Biostatistician Resume Example & Writing Guide
Use this Biostatistician resume example and guide to improve your career and write a powerful resume that will separate you from the competition.
A biostatistician is someone who uses statistics to study and analyze medical research data. They play a crucial role in drug development, clinical trials, medical research, and other health-related fields.
If you love crunching numbers, have a strong analytical mind, and have a passion for public health and medicine, you could be well suited for this career. Here’s some tips and an example resume to help you write yours.
How to Write a Biostatistician Resume
Here’s how to write a biostatistician resume of your own.
Write Compelling Bullet Points
Bullet points are the most effective way to showcase your experience and qualifications. But rather than simply listing your responsibilities, you can make your bullet points much more interesting and compelling by using them to tell a story about your work.
For example, rather than saying you “analyzed data,” you could say you “analyzed data from clinical trial to identify factors contributing to low patient compliance rates, resulting in increased rates of patient compliance by 15% over 6-month period.”
Related: What Is a Biostatistician? How to Become One
Identify and Include Relevant Keywords
When you apply for a biostatistician role, your resume is typically entered into an applicant tracking system (ATS) that scans it for certain keywords. The ATS will search for keywords related to the job, like “statistical analysis” and “biostatistics.” If your resume doesn’t have enough of the right terms, the ATS might automatically reject your application.
To increase your chances of getting an interview, use this list of common biostatistician keywords as a guide:
- Biostatistics
- SAS
- Epidemiology
- Statistics
- Data Analysis
- R (Programming Language)
- Data Mining
- Clinical Trials
- Statistical Analysis
- Software Development
- Machine Learning
- Statistical Programming
- Clinical Research
- Data Analysis & Statistical Modeling
- Data Visualization
- SQL
- Bayesian Statistics
- Data Analytics
- Public Health
- SAS Programming
- R Programming
- Clinical Data Management
- IBM SPSS
- Stata
- Research
- Epidemiologic Research
- Microsoft Access
- Statistics Education
- Cancer Research
- Biotechnology
Showcase Your Technical Skills
As a biostatistician, you rely on specific programs, systems, and languages to perform your job. That’s why it’s essential to list your technical skills prominently on your resume. By doing so, you’ll show that you’re a valuable candidate who is familiar with the essential tools and systems used in your field.
Recruiters are looking for biostatisticians who are proficient in specific programming languages, such as SAS, R, and MATLAB. They also want to see that you have experience with specific systems and methodologies, such as Agile and Scrum. So be sure to list all of your relevant technical skills prominently on your resume.
Related: How Much Does a Biostatistician Make?
Remember The Basics
As you draft your resume, you’ll want to keep a few basic guidelines in mind.
Make Your Resume Easy to Scan
There are a few things you can do to make your resume easier to read and understand quickly. Aligning everything to the left, using a standard font type and size, and keeping bullets under 2 lines will help make your resume more skimmable. You should also try to leave some white space on the page to help the recruiter easily scan through your information.
Be Concise
There is no set length for a resume, but a one to two page resume is considered ideal. When determining the length of your resume, focus on including the most relevant and recent experience. If you are a recent graduate or have less than five to eight years of professional experience, a one-page resume is recommended. If you have more experience than that, you can use a two-page resume, but be selective about the information included. Font type and size, margins, and line spacing can be tweaked to save space on a resume.
Proofread
Proofreading your resume is important in order to make sure it looks professional and error-free. Spell checking is a must, as are punctuation and grammar checks. It is also helpful to have someone else proofread your resume for you, as they may catch mistakes that you have missed. Beware of easily confused words, and make sure that your tense is consistent throughout the resume.
Consider Including a Summary
When it comes to resumes, a well-crafted summary statement can be an extremely valuable tool. A summary statement can help to contextualize your experience, explain your transferable skills, and showcase your intentions and goals. If written correctly, it can be a great way to make a strong first impression on potential employers and highlight the ways in which you would be the perfect fit for the role you’re hoping to land.
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