In a fast-moving and highly specialized industry like biotech, business professionals play a critical role in driving growth, compliance, and innovation. But whether you're in sales, marketing, regulatory affairs, operations, or corporate strategy, your resume needs to do more than list your job titles — it needs to clearly show your impact in a science-driven world.
Here are 7 key resume tips tailored for biotech business professionals to help you stand out and land your next role
1. Tailor Your Resume to the Role
Generic resumes don’t cut it. Hiring managers in biotech are looking for candidates who understand their world. Customize your resume to align with the job description. Use keywords like:
- "Life sciences market access"
- "Biotech commercialization"
- "Regulatory strategy"
- "Clinical operations oversight"
This helps you get past applicant tracking systems (ATS) and shows that you understand the industry's nuances.
2. Highlight Industry-Specific Experience
Whether you’ve worked at a biotech startup or a large pharma company, clearly note:
- Therapeutic areas (e.g., oncology, rare disease)
- Product types (e.g., biologics, diagnostics, cell therapy)
- Phases of development you supported (e.g., pre-launch, commercialization)
Even business roles are expected to have some familiarity with scientific or clinical contexts — demonstrate that you do.
3. Quantify Your Impact
Biotech companies want to see how you’ve moved the needle:
- "Increased territory sales by 40% in 12 months"
- "Led go-to-market strategy for first-in-class product"
- "Reduced regulatory submission errors by 25%"
Use numbers wherever possible to make your achievements tangible.
4. Speak the Language of Both Business and Science
If you're in a hybrid role — say, business development or product marketing — show your ability to translate scientific value into commercial outcomes:
- “Worked cross-functionally with R&D to align messaging on Phase III data”
- “Translated clinical results into investor-facing materials”
This is especially powerful in biotech, where interdisciplinary collaboration is key.
5. Use a Clean, Modern Format
Avoid outdated templates or overly designed resumes. Keep it:
- Clear
- Skimmable
- 1–2 pages max
Use bullet points, consistent formatting, and bolded headers to make reading easy for both ATS software and human reviewers.
6. Include a Strong Summary Section
Open with 2–3 lines summarizing your value:
“Biotech commercial leader with 8+ years of experience in rare disease markets, product launches, and cross-functional team leadership. Proven track record in driving revenue growth and aligning strategy with scientific value.”
This sets the tone for the rest of your resume and lets recruiters quickly assess your fit.
7. Don’t Forget Soft Skills (But Show, Don’t Tell)
Everyone says they’re a “strong communicator” or a “strategic thinker.” Instead, show these skills through:
- Cross-functional projects you led
- Teams you managed
- Complex problems you helped solve
Use examples instead of buzzwords.
Final Thoughts
In biotech, business professionals must prove they understand the science and know how to drive results. Your resume should reflect that balance — not just what you did, but how it moved your company or product forward.
Want to explore roles in biotech?
Check out the latest listings on biotechbusinessjobs.com—the only platform built for business-side biotech careers.