An entry-level genetics CV should present your laboratory experience, coursework, and technical skills in a way that aligns with UK job descriptions. You want to show relevant experience even if most of it comes from university projects, internships, or volunteering, and to make clear how your laboratory work prepares you for a research, NHS, or industry role.
Building a Geneticist resume?
Skip the blank page. Start with a template built for this role, then tailor it for each job you apply to.
Tip: use the template as a starting point, then swap in your own numbers and project names.
Why this CV should be focused
UK recruiters and principal investigators review CVs quickly, so you need to highlight the skills and methods that matter for genetic roles in the UK. Focused CVs make it easy for a reviewer to see you can run common assays, analyse sequence data, or support a laboratory workflow without a long explanation.
When you tailor your CV to the job description, you increase the chance your application will pass screening and reach an interview with the team.
Recommended format and section order
Use a clear chronological or hybrid format that places your strongest, most relevant experience first, typically a recent research assistant role or internship. Order sections as follows, with the most important highlights near the top: full contact details and portfolio links, professional profile (summary), education and qualifications, research and laboratory experience, technical skills and methods, projects or publications, and optional sections such as certifications or volunteering or professional memberships.
Keep formatting consistent, use a single readable font, and save the file as a PDF unless the job advert asks for a different format.
In the UK, include your right-to-work status, reference UK date format (DD/MM/YYYY), and ensure you can demonstrate eligibility to work in the UK if asked. If applying for NHS or other healthcare roles, tailor the order to foreground clinical or laboratory competencies.
Header and contact information
Include your full name, a professional UK email address, a mobile number (UK or international format), and links to a GitHub, OSF, ORCiD, LinkedIn, or a lab portfolio if you have one. Do not include personal data such as your date of birth, marital status, or a photo unless requested by the employer, and make sure your email address looks professional.
If you have relevant online work, add a short portfolio link and a one-line descriptor such as "code and analysis notebooks" or "poster presentations." Where relevant, state your right-to-work status or visa requirements.
Summary statement or objective
Write a 2-3 line professional profile that states your degree, the lab techniques you know, and the type of role you are targeting so the reviewer can place you quickly. If you have limited formal work experience, use a concise objective that names the role (e.g. junior geneticist, research assistant in genetics, or clinical laboratory support) and highlights your strongest relevant skills, such as PCR, next-generation sequencing preprocessing, or sample handling.
Keep this section specific and avoid vague language; mention tangible methods rather than broad scientific interest.
Education and relevant coursework
List your degree(s), institution, city, country, and graduation date or expected date, and include your final grade or honours where strong and relevant (e.g. 2:1 in the UK system, Distinction).
For early career applicants, you may also include GCSEs and A-levels if they strengthen your profile. Under education include modules directly relevant to genetics such as molecular genetics, bioinformatics, genomics, and statistics, and list any thesis or capstone project.
Mention your UCAS context or Russell Group university if applicable. If you studied abroad, note degree equivalencies.
Where possible, connect your coursework to practical skills (e.g. PCR protocols, sequencing data analysis, sample preparation).