How to write a strong CV for a lab assistant position

Updated 19 March 2023

Lab assistants play a critical role in supporting scientific research and experiments. Laboratories employ assistants to prepare materials, set up equipment, conduct tests and analyse data. When applying for a lab assistant position, creating a professional CV allows you to showcase your experience and skills in laboratory operations and procedures. In this article, we explore what a CV for a lab assistant is, explain how to write an effective one and provide a CV template and example document to follow.

Please note that none of the companies, institutions or organisations mentioned in this article are affiliated with Indeed.

What is a CV for a lab assistant?

A CV for a lab assistant is a document that outlines your professional and educational background, skills and experience in laboratory operations and procedures. It provides potential employers with an overview of your qualifications and demonstrates why you're a strong candidate for a lab assistant position. Use your CV to highlight your experience in preparing and conducting experiments, knowledge of laboratory safety protocols, ability to analyse and interpret data accurately and skills in using laboratory equipment and tools. Also include your educational background, certifications or training and relevant work experience that make you suitable for the job.

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How to write a CV for a lab assistant role

Here are some steps to follow when writing a CV that's appropriate for a lab assistant role:

1. Start with a header and professional summary

Begin your CV with your name and contact information at the top. Then add a clear professional summary that outlines your relevant skills and experience in the technical support work carried out as a laboratory assistant. Here are some key elements to include:

Relevant experience: Highlight your experience in laboratory research and testing support work, including any relevant coursework, internships or previous work experience.
Skills and strengths: Mention the laboratory skills you have developed, including your proficiency in laboratory procedures, ability to use laboratory equipment and tools, knowledge of safety protocols and procedures, attention to detail and problem-solving skills.
Educational background: List your educational qualifications, including degrees or certificates and the name of the institutions you attended.
Motivation: Express your passion and motivation for working in a laboratory environment and explain how your work contributes to scientific research and innovation.
Career goals: Briefly outline your long-term career goals and how the lab assistant role supports them.

Related: How to become a lab technician

2. Highlight your educational background

When conveying your educational background on a lab assistant CV, include the following information:

A list of the institutions you attended: Start with the name of the institution, including the city.
Your degree and major: Indicate the degree and major you earned, including any specialisations or areas of focus.
Your attendance dates: List your attendance dates and graduation year.
Your relevant coursework: If you took coursework directly relevant to the lab assistant position, mention it in a separate section to help demonstrate your technical knowledge of scientific or medical research and analysis in a laboratory environment.

3. Include relevant certifications or training

Mention your certifications and training programmes related to the work of a laboratory assistant. Include the name of the certification or training programme, the organisation that provided it and the completion date. Some of these might include, for example:

Control of Substances Hazardous to Health training: An understanding of the risks posed by hazardous substances in the laboratory and how to control them.
Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) training: The principles of GLP and the importance of maintaining a high standard of quality and accuracy in laboratory work.
First Aid at Work: Basic first aid skills to apply in an emergency.
Health and Safety at Work: The principles of health and safety at work, including the legal requirements and responsibilities for employers and employees.

4. Showcase your skills

Detail your laboratory skills, including your proficiency in assisting scientific researchers researchers with experimentation, data analysis and report writing. Include your ability to use laboratory equipment and tools and knowledge of laboratory safety protocols. Mention your core skills in both the professional summary and a separate skills section. Here are some common skills for a lab assistant role:

Laboratory procedures: Proficiency in such procedures as preparing and conducting experiments, handling and analysing samples and interpreting data.
Laboratory equipment: The ability to use laboratory equipment and tools, such as microscopes, centrifuges, spectrophotometers and pipettes.
Laboratory safety: Knowledge of safety protocols and procedures, such as wearing personal protective equipment, handling hazardous materials and disposing of waste properly.
Attention to detail: Strong organisation and accuracy in recording and reporting data, maintaining laboratory cleanliness and organisation, and following experimentation protocols.
Problem-solving: The ability to resolve issues with equipment and experimentation, identify potential hazards and propose alternative solutions.
Communication: Strong personal skills to collaborate effectively with research teams, present research findings and write technical reports.

5. Describe your work experience

For each position, summarise those of your duties and accomplishments which support scientific research. Here are some tips on how to format your work experience section:

Start with your most recent position. List your work experience in reverse chronological order. Provide the job title, the name of the organisation and the employment dates.
List your roles and responsibilities. Detail your specific roles and responsibilities in each position, using bullet points to make this information clear and easy to read. Describe how you supported scientific work and the professionals involved in research, the equipment you used and any data analysis or laboratory maintenance tasks you completed.
Highlight your achievements. Mention specific achievements you accomplished in the role such as publications, presentations and successful experiments that demonstrate your contributions to the laboratory.
Quantify your achievements. Use numbers and statistics to quantify your achievements to help demonstrate the impact of your work.
Tailor your experience to the job description. Include your experience that's most relevant to the lab assistant role you're applying for.

CV template for a lab assistant

Follow this template when writing a CV for a lab assistant role:

[First name] [Last name], [Degree or certification if applicable]
[Phone number] | [Email address] | [City]

Professional Summary
[Two to three sentences that highlight your years of experience, relevant skills, education or certifications and achievements as an entry-level professional.]

Education
[Degree] | [Date of graduation]
[Name of School or University]

Optional

[Certification Name], [Host Organisation] - [Year completed or expiration date]

Experience

(For the most recent role, list 5 experience items. For previous roles, list 3.)

[Job Title] | [Employment dates]
[Company Name] | [City]

(strong verb) + what you did (more detail) + reason, outcome or quantified results
[job duty]
[job duty]
[job duty]
[job duty]

[Job Title] | [Employment dates]
[Company Name] | [City]

(strong verb) + what you did (more detail) + reason, outcome or quantified results
[job duty]
[job duty]

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Example CV for a lab assistant

Consider following this example when writing your CV:

John Smith, Certificate in Healthcare Science +44 (0)7555 555555 | john.smith@email.com | London

Professional Summary

Motivated Lab Assistant with a bachelor's degree in biology and two years' experience in laboratory operations and procedures. Proficient in preparing and conducting experiments, analysing and interpreting data and using laboratory equipment and tools.

Education

Bachelor of Science in Biology | 2021
BiSci University

Certificate in Healthcare Science, Great Way University - 2022

Experience

Lab Assistant | May 2022-Current
West View Labs | London

assist with experiments and laboratory techniques for research projects, which helped them run effectively and efficiently to meet their deadlines
record and organise experimental data in laboratory notebooks and a laboratory information management system (LIMS) to ensure the most accurate and up-to-date data
prepare and sterilise laboratory materials and equipment to meet safety and hygiene standards
assist in ordering laboratory supplies and inventory management to ensure that the lab runs efficiently
maintain laboratory safety protocols and help dispose of hazardous waste to ensure the safety of lab personnel

Lab Assistant | June 2021–May 2022
Labfair | Manchester

worked in a team to perform experiments and collect data, providing valuable support for the team and enabling them to complete their experiments ahead of time
prepared laboratory materials and maintained equipment to ensure that they met the highest safety standards
assisted in data analysis and report writing which kept the team updated on the latest findings and experimental data

Skills

Laboratory techniques (pipetting, aseptic technique, gel electrophoresis, polymerase chain reaction and DNA extraction) | Familiarity with lab equipment (microscopes, centrifuges, spectrophotometers and balances) | Experience with LIMS | Knowledge of laboratory safety procedures | Communication and organisational skills | Attention to detail