This post presents detailed information on the laboratory technician career, including how to get into it, the various career opportunities available, and the benefits of becoming a laboratory technician.
How to Become a Laboratory Technician
To become a lab technician, follow these steps:
- Complete your 10+2 in science
The essential requirement for a lab technician’s employment is a 10+2 in the science stream with physics, chemistry, math, or biology as focus courses.
After graduating 10+2, you can enroll in a lab technology diploma or degree program. Both programs may include 10+2 with a science stream as an entry requirement.
2. Pursue formal academic credentials
Another basic need for a lab technician job is a diploma or an undergraduate degree. While some businesses and private labs hire diploma holders, large corporations and multi-specialty hospitals may require Bachelor’s degrees as a prerequisite for employment.
You will need to have a Bachelor’s degree if you want to pursue higher courses. A postgraduate or Master’s degree in a laboratory technology-related topic allows you to specialize in one area, such as bacteriology, microbiology, radiography, applied genetics, clinical pathology, or molecular biology.
3. Finish certification courses
Diploma and degree programs lead to greater work opportunities. Certification programs are short-term courses that can help you remain current on the newest developments in laboratory technology.
Because lab technology is such a broad topic, a certificate program can help you build domain-specific abilities.
4. Obtain training
Most institutes provide hands-on training for lab technicians. Look for internships throughout and after your study.
Paid or unpaid interns are routinely recruited by large laboratories to assist with sample collection, equipment maintenance, documentation, and reporting activities.
Take advantage of these opportunities to improve your abilities while working alongside senior technicians.
More on How to Become a Laboratory Technician
5. Obtain the necessary skills.
Aside from academic credentials, a lab technician may need extra abilities to be successful.
Professionals work in teams and with senior stakeholders in this entry-level position.
Possessing the necessary abilities may be advantageous for rapid professional advancement.
If you want to be a lab technician, you need develop abilities such as communication, problem solving, and time management.
6. Make a resume
When applying for a competitive employment role such as lab technician, a well-written CV can make all the difference.
Begin your CV with a synopsis. In reverse chronological order, include your qualifications, certificates, internships, and job experiences.
Include any professional experiences that are relevant to your current position.
Before applying, always update your resume with pertinent information such as your current employment role or pay expectations.
What Does a Laboratory Technician Do?
A laboratory technician performs various duties and responsibilities, including maintaining equipment and ensuring it works properly and safely.
See detailed laboratory technician job description.
Laboratory Technician Career Opportunities
The laboratory technician career can lead to one or more of these roles:
- Laboratory Manager
A laboratory manager is a person who is responsible for supervising the work of laboratory workers, for formulating laboratory policy, and for planning and directing activities concerned with the acquisition and evaluation of scientific data.
2. Laboratory Supervisor
A laboratory supervisor is a person who oversees the daily operations of a laboratory or clinic, including the monitoring and evaluation of personnel.
They help ensure the safe and efficient operation of the laboratory.
3. Hospital Clinical Laboratory Director
A hospital clinical laboratory director is a person who directs an entire clinical laboratory within a hospital.
Their duties range from developing policies to overseeing training to hiring staff.
This position requires formal education in both science and management, along with certification as a medical technologist.
4. Laboratory Director
A laboratory director is a person who directs an organization engaged in research or scientific endeavors.
They ensure that lab policies are consistent with federal and state laws.
Laboratory directors are also responsible for planning, budgeting, and scheduling laboratory activities, ordering supplies and equipment, purchasing services and supplies, maintaining inventory and records of all materials used in the laboratory work.
5. Laboratory Manager
A laboratory manager is a person who supervises the daily operations of a laboratory or clinic.
Supervisory responsibilities include monitoring employee performance and overseeing day-to-day operations of the facility.
The position requires certification as a medical technologist, but it may also require certification as a clinical laboratory scientist.
More Laboratory Technician Career Opportunities
6. Research Associate
A research associate is a person who performs technical and administrative tasks within a laboratory or group of laboratories.
They conduct experiments, collect and analyze samples, prepare reports, maintain records and graphs of results.
Their tasks range from preparing tissue sections to maintaining tissue sections in storage.
7. Quality Assurance Technician
A quality assurance technician is responsible for ensuring compliance with the laboratory’s quality management system, preparing and maintaining audit documents, and conducting root cause analyses to identify problems.
They are also responsible for taking corrective and preventive actions, participating in audits and reviews, and maintaining records of laboratory performance against established standards.
Quality assurance technicians are also responsible for providing training on inspection, testing and other quality assurance activities.
8. Quality Assurance Supervisor
The quality assurance supervisor is responsible for ensuring the compliance of Quality Assurance Technicians with established quality management program requirements and procedures.
They observe the activities of Quality Assurance Personnel and must be able to perform all the duties required by their position.
9. Quality Assurance Manager
A quality assurance manager is responsible for ensuring quality assurance program conformance, reviewing product, service and quality improvement results.
They are also responsible for recommending corrective and preventive actions and maintaining records of laboratory performance against established standards.
10. Quality Assurance Director
A quality assurance director is responsible for implementing the laboratory’s quality management program and for ensuring that conformance to established standards are achieved.
They are required to observe all activities of Quality Assurance Personnel and must be capable of performing all the duties required by their position.
Challenges faced by Laboratory Technician on the Job
Some of the challenges faced by laboratory technician are as follows:
- Long hours
Laboratory technicians work long hours, many of which are at night, on weekends or on holidays.
This can make it difficult to schedule time off for family or personal obligations. Also, many laboratory technicians are required to travel from site to site.
2. Inflexible schedules
Laboratory technicians may be required to work around the clock or relocate to a site without advance notice.
This can make it difficult to schedule vacations or other time off at another location.
3. Exposure to biological risks
Laboratory technicians are exposed to biological and chemical hazards, making it important for them to use proper safety precautions, such as wearing masks and gowns.
Major Benefits of a Laboratory Technician Career
There are different types of benefits in a laboratory technician career, including:
- Money
Most lab technicians make a decent salary. They can make an average of $55,000 – $60,000 per year depending on the work setting and years of experience.
2. Cross between Science, Tech, and Healthcare
Laboratory technicians enjoy a cross-over skill set that involves a blend of science, technology and healthcare.
They operate complex instruments and machines to conduct scientific tests on biological materials.
They must be well-versed in biology and possess an understanding of chemistry, microbiology, molecular biology, genetics, and cancer detection.
3. Fast Entry Into the Workforce
Lab technician jobs aren’t only available in hospitals. Some work for private companies, research institutions, and commercial laboratories.
Flexible schedules, training, and support from supervisors and colleagues is available.
4. Employment Growth
The growth of the laboratory technology field is expected to rise due to factors like an increase in life expectancy, the demand for accurate and timely healthcare, population growth, an increased awareness of health and safety issues, etc.
5. Job Security
Laboratory technicians are in high-demand as they are needed to detect and diagnose diseases.
They play a crucial role in protecting the public’s health by providing accurate information about a patient’s health status.
As long as people get sick or have any kind of abnormalities in their body, lab technicians will have jobs.
More Benefits of a Laboratory Technician Career
6. Job Satisfaction
Most lab technicians are satisfied with their jobs even if there aren’t openings available or they don’t receive a promotion.
They benefit from the flexibility and autonomy that comes with lab technician jobs.
Lab technicians can set their own schedules and work with staff to meet daily deadlines in the laboratory. Although commute and overtime are common.
7. Making a Difference
Lab technicians are making a difference by ensuring the safety and quality of research data, samples, specimens, specimens, and diagnostics.
They also ensure cutting-edge healthcare treatment methods; higher quality food production through biotechnology; and accurate diagnostic tests for patients.
A lab technician is concerned with assuring that quality standards are met.
Conclusion
Laboratory Technicians are the backbone of hospitals and research facilities. They are the ones who ensure that every vital test performed in a hospital or research complex is reliable. But if you make it big in this field, then it’s not just about your career anymore, but also about your contribution to society.