Scientific Keywords and Technical Skills for Resumes
When submitting a resume, you want to make sure that your technical skills are clearly displayed.
On their first pass through a pile of resumes submitted online for a position, many recruiters don’t read. Instead they search on keywords for that position.
Recruiters also don't have time to read for detail, or ponder what you mean. If the job description asks for someone who can us a pH meter, and it isn't on your resume, you could be cut out of the competition.
How do you know what skills are important?
Job announcements! Looking at these, even if you're not ready to apply, will help you to keep informed of hot trends and techniques. For bioscience and chemistry majors, you can find a great list of skills at the Royal Chemical Society's Skill Center.
For Example:
If you are a molecular biology or microbiology student, some sample skills and keywords you might want to highlight are:
- DNA & RNA purification
- cDNA library construction/screening
- DNA & RNA hybridization
- PCR
- Cloning
- Sequencing
- PCR amplification
- Northern & Southern blot analysis
- Thin layer chromatography (TLC)
- Plasmid DNA procedures
- Bacterial genetics