What does a Bioinformatics Scientist do?

Conduct research using bioinformatics theory and methods in areas such as pharmaceuticals, medical technology, biotechnology, computational biology, proteomics, computer information science, biology and medical informatics. Day to day that includes work like develop new software applications or customize existing applications to meet specific scientific project needs and Communicate research results through conference presentations, scientific publications, or project reports.

What skills should a Bioinformatics Scientist put on a resume?

O*NET rates Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Complex Problem Solving, and Speaking among the most important skills for this occupation. Name the ones that are genuinely yours and show where you used them. A resume that lists skills you do not have is weaker than one that lists fewer.

What software should a Bioinformatics Scientist list?

Software recorded for this occupation includes Accelrys Pipeline Pilot, Amazon Web Services AWS software, Apache Accumulo, Apache Groovy, and Apache Hadoop. Applicant tracking systems match on the exact product name, so write the tool as the posting writes it rather than describing it in general terms.

What other job titles cover Bioinformatics Scientist work?

O*NET records 29 titles for this occupation, including Bioinformaticist, Research Scientist, Scientist, and Research Associate. Searching only your own job title hides most of the openings you could apply to.

What qualifications does a Bioinformatics Scientist need?

In O*NET's survey of people doing this job, 34% reported their level of education as "Bachelor's Degree". That is what current postholders reported, not a requirement any single employer sets.

Will this resume pass an ATS for a Bioinformatics Scientist role?

No tool outside an employer can tell you how that employer's system is configured, including ours. What you can control is that the resume parses cleanly, names the work in the words the posting uses, and does not claim anything you cannot back up.

Bioinformatics Scientist resume example

A resume for a Bioinformatics Scientist needs to show the work itself: conduct research using bioinformatics theory and methods in areas such as pharmaceuticals, medical technology, biotechnology, computational biology, proteomics, computer information science, biology and medical informatics. Day to day that means work like this: develop new software applications or customize existing applications to meet specific scientific project needs; communicate research results through conference presentations, scientific publications, or project reports. Recruiters and applicant tracking systems both read for the tasks and tools this role actually involves, so the strongest resume names them in your own experience rather than describing the job in the abstract. Below are the tasks O*NET records for this occupation, the software and tools it uses, the titles it is advertised under, and the skills worth naming if they are genuinely yours.

Also advertised as

The same job is posted under many titles. Searching only your own job title hides most of the openings you could apply to.

Bioinformaticist
Research Scientist
Scientist
Research Associate
Scientific Database Curator
Bioinformatician
Bioinformatics Analyst
Bioinformatics Associate
Bioinformatics Computer Scientist
Bioinformatics Consultant
Bioinformatics Data Analyst
Bioinformatics Developer
Bioinformatics Engineer
Bioinformatics Research Specialist
Bioinformatics Specialist
Bioinformatics Support Specialist
Computational Biologist
Data Analyst

O*NET records 29 titles for this occupation in total.

What this work actually involves

Tasks recorded for this occupation, in O*NET's words. If your experience covers one of these, it belongs on your resume in your own words.

Develop new software applications or customize existing applications to meet specific scientific project needs.
Communicate research results through conference presentations, scientific publications, or project reports.
Create novel computational approaches and analytical tools as required by research goals.
Consult with researchers to analyze problems, recommend technology-based solutions, or determine computational strategies.
Analyze large molecular datasets, such as raw microarray data, genomic sequence data, or proteomics data, for clinical or basic research purposes.
Keep abreast of new biochemistries, instrumentation, or software by reading scientific literature and attending professional conferences.
Develop data models and databases.
Compile data for use in activities, such as gene expression profiling, genome annotation, or structural bioinformatics.
Design and apply bioinformatics algorithms including unsupervised and supervised machine learning, dynamic programming, or graphic algorithms.
Manipulate publicly accessible, commercial, or proprietary genomic, proteomic, or post-genomic databases.
Direct the work of technicians and information technology staff applying bioinformatics tools or applications in areas such as proteomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, or clinical bioinformatics.
Provide statistical and computational tools for biologically based activities, such as genetic analysis, measurement of gene expression, or gene function determination.

20 tasks are recorded in total; these are the most central.

Example bullets for this role

Built from this occupation's own tasks. The brackets stay empty on purpose: we will not invent a number for you, and a fabricated metric is the fastest way to lose an interview you had already won.

Develop new software applications or customize existing applications to meet specific scientific project needs, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
Communicate research results through conference presentations, scientific publications, or project reports, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
Create novel computational approaches and analytical tools as required by research goals, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
Consult with researchers to analyze problems, recommend technology-based solutions, or determine computational strategies, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].

Software used in this role

Recorded for this occupation by O*NET. An applicant tracking system matches the exact product name, so write the tool the way the posting writes it.

Accelrys Pipeline Pilot
Amazon Web Services AWS software
Apache Accumulo
Apache Groovy
Apache Hadoop
Apache HTTP Server
Bash
Bioconductor
Bioconductor software
Biomatters Geneious
BioPerl
BLAT
Bowtie
BWA

94 software entries are recorded in total.

Tools and equipment

The physical equipment this occupation is recorded as using. Worth naming when a posting asks for it by name.

Computer data input scanners
Computer laser printers
Desktop computers
Laptop computers
Personal computers

Skills an ATS reads for

Worth naming only if they are genuinely yours. Keyword overlap is one input to a resume's score, not a verdict.

Bash
Bioconductor
C

What this job rates as most important

O*NET rates every skill for importance to this occupation. These are the highest rated, in order.

01Critical Thinking
02Reading Comprehension
03Active Listening
04Complex Problem Solving
05Speaking
06Writing
07Science
08Active Learning
09Judgment and Decision Making
10Mathematics

Knowledge areas

The subject knowledge this occupation draws on, rated by importance.

Biology
Computers and Electronics
Mathematics
English Language
Chemistry
Education and Training
Administrative

What qualifications people in this job have

From O*NET's survey of people doing this work. This is what postholders reported, not a requirement any single employer sets.

34%Bachelor's Degree
32%Post-Doctoral Training
16%Master's Degree

What level this role is pitched at

O*NET places this occupation in “Extensive Preparation Needed”. Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).

Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.

Common questions

What does a Bioinformatics Scientist do?: Conduct research using bioinformatics theory and methods in areas such as pharmaceuticals, medical technology, biotechnology, computational biology, proteomics, computer information science, biology and medical informatics. Day to day that includes work like develop new software applications or customize existing applications to meet specific scientific project needs and Communicate research results through conference presentations, scientific publications, or project reports.
What skills should a Bioinformatics Scientist put on a resume?: O*NET rates Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Complex Problem Solving, and Speaking among the most important skills for this occupation. Name the ones that are genuinely yours and show where you used them. A resume that lists skills you do not have is weaker than one that lists fewer.
What software should a Bioinformatics Scientist list?: Software recorded for this occupation includes Accelrys Pipeline Pilot, Amazon Web Services AWS software, Apache Accumulo, Apache Groovy, and Apache Hadoop. Applicant tracking systems match on the exact product name, so write the tool as the posting writes it rather than describing it in general terms.
What other job titles cover Bioinformatics Scientist work?: O*NET records 29 titles for this occupation, including Bioinformaticist, Research Scientist, Scientist, and Research Associate. Searching only your own job title hides most of the openings you could apply to.
What qualifications does a Bioinformatics Scientist need?: In O*NET's survey of people doing this job, 34% reported their level of education as "Bachelor's Degree". That is what current postholders reported, not a requirement any single employer sets.
Will this resume pass an ATS for a Bioinformatics Scientist role?: No tool outside an employer can tell you how that employer's system is configured, including ours. What you can control is that the resume parses cleanly, names the work in the words the posting uses, and does not claim anything you cannot back up.

Related roles

Occupations O*NET records as closest to this one, and worth looking at if this search is not moving.

What this page cannot tell you

No tool outside an employer can tell you how that employer’s ATS is configured, including ours.
This page makes no claim about pay, demand or how many people hold this job. O*NET does not publish that here and we will not estimate it.
Keyword overlap is one input to a resume’s score, not a verdict on you. A resume that names skills you do not have is worse than one that names fewer.

If this is the job you are aiming at, the guide to tailoring a resume covers how to aim one posting properly, and building and exporting a resume here is free.

Occupation data from the O*NET 29.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. SpartanResume is not endorsed by USDOL/ETA.