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Histopathology technician skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

Quoted experts

Dr. Rainer Glaser,

Dr. Luis Rogelio Cruz-Vera

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical histopathology technician skills. We ranked the top skills for histopathology technicians based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 14.9% of histopathology technician resumes contained laboratory equipment as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a histopathology technician needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 histopathology technician skills for your resume and career

1. Laboratory Equipment

Here's how histopathology technicians use laboratory equipment:

Expanded my knowledge of the safe and appropriate use of a variety of laboratory equipment.
Operate and maintain laboratory equipment in Histology, Cytology, and the Morgue.

2. Laboratory Results

Here's how histopathology technicians use laboratory results:

Prepared charges and recorded laboratory results in the data logbooks.
Double checked, endorsed, and released laboratory results.

3. Anatomic Pathology

Here's how histopathology technicians use anatomic pathology:

Oversee anatomic pathology preparation for The Joint Commission inspections 13.

4. Troubleshoot

Troubleshooting is the process of analyzing and fixing any kind of problem in a system or a machine. Troubleshooting is the detailed yet quick search in the system for the main source of an issue and solving it.

Here's how histopathology technicians use troubleshoot:

Assist and troubleshoot with patients in regards to Patient Portal OSHA
Reviewed Quality Control data monthly to evaluate test performance and troubleshoot any shifts or trends

5. Sectioning

Here's how histopathology technicians use sectioning:

Performed gross examinations of dermatological specimens, inking them to establish proper orientation and sectioning them if required.
Perform all aspects of histology on various laboratory animals, including paraffin and frozen sectioning.

6. Tissue Samples

Here's how histopathology technicians use tissue samples:

Performed special staining on tissue samples for substances or infectious agents.
Processed, embedded, sectioned, and stained tissue samples for microscopic evaluation for hospital-based pathology laboratory.

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7. Frozen Sections

Frozen section is a type of procedure usually requested by a doctor at the time of an operation. It is performed during surgery in patients with ovarian and pelvic masses while the patients are under anesthetic. The frozen section is aimed at providing surgeons with information that will help make decisions during surgery.

Or the frozen section can refer to the part of a grocery store where frozen items are stored for customers.

Here's how histopathology technicians use frozen sections:

Job requires full histology lab duties including IHC and frozen sections for intraoperative diagnosis.
Assist with Dermatology clinic to provide frozen sections during Mohs procedures.

8. Microtomy

Here's how histopathology technicians use microtomy:

Conduct microtomy on 100K microscopic slides annually.
Performed routine grossing, processing, embedding, microtomy, staining, special stains and coverslipping of Dermatology specimens.

9. Tissue Sections

Here's how histopathology technicians use tissue sections:

Prepare specimens and perform immunohistochemistry testing on paraffin or fresh frozen tissue sections.
Performed gross descriptions of specimens and selected tissue sections for histological preparation.

10. Tissue Blocks

Here's how histopathology technicians use tissue blocks:

Stored tissue blocks and slides for safekeeping, and double checked and released pathology results.
Cut 100 paraffin tissue blocks daily using the microtome.

11. Quality Control Procedures

Quality Control Procedures known as "QC" are processes to ensure a product or service meets the quality criteria defined by an organization or client. This procedure involves product testing, data collection, product recalls, product replacements, and service improvements. QC aims to reduce product and service failures while enhancing customer satisfaction.

Here's how histopathology technicians use quality control procedures:

Document and perform quality control procedures on equipment valued at 5M.
Conduct quality control procedures on equipment and reagents.

12. Microtome

A microtome is a cutting tool used for scientific and historical applications. Microtome is used to cut the pieces of material into extremely thin slices allowing them to be inspected under a microscope. Typically, the microtome consists of steel, glass, or diamond blades depending on the material's hardness and required thickness. Some of the materials that can be sliced using a microtome include bone, teeth, animal or plant tissue, etc.

Here's how histopathology technicians use microtome:

Embedded and cut 2,000 specimens utilizing the microtome.
Embed and cut using manual and semi-automated microtomes.

13. Computer System

Here's how histopathology technicians use computer system:

Accessioned surgical pathology specimen cases manually into designated log book as well as into VISTA Computer System.
Accessioned cytology cases into designated log book as well as into VISTA computer system.

14. Lab Safety

Here's how histopathology technicians use lab safety:

Maintained supplies and distributed reports Adhered to Joint Commission guidelines, hospital rules and lab safety procedures.

15. Mohs

The Mohs, micrographic surgery, refers to a surgical technique for treating skin cancer. Mohs surgery involves removing thin layers of cancer-containing skin and examining cancer-free tissues, a process that helps to remove visible lesions on the skin. Micrographic surgery aims to remove skin cancer as much as possible without or with minimal harm to the surrounding healthy tissues.

Here's how histopathology technicians use mohs:

Handle multiple Mohs cases (7-14 cases a day) Preparation of reagents for tissue procedures.
Ordered monthly supplies for both MOHS and histology labs, kept up with quality assurance and maintenance forms and equipment.

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What skills help Histopathology Technicians find jobs?

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

What skills stand out on histopathology technician resumes?

Dr. Rainer Glaser

Professor and Chair, Missouri University of Science and Technology

Chemistry competence is key, of course. As a close second, chemists need to demonstrate effective team player competence. Communication skills are essential, in conversation and in writing. Effective collaboration requires highly developed skills to work with team members, peers, and leadership.

What soft skills should all histopathology technicians possess?

Dr. Luis Rogelio Cruz-Vera

Associate Professor, University of Alabama in Huntsville

Planification.

What hard/technical skills are most important for histopathology technicians?

Dr. Luis Rogelio Cruz-Vera

Associate Professor, University of Alabama in Huntsville

Pipetting, quantitative analysis, computer writing.

What histopathology technician skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Gerald Bergtrom Ph.D.

Professor of Biological Sciences (Emeritus) & Teaching & Learning Consultant, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

The answers here depend on why the gap year is needed. If the need is to have an income, this would need to be balanced against other desirable needs and wishes.
- Thinking about a whole gap year, the student should make a long-term commitment to skills improvement and fill in gaps in a resume or job application.
-If the new graduate can afford it, spend some time traveling, to be exposed to different cultures and languages. If the student lives in an area with a growing LatinX population, learning some Spanish would be useful.
-If it looks like the gap year will not include activities related to the job they hope to get at the end of the year, then take at least one STEM course in their area of interest so as not to lose their edge. This could be an online course (for example, a MOOC). Do it for credit if necessary, to prove (to themselves and others) that they still love and want to succeed in science.

What type of skills will young histopathology technicians need?

John Wilbur Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Practice, University of Arizona

In the short-term, testing skills like PCR and ELISA seems essential, but I think the enduring skills or working with a team, writing, and other communication skills are most important.

Do you want to know more?

List of histopathology technician skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a histopathology technician resume and required skills for a histopathology technician to have include:

Laboratory Equipment
Laboratory Results
Anatomic Pathology
Troubleshoot
Sectioning
Tissue Samples
Frozen Sections
Microtomy
Tissue Sections

Tissue Blocks
Quality Control Procedures
Microtome
Computer System
Lab Safety
Mohs
Tissue Processing
Cell Blocks
IHC

Dictation
Cryostat
Slide Preparation
H E
Tissue Processors
Accreditation Standards
GMS

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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Histopathology Technician Skills

Updated January 8, 2025

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