5 Ways to Distinguish and Improve your Life Sciences Resume

If you compared a Life Sciences resume with one from a different industry, you wouldn’t notice many similarities. You will inevitably see similarities in the foundational components of a resume (name, experience, education, contact info), but aside from that, a resume for a biopharmaceutical position should look different. According to Aja Frost from BioSpace.com, below are five great ways to set your biotech resume apart from the crowd.

  1. Technical SkillsMany biotech and biopharma roles require very specific skills, so it’s incredibly important that you have a section dedicated to what you can do (even if that information also appears organically under the “Experience” section). You might want to consider breaking your skills up into “Lab” and “Software;” for example, under the former, you’d list “Antibody engineering,” while under the latter, you’d include “Advanced Excel.”
  2.  PublicationsHighlighting the publications you’ve contributed to is a fantastic way to quickly show the hiring manager you’re knowledgeable, informed and active in the community. If you’ve written too many articles to fit them all, choose a blend of the most relevant and the most prestigious. Let’s say you’ve written for a very well-known journal. Even if the subject was unrelated to the job you’re applying for, you should include the citation, because it will build your credibility. However, balance it out by including an article that was related to the new position. And, show the person reading your resume this is a limited selection of work by tilting the section “Selected Publications.”
  3. Speaking Engagements

    Along similar lines, it’s expected that you’ll add the relevant talks, seminars, and lectures you’ve given. When you’re sending a CV, you can (and should!) list all of your speaking engagements, but on a resume, you won’t have space. Pick the presentations that are the most impressive and topical. The ones you choose should vary based on what role you’re applying for; however, a good rule of thumb is to always include at least one recent speaking engagement.

  4.  Professional Affiliations
    Many people working in the life sciences are very involved in outside activities, from networking groups to non-profit organizations and mentorship opportunities. If you’re a member of one of these groups, put that on your resume to show your passion for the industry doesn’t end with your job. If you’ve got the room, you should also think about listing other professional associations, such as your college fraternity or sorority, your professional development organizations, and so on.
  5. Other
    The most impressive resumes will have even more: patents, notable contributions to the field, honors and awards, research experience and so on. When composing your resume, don’t worry whether something is “supposed” to be included—if it’s related to the profession and shows your qualifications, it should be included.

Compass Consulting  provides workforce solutions to the medical device and life science industries across the United States. We partner with large multi-nationals and emerging start-ups with staffed resources within the Commercial and Scientific functions. The Compass leadership team has extensive industry experience and can help execute a customized talent strategy to meet your needs. Our flexible business model supports traditional consulting, staffing, and recruiting. Compass welcomes an opportunity to establish a partnership with organizations as they scale.

If you are interested in learning more about our broad array of services or are looking to expand your career, please contact us at (925) 884-3811 or email us at Requests@CompassCGroup.com. You can also search for our current openings by clicking here.