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Histotechnician skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Martin Renaldi MT (ASCP), MPA

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical histotechnician skills. We ranked the top skills for histotechnicians based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 18.1% of histotechnician resumes contained ascp as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a histotechnician needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 histotechnician skills for your resume and career

1. ASCP

Here's how histotechnicians use ascp:

Worked in histology and studied to take ASCP BOR to become Certified.
Maintained departmental reports, coordinated monthly slide presentations and facilitated ASCP Teleconferences.

2. Tissue Specimens

The word specimen comes from specere that means 'to look.' Therefore, a piece of tissue removed from an organism for examination, analysis, or propagation is called a tissue specimen. Testing of tissue samples with antibody is conducted by preserving it in fixative, soaking it in paraffin, and segmenting very delicately onto microscope slides.

Here's how histotechnicians use tissue specimens:

Required the ability to perform multiple tasks simultaneously with frequent interruptions while maintaining accuracy and accountability for multiple fresh tissue specimens.
Prepared tissue specimens for microscopic examination.

3. CLIA

Here's how histotechnicians use clia:

Maintained, cleaned, and stocked laboratory equipment in compliance with CLIA and CAP regulations.
Implemented new policies and procedures to ensure lab was CLIA compliant.

4. 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 histotechnicians use microtome:

Use of Rotary Microtome instrument for sectioning paraffin embedded material.
Assisted with the embedding of body tissues in their proper orientations for the preparation of cutting tissue blocks with microtome.

5. Specimen Handling

Here's how histotechnicians use specimen handling:

Managed specimen handling, receiving, storage, and disposal.
Maintained proper documentation including proper specimen handling, labeling and preparation of worksheets to ensure full regulatory compliance.

6. Laboratory Equipment

Here's how histotechnicians use laboratory equipment:

Performed preventative maintenance on all laboratory equipment, and any troubleshooting machine error or malfunctions as needed.
Exercised rapid creativity in problem solving and troubleshooting of laboratory equipment.

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7. IHC

ImmunoHistoChemistry (IHC) refers to a unique staining process performed on frozen or fresh breast cancer tissues removed during the biopsy.

Here's how histotechnicians use ihc:

Prepared equipment and performed IHC and special manual stains utilizing established procedures.
Cut slides for H&E, special stains, and IHC at above average company quotas.

8. Tissue Processing

Here's how histotechnicians use tissue processing:

Performed some grossing, and microwave tissue processing Routine embedding, Sectioning and H&E staining.
Prepared Tissue for Tissue Processing.

9. Tissue Samples

Here's how histotechnicians use tissue samples:

Sectioned embedded tissue samples at 5 micrometers for laboratory experiments.
Transported frozen tissue samples via Dry Ice to UPENN'S Histology facility to be cut.

10. Cytology

Here's how histotechnicians use cytology:

Coordinated and new cytology executed logging system and proper collection of specimens for future processing in histology laboratory.
Demonstrated the understanding of cytology prep techniques used for various specimens.

11. Routine Maintenance

Here's how histotechnicians use routine maintenance:

Performed routine maintenance and cleaning of equipment.
Performed routine maintenance on laboratory instruments.

12. Microscopic Examination

Microscopy is the analysis of micro-objects by utilising a microscope. This instrument provides enlarged images of objects which are otherwise invisible to the naked eye. Hence, microscopic examination identifies and counts the type of casts, crystals, cells, bacteria, mucus, and other components that can be present in tissue or fluid.

Here's how histotechnicians use microscopic examination:

Label and record slides of specimens received; provide specimens for microscopic examination and diagnosis by the pathologist upon request.
Prepare histologic slides from tissue sections for microscopic examination and diagnostics by pathologists.

13. Sectioning

Here's how histotechnicians use sectioning:

Prepared specimens by grossing, freezing, embedding, sectioning and staining the samples efficiently.
File tissue slides and blocks for quality control storage Assist the Pathologists with frozen sectioning

14. Immunohistochemistry

Here's how histotechnicians use immunohistochemistry:

Worked extensively with Special Stains and Immunohistochemistry.
Performed routine histology, immunohistochemistry, and special stains by hand, per standard operating procedures.

15. Tissue Sections

Here's how histotechnicians use tissue sections:

Worked with the pathologist in preparation and staining of tissue sections from outpatient material for microscopic study.
Stain tissue sections with H&E linear stainer and special staining methods.

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What skills help Histotechnicians find jobs?

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

Martin Renaldi MT (ASCP), MPA

Assistant Professor / MLS Program Director, Northern Michigan University

The skills that will be required in the lab tech milieu over the next 3-5 years are the same ones that are necessary now, which is what makes the lab tech profession so lucrative. Foundational laboratory skills are a must now and will be must in the future. Once the aspiring lab tech learns and masters the foundational work, such as lab math, pipetting, dilution schemes, titrating, proper glassware use and application, basic spectrophotometry, transformational weights and measures, microscopy, etc. then they'll be readily adaptable for employment in any laboratory setting.

Do you want to know more?

List of histotechnician skills to add to your resume

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

ASCP
Tissue Specimens
CLIA
Microtome
Specimen Handling
Laboratory Equipment
IHC
Tissue Processing
Tissue Samples
Cytology
Routine Maintenance
Microscopic Examination
Sectioning

Immunohistochemistry
Tissue Sections
Human Tissue
Routine Histology
Frozen Sections
Equipment Maintenance
Proficiency Testing
Tissue Processors
Surgical Specimens
H E
Data Entry
Routine H
Surgical Pathology

LIS
Paraffin Blocks
Eosin
OSHA
Tissue Blocks
Mohs
Instrument Maintenance
CoPath
Tissue Embedding
Immunofluorescence
Patient Tissue
Slide Preparation

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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Histotechnician Skills

Updated January 8, 2025

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