you were expected to do. 
  • Now write down the accomplishment, focusing on three key areas:
  • Problem/Challenge: What were the circumstances, deadlines, stress levels, or work required outside of your job scope?
  • Action: What did you contribute/do using which skills and abilities? Be specific and make use of action verbs to bring your point across.
  • Result: What was the outcome? Quantify with percentages, values, scores, timeframes, and rankings for extra impact. 
  • Now put all three together in one concise sentence

Remember, it is crucial to make yourself stand out by explicitly naming what you have achieved and what you are most proud of in your previous jobs. 

Below are a few examples to get you started:

  • Initiated the 5-S system for sorting out and reorganizing equipment, decreased searching time by 50%.
  • Streamlined laboratory procedures 30% by managing an effective inventory system for supplies and equipment.
  • Used Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) to manage 40+ patient samples per day.
  • Published an article on blood disease testing procedures and the impact of advanced testing technology on facilitating the procedure.
  • Provided courier phlebotomy services to off-site locations, which increased revenue by 20%.
  • Effectively cleaned diagnostic equipment, reducing maintenance costs by $5000 per year.
  • Made the most of workflow automation features, increasing overall efficiency by 15%.
  • Created 100% error-free documentation for three years.
  • Introduced a FIFO reagent storing system, reducing waste by 23%.

Education Section

A Lab Technician's academic standing is vital information to the hiring manager or recruiter. 

When creating a resume, most recent graduates focus on placing their education section before the employment history. This helps when they have earned degrees from distinguished universities that carry enormous weight for employers. List your academic achievements by most recent degrees in chronological order. Only list universities from which you received degrees if there are more than four universities you attended. 

In short, indicate What, Where, and When regarding your qualifications, certifications, or industry licenses were received. The name of your qualification, institution and finishing dates is more than acceptable. Feel free to include major subjects or course curriculum topics, if you do have an Associate’s Degree or Bachelor’s Degree.

Below is an example of what a Lab Technician’s education section may look like:

2017 – 2019 Ph.D. in Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL

Thesis: “Three Solutions for T-Cell Activation.”

GPA: 3.8

Accolades: Completed Cum Laude

2018 – Clinical Research Associate (CRA), Society of Clinical Research Associates, Alexandria, VA

2014 – 2016 Associate of Science in Laboratory Technology, Green Valley State University, New Mexico

2012 – Medical Laboratory Technician Associate Certification, SCP, Online

Lab Technician Resume Skills

The research field requires technical skills; however, employers also consider soft skills. This is what they use to determine whether or not you are fit to be a Lab Technician. Incorporate these into your summary, or profile, and your accomplishment statements.

Technical Skills Examples

Computer SkillsCADEquipment Calibration
Equipment TroubleshootingEquipment MaintenanceEquipment Programming
Specimen CollectionSpecimen PreparationMicroscope Operation
PPE UseTrainingSpecimen Analysis
Record KeepingHIPAAInspection Preparation

Soft Skill Examples

Active ListeningReading ComprehensionProblem Solving
Critical ThinkingWritingSound Judgment
Decision MakingCoordinationSocial Perceptiveness
Time ManagementAnalyticalMethodical
AccurateTroubleshootingDetail Orientated
IntegrityInitiativeEmpathy
Self-ControlDeadline DrivenHard Working
PersistenceMeticulousProcess Driven
DedicatedRealisticConscientious
InterpersonalOrganizationalTechnical

Qualifications & Certifications associated with Lab Technicians

Medical Technologist (MT)Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT)Molecular Diagnostics Technologist (MDT)
Medical Laboratory Assistant (CMLA)Certified Laboratory Consultant (CLC)Medical Assistant (RMA)
Phlebotomy Technician (RPT)Medical Administrative Specialist (CMAS)Dental Assistant (RDA)
Various Bachelor of Science DisciplinesAmerican Society for Clinical Pathology Board of Certification MemberAmerican Medical Technologist – Member
Clinical Lab Technician DiplomaResearch Methodology CourseHAZMAT Health and Safety Workshop

Professional Information for Lab Technicians 

Sectors: Professional, Technical Services, Biology, Chemistry, Histology
Career TypeResearch, Scientific, Experimentation, Testing, Administration, Report Writing, Presentations, Data Collection, Data Analysis, Information Coordination
Person type:  Supporter, Administrator, Coordinator, Field Worker, Interviewer, Tester, Scientist
Education levelsAssociate's Degree, Bachelors' Degree, Master's Degree, Doctorate Degree
Salary indicationAverage of $ 44 486 depending on the position scope and industry (Glassdoor)
Labor market: Estimated 7% growth between 2019 – 2029 (BLS)
Organizations: Hospital clinical laboratories, Commercial or reference laboratories, Public health laboratories, Pharmaceutical or chemical industries, Biotechnology companies, Forensic and law enforcement laboratories, Veterinary clinics, research, and teaching institutions

Transplant and blood donor centers, Fertility clinics, The cosmetics or food industry

Lab Technician Resume Downloads