

AI can do a lot to make your life easier, but it can’t magic up a bioinformatics resume out of thin air. Luckily, this biometrics resume writing guide has got you covered!
Once upon a time, there was biology, and the IT sector, and out from their budding love came the field of biometrics. Clearly, it takes two to tango.
So why does you + your resume not produce a job in biometrics?
Your second addend probably isn’t pulling its weight.
It’s time to scan for mismatched data in your resume.
This guide will show you:
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Sample resume made with our builder—See more resume templates here.
Looking for positions with similar sequences? Check out this handy list:
Gregory Hammons
Bioinformatics Expert
601-309-9927
ghammons@zetymail.com
Linkedin.com/in/greghammons
Professional Summary
Experienced and driven bioinformatics expert with 11 years in the industry and a PhD. At XenixTech, collaborated with technical support scientists and engineers to develop a breakthrough solution in genomic databases, increasing data storage capacity by a third and boosting efficiency by 23%. Seeking to apply my innovative drive and technical expertise towards designing groundbreaking biometrics solutions for DGD Technologies.
Work Experience
Bioinformatics Expert
XenixTech Ltd., San Francisco, CA
2015–Present
Bioinformatics Analyst
LRLScience, Anaheim, CA
2009–2014
Education
PhD in Computational Biology
University of California, Los Angeles
Graduated: 2013
Master of Science in Biotechnology
University of California, Los Angeles
Graduated: 2007
Skills
Programming Languages
Achievements
Without further ado, this is how you write a successful bioinformatics resume:
Bioinformatics scientists work with both biologists and IT departments to define analysis questions, interpret results, and then integrate the obtained data into bioinformatics infrastructures. Your bioinformatics resume needs to show your knowledge of state-of-the-art bioinformatics methods, plus skills needed to design effective workflows.
In other words—
That’s a lot on your plate. So first up, speaking of workflows:
It’s best to apply a consistent one to your resume formatting to make your data as easily accessible to recruiters as possible.
Follow these basic tips to create a navigable, transparent resume layout:
As you design your document, keep in mind that resume length matters. How many pages should a resume be? Well—
Submit a one-page resume if you have fewer than around 7 years of experience. If you focus only on relevant information, you should have no trouble getting it to fit.
Sending in a two-page resume is only a good idea if you have tons of relevant work experience and a long list of achievements to share.
Ready to move on? One last thing:
Save your resume as a PDF file to preserve formatting and layout. Only submit a .docx resume if the job ad specifically asks for this format.
Read more: What Should the Best Resume Look Like?
A resume profile is not the genomic sequence of your resume, contrary to what you might think.
It’s actually a brief resume introduction statement that serves to capture the attention of the recruiter by summarizing who you are, how you got here, and what goals you have set.
Now, you have two options, depending on your experience.
Write a resume summary if you’re an experienced bioinformatics scientist who’s already worked in the field. State your most noteworthy accomplishments. Be bold and throw in a positive adjective or two, and back your statements of greatness up with numbers, recruiters love them!
And if you’re yearning for a chance to get your first bioinformatics gig, writing a resume objective helps convince the recruiter you’re worth a shot. Talk up the skills and knowledge you have from outside the field to sell yourself as the next bioinformatics hotshot. Focus on transferable skills that could find their place in this field.
Read more: How Best to Summarize Your Qualifications
Computational biology is a prosperous field, with a whopping 15% projected growth in employment! That’s borderline ridiculous!
While it means plenty of opportunities to get hired, the increased competition also spells larger cohorts of competitors.
Here’s the best tips to engineer your work section better than CRISPR could:
Read more: How to Describe Work Experience on a Resume
Some say education hardly matters on a resume. They’re wrong.
Think about it—why would positions requiring at minimum a Bachelor’s, and staggeringly often employing candidates that hold a PhD, not care about your education?
A strong resume education section is obviously a must. What’s not obvious is how to structure it properly:
Read more: Should Your GPA Go on Your Resume? When, Where, and How to List It
When making a resume in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building a professional resume template here for free.
When you’re done, Zety’s resume builder will score your resume and tell you exactly how to make it better.
The way to an impeccable skills section lies in carefully selecting those skills the employer wants to see.
But hang on, “mind reading” surely isn’t on your list, so how can you possibly do that?
It’s not as tricky as you might think. Here’s what you do:
And just like that, you have an expertly crafted designer baby of a skills section. No copy-pasting, no bloating, just pure skill.
For your reference, here’s a list of bioinformatics skills any employer would love to see:
Pro Tip: For even greater chances at success, sneakily weave in those skills mentioned in the job ad when demonstrating your experience in the work section of your resume.
Congrats, your resume can now stand on its own two legs!
But it’s not over. When you consider the sheer number of competitors, you need to stand far above them.
You need to excite your employer about the prospect of hiring you more than a grant from the National Science Foundation would.
To do that, add some additional sections to your resume that show off your passion or uniqueness.
Here are a few ideas:
Read more: Good Things to Put on Your Resume
A resume and a cover letter form a bond stronger than that between two nucleotides, so don’t skip out on it!
First, make sure you’re following a good cover letter format before you even start writing.
Next, your cover letter should address the hiring manager directly, by name (and academic title if they have one).
In the opening of your cover letter, you should stress what drew you to the company, and provide a major win or two to keep them interested.
Then, in the body, capitalize on the attention you won over by bragging about more of your achievements.
Finally, end your cover letter with a call to action and an incentive that will make them want to talk to you.
As far as identifying the optimum cover letter length goes, keep it contained within 3 or 4 paragraphs (or about 1 page).
Read more: Modern Cover Letter Templates to Use
Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:
See more cover letter templates and start writing.
Eureka!
A perfect bioinformatics resume! You’ll be rolling in job offers before you know it.
Got any burning questions you want answered? Maybe you’re still unsure about listing bioinformatics resume skills? Our comments section is always open!
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