Key Attributes Biological Technicians Need To Succeed In Their Career

by Ethan Jones

Saturday, August 1, 2015

Natural Resources Conservation Services

Biological technicians assist biological and medical scientists in laboratories. Set up, operate, and maintain laboratory instruments and equipment, monitor experiments, make observations, and calculate and record results. They may also analyze organic substances, such as blood, food, and drugs.

The core tasks that biological technicians are likely to carry out include:

Conduct research or assist in the conduct of research, including the collection of information and samples, such as blood, water, soil, plants and animals.
Analyze experimental data and interpret results to write reports and summaries of findings.
Keep detailed logs of all work-related activities.
Use computers, computer-interfaced equipment, robotics or high-technology industrial applications to perform work duties.
Clean, maintain and prepare supplies and work areas.
Set up, adjust, calibrate, clean, maintain, and troubleshoot laboratory and field equipment.

In order to successfully forge ahead with their careers, analysts in a survey carried out by U.S. Department of Labor (via O*NET) have marked out the following as important attributes that biological technicians would need. These attributes have been selected from characteristics and requirements strongly associated with the occupation. They are

Abilities: Enduring attributes of the individual that influence performance
Interests: Preferences for work environments. Occupational Interest Profiles (OIPs) are compatible with Holland's (1985, 1997) model of personality types and work environments. Six interest categories are used to describe the work environment of occupations: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional. An OIP consists of six numerical scores indicating how descriptive and characteristic each work environment (or interest area) is for an occupation
Knowledge: Organized sets of principles and facts applying in general domains
Skills: These include basic skills, which are developed capacities that facilitate learning or the more rapid acquisition of knowledge. Plus cross-functional skills, which are developed capacities that facilitate performance of activities that occur across jobs
Style: Personal characteristics that can affect how well someone performs a job

We have listed out attributes which were scored 80% or more in terms of importance by the analysts.

Being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 93%

Having a strong preference for realistic work environments. Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Attribute Type: Interests Score: 90.43%

Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
Attribute Type: Knowledge Score: 88.6%

Being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 84.4%

Being honest and ethical.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 82.8%

Developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 82.4%

A willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 80.2%