Teaching Laboratory Technician Interview Questions & Answers


A Teaching laboratory technician works in all kinds of educational institutions including secondary schools, further education colleges and universities. Their tasks involve supporting the work of science teachers/lecturers and their students to ensure that they:


  • make the best use of the time they spend in the laboratory;

  • use equipment safely;

  • accurately record the results of their work.

The role mainly involves providing technical support, ensuring that equipment is functioning properly and is ready to use, and that the right materials are available for particular lessons. Sometimes Teaching laboratory technicians work closely with students to explain or demonstrate experiments or how to use equipment as well as helping teachers with a class and supporting individual students on research projects.

Whether you're a job seeker preparing to be interviewed for the role of Teaching Laboratory Technician or an employer preparing to interview candidates for Teaching Laboratory Technician position, these Teaching Laboratory Technician interview questions will help you prepare yourself for the job interview session.

Teaching Laboratory Technician Interview Questions

Below are a list of some skill-based Teaching Laboratory Technician interview questions.

  1. What laboratory equipment do you have experience using?
  2. What steps do you take to avoid contamination in the laboratory?
  3. What sterilization methods are you familiar with? Please explain each one.
  4. Explain good laboratory practice to me.
  5. What is an aliquot?
  6. What techniques do you use to properly place a sample in a microscope?
  7. Tell me how you organize and prioritize your work.
  8. What would you do in the case of a chemical spill?
  9. Share a time you had to overcome an obstacle in a lab setting. How did you handle this situation?
  10. How do you handle working with potentially dangerous or infectious samples or equipment?
  11. What steps do you take to ensure that all health and safety procedures are understood and followed correctly by students and lecturers/teachers in a laboratory?
  12. As a teaching laboratory technician, describe the process you use to ensure that laboratory equipment, tools, chemicals and other materials are adequately stocked and kept in working condition.
  13. A student breaks a test tube during an experiment. What would you do?
  14. A student asks you a question that you're not sure of the answer. What would be your response?
  15. What is your process for preparing for laboratory experiments?
  16. Describe your post-experiment procedure.
  17. Tell us about a time when you worked with individual students and supported them on research projects?
  18. Have you ever had a disagreement with an academic staff during a laboratory experiment? How did you handle it?
  19. Have you ever worked with a difficult lecturer/teacher/coworker? Tell us about your experience and how you managed them.
  20. What is the role of technology in your job as a teaching laboratory technician?
  21. What software programs do you find useful as a teaching laboratory technician?
  22. What is your record keeping procedure as a teaching laboratory technician?
  23. What steps do you take to ensure you give adequate support to teachers/lecturers during experiments?
  24. A laboratory equipment starts malfunctioning immediately before an important experiment. What would you do?

Teaching Laboratory Technician Interview Questions and Answers

Every interview is different and the questions may vary. However, there are lots of general questions that get asked at every interview.

Below are some common questions you'd expect during Teaching Laboratory Technician interviews. Click on each question to see how to answer them.

  1. What is Your Greatest Weakness?
  2. What is Your Salary Expectation?
  3. Tell Me About Yourself
  4. Why Do You Want To Leave Your Current Job?
  5. Are You a Leader or a Follower?
  6. What is Your Greatest Strength?
  7. Do You Have Any Questions for Us?
  8. Why Should We Hire You?
  9. What Is Your Greatest Accomplishment?
  10. Why Do You Want This Job?