Botanist resume template
A clean starting structure with example content grounded in what botanists 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 botanists should default to, since most Australian recruiters and ATS software expect it.
Professional summary
Botanist with hands-on experience in field surveys, specimen identification and ecological data analysis. Skilled in using R and GIS to map vegetation communities and assess environmental impacts. Focused on delivering practical conservation advice and clear technical reports for landholders and agencies.
Key skills
- Field research and sampling
- Laboratory analysis
- Environmental assessment
- Data analysis
- Surveying and geospatial work
- R
- QGIS
- ArcGIS
- Australasian Virtual Herbarium (AVH)
- Microsoft Excel
- Written communication
- Attention to detail
Experience: example bullet points
- Conducted field surveys across multiple sites, identifying plant species and recording vegetation condition to inform conservation planning.
- Collected and preserved plant specimens, lodging records with the Australasian Virtual Herbarium for research and reference.
- Analysed ecological and genetic data using R, improving the accuracy of species distribution models and habitat assessments.
- Assessed environmental impacts on plant species and habitats, preparing technical reports and management plans for landholders.
- Used QGIS and ArcGIS to map vegetation communities and produce geospatial outputs for land management decisions.
Education
Bachelor of Science majoring in botany or plant science, often followed by postgraduate study such as a Master of Science or PhD in plant ecology or taxonomy.
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.
- Flora survey
- Vegetation mapping
- Plant identification
- Taxonomy
- Herbarium
- Australasian Virtual Herbarium (AVH)
- R
- QGIS
- ArcGIS
- EPBC Act
- Biodiversity assessment
- Ecological survey
- Conservation planning
- Field research
- Environmental impact assessment
- Ecological Society of Australia
- Australian Network for Plant Conservation
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.