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Forensic scientist skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted experts

Lisa Cuchara Ph.D.,

Dennis Doverspike Ph.D.

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical forensic scientist skills. We ranked the top skills for forensic scientists based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 10.7% of forensic scientist resumes contained laboratory equipment as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a forensic scientist needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 forensic scientist skills for your resume and career

1. Laboratory Equipment

Here's how forensic scientists use laboratory equipment:

Maintain laboratory equipment and instrumentation (e.g., troubleshooting, conducting preventative maintenance, calibrating and repairing)
Performed maintenance and calibrations on laboratory equipment.

2. Physical Evidence

Here's how forensic scientists use physical evidence:

Performed laboratory examinations of physical evidence submitted by law enforcement agencies.
Performed scientific analysis of physical evidence collected in criminal investigations.

3. Analytical Procedures

Through analytical procedures, auditors access and evaluate the financial information showcased by the financial statements, keeping in mind the concept that the provided financial information has a plausible relationship with the other's financial or non-financial data. It helps auditors pay more attention to sensitive areas and help them detect the risks of material misstatement.

Here's how forensic scientists use analytical procedures:

Participate in validation of new calibrators, controls and new or modified analytical procedures.
Provide guidance, approve and review analytical procedures used by laboratory analyst.

4. Extraction

Here's how forensic scientists use extraction:

Performed liquid and solid phase extractions to detect the metabolites of drugs from urine and oral fluids.
Prepare and complete confirmation testing on donor specimens in accordance with departmental SOP using various extraction techniques.

5. Criminal Justice

Here's how forensic scientists use criminal justice:

Instructed courses in Criminal Justice at University of Arkansas at Little Rock/ Law School.
Maintained the case backlog by evaluating submissions, conversing with criminal justice customers, and prioritizing workloads to meet deadlines.

6. Test Results

Here's how forensic scientists use test results:

Analyzed and presented test results to scientific and business staff and made strategic recommendations to ensure final product meet market needs.
Identify problems that affect test performance or reporting of test results, troubleshoot and correct problems encountered.

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7. Routine Maintenance

Here's how forensic scientists use routine maintenance:

Perform routine maintenance of equipment utilized in area of responsibility.
Perform routine maintenance on GC/MS such as changing liners, cleaning injection port and cleaning source.

8. Biological Samples

Here's how forensic scientists use biological samples:

Tested biological samples for the presence of drugs of abuse using immunoassay techniques.
Analyzed, reported, interpreted, and testified to the presence of drugs, alcohol and other chemicals in biological samples.

9. Ms

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Here's how forensic scientists use ms:

Experience using HPLC, GC MS, and LC MS.
Remained in house instructor for MS Office (Word, PowerPoint, Publisher, and Access) for three years.

10. Proficiency Testing

Here's how forensic scientists use proficiency testing:

Developed protocols for proficiency testing, training, and technical troubleshooting.
Participate in annual proficiency testing and continuing education as required by the accreditation standard.

11. Law Enforcement Agencies

Here's how forensic scientists use law enforcement agencies:

Provided law enforcement agencies with the unique ability to collect store and correlate digital images of ballistic evidence.
Provide technical assistance to law enforcement agencies and District Attorney Offices.

12. Patrol

Here's how forensic scientists use patrol:

Supervised two individuals who were awarded Washington State Patrol Bureau Employee of the year.
Conducted uncontrolled drinking studies in ride-alongs with the California Highway Patrol.

13. Perform DNA

Here's how forensic scientists use perform dna:

Perform DNA typing tests on human tissues or body fluids to compare criminal evidence with samples of known origin.
Perform DNA analysis on evidentiary and/or reference samples as part of a casework team.

14. GC

Here's how forensic scientists use gc:

Analyzed submitted evidence using GC, GC-MS and HPLC for the presence of ignitable liquid residues.
Tested blood alcohol levels using Headspace GC (Gas Chromatography).

15. Quality Control Samples

Here's how forensic scientists use quality control samples:

wash solvents, mobile phases), standards, calibrators, quality control samples as needed to perform analysis.

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What skills help Forensic Scientists find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What forensic scientist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Lisa Cuchara Ph.D.

Professor of Biomedical Sciences, Quinnipiac University

The first and foremost would be Critical Thinking. We live in a world where facts can be easily acquired, sometimes even by asking Siri/Alexa/ChatGPT/Google/etc. But critical thinking is timeless and priceless. I can ask anyone on the street what xyz is and they can look it up, but can they provide advice or interpret.

Also being a good steward towards science and being willing and able to communicate not just with peers as we are trained, but also with the public, the politicians, the board members. John Holdren*, stated that Scientists should be tithing at least 10 percent of their time to public service ... including activism. In the ever growing science denialism that is happening in our country being able to communicate science with the public is important. As Peter Hotaz states, "Anti-science propaganda is "killing Americans in unprecedented numbers,""

*Holdren is an American scientist who served as the senior advisor to President Barack Obama on science and technology issues through his roles as assistant to the president for science and technology, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and co-chair of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology and a Research Professor in Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government

What type of skills will young forensic scientists need?

Dennis Doverspike Ph.D.

Chief People Scientist, Doverspike Consulting/HR LItehouse

Seemingly a paradox, there will continue to be a need for very general, but highly fungible, skills and demand for too specialized skills, requiring advanced education. Coding, statistics, and data analysis related skills will remain a hot growth area. The aging of the baby boomers will create demand for medical and healthcare-related regions, especially nursing, nursing aides, and emergency services. Despite the automation of many people facing jobs, there will continue to be a demand for interpersonal and people skills, including various types of sales. The switch to remote work, due to COVID, will create a substantial future market to fill the leadership and managerial skills gap. In many areas of Technology and engineering, it is already challenging to find a combination of technical knowledge and people skills, and this demand will intensify.

Do you want to know more?

List of forensic scientist skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a forensic scientist resume and required skills for a forensic scientist to have include:

Laboratory Equipment
Physical Evidence
Analytical Procedures
Extraction
Criminal Justice
Test Results
Routine Maintenance
Biological Samples
Ms
Proficiency Testing
Law Enforcement Agencies
Patrol
Perform DNA
GC
Quality Control Samples
Administrative Review
Firearms

Lims
ISO/IEC
Genotyping
Criminal Cases
Court Testimony
Analyze Evidence
Immunoassay
PCR
Forensic Analysis
Drug Chemistry
LC
Technical Review
Analytical Results
Codis
Instrument Maintenance
Latent Prints
Technical Reports

Laboratory Reports
Peer Review
Body Fluids
Gas Chromatography
Liquid Chromatography
Federal Courts
FTIR
GCMS
Electrophoresis
Quantitative Analysis
Crime Scene Investigation
Trace Evidence
Data Analysis
Digital Evidence
HPLC

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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