Table 1Transition record

medical laboratory assistanttobiology technician

A medical laboratory assistant already meets 33% of what the biology technician role asks for. The move turns on 13 required skills not yet in the profile.

From medical laboratory assistant

33%

Overlap1

To biology technician

14 Skills carried over

13 Required, not held

70.4 Difficulty2

adjacent 0–30

moderate 30–55

substantial 55–75

career change 75–100

this move, 70.4

This move: 70.4 of 100 · substantial

1 Share of the biology technician role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the medical laboratory assistant profile. Required skills count in full, supplementary skills at 0.35. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs. 2 Combines what is missing with how specialised it is, so a gap of general skills scores easier than the same number of narrow ones.

Table 2

Table 2 · What you already bring

Of the 14 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A biology technician role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a medical laboratory assistant background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held perform fertility laboratory procedures working with machinery and specialised equipment
already held perform stem cell transplantation assisting and caring
already held assist in the production of laboratory documentation information skills
already held analyse blood samples information skills
already held stem cells natural sciences, mathematics and statistics
already held analyse cell cultures information skills

All 14 carried skills, including the 9 the biology technician role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 37 missing skills fall into 12 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered below in the order worth working in: the areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the supplementary ones.

Skill to acquire Tier

01 natural sciences, mathematics and statistics 4 required, 9 supplementary

required, not held computational biology required
required, not held laboratory equipment required
required, not held biology required
required, not held life sciences required

optional, not held applied zoology optional
optional, not held botany optional
optional, not held evolutionary biology optional
optional, not held genomics optional
optional, not held chemistry optional
optional, not held ecology optional
optional, not held molecular biology optional
optional, not held oceanography optional
optional, not held pharmacology optional

02 information skills 4 required, 3 supplementary

required, not held analyse experimental laboratory data required
required, not held apply scientific methods required
required, not held collect biological data required
required, not held perform scientific research required

optional, not held perform field research optional
optional, not held keep task records optional
optional, not held monitor the welfare of animals optional

03 handling and moving 1 required, 3 supplementary

required, not held collect samples for analysis required

optional, not held collect reproductive cells optional
optional, not held label samples optional
optional, not held preserve samples optional

04 communication, collaboration and creativity 1 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held write technical reports required

optional, not held write research proposals optional

05 education 1 required

required, not held scientific research methodology required

06 management skills 1 required

required, not held manage inventory required

6 further areas in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a biology technician role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.

Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.

Appendix

Appendix · The rest of the record

All 14 skills that carry over

Skill Type

already held apply safety procedures in laboratory skill
already held assist in the production of laboratory documentation skill
already held calibrate laboratory equipment skill
already held cryopreservation knowledge
already held laboratory techniques knowledge
already held maintain laboratory equipment skill
already held perform laboratory tests skill
already held perform stem cell transplantation skill
already held stem cells knowledge
already held analyse blood samples skill
already held analyse cell cultures skill
already held microbiology-bacteriology knowledge
already held perform fertility laboratory procedures skill
already held virology knowledge

The 6 learning areas not shown above

Skill to acquire Tier

07 working with machinery and specialised equipment 1 required

required, not held use laboratory equipment required

08 business, administration and law 2 supplementary

optional, not held animal welfare legislation optional
optional, not held environmental legislation optional

09 health and welfare 2 supplementary

optional, not held biosecurity optional
optional, not held pathology optional

10 working with computers 2 supplementary

optional, not held maintain freelance database optional
optional, not held prepare visual data optional

11 engineering, manufacturing and construction 1 supplementary

optional, not held pollution prevention optional

12 services 1 supplementary

optional, not held hazardous waste storage optional

24 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to acquire Tier

optional, not held applied zoology optional
optional, not held botany optional
optional, not held collect reproductive cells optional
optional, not held evolutionary biology optional
optional, not held genomics optional
optional, not held label samples optional
optional, not held perform field research optional
optional, not held animal welfare legislation optional
optional, not held biosecurity optional
optional, not held chemistry optional
optional, not held ecology optional
optional, not held environmental legislation optional
optional, not held hazardous waste storage optional
optional, not held keep task records optional
optional, not held maintain freelance database optional
optional, not held molecular biology optional
optional, not held monitor the welfare of animals optional
optional, not held oceanography optional
optional, not held pathology optional
optional, not held pharmacology optional
optional, not held pollution prevention optional
optional, not held prepare visual data optional
optional, not held preserve samples optional
optional, not held write research proposals optional

58 held skills the biology technician role does not ask for

Skill Type

not needed by the target role archive healthcare users' records skill
not needed by the target role automated analysers in the medical laboratory knowledge
not needed by the target role biological chemistry knowledge
not needed by the target role blood collection on babies knowledge
not needed by the target role blood donation knowledge
not needed by the target role blood transfusion knowledge
not needed by the target role blood type classification knowledge
not needed by the target role carry out flow cytometry skill
not needed by the target role carry out quality control in microbiology laboratories skill
not needed by the target role check the received biological samples skill
not needed by the target role clinical biochemistry knowledge
not needed by the target role clinical cytology knowledge
not needed by the target role collect biological samples from patients skill
not needed by the target role communicate in healthcare skill
not needed by the target role conduct cancer screening tests skill
not needed by the target role conduct routine blood testing skill
not needed by the target role data protection knowledge
not needed by the target role densiometry knowledge
not needed by the target role dermapathology knowledge
not needed by the target role dispose medical waste skill
not needed by the target role electroencephalography knowledge
not needed by the target role examine cell specimens microscopically skill
not needed by the target role examine samples in dermatology skill
not needed by the target role explain the molecular basis of a disease to patients skill
not needed by the target role fine-needle aspiration knowledge
not needed by the target role histopathology knowledge
not needed by the target role identify patients' medical records skill
not needed by the target role immunology knowledge
not needed by the target role interpret hematological test results skill
not needed by the target role interpret medical results skill
not needed by the target role interpret urology diagnostic tests skill
not needed by the target role label blood samples skill
not needed by the target role maintain healthcare user data confidentiality skill
not needed by the target role maintain medical laboratory equipment skill
not needed by the target role microscopic techniques knowledge
not needed by the target role mix chemicals skill
not needed by the target role monitor stock level skill
not needed by the target role operate scientific measuring equipment skill
not needed by the target role order supplies skill
not needed by the target role paediatric phlebotomy procedures knowledge

18 further entries not listed here

20 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice

Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.

Skill to acquire Tier

required, not held computational biology required
required, not held laboratory equipment required
required, not held biology required
required, not held life sciences required
required, not held scientific research methodology required
optional, not held applied zoology optional
optional, not held botany optional
optional, not held evolutionary biology optional
optional, not held genomics optional
optional, not held animal welfare legislation optional
optional, not held biosecurity optional
optional, not held chemistry optional
optional, not held ecology optional
optional, not held environmental legislation optional
optional, not held hazardous waste storage optional
optional, not held molecular biology optional
optional, not held oceanography optional
optional, not held pathology optional
optional, not held pharmacology optional
optional, not held pollution prevention optional

Index

Other moves recorded from medical laboratory assistant

Full index of moves from medical laboratory assistant

Note

How this record was compiled

Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.