Research Assistant Resume Sample, Job Description & Writing Guide for 2024
Are you excited about the idea of doing literature reviews in a field of your choice? Do you like to come to work every day knowing that it will be an intellectual challenge? If you said yes, becoming a research assistant could be the ideal career path for you. Tons of potential employers are looking for dedicated staff to help with research of all kinds around the globe.
However, wanting to move into the field isn’t enough to get a position. Most hiring managers get hundreds of resumes to sift through so yours has to stand out. That’s why we want to share how to craft a research assistant resume that proves you are the perfect addition to the team you want to join.
As a research assistant, you’re the kind of person who is ambitious, motivated, talented, and prepared to work with well-educated scientists and scholars. But how do you convey that in a professional document so you get a chance to show off what you can do? It might seem overwhelming to include all your merits in a resume but we’re here to help.
Our guide is designed to help you make a resume that is better than most of the others that end up in someone’s email inbox. We’ll give you details on how to share your achievements and skills whether you’re new to the field or want to switch companies. By the time we’re done, you’ll have the information you need to go after any position you want.
Research assistant resume writing guide: Where to start?
Before we delve into different parts of the resume and how to make them shine, let’s talk about the overall process. Sure, you have experience writing reports, know how to use lab equipment, and have honed your time management skills – but you have to prove that in what you leave on a sheet of paper for an employer. Keep reading for some simple tips on making the most of your research assistant resume.
Master research assistant CV
As someone interested in becoming a graduate research assistant, a resume is part of the journey toward gaining the employment you desire. However, we don’t recommend crafting a generic resume that you turn in with every application. Instead, we believe you should create a master resume and use it to build job-specific resumes you tailor for every position you want.
It might sound like a lot of work, but that’s not entirely true. Once you have a master resume, you only need to update it on occasion with new skills, employment achievements, and other things that you might list on resumes in the future. Plus, the master resume is only for you so it can be as simple as a quick compilation of what you know and have done in the past.
The idea here is to take down any information that might be useful on a resume in the future. It doesn’t have to be relevant to this specific job that you want to land. Instead, compile all your skills, educational details, and work experience in one place so you can easily go through it when you fill out job-specific resumes.
When you make a master resume, you have a resource you can use throughout your career. It’s a great way to make the process of building resumes a whole lot easier. All you have to do is find relevant information, copy and paste it, and make edits before you complete the document. It’s something we recommend for anyone who is in the market for a job.
Job-specific research assistant resume description
Once the master resume is done, it’s time to move forward to the job-specific research assistant curriculum vitae. This is not as casual as the former document and will be turned in with applications to prospective employers. Because of that, the information needs to be accurate and understandable. However, you also want to consider design elements in the final document.
As you write this final version of a resume, you want to have the job posting nearby. You’re going to use it throughout the rest of the process. Reading the resume and looking for what an employer wants in an employee helps you customize your own document to show you have everything needed in a new research assistant.
For instance, consider skills that are noted in the job description. Do you have them? If so, they should be in your resume in some fashion. The same applies to any other items that stand out. This shows your suitability as an applicant as well as making you more likely to clear applicant tracking systems (ATS) that scan the resume before a human reads it.
Pretty much every section of the resume should be customized other than your contact information. Use the information in the job posting to decide how to work things and what accomplishments to highlight. If you need additional assistance, look at the company website or social media accounts for an idea of where you should focus.
Research assistant resume sample
This research assistant resume example gives you a good view of job duties the person has done in the past. It also delves into the assistant skills they have and their level of proficiency with them. The resume objective is full of good information and compelling enough for a manager to stop and read. Overall, your own resume should be similar to the one above if you want to succeed.
What to include in a resume for a research assistant? Writing tips and examples
Relevant work experience isn’t the only thing you want to share when you want to apply for a job posting for a detail-oriented research assistant. Other notable sections include contact information, a resume objective, educational background, and skills. This next section of the guide is going to share tips on how to craft some of these sections to create a great research assistant resume.
Skills to list on a research assistant resume
Curious about what skills to put on a resume for a research assistant? You’ll want to have a happy mix between soft skills and more technical skills to show your capabilities. Skills for a research assistant can vary, though, based on the actual position and what you’ll be tasked with if you are hired. Above all, only select relevant skills for your resume.
If you aren’t quite sure where to start, that’s okay. We’ve made a short list below that will give you a few ideas. You can use the ones that are appropriate and brainstorm other skills that might be useful in your situation. In general, anywhere from five to 10 skills is considered ideal for this sort of professional document.
· Literature searches
· Statistical analysis
· Conducting interviews
· Developing regulations and protocols
· Performing quality control analysis
· Creating research assessment
· Reviewing data for accuracy
· Identifying research parameter standards
· Creating interview questions
· Developing interview summaries
· Performing interviews
· Time management
· Attention to detail
· Communication
How to add work experience to a research assistant resume
Once you have a nice list of skills, the next thing you want to do is share your relevant experiences. This could be with personal projects or clinical trials. It doesn’t matter as long as it pertains in some way to the role you’d be performing in the future. You’ll find that customizing is important for this section to ensure you highlight the right accomplishments.
As you go through the job search, make sure you pay attention to what the advertisements say. If you add an irrelevant position, that could lead to wasting the time of a hiring manager. Make sure you can connect any position you list to the job you want to hold. The good news is that if you get creative, this is usually pretty simple.
When writing your entries for this section, make sure you share where you worked, what your role was, and when you were employed there. Underneath you can utilize bullet points to share what you did at these positions to improve the workplace. Think about your past accomplishments and share those with specifics.
Tips to include education on a research assistant resume
We also want to talk about how to write your educational background for a research assistant resume. Both graduate and undergraduate students need to take this part of the resume seriously. A lot of research roles fall under academia, but even when they don’t, employers want educated workers in these positions.
For those who have less experience, you can pad your resume with information here. You might share details about a volunteer research project that you are a part of. Listing your GPA, relevant courses, and extracurricular activities can also be a good move to expand on who you are and why you should be hired.
If you have both an undergraduate and graduate degree, both of them should be listed on your resume. However, you can omit your high school information if you have gone to university. Most research assistant positions require a degree but there may be exceptions. Those who only have a high school degree should list it.
Do you need access to a research assistant resume template to ensure your document looks as great as it reads? You don’t have to go far to find them. CVMaker offers a variety of options for you to choose from. Take a look and select one that you like. You can change the colors to make it fit your personal preferences.
Key takeaways on building resumes for research assistants
Whether you want to be a biology or psychology research assistant, a resume that has been customized for the position is the best way to move forward. You can craft your own or use a resume builder to make the process even easier. Share all the special details that make you a good applicant and you’re sure to be successful. Good luck!
Extra tips before turning in your application:
When it comes to resumes for a research assistant, you have most of the best information now. However, we want to share a few additional resume tips that may help you finish things off so you’re ready to send in your application.
· Be careful about how many colors and fonts you use across the resume. The best practice is to use only two of each. Make sure you choose elements that make the resume stand out but do not make it more difficult to read.
· Misspellings and typos happen but it’s your responsibility to avoid mistakes as much as possible. Read over your resume to spot small issues and fix them. Or try a tool like Grammarly to ensure the resume is perfect.
· Always be professional when you create a resume as you want to make a great impression on whoever is doing the hiring. Don’t use phrases that are casual as it is unlikely to be appreciated.
· The perfect research assistant resume will be one to two pages long. Avoid going over that if you want all your information to be read. Instead, take out irrelevant information to ensure you stay within the length requirements.
· Turn your resume into a PDF document when you’re finished. You also want to make sure you’ve written a cover letter to go in with your application when you submit it.
Next steps?
You know what you need to include on your resume. Whether you’re having trouble wording things right or you struggle with the layout and design, you don’t have to continue the process alone. One of the best ways to ensure your resume hits the mark is by working with an expert. CVMaker offers a Resume Writing Service that will help you share your research assistant experience and be considered for the next role you want.
FAQs
Can I be a research assistant with no experience?
Sure, all you need is an entry-level research assistant resume. Senior researchers are in charge of supervising research assistants which makes it a great place to start for someone who wants to move up the ladder into a more challenging role in research. If your career goals lend themselves to that, you’re on the right track.
It also happens to be a good time to move into this sector since there is expected to be increased demand over the next few years. You’ll still need a competitive resume to be hired but there will be more positions that you can apply for at this level and higher ones as time goes on.
What should I put on a resume for a research assistant position?
Make sure you share details about how to contact you and include a well-written research assistant resume objective. As you go through your professional experience and other details, always make the information relevant. If it isn’t, you need to cut it to make room for something that shows you’re a great candidate for the position.
All resumes should be professional and follow a known structure and layout. The design should be clean and make the document simple to read. As you write different parts of the research assistant resume, make sure you tie into how these things relate to the new role you’d like to gain.
What is the best resume format for a research assistant?
The structure of a curriculum vitae for a research assistant is going to be similar to other resumes you’ve seen. All good resumes should start with contact information and include a resume objective that gives insight into why you’re a good choice for the role. Skills, education, and experience should also be included.
Beyond that, you can include other sections or add detail to the ones that are mandatory. Most people will start off with experience, then add education, and leave skills near the bottom of the document. However, you can alter this as needed to highlight why you should be called in for an interview.
Is there a difference between a research assistant and a research associate?
As you consider how to describe a research assistant on a resume, you might wonder if you should also be applying to research associate positions. For some people, this is an excellent idea, but you’ll want to have extensive experience to have the best shot in those roles.
When it comes down to it, the largest difference between being a research assistant and a research associate is that the latter has more independence. Most assistants are supervised more heavily until they gain the needed skills to work their way up in the industry.
What are the professional skills of a research assistant?
The best assistant resume skills to include on your document will vary based on the position. However, things like organizational skills, leadership skills, and interpersonal skills will often come in handy in this line of work. Use the research assistant job description for the resume to determine which skills are the most important.
When a principal investigator goes over your resume, they will be most impressed if you customized your skills to the specific role. It shows passion and interest in what you’d be doing, not just research in general. Make sure every section of the resume is specific to the job you want.
What are the duties and responsibilities of a research assistant?
A lot of people struggle with how to put research assistant on a resume, which leads to a question about common responsibilities and duties. Every job will be different so it’s important to read the job posting thoroughly to ensure the role is one that you are interested in. However, experience and interest in things like statistical analyses can also be helpful.
While research assistants do many kinds of work, a few of the most common include:
· Preparing progress reports
· Creating interview questions and making a summary of results
· Updating online content
· Performing reviews of literature
· Attending project meetings
· Conducting research and explaining findings
· Responding to emails related to the research
What position level is a research assistant?
When you craft a CV for a research assistant position, you are looking for entry-level work. This is a role that is ideal for analytical and studious people who love to learn more about how the world works. Research assistant positions can be found in all sorts of fields and types of institutions, although you’ll find many are associated with universities and colleges.
Gaining a research assistant position is the first step toward becoming a researcher of your own. You’ll learn skills related to research and have a chance to get hands-on experience with the kind of work that is typical in the field. It’s a great way to see if this kind of career is something you want to move forward with.
Which qualifications are usually required for a research assistant?
In most cases, you need an undergraduate for a research assistant resume. There may be exceptions but the majority of positions expect you to have this level of education at a minimum. It’s best if your major is relevant to the kind of research that you hope to assist with.
In addition to education, hiring managers prefer to see relevant work experience as well. Some will be willing to take you on without it. However, having at least a year or two of experience is always going to look good. This is especially the case if you worked in a related field that gave you the skills needed in a new position.
You’ve reached the end of our guide so it’s time to get that resume done and turned in. Are you looking for assistance to ensure it looks great when the manager sees it? CVMaker can help you with that and many other resume needs. Take a look at our research assistant resume templates and select one to apply to your document.