Top 12 Medical Lab Assistant Skills to Put on Your Resume
In the fast-moving, detail-soaked world of medical labs, a sharp resume can tip the scales. Showcasing a broad, relevant skill set signals you’re ready to keep the bench humming, support clinicians with clean data, and help patients by getting results right the first time.
Medical Lab Assistant Skills
- Phlebotomy
- Microscopy
- Hematology
- Biochemistry
- ELISA
- PCR
- Centrifugation
- Spectrophotometry
- LIS (Laboratory Information System)
- Quality Control
- Immunohistochemistry
- Flow Cytometry
1. Phlebotomy
Phlebotomy is the collection of blood from a vein using a needle and appropriate collection devices for testing, transfusion, or research. Medical Lab Assistants often perform or support this work.
Why It's Important
Reliable blood collection underpins accurate diagnosis, trending, and treatment decisions. Good technique reduces pre-analytical errors and patient discomfort while speeding turnaround times.
How to Improve Phlebotomy Skills
Sharpening phlebotomy comes down to repetition, precision, and safety.
Practice regularly: Supervised draws and simulation tools build confidence and consistency while lowering patient anxiety.
Stay current: Review updated standards for order of draw, tube handling, and labeling from recognized bodies such as CLSI.
Take workshops: Continuing education and skills labs reinforce technique, troubleshooting, and patient interaction.
Communicate clearly: Explain steps, check identifiers, and listen. Calm patients bleed better.
Know your gear: Vacutainers, butterflies, syringes, safety devices—understand when and how to use each.
Infection control: Standard precautions, hand hygiene, PPE, and sharps safety every single time.
Seek feedback: Ask mentors to observe and critique positioning, angle, and tube handling.
Build dexterity: Fine motor drills and mindful practice tighten up your technique.
Focus on comfort, safety, and specimen integrity; the rest follows.
How to Display Phlebotomy Skills on Your Resume
2. Microscopy
Microscopy magnifies cells, tissues, and microorganisms so subtle changes can be seen, counted, and documented for diagnosis and research.
Why It's Important
It turns invisible clues into actionable findings—differentials, organisms, structures—so providers can treat precisely.
How to Improve Microscopy Skills
Maintain and calibrate: Clean optics, align illumination, and verify calibration. Dust and drift sabotage resolution.
Upgrade intentionally: Quality objectives and even LED illumination can boost contrast and clarity when budgets allow.
Use digital tools: Camera integration and analysis software streamline measurement, annotation, and archiving.
Refine sample prep: Nail fixation, smearing, and staining. The best scope can’t fix a bad slide.
Quality control: Run control slides, standardize staining, and document lot-to-lot changes.
Collaborate: Ask pathologists and senior techs what helps them—then tweak slide prep to match.
How to Display Microscopy Skills on Your Resume
3. Hematology
Hematology covers blood and its disorders. For MLAs, that’s specimen handling, smear prep, differentials, and support for analyzer operations and QC.
Why It's Important
From anemia to leukemias to clotting disorders, hematology results steer critical decisions. Precision in pre-analytical and analytical steps protects patients.
How to Improve Hematology Skills
Keep learning: Take focused CE on morphology, flags, and reflex testing. New methods appear; stay nimble.
Practice consistently: Build clean smears, refine staining, and compare with reference images.
Lean on QC: Daily controls, delta checks, and peer comparison anchor accuracy.
Know your analyzer: Review the operator’s manual, flags, and maintenance schedules from the manufacturer.
Network: Discuss tricky cases with certified colleagues; learn how they approach outliers.
Read broadly: Skim current hematology reviews to catch trends in diagnostics and interpretation.
How to Display Hematology Skills on Your Resume
4. Biochemistry
Biochemistry examines the chemical activity of life. In the lab, it means analyzing analytes in blood and other fluids to diagnose, monitor, and guide therapy.
Why It's Important
Understanding metabolism and biomarkers helps you handle specimens correctly, spot interferences, and recognize results that don’t add up.
How to Improve Biochemistry Skills
Strengthen fundamentals: Buffer systems, enzyme kinetics, reference ranges, and interferences. Know the why, not just the steps.
Get hands-on: Volunteer for chemistry benches, reagent changes, and calibration runs.
Stay updated: Follow clinical chemistry news and practice updates so methods and reference intervals aren’t stuck in yesterday.
Pursue CE or certificates: Short courses on method validation, interference testing, or POCT can elevate your work.
Join communities: Professional groups and lab forums offer case discussions, toolkits, and troubleshooting tips.
How to Display Biochemistry Skills on Your Resume
5. ELISA
ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay) detects and quantifies targets like antigens, antibodies, and hormones in patient samples.
Why It's Important
It’s sensitive, specific, and scalable—perfect for screening, confirmation, and monitoring across infectious disease, endocrinology, and more.
How to Improve ELISA Skills
Optimize coating: Titrate capture reagents and verify uniform binding across plates.
Block smart: Test blocking buffers to cut background without muting signal.
Handle samples gently: Avoid repeated freeze–thaw, use proper diluents, and keep within the linear range.
Nail incubation: Control time, temperature, and agitation for consistency from well to well.
Wash thoroughly: Standardize wash cycles and volumes; automated washers help reduce variability.
Match detection to need: Colorimetric for simplicity, fluorescence or chemiluminescence for sensitivity.
Analyze correctly: Use an appropriate curve fit (often 4-PL) and verify controls before releasing results.
How to Display ELISA Skills on Your Resume
6. PCR
PCR amplifies specific DNA sequences so they can be detected and analyzed, even from tiny starting amounts.
Why It's Important
It supports infectious disease diagnostics, genetics, oncology, and more—fast amplification, clear answers.
How to Improve PCR Skills
Start with clean template: Use validated extraction methods to remove inhibitors and verify yield/purity.
Design better primers: Check specificity, melting temps, GC content, and avoid primer-dimers.
Tune annealing temperature: Run gradients to find the sweet spot for specificity and yield.
Adjust MgCl2: Begin near 1.5 mM and titrate; polymerase performance depends on it.
Use hot-start enzymes: Cut non-specific amplification and improve sensitivity.
Right cycles, right input: Too many cycles or too much template invites noise.
Consider enhancers: Additives like BSA or DMSO may help difficult templates.
How to Display PCR Skills on Your Resume
7. Centrifugation
Centrifugation separates components by density using high-speed rotation—vital for clean plasma/serum, buffy coat isolation, and more.
Why It's Important
Proper separation prevents hemolysis, carryover, and inaccurate results. Good technique saves reruns and keeps analytes stable.
How to Improve Centrifugation Skills
Balance meticulously: Match tube volumes and position pairs opposite each other to protect the rotor and samples.
Choose the right rotor: Fixed-angle vs. swing-bucket depends on application and required separation quality.
Set correct RCF and time: Use g-force (not just RPM) per protocol; convert when needed.
Control temperature: Refrigerate for heat-sensitive analytes to preserve integrity.
Maintain equipment: Inspect rotors for corrosion, verify lid locks, and document preventive maintenance.
Use proper adapters: Ensure snug fits for small-volume tubes to avoid vibration and poor separation.
How to Display Centrifugation Skills on Your Resume
8. Spectrophotometry
Spectrophotometry measures how much light a sample absorbs at a given wavelength, translating absorbance into concentration.
Why It's Important
It anchors countless assays in clinical chemistry—precise, quick, and robust when controlled well.
How to Improve Spectrophotometry Skills
Calibrate and maintain: Verify wavelength accuracy, clean cuvettes and optics, and document performance checks.
Use quality reagents: Fresh, uncontaminated reagents reduce drift and weird outliers.
Prep samples correctly: Accurate dilutions, proper mixing, and matched blanks matter.
Pick the right wavelength: Maximize absorbance difference between sample and blank for clarity.
Run controls: Internal QC alongside patient samples tracks accuracy and precision.
Train everyone: Standardize technique so results aren’t operator-dependent.
Stabilize the environment: Temperature and humidity swings can nudge instruments and results.
How to Display Spectrophotometry Skills on Your Resume
9. LIS (Laboratory Information System)
A Laboratory Information System manages orders, specimens, results, QC, and reporting. It connects instruments, staff, and clinicians with the data they need.
Why It's Important
LIS use reduces transcription errors, speeds workflows, and strengthens data integrity. Better tracking, cleaner audits, faster care.
How to Improve LIS (Laboratory Information System) Skills
Train deeply: Learn order entry, result verification, add-on handling, and corrective actions. Refresh often.
Create a feedback loop: Report quirks and bottlenecks; small configuration tweaks can save hours.
Guard data quality: Standardize naming, codes, and comments; use required fields and validation rules.
Integrate: Advocate for clean interfaces with EHRs, middleware, barcode systems, and analyzers.
Update on schedule: Keep versions current and document changes to workflows.
Secure everything: Role-based access, strong passwords, audit logs, and compliance with privacy regulations.
Tune workflows: Customize screens, quick actions, and auto-verification rules to match real-world practice.
How to Display LIS (Laboratory Information System) Skills on Your Resume
10. Quality Control
Quality Control is the set of procedures that verify test systems are accurate, precise, and stable—before, during, and after analysis.
Why It's Important
Results drive treatment. QC catches drift, contamination, and failure early, protecting patients and the lab.
How to Improve Quality Control Skills
Know the SOPs: Review QC ranges, rules (e.g., Westgard), and corrective actions until they’re second nature.
Train and retrain: Practice real scenarios—out-of-control runs, instrument flags, reagent lot changes.
Calibrate and maintain: Follow schedules, document everything, and verify after service.
Run controls with purpose: Use appropriate levels and frequencies; investigate shifts immediately.
Document relentlessly: From lot numbers to corrective actions, clear records make audits painless and improvement possible.
External comparisons: Participate in proficiency testing or peer comparison programs where applicable.
Reflect and improve: Review QC trends monthly; fix root causes, not just symptoms.
How to Display Quality Control Skills on Your Resume
11. Immunohistochemistry
Immunohistochemistry uses antibodies to detect specific proteins in tissue sections, revealing patterns that guide diagnosis and prognosis.
Why It's Important
It clarifies tumor origin, highlights infection or inflammation, and refines treatment choices. Seeing is believing, and staining shows the target in place.
How to Improve Immunohistochemistry Skills
Fixation done right: Consistent formalin fixation times preserve antigenicity and morphology.
Antigen retrieval: Select heat or enzymatic methods based on tissue and target; standardize conditions.
Primary antibody optimization: Titrate concentrations, set incubation times, and choose temperatures to cut background and boost signal. Vendor datasheets are a useful starting point.
Block and wash well: Reduce non-specific binding and clear unbound antibodies thoroughly.
Choose detection wisely: Direct vs. indirect systems and amplification steps should match target abundance.
Use proper controls: Positive and negative controls validate specificity and protocol performance.
Review and adjust: Incorporate pathologist feedback and track lot-to-lot changes in reagents.
Keep learning: Workshops and courses on IHC nuances pay off quickly at the bench.
How to Display Immunohistochemistry Skills on Your Resume
12. Flow Cytometry
Flow cytometry measures and analyzes cells in a fluid stream, one by one, using light scatter and fluorescence to characterize and sort them.
Why It's Important
It delivers rapid, multi-parameter data on complex populations—critical for hematologic malignancies, immunophenotyping, and monitoring therapy.
How to Improve Flow Cytometry Skills
Prepare samples carefully: Aim for viable, single-cell suspensions and correct buffers to preserve markers.
Titrate antibodies: Use the minimum concentration that yields clear separation, and include proper controls.
Set up the instrument: Calibrate regularly, adjust voltages per dye, and verify compensation to limit spillover.
Analyze with intent: Gate logically, document strategies, and standardize templates to improve reproducibility.
How to Display Flow Cytometry Skills on Your Resume
