Lab Technician Resume Sample, Template & Writing Guide for 2024
Analyzing medical samples and accurately reporting test results can profoundly impact people’s lives.
That’s why you’re so focused, dedicated, and committed to your profession.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 329K lab technicians were employed throughout the country in 2021. This number will grow to 351K within a decade.
Question -
“With so many competitors in the market, how can I make my lab technician resume stand out?”
Answer -
You need a professional resume that jumps out at recruiters and earns you the salary you deserve.
Hiring processes have evolved: hiring managers only want targeted resumes for lab technicians.
Bland, generic resumes or screeds of irrelevant info don’t cut it anymore. No one reads them, and they get binned right away.
If you seriously want to tower over the competition, read this article!
We tell you how to write the perfect resume with resume tips, examples, templates and samples.
Lab Technician Resume Example
These three clinical lab technician resume samples were made on our resume builder.
Each lab tech resume sample denotes a different career stage to show you how and inspire you.
See which sample lab tech resume template suits your work experience and adapt it.
Medical Laboratory Technician Resume Samples
How to Write a Winning Resume for Lab Technician in 2024: Full Guide to Good Laboratory Technician Resumes
Clinical lab technicians collect or receive blood, body fluids, tissue and other substance samples for analysis via various tests.
This involves complex laboratory equipment, automated apparatus and digital instruments, which they must know how to operate.
All data from medical tests must be logged and entered into patient records. Test findings are frequently discussed with the doctors and other healthcare professionals who order them.
All laboratory technicians must wear personal protective equipment like goggles, masks, gloves and lab coats.
Additionally, most lab technician jobs involve shift work.
Considering the vast range of medical tests and the complexity of health conditions, a lab technician’s job is very comprehensive.
As a result, they tend to specialize in specific types of analysis, findings and reporting.
Medical lab technician resumes must clearly show areas of specialty as listed in job posts.
In your excitement to impress, it can be tempting to want to show off all your work experience.
Don’t!
Hiring managers only want to know if you’ve got the skills and experience they need; everything else is irrelevant in your medical lab tech resume.
You’ll have time to elaborate further during the interview process.
Recruiters spend no more than a few seconds on each resume looking for keywords.
A short, targeted lab technician resume populated with keywords will get you from recruiter to hiring manager in no time.
Short means no more than two pages; targeted entails including only work experience mentioned in the employer’s job description.
Another reason to follow this tried and tested path to hiring success is applicant tracking systems or ATS.
Today, the early hiring stages are run by AI in the form of parsing software in ATS.
Each job post contains specific keywords selected by hiring managers. As electronic applications come in, they’re scanned for those keywords.
They’re either there or they’re not.
If a medical laboratory technician resume has a high keyword load, it moves on in the hiring process; if not, its journey through the hiring process ends abruptly.
Getting ATS to work for you and not against you is simple. Mirror the job post and keywords, and avoid including anything else.
Use a Master Lab Technician Resume
Compile a master laboratory technician job description resume to use as a living document. It makes targeted resume writing much easier.
List every lab job you’ve had in detail, including employer particulars and employment dates. Add achievements, education, and further training as your career progresses.
Save it in a folder and update it when things change, making it a living document.
If yours is an entry level lab technician resume, focus on education, achievements and related personal interests instead.
This way, you’ve always got all the necessary facts and figures to apply for lab technician jobs.
With so many fields for lab techs, the potential list of keywords is enormous.
Remember to use keywords in the job title, too, such as dental laboratory technician resume.
Here are some typical lab tech keywords –
- Analyzers
- ASCP
- Calibration
- Chemical analysis
- Clinical laboratory
- Excel
- Healthcare
- Hematology
- Lab equipment
- Lab tests
- Labeling
- Laboratory equipment
- Laboratory testing
- LIMS
- Medical lab technician
- Medical laboratory technician
- Microbiology
- Microsoft Office
- MLT
- Quality assurance
- Quality control
- Reagents
- Serology
- Specimen collection
- Standard operating procedures
- Technologist
- Testing procedures
- Troubleshooting
- Urinalysis
Personal Information
A laboratory technician resume without personal details won’t get you very far.
Because this section seems simple, mistakes, such as transposed letters and numbers, often happen. Always double-check the accuracy of your details.
This section only needs your full name, telephone number and email address.
If you have an up-to-date LinkedIn profile, pop it in here, too.
Personal Information Example
Straightforward and accurate.
How to Format this Section
Use clear business fonts and proper spacing.
You can opt for your full address or city and state only – both are okay.
If you’re including your LinkedIn profile, make sure it includes the info on your lab technician job description resume.
Resume Objective and Resume Summary Statement
Both a resume objective and resume summary statement open lab tech resumes.
They’re a short synopsis of your qualifications, years of experience, lab tech skills and achievements.
They differ in that a lab technician resume objective suits entry-level applicants. On the other hand, a summary works for more experienced candidates.
Since they sit at the top of your resume, they’re the first impression you make. To stand out, you must make that impression count.
Well written with pertinent keywords cleverly woven into the text, it’s highly likely recruiters will read on. Sparse keywords and no valuable info gives readers no reason to continue.
Does my Resume Need a Cover Letter?
Possibly, but a cover letter isn’t the same as a resume objective for lab technician.
A resume summary or objective is brief and to the point. Conversely, a cover letter is more detailed.
Where a cover letter motivates your application, a resume objective invites readers to move on to read your resume.
A cover letter is separate from your lab technician resume and addressed to someone by name at the employing company.
Whilst it shouldn’t exceed one page, it must contain enough details to persuade the reader you’re worth interviewing.
Generic cover letters addressed to no one in particular, aren’t advised.
They can confuse ATS, knocking your keyword count and seeing your lab tech resume falling down the rankings.
Only include a cover letter if -
- It’s specified in the job post
- You’re making a direct application and not replying to a public job post
Resume Objective for an Entry Level Lab Technician Resume
This entry-level candidate uses a positive attitude and aspiration to win recruiters over.
Resume Summary for an Experienced Medical Laboratory Technician Resume
Notice how this applicant uses skill and experience to impress.
How to Format this Section
Whether a resume summary or resume objective, it shouldn’t exceed 80 words.
Conveying valuable information in so few words isn’t easy. Use keywords and quantifiable details.
Make it punchy and to the point.
Professional Work Experience
ATS head straight to this section on their hunt for keywords.
That’s why it’s crucial your laboratory experience resume must echo the job description in the advert.
Identify keywords and match them to your work history in your master resume.
Use the keywords verbatim so parsers pick them up right away.
If you’re writing an entry level lab technician resume, focus on your education and any other relevant lab experience you’ve gained.
Keep in mind that a professional resume demonstrates to hiring managers you’ve got what’s needed to do the job successfully.
Don’t distract ATS by adding unrelated details. It could end up derailing your best efforts.
Professional Work Experience Example
Keywords, bullet points and precision make a winning formula.
How to Format this Section
The reverse chronological resume format works best for laboratory technician resumes.
To do that, you start with your most recent job and continue in descending order.
Importantly, your work history must be easy to navigate and read.
Achieve this with clear business-style fonts, bullet points and lots of white space.
Write each job responsibility to fit in a single bullet point and include keywords.
A hiring team will likely view your lab tech resume, so make it easy to follow, comment on, and share.
Always use the same job title and follow the post’s sequence.
Education and Certifications
Clinical laboratory technicians need an associate of science degree, usually in clinical laboratory science or another suitable major.
Earning your degree at an institution approved by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences is a big plus.
A bachelor’s degree or master’s program in medical laboratory science opens you to further career opportunities.
Various certifications are available, and some states require a medical laboratory technician to be licenced.
Education and Certifications Example
Facts only and separate tertiary education from short courses.
How to Format this Section
The education section must be scannable and precise.
List the institution, qualification, and dates starting with the most recent and continuing in descending order.
Include a GPA score of 3 or higher; otherwise, leave it out.
Separate education, certifications, and registrations on your resume for lab technician jobs.
Lab Technician Skills
ATS linger in the skills section, so include critical keywords.
Resume skills for lab techs include hard and soft skills, so have both on your lab technician skills resume.
In short, soft skills are personality traits or interpersonal skills. In contrast, hard skills are taught and learned skills.
Skills Example
Only list skills mentioned in the job post.
How to Format this Section
Keep ATS in mind when writing the skills section. They read skills exactly, so give them what they want.
Mention only the required skills and include a rating for quick assessment.
References
Close your clinical lab technician resume with references.
One or two are adequate, or you can opt for “available on request” as an alternative.
References Example
Company and referee name and correct contact details - nothing more.
How to Format this Section
The referee and company names, phone numbers and email addresses are all this section needs.
Related Resume Templates
Not sure this is what you want?
Take a look at these resumes made on our resume builder.
- Medical Receptionist Resume Example
- Dental Receptionist Resume Example
- Medical Assistant Resume Example
- Caregiver Resume Example
- Nursing Resume Example
Final Points on Successful Lab Tech Resumes
Now you know how to write winning targeted laboratory technician resumes.
Let’s quickly recap -
- Write a master resume to keep as a living document
- Target each job individually
- Extract keywords from the job post
- Carefully select info from your master
- Choose the best resume template for the job
- Stay with a one to two-page resume
- Use professional, reader-friendly language
- Include action verbs and positive language
- Submit your resume in pdf format