How to Become a Lab Technician

Choosing to walk the path of lab technician can reward you with a long and varied career, often with numerous chances for advancement, but it’s not as easy to get into as you might think. There are a number of steps you’ll have to take, so to make things a bit simpler for you we’ve boiled it down to the main few points and compiled them here.

1. – Decide What Type
Lab technicians come in all sorts of specialties, from medical and dental to electronics and environmental, so make sure you decide in advance which type you want to be! Obviously, if you feel light-headed at the sight of blood, you might not want to be a medical lab technician. You might also want to reconsider applying for a post at a dental lab if you think you’ll get tired of hearing “down in the mouth” jokes…
Depending on which type you choose, the education required (and how long this will take) may vary quite greatly. This brings us onto our next point.

2. – Get Your Education
To become a lab technician in the medical field – dental included – you will typically have to complete a specialised university degree. Some other types of labs will be less stringent: you may only need to complete a short training programme to get you up to speed.
If you’re aiming high at one of the really specialised (and thus highest paid) lab positions, you’ll have to go a little further – a Master’s degree as standard, but perhaps even as far as a Doctorate in your field. Gaining a Doctorate can take between seven and nine years, so if you decide to do this, make sure it is exactly what you want to do!
If you decide that this path is not really suited to you after all, but still want to work in a lab, there are a number of roads still open to you. You could help design and manufacture furniture for laboratories, for example, or you can become an assistant.

3. – Take Your Exams
Most lab technician jobs will require an entrance examination or a certification exam to prove that you’re up to scratch for the position. Make sure you prepare well for this test, as you will find it exceedingly difficult

4. – Apply!
Now, all that’s left for you to do is apply, apply, apply! Because of the financial rewards and the interesting nature of the job, the field of lab technician can be a fairly competitive one. You might be able to increase your chances of quick employment by applying to smaller companies, as these tend to be less well known than the big firms.
If you can’t find a job in your field in your local area, you could always try doing an internship to get that crucial foot in the door.

Author Bio:
Article written by Tom Rokins a passionate writer from the UK.