Methodology
The goal of this guide is to give you real data what the “must haves” of biology resumes are.
To do that, we compiled and analyzed data from biology resumes and 47 biology job listings to get the data used for this our biology resume guide.
In addition to biology-specific resume data, we built a database of nearly 1 million resumes and job listings, and we use a propriety machine learning model to understand the anatomy of the best resumes in general.
Quick note: using the data below can help you build a competitive resume, but it’s always important to be creative, unique, and personal to stand out.
If you want more info on our methodology, you can check it out here.
Biology resume objective data + biology objective examples
Pop quiz: do biology’s really need to use an objective?
In general, whether or not you need an objective or professional summary can depend a lot on your personal career level (check out our article on resume objectives), but this is what our analysis found for biology’s specifically:
- 33% of biology’s included an objective section
- 27% of biology’s included a professional summary
- 47% of biology’s included neither an objective nor a summary
Biology objective examples
A highly motivated biology who aims to make use of their interpersonal skills to achieve goals of a company that focuses on customer satisfaction and customer experience.
Seeking a position as a Biology Researcher in a dynamic laboratory setting where I can utilize my strong analytical skills and knowledge of biological systems to contribute to cutting-edge scientific projects.
To obtain a challenging and rewarding role as a Biology Laboratory Technician where I can utilize my technical expertise, attention to detail, and passion for biology to support vital scientific experiments.
Aiming to secure a position as a Biology Scientist where I can leverage my extensive knowledge of molecular biology and genetics, as well as my ability to work effectively in a team environment, to drive innovation and discovery in the field.
Skills for biology resumes
These are the skills that occurred most frequently in in biology resumes, which means they tend to be core competencies or highly desired skills.
Of course, you should only list skills that you actually have, and you should prioritze skills most relevant to the job you're applying for. But these are good core skills to include on your resume.
To get more detail on building a powerful skills section, take a peek at our article on resume skills.
*Note: to find skills our machine learning model basically looks for common words, so take these with a grain of salt and use your best judgment.
Most common biology resume skills
Most common hard skills for biology resumes: spectrophotometry, communication, gas chromatography, flow cytometry, and laboratory operations.
Most common soft skills for biology resumes: communication skills, customer-service skills, interpersonal skills, listening skills, and patience.
Other good biology resume skills
- Interpersonal skills
- Writing skills
- Dissection
- ELISA
- Microsoft Office skills
- Light and electron microscopy
- Organizational skills
- Analytical thinking
- Mutagenesis
- DNA and RNA analysis
- Attention to detail
- Problem-solving skills
- Assays
- Computer skills
- Molecular cloning
- Restriction analysis
Biology skills section examples
Note: these examples are formatted the same here just because it’s simple, but we have more detailed formatting advice (and examples) in our guide to resume formatting.
Biology skills example 1
Interpersonal skills | communication | dissection | elisa | flow cytometry | laboratory operations | microsoft office skills
Biology skills example 2
Writing skills | communication skills | light and electron microscopy | customer-service skills | organizational skills | interpersonal skills | analytical thinking
Biology skills example 3
Computer skills | mutagenesis | patience | listening skills | attention to detail | customer-service skills | problem-solving skills
Work experience for biology resumes
Your work experience section is almost always the most important part of your resume. Because it’s difficult to pull trends from this kind of section, this section is mostly just examples.
For some advanced strategies for writing about work experience on a resume, refer to our article on building a strong work experience resume section. We also have a guide on writing a resume with no experience if you’re just starting your career.
For now, it’s good to remember that the most important experience for any biology resume is the most relevant experience.
A couple examples for you:
Biology work experience examples
WORK EXPERIENCE
Sr. Associate Biology
Hooli, 2020-2022
Responsibilities
- Monitor financial markets and the performance of individual securities
- Contact prospective clients to present information and explain available services
- Manage the finances of the facility, such as patient fees and billing
- Oversee the maintenance and repair of machinery, equipment, and electrical and mechanical systems
- Address complaints regarding food quality or service
WORK EXPERIENCE
Associate Biology
Acme Corp., 2016-2022
Responsibilities
- Repair or replace malfunctioning components, parts, and other mechanical or electrical equipment
- Bathe animals, trim nails, clip hair, and attend to other grooming needs
- Collected ticks in Broome County and logged an extensive amount of data on each tick including their gender, species and place of origin
- Trained in efficient scientific techniques such as running PCR and gel electrophoresis
- Collaborated with leadership team to identify relevant questions and determine best methods of collection
WORK EXPERIENCE
Biology Intern
Candor Corp, 2007-2012
Responsibilities
- Planned, modified and executed research techniques, procedures and tests
- Gathered and arranged research data to create representative graphs and charts highlighting results for presentations
- Assisted in the further development of molecular lab facility by new diagnostics tests selection, instruments selection
- Helped in hiring the suitable candidates to run the facility
- Created SOPs for the facility
Education for biology resumes
For most positions, work experience is more important than education, although it can be important for new grads or for fields in which specific classes are industry-standard.
So it’s not a big section, but it’s still important, and often, biology job postings list a minimum education requirement.
Check out our blueprint for education on resumes for our full playbook on education sections.
Data from our sample of 954 biology resumes
- 9% biology resumes listed an associate’s degree
- 59% biology resumes listed a bachelor’s degree
- 28% biology resumes included a masters degree
- 1% biology resumes mentioned a doctoral degree
Biology resume education examples
EDUCATION
Master of Arts
Loma Linda University, 2020
Awards & Honors
- Magna Cum Laude
- Valedictorian
- The Honor Society
EDUCATION
Associate of Applied Arts
Loma Linda University, 2016
Certifications for biology resumes
Certifications aren’t a strict requirement for every job, but there are almost always certifications you can get to boost your chances of success.
If you want to see how to build these sections, we have a guide about certifications on resumes.
We did a little research and found certifications can help biology’s specifically, according to CareerOneStop.
Biology certification examples
CERTIFICATIONS
Wetland Professional in Training
Society of Wetland Scientists, 2020
Professional Wetland Scientist
Society of Wetland Scientists, 2016
CERTIFICATIONS
Wetland Professional in Training, Professional Wetland Scientist, Certified Healthcare Facility Manager
Biology resume action verbs
Using our database of nearly 1,000,000 publicly available resumes, we compiled an index of action verbs and cross-referenced it with our sample of 954 biology resumes and job postings to uncover which action verbs are most commonly used by biology’s and biology employers.
The most common action verbs on biology resumes are: program, process, assist, prepare, and manage.
The most common action verbs on biology job postings are: lead, plan, review, handle, and field.
Other action verbs for biology resumes:
- Perform
- Develop
- Design
- Test
- Direct
- Create
- Monitor
- Track
- Organize
- Resolve
Full biology resume example
Lastly, we wanted to give you a couple full biology resume examples..
Please note: you can write a better resume than this. This is just a quick illustration to show you how these pieces might fit together.
If you’d like to see “perfect” resumes, we have a showcase of resume examples.
Biology resume example
Ronald Vargas
Biology
2779 Valley Lane, Austin, TX
To obtain a challenging and rewarding role as a Biology Laboratory Technician where I can utilize my technical expertise, attention to detail, and passion for biology to support vital scientific experiments.
WORK EXPERIENCE
Sr. Associate Biology
Hooli, 2020-2022
Responsibilities
- Explained and informed the functions and importance of molecular biology lab facility to donors
- Supervised day to day molecular biology laboratory affairs
- Researching, identifying, classifying and studying plants, animals, and ecosystems
- Collecting samples, taking measurements, photographing or sketching organisms, and obtaining other information that may lead to discoveries about organisms or ecosystems
Associate Biology
Acme Corp., 2016-2022
Responsibilities
- Observing organisms to learn more about their diets, behavior, and impact on their surroundings
- Maintaining thorough, accurate records relating to research or observations
- Tagging and tracking animals to learn about their movements, relocating animals to wildlife preserves
- Leading research groups, ensuring the proper distribution of tasks and resources
Biology Intern
Candor Corp, 2007-2016
Responsibilities
- Writing papers about findings and proposals for projects or funding
- Program and use computers to store, process and analyze data
- Collect and analyze biological data about relationships among and between organisms and their environment
- Study aquatic plants and animals and environmental conditions affecting them, such as radioactivity or pollution
CERTIFICATIONS
Andrology Laboratory Scientist
AAB – Board of Registry, 2020
Fisheries Professional Associate
American Fisheries Society, 2016
SKILLS
Interpersonal skills | microsoft office skills | clinical research | interpersonal skills | communication skills | spectrophotometry | mutagenesis
EDUCATION
Master of Arts
Loma Linda University, 2020
Associate of Applied Arts
Loma Linda University, 2016
What experts say about biology resumes
Before we wrap it up, we want to leave you with some advice from other experts we admire.
“Update your CV or your resume as soon as you do something really cool, or you do an internship, or you speak somewhere, or you get published on a paper.” – A Biology Lecturer’s Pro-Tips on Updating or Creating Your CV / Resume
“There’s going to be about three to five bullet points, and it’s going to highlight the skills that the employer is looking for that you do really well, and so this is probably the most important part of the resume.” – 10 Tips for Writing Better Science Industry Resumes
“I explained all the things I achieved in that job and then my last one says like my oldest piece of experience.” – How to Write a SCIENCE Resume // Career Series
