Phlebotomist Resume Skills: Top Examples, Tips, and Keywords
Make your phlebotomist resume stronger with popular skills, examples, tips, and resume-ready bullet points
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Phlebotomists play a crucial role in the healthcare system by specializing in drawing blood from patients for various types of medical tests, transfusions, donations, or research. Their work requires a combination of technical expertise, attention to detail, and strong interpersonal skills to ensure safe and efficient blood collection while maintaining patient comfort. As a phlebotomist, you’re often the first point of contact for patients undergoing testing, and your professionalism and skill can set the tone for their healthcare experience.
When crafting your resume, highlighting the right phlebotomist skills is essential to stand out to potential employers. Employers look for candidates who not only have the technical abilities but also the soft skills necessary to perform their duties effectively and compassionately. Listing the appropriate skills for your phlebotomist resume can help demonstrate your readiness to meet the demands of the job and contribute positively to a healthcare team.
How we got the data
The data in this report was pulled from Jobscan’s database of more than 10 million job descriptions and 17 million resumes.
We analyzed the job descriptions to find the skills that employers want the most. Then we analyzed the resumes to see which skills appeared most frequently.
Armed with this knowledge, job seekers can easily tailor their resumes and cover letters to highlight the most relevant resume skills for each job they apply to.
top 10 phlebotomist Hard Skills
- Phlebotomy – 71%
- Testing – 41%
- Safety – 30%
- Certification – 25%
- Scheduling – 25%
- Data entry – 24%
- Blood draw – 23%
- Policies – 21%
- Procedures – 21%
- Compliance – 18%
top 10 phlebotomist Soft Skills
- Communication – 16%
- Work independently – 14%
- Reliable – 13%
- Flexibility – 11%
- Committed – 8%
- Proficient – 7%
- Minimal supervision – 6%
- Compassion – 6%
- Professionalism – 6%
- Confidence – 5%
top 10 phlebotomist Skills on Resumes with High Match Rate
- Phlebotomy
- Infection control
- Safety
- Medical
- Testing
- Data entry
- Policies
- Healthcare
- Procedures
- Communication
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Optimize your resumeTop 10 phlebotomist skills
Examples of how to write this skill on your resume:
- Conducted over 100 phlebotomy procedures weekly, maintaining a 98% first-attempt success rate.
- Implemented new phlebotomy techniques, reducing patient discomfort by 15%.
- Trained new staff in phlebotomy best practices, improving team performance by 20%.
Examples of how to write this skill on your resume:
- Successfully prepared and processed 150+ blood samples per day for laboratory testing.
- Ensured 100% accuracy in labeling and documentation for all testing samples.
- Streamlined testing procedures, reducing sample processing time by 30%.
Examples of how to write this skill on your resume:
- Developed software systems that streamlined operations, increasing productivity by 30%.
- Implemented updates to existing software, enhancing user experience by 25%.
- Led a team to create a software application that reduced error rates by 15%.
Examples of how to write this skill on your resume:
- Managed scheduling for a team of phlebotomists, reducing patient wait times by 20%.
- Implemented an efficient scheduling system, increasing appointment availability by 25%.
- Coordinated schedules for high-volume clinic, improving patient flow by 30%.
Examples of how to write this skill on your resume:
- Achieved 99% accuracy in data entry for patient records and lab results.
- Streamlined data entry processes, reducing input errors by 20%.
- Managed data entry for 200+ patient files daily, ensuring timely access to information.
Examples of how to write this skill on your resume:
- Performed over 150 blood draws per month with a 98% patient satisfaction rate.
- Utilized advanced blood draw techniques, reducing sample rejection by 10%.
- Conducted blood draws for diverse patient populations, ensuring comfort and precision.
Examples of how to write this skill on your resume:
- Developed and implemented policies that improved compliance rates by 15%.
- Ensured 100% adherence to hospital policies during audits.
- Updated team on policy changes, maintaining compliance with new regulations.
Examples of how to write this skill on your resume:
- Conducted data analysis that improved system performance by 25%.
- Utilized analytics to identify trends, enhancing decision-making by 20%.
- Developed an analytics tool that increased data accuracy by 15%.
Examples of how to write this skill on your resume:
- Created algorithms that reduced processing time by 20%.
- Developed an algorithm to optimize data sorting, improving speed by 25%.
- Implemented algorithms that enhanced computational efficiency by 30%.
Examples of how to write this skill on your resume:
- Developed a creative solution that improved system functionality by 35%.
- Designed an innovative product that increased market share by 20%.
- Implemented a creative approach to problem-solving, reducing project costs by 25%.
Tips for using phlebotomist skills on a resume
Create a bulleted resume skills section
Use a simple, clean format that highlights your skills and experiences. Focus on readability by using bullet points and short phrases to present your skills. Properly organize your resume into education, experience, and skills sections.
“Adding a skills section to your resume is a great way to draw the recruiter’s attention to your most relevant strengths and competencies.”
– Ashley Watkins, NCRW, NCOPE, Job Search Coach
For example, phlebotomist resume bullet points might look like this:
- Efficiently performed over 100 blood draws per week while ensuring patient comfort and adherence to safety protocols.
- Managed scheduling for a team of phlebotomists, optimizing workflow and reducing patient wait times by 20%.
- Conducted data entry for laboratory results with 99% accuracy, maintaining compliance with HIPAA regulations.
- Developed and implemented safety policies that decreased workplace incidents by 15%.
- Communicated effectively with patients and healthcare providers to ensure clear understanding of procedures and results.
Hitting all the top job requirements with your skills list will help you rank highly for a keyword search within an applicant tracking system. But don’t stop there. Add context for every skill elsewhere in your work experience.
If a recruiter is excited by your customer service skills, for example, the first thing they’ll do is skim your work experience to figure out when, how, and how much you used that skill.
Highlight skills and achievements in your work experience section
As you list your responsibilities, it’s also important to highlight your specific achievements wherever you can.
“For soft skills, it’s often more effective to demonstrate them in the context of your past work experience. Instead of merely stating “excellent team player”, you are better off saying “collaborated with a cross-functional team of 6 on a new product launch that boosted sales by 30% in one year”. Examples of specific accomplishments or business outcomes speak louder than buzzwords.”
– Ana Lokotkova, Career Coach and Advisor
Instead of saying,
“Responsible for drawing blood.”
You could say,
“Successfully performed blood draws on diverse patient populations, maintaining a 98% first-attempt success rate while adhering to strict safety and compliance standards.”
This demonstrates your level of expertise with the skills you listed. It gives the recruiter more reason to be interested in you as a result.
Break resume skills sections into categories
If you’re applying for a role requiring a broad skillset, categorize your skills.
“If you opt to include a designated skills section on your resume, include up to 10 of your core competencies. Excessive skills lists are overwhelming and sometimes confusing to the reader.”
– Kelli Hrivnak, Marketing and Tech Recruiter
- Technical Skills: Phlebotomy, Testing, Blood draw
- Administrative Skills: Scheduling, Data entry, Policies
- Interpersonal Skills: Communication, Work independently
Quantify your accomplishments
Use numbers to quantify your accomplishments wherever possible. This helps potential employers understand your abilities and the impact you can have on their organization.
“Recruiters and hiring managers are looking for relevancy of how and when you applied those skills, so provide examples of this in your experience section. Bonus tip: Don’t just insert the skill like a task–include results.”
– Kelli Hrivnak, Marketing and Tech Recruiter
Instead of saying,
“Performed phlebotomy procedures.”
You could say,
“Performed over 150 phlebotomy procedures per month, achieving a 98% patient satisfaction rate and reducing sample rejection by 10%.”
Tailor your resume to the job description
Read the description carefully and emphasize the relevant skills and experiences. Highlight the skills that the employer seeks and provide examples of how you’ve used those skills in your previous roles. Doing so can demonstrate that you’re a strong fit for the position and increase your chances of being invited to an interview.
“The ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach doesn’t work when it comes to your resume. For every job application, tailor your skill set to match the job description. Most companies use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) that filter candidates based on keywords and skills listed in the job description. So, research the role you’re applying for and distill the skills required.”
– Ana Lokotkova, Career Coach and Advisor
In order to do this, “you must first understand what skills are most important for the target role,” says Ashley Watkins.
Sample job description for a phlebotomist:
“We are seeking a skilled Phlebotomist to join our healthcare team. The ideal candidate will have experience in blood collection, excellent communication skills, and a strong commitment to patient safety and compliance. Responsibilities include performing blood draws, managing patient schedules, and maintaining accurate data entry in compliance with hospital policies.”
Resume bullet points tailored to the job description:
- Conducted blood draws with a 98% accuracy rate, ensuring patient safety and satisfaction.
- Organized and managed patient schedules, reducing appointment conflicts by 25%.
- Maintained precise data entry of patient information and lab results, ensuring compliance with hospital policies and HIPAA regulations.
“Focus on the sought-after and in demand skills. A great way to figure out what is currently in demand is by researching current job openings from your preferred companies and reading through the posting. Pay close attention to the preferred requirements section and build your skills section based on this list.”
– Chelsea Jay, Career & Leadership Development Coach – Seasoned and Growing
Bonus Tip: Use action verbs
Start each bullet point with an action verb. An action verb expresses an action, such as “create,” “build,” “manage,” “lead,” or “implement.”
Action verbs grab the reader’s attention and paint a vivid picture of what you accomplished at work.
Action verbs make your resume more interesting to read. They also show the kind of can-do attitude that employers are looking for.
FAQs
A phlebotomist needs a combination of technical skills such as proficiency in blood draw techniques and testing, along with soft skills like effective communication, attention to detail, and the ability to work independently. Ensuring patient safety and maintaining compliance with healthcare policies are also crucial.
Technical skills for a phlebotomist include expertise in phlebotomy procedures, knowledge of testing protocols, and proficiency in data entry systems. Understanding and adhering to safety and compliance regulations are also key technical requirements.
The most important phlebotomist job skills to highlight on your resume include phlebotomy expertise, strong communication skills, attention to safety and compliance, and the ability to manage scheduling and data entry efficiently.