Microbiologist Resume Example & Writing Guide
Use this Microbiologist resume example and guide to improve your career and write a powerful resume that will separate you from the competition.
Microbiologists study the growth, structure, and interactions of microscopic organisms like bacteria, viruses, and fungi. They’re often called upon to identify and characterize new strains or identify possible sources of contamination in hospitals, food processing plants, and other settings where human health is at risk.
When you’re ready to look for a new job as a microbiologist, it’s important to have a resume that showcases your skills and experience in a way that will impress hiring managers. Follow these tips and resume example to write a stellar microbiologist resume that will get you interviews with top employers.
How to Write a Microbiologist Resume
Here’s how to write a microbiologist resume of your own.
Write Compelling Bullet Points
Bullet points are the most important part of your resume because they’re the first thing recruiters will see. And they have to be compelling enough to make them want to read the rest of your resume.
So rather than just listing your responsibilities, you can use bullet points to describe the results of your work. For example, rather than saying you “analyzed data,” you could say you “analyzed data to identify new bacterial strains that could be used to develop new treatments for chronic illnesses.”
The second bullet point is more specific and provides more detail about what you did and the outcome of your work.
Identify and Include Relevant Keywords
When you apply for a microbiologist role, your resume is likely to go through an applicant tracking system (ATS). This program will scan your resume for specific terms related to the job, like “culture” or “microbiology.” If your resume doesn’t have enough of the right keywords, the ATS might not forward it to a recruiter.
To make sure your resume makes it past the ATS, use this list of keywords as a guide:
- Microbiology
- Molecular Biology
- Biotechnology
- Cell Culture
- Research
- Biochemistry
- Biotechnology Industry
- Good Laboratory Practice (GLP)
- Cell Biology
- PCR
- Microscopy
- Molecular Cloning
- Life Sciences
- Qualitative Research
- Environmental Microbiology
- High-throughput Screening
- Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)
- Immunology
- Quality Control
- DNA Amplification
- Biochemistry Research
- Public Health
- Laboratory Skills
- Food Safety
- Food Microbiology
- Food Science
- Food Industry
- Fermentation
- Bacteriology
- Food Analysis
Showcase Your Technical Skills
As a microbiologist, you rely on technology to help you perform your job duties. Recruiters are looking for microbiologists who are proficient in the use of a variety of software programs and systems. This might include programs like laboratory information management systems (LIMS), image analysis software, or genomics software. Additionally, microbiologists need to be familiar with the various types of microscopes and how to use them.