INDUSTRY STATS
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Lab Technician positions are at a 7% growth rate, which is as fast as average. With that said, there are currently 87,600 jobs in the market right now. The total number of jobs is expected to increase by 5,900 to 93,500 in the period of 2020-30.
What’s more, the median annual wage for the Lab Technician jobs was $46,340 in May 2020. The lowest 10% earned less than $30,440, and the highest 10% more than $74,600.
Our conclusion? The Lab Technician job market is wide open for candidates.
Top Lab Technician sections that make the best resume
- Header
- Professional summary
- Experience (with numbers and results)
- Relevant skills
- Education
- Certifications
How to write a Lab Technician resume experience section
Lab Technician Resume’s Job Experience Checklist:
- Use 4-6 bullet points per job title;
- Don’t go further than a decade behind when describing your job history, unless you’re applying for an executive position;
- Combine job responsibilities as well as achievements with numbers in results when you describe your past work;
- Start each sentence with a power verb and avoid overused buzzwords;
- Use either C-A-R or S-T-A-R methodology, when describing your experience.
The work experience samples below come from real Lab Technician resumes that got people hired at top companies. You can use them as an inspiration to build your own resume:
- High performance thin layer chromatography testing to quantify chemical constituents
- 3M Petrifilm rapid yeast and mold count plate testing
- Profiled analyses of up to 20+ tested samples per day
- Incoming and outgoing sample management
- Performed BOD, COD, TOC, TDPAS, Sulfite and Conductivity analyses
- Performed instruments’ calibration and minor troubleshooting
- Implemented organizational skills to efficiently perform several experiments in a short period of time
- Entered data and stored all experimental results with accuracy
- Performed BOD, COD, TOC, TDPAS, Sulfite and Conductivity analyses
- Performed instruments’ calibration and minor troubleshooting
- Implemented organizational skills to efficiently perform several experiments in a short period of time
- Entered data and stored all experimental results with accuracy
- Complied with all safety rules and practices
- Created and maintained neat, correct, labeled records
- Performed lab tests and procedures; compounded formulas
- Prioritized workflow and worked extra hours to meet deadlines
- Used word processing and spreadsheet software
- Practical knowledge of rubber mixing procedures, raw materials and issues pertaining to mixing
- Designing and executing laboratory testing according to ASTM standard procedure , A2LA Accreditation, and ISO 9001 certification
- Practice good laboratory housekeeping to prevent contamination by following regular cleaning schedule
- Receiving, labeling and analyzing samples & Accurately measure ingredients for rubber recipes
- Team lead for BVD testing
- Plating of cattle blood, hair, and tissue samples into 96-deep well plates and half skirts
- Evacuation of buffer from tissue samples using pipettes
- Digestion of plates using a Phoenix and a buffer solution that I prepared
- Preparation of various solutions used in digestion and BVD testing
- Extensive knowledge on lab safety
- Archiving and sample management
- Tested (paints, chemicals, and other coating) for chemical and physical properties, and approved or modified large batches (500-10,000 lbs).
- Recorded, organized, and interpreted data
- Served as a part of the management team by giving direction to small group of people (4-9 people), and instructing them on what is needed to properly mix and shade batches
- Performed tests to determine product quality, and to investigate alternative suppliers, materials, and production methods.
- Designed and created prototypes using 3D design software such as Solidworks, and AUTOCAD.
- Designed, executed, and analyzed experiments to created formal lab reports.
- Developed Rubber Adhesion Promoters, heavy metal products
- Improved Raw Material acceptance process
- Analyzed samples via titration and instrumentation
- Performed human specimen collections of urine, blood, and saliva.
- Executed Laboratory tests such as cell counting, blood-glucose assays, and cell washes.
- Guaranteed overall compliance with protocols in conducting clinical laboratory testing.
- Practical knowledge of rubber mixing procedures, raw materials and issues pertaining to mixing
- Designing and executing laboratory testing according to ASTM standard procedure , A2LA Accreditation, and ISO 9001 certification
- Practice good laboratory housekeeping to prevent contamination by following regular cleaning schedule
- Receiving, labeling and analyzing samples &Accurately measure ingredients for rubber recipes
- Successfully execute Laboratory operation with full awareness and compliance to both company and customer’s HSE policy and procedures
- Maintain Lab administration including inventory of chemical and equipment calibration and maintenance
- As Sr. Lab Technician I was trusted to be the mentor of new-hired Engineer and Lab Technician with their training program in the Lab
- Collect samples, study and perform tests on plants.
- Chemical compounds, biological specimens, or other fields of science.
- Use various types of machinery, lab equipment and complex computer programs to perform their tests.
- Applying chemical synthesis to obtain results for drugs discovery.
- Researching possible reactions pathways, calculating reactants' masses/volumes and carrying out the synthesis procedure.
- Analyzing results and making suggestions on how to improve the procedure's efficiency.
- Extensive behavioral training (staircase and IBB) done with immunodeficient and regular rats.
- Basic histology work including preparing tissue samples and mounting slides.
- Able to properly care for and help sustain a healthy rat colony.
- Responsible for data entry for the largest chronological Ichthyoplankton database in the world.
- Genome testing of samples that could not be identified visually.
- Aid in helping US fisheries battle sustainability in a rapidly changing ocean climate.
- Adhering to SOP for all processes of the lab including but not limited to processing up to 5,000+ DNA samples through the Infinium assay
- Evaluating and accessioning received samples to be processed
- Part of a team designed to hone the efficiency of production resulting in 10,000 additional samples processed weekly
- Proof read updated work instructions for the lab to ensure clarity and accuracy
- Performed manual and mechanical extraction of DNA from saliva samples onto a 96 well plate
- Responsible for training and re-training employees on how to run the lab safely and effectively with a clinical mindset
- Maintaining electronic and physical documentation for all samples processed
- Working and communicating with outside contractors and vendors via phone and email as well as in person
- Preparation of microbiological media
- Sample collection and analysis using membrane filtration method
- Analysis of potable and waste water, beverages and drugs
- Sterilization and decontamination of cultured media
- Assisting in the preparations of standard operating procedures with senior technicians
- Research data entry
- Sorting,organizing and interpreting data
PRO TIP
The person reading your Lab Technician resume will be busy, make sure you never waste their time with fluff.
Action Verbs for your Lab Technician Resume
Recommended reads:
Lab Technician Resume Skills’ Tips & Tricks to Impress Recruiters
Resume Skills Section Checklist:
- Ensure your hard skills section (including technologies) are exactly matching the job description.
- Don’t simply list your soft skills. Apply the “show, don’t tell” principle - let your job achievements speak for themselves.
- Find a way to showcase your skills beyond the skills section.
- Your resume’s skill section is important to ATS systems - so don’t skip it.
Top Skills for your Lab Technician resume
- VNA
- Microsoft Office
- R
- Matlab
- Latex
- ArcGIS
- PCI Geomatica
- Critical thinking
- Problem Solving
- Creativity
- Innovation
- Organisation
- Attention to details
- Caution
PRO TIP
Don’t feel obliged to spend a separate section for your soft skills - you can weave them throughout your job experience or career summary. But, don’t just write empty words - back them with examples.
Recommended reads:
Lab Technician Resume Header: Tips, Red Flags, and Best Practices
CHECKLIST For Your Lab Technician Resume Header
- Your name and surname in a legible and larger resume font
- The job title you’re applying for or your current job title as a subheading to your name
- Link to your portfolio or online profile, such as LinkedIn
- Address (City and State for the US; just your city for rest of the world)
- Email address
- Headshot (required or welcomed in the EU; not required and sometimes frowned upon in the US)
Stick to popular email providers such as Gmail or Outlook. And use these professional formats to create your username:
- first.last@gmail.com
- last.first@gmail.com
- firstlast@gmail.com
- f.last@gmail.com
- first.l@gmail.com
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
Some companies, states, and countries have policies about identifying information like photos on your Lab Technician resume. Be sure to check all the relevant rules before submitting yours. If you’re in doubt, you can always try contacting the company’s HR department to ask for their policy.
Lab Technician Resume Summary Best Practices
Checklist: What to include in your Lab Technician resume summary:
- Years of experience;
- Highlight top 3 skills and proficiencies;
- One big professional accomplishment you’re most proud of, that you can tie with the aforementioned skills;
- Use short, direct sentences - but no more than three - to keep the HRs interested.
Resume Summary Formula:
PRO TIP
Your summary section should act as a professional taster. Use it wisely. Effectively convey your professional profile and let the hiring manager know that if they hire you, they won’t be disappointed. Make sure to include keywords from the job description too! Elaborate on your abilities further in your experience section. Again, cater to the job description.
Recommended reads:
Listing Your Education, Certifications and Courses
Resume Education Section Checklist:
- Ensure your hard skills section (including technologies) are exactly matching the job description.
- Don’t simply list your soft skills. Apply the “show, don’t tell” principle - let your job achievements speak for themselves.
- Find a way to showcase your skills beyond the skills section.
- Your resume’s skill section is important to ATS systems - so don’t skip it.
Top Certifications for your Lab Technician resume
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
If you hold a certain major and a minor, your majors should be mentioned first.
Lab Technician Resume: Additional Writing & Formatting Tips
There are three basic resume formats you can choose from:
- Reverse-chronological resume format;
- Functional resume format;
- Hybrid (or Combination) resume format;
The most optimal format for your particular case will depend on your years of experience, as well as whether you’re switching industries or not.
Reverse chronological resumes are best suited for experienced individuals who are sticking to their industry. The experience section takes a central place, and its bullets contain your responsibilities and achievements, coupled with numbers and results.
Functional resumes are used by less experienced jobseekers or career changers. Note that it’s not a format that recruiters prefer, as most are used to the classic chronological alignment. Instead of a list of job titles, functional resumes focus on your skills, and through what experiences you gained them.
Hybrid resumes are great for both experienced and entry-level candidates, as well as career changers. They combine the best of both worlds - most often in a double column format, where one side of the content is focused on your experience, whereas the other - on your skills, strengths, and proudest moments.
Lab Technician Resume Summary best practices
Here are more resume tips regarding your layout and style:
- Clear and legible 12p resume font size;
- Use 10’’ resume margins - that’s default for a great resume design;
- Use a one-page template resume length if you’ve got less than 10 years of experience; otherwise, opt for a two-page resume;
- Save your resume as PDF before sending it to the recruiter.
To take it a step further, check out how your resume can stand out without leaning too much on the creative side.
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
If you feel that you don’t have high chances in a particular company, due to lack of relevant experience, then you can still consider using a creative layout. That might help you get noticed and invited for an interview, as most of the other applicants will have boring resume designs.
Other sections to include in your resume
Depending on the type of company (corporation or start-up; innovative or traditional), job seniority level and your location, you may want to include more sections to your Lab Technician resume:
Lab Technician Resume: How to Make Yours More Creative & Stand Out
When you send your resume to a potential employer, chances are it's the fiftieth one they've seen that day. That's why you need to make your Lab Technician resume stand out for the right reasons. That means showing your personality, not just your professional experience. Employers are far more likely to remember a candidate who seems like a genuine person and not a robot. Do this by including your passions (which is also a great place to demonstrate skills on a resume), share your favorite books, or even what your usual day looks like.
What Makes a Great Lab Technician Resume: Key Takeaways
- Choose a resume layout that sends the right message across and fits your current career situation;
- Create a resume header that shows your desired job title, and easy to find contact numbers;
- Be specific about your experience, accomplishments and future goals in your summary;
- Feature detailed metrics and specific examples that show the impact you made in your previous roles when describing your experience;
- List soft skills backed by examples;
- Add all of your technical skills and certifications that you have and match the job description;
- Show off a dash of personality in your resume that will demonstrate your culture fit and the right mix of hard and soft skills.
