10 Easy Tips to Help You Write a Killer Biotech Resume

1. Make your resume specific to the job and company you are applying for. Get a copy of the job description and tailor your resume to it. Make sure your qualifications match what they are looking for. Pull out keywords to insert into your resume.
   
   Then go a step further and research the company. Make your resume congruent with the company mission and vision.
   
   


2. Put your most important qualifications first. Are you a new grad? Your educational accomplishments are most important. If you have years of experience, put that first. You have about half a page to convince the hiring manager to take a closer look, so make the most of it.
   
   


3. Show results and quantify them whenever possible. Don’t say that you successfully developed a technique to isolate a particular enzyme. Say that you developed an enzyme isolation technique that led to the development of a drug that netted the company $5 billion.
   
   


4. Include your professional e-mail address and URL. Biotech managers expect to communicate through email, and an email address is part of your contact information. A professional web-site also gives you another chance to promote yourself and tell about qualifications and accomplishments that there isn’t room for on a resume.
   
   


5. List your technical or laboratory skills. Make sure you include skills needed for the job you are applying for, but if you have great skills in another area, don’t leave them out.
   
   


6. List your computer skills. Specialized computer skills are part of biotechnology. Tell the employer what specialized skills you already possess, including what programming languages you can use and which common applications you are proficient with.
   
   


7. Demonstrate professionalism. Make your resume look professional, and present yourself as a professional. Include professional activities, even if it is speaking to the local high school seniors about careers in biotechnology.
   
   


8. Demonstrate your knowledge of the field. List your educational qualifications but don’t leave it there. If you have done continuing education or advanced study in a job-related area, put it down.
   
   


9. Be succinct. A resume is just your career highlights. It’s a foot in the door. Leave out anything that doesn’t get you to your goal of an interview.
   
   


10. Use a headline. A headline is a motto that explains your career objective succinctly. It’s professional, but a bit unusual, so it stands out. For instance, instead of a career objective of “Maintaining and repairing biotechnical equipment,” your headline could say, “Ensuring the perfect functioning of the human/machine interface.”