Home Biologist Resume template
Biologist resume template
A clean starting structure with example content grounded in what biologists actually do day to day, not generic filler. Download and replace the bracketed placeholders with your own details.
Which resume format should you use?
Reverse chronological
You have a steady work history. This is the format almost every recruiter and ATS expects by default.
Functional
You're changing fields or have gaps in your employment. Leads with skills rather than a job-by-job timeline.
Combination
You're early career or have worked consistently but for only a few employers. Blends a skills summary with a shorter chronological history.
This template uses the reverse chronological format: the one most biologists should default to, since most Australian recruiters and ATS software expect it.
Professional summary
Biologist with a postgraduate background in ecology and molecular techniques, working across field surveys, laboratory analysis and statistical modelling. Comfortable carrying a project from study design and permits through to peer-reviewed reporting and stakeholder presentation. Brings the written and analytical discipline that research, government and consulting teams need to turn raw biological data into decisions.
Key skills
- Laboratory analysis including sample preparation, microscopy and molecular techniques
- Field research and sampling to repeatable, documented protocols
- Data analysis and statistical modelling in R
- Spatial analysis and habitat mapping in QGIS
- Environmental assessment and biodiversity reporting
- Python for data cleaning and automation
- SPSS and advanced Microsoft Excel for statistical work
- Scientific writing for reports, papers and plain-language summaries
- Attention to detail in data capture, QA and chain of custody
- Problem solving in remote and unpredictable field conditions
Experience: example bullet points
- Designed and ran seasonal field surveys across multiple sites, collecting vegetation, invertebrate and water samples to a standardised protocol that kept plot-level data comparable across the survey team
- Processed and analysed biological samples in a PC2 laboratory, maintaining chain-of-custody records and QA checks that reduced rework on sample batches
- Built R scripts to clean, validate and analyse survey datasets, cutting the turnaround from raw field data to analysis-ready tables from about a week to a single day
- Mapped habitat and survey coverage in QGIS, producing figures used in statutory assessments and client reports
- Wrote scientific reports and contributed to peer-reviewed publications, translating statistical results into findings land managers and regulators could act on
- Presented results at conferences and stakeholder workshops, adjusting technical depth for community, industry and agency audiences
Education
Bachelor of Science majoring in biology, ecology or a related discipline, usually followed by an honours year; most research, specialist and senior technical roles expect a Masters or PhD.
Keywords an ATS is likely to scan for
Applicant tracking systems match your resume against terms in the job ad before a person ever sees it. Only include the ones that actually apply to your experience, but if a term below matches something you've done, use the same wording the job ad uses.
- EPBC Act
- state biodiversity legislation
- flora and fauna survey
- animal ethics approval
- PC2 laboratory
- AS/NZS 2243.3
- OGTR
- ISO/IEC 17025
- ecological monitoring
- biodiversity assessment
- environmental impact assessment
- statistical modelling
- R
- QGIS
- field sampling protocol
- chain of custody
- scientific report writing
- peer-reviewed publication
- Ecological Society of Australia
- biosecurity
Getting past ATS screening
- Match the specific skills, certifications and terms used in the job ad, not just your own wording for the same thing.
- Keep formatting simple: no tables, text boxes, columns, headers/footers or graphics. Parsers frequently drop content placed in these.
- Submit as .docx or PDF unless the job ad specifies otherwise.
- Use standard section headings (Experience, Education, Skills) rather than creative alternatives.
- List your core skills and technical competencies in their own section so a keyword scan can find them instantly.
This is a starting point, not a guarantee of interviews. Tailor every bullet point to your own real experience and the specific job ad.