RA positions - 2013

[cara susanna]

Congrats on the Master's acceptance, mewtoo! The only thing is that I wouldn't do it for only a year and apply to PhD programs right away--it looks bad if you cut and run early.

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[mewtoo]

Congrats on the Master's acceptance, mewtoo! The only thing is that I wouldn't do it for only a year and apply to PhD programs right away--it looks bad if you cut and run early.

Thanks! I've been going back and forth about leaving early. My undergrad mentor actually went to this same program for her masters and told me I should leave a year early if I could, so it makes me think she knows something I don't. We'll see, I guess.

 

[chman]

Hey guys,

I was wondering if you guys had any tips for me on this issue.. I am getting a bit frustrated. I am a recent grad and have been trying to get a paid RA position for a while now. I have over a year of unpaid experience at my lab doing PTSD research.


I guess I am just wondering if anyone has been on the other side; eg. someone that hires RA's? What are the main things you look for? I have been trying to mach my experience with the job with no luck. The best leads I have gotten have been when I e-mail professors in the field directly. A couple say they will get back to me. One said he wanted to meet with me, but I guess he didn't realize I lived across the country. I asked if we could initially do a skype or phone interview, then I could fly over if he was still interested, and never heard back..

Anyways, any tips would be great. Also, if anyone is willing to look at my CV/cover letter I would appreciate that as well.

Thanks.

 

[ahpsych]

Hey guys,

I was wondering if you guys had any tips for me on this issue.. I am getting a bit frustrated. I am a recent grad and have been trying to get a paid RA position for a while now. I have over a year of unpaid experience at my lab doing PTSD research.


I guess I am just wondering if anyone has been on the other side; eg. someone that hires RA's? What are the main things you look for? I have been trying to mach my experience with the job with no luck. The best leads I have gotten have been when I e-mail professors in the field directly. A couple say they will get back to me. One said he wanted to meet with me, but I guess he didn't realize I lived across the country. I asked if we could initially do a skype or phone interview, then I could fly over if he was still interested, and never heard back..

Anyways, any tips would be great. Also, if anyone is willing to look at my CV/cover letter I would appreciate that as well.

Thanks.

I think most of it really has to do with networking, as I've said on here before. Do you want to continue with PTSD research? Maybe the PI of your current lab could give you some suggestions on other researchers that you might reach out to. In my lab, we often have a candidate in mind for a position before the position is even posted.

For the most part, you don't need to have a superstar CV, you just need to find a way to get your foot in the door (often through a professor that you've worked with or some other kind of professional relationship). It's certainly important to have research experience and be genuinely interested in the topic of choice, but networking is just as important.

I help to make hiring decisions for RAs in my lab (and I've been an RA for a while now myself), and I'd be happy to take a look at your CV/cover letter if you'd like. Just PM me.

 

[ReInventor]

I'll throw in some advice too. I'm a study coordinator and trying to hire an RA (for the first time, so I'm not really a hiring expert, just for full disclosure). The most important thing to me is seeing that your experience matches with the skills I need you to have--I need someone with a basic background in research, being an RA in college is fine, and also good experience working with patients, volunteer work covers that. If you tick both those boxes, spell everything correctly, and tailor your cover letter to my job posting, I'll think about giving you a call. Make sure you actually explain what you did at your listed positions on your resume--I know they say to keep resumes short, but I'd rather get a sense of your experience on paper. If all you do is list the job title, then you're basically expecting me to call you and try to find out what you did. I might not have time to do that. Unfortunately if you don't have relevant experience, I just can't consider you, even if you are smart, hardworking, willing to learn, etc.

 

[blt34]

Hi all,

I am working at a major university in the Philadelphia area and we are looking to hire a full-time research coordinator to begin ASAP. We work with a geriatric population and some of the duties include recruitment, screening, scheduling patients for scans and administering neuropsych tests.

We prefer individuals to stay on board for 2 years but this is negotiable. Past research coordinators have moved on to graduate programs in psychology and medical school.

Please feel free to PM me for additional information.

 

[xyzpsych]

Hi all,

I am working at a major university in the Philadelphia area and we are looking to hire a full-time research coordinator to begin ASAP. We work with a geriatric population and some of the duties include recruitment, screening, scheduling patients for scans and administering neuropsych tests.

We prefer individuals to stay on board for 2 years but this is negotiable. Past research coordinators have moved on to graduate programs in psychology and medical school.

Please feel free to PM me for additional information.

Thanks for the info! Do you have a job description? What are the qualifications?

Thanks again!

 

[blt34]

This is the official posting on the university website:

The primary functions of the position include but are not limited to:

Implementing clinical protocol requirements for assigned studies within the Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Center.

Minimum requirements: BA or BS in health related field preferred or equivalent clinical experience and administrative experience. Organizational and interpersonal skills required. Experience in symptom assessment and management as they relate to disease and treatment.

Clinical experience could also be in the form of a research assistant position as an undergraduate in a lab if you do not have any paid research experience.

Thanks!

 

[nch]

Pediatric Psychology/Child Clinical Research Assistant needed at Children's Hospital in Columbus, OH Apply here
Great experience for people interested in applying to clinical psych graduate school.
2 year commitment recommended.
Interest in pediatric psychology preferred.
See listing for other qualifications required.

 

[pscom]

The lab that I work in will soon be hiring a clinical research assistant to begin ASAP. Position is within a major university-affiliated medical center located in Hershey, PA. There are several studies underway and in development; all of which involve children, adolescents, or adults with disabilities. This is a great opportunity for individuals interested in pursuing a clinical psychology PhD. Send me a PM for more details.

 

[deleted563975]

Hey guys,

I was wondering if you guys had any tips for me on this issue.. I am getting a bit frustrated. I am a recent grad and have been trying to get a paid RA position for a while now. I have over a year of unpaid experience at my lab doing PTSD research.


I guess I am just wondering if anyone has been on the other side; eg. someone that hires RA's? What are the main things you look for? I have been trying to mach my experience with the job with no luck. The best leads I have gotten have been when I e-mail professors in the field directly. A couple say they will get back to me. One said he wanted to meet with me, but I guess he didn't realize I lived across the country. I asked if we could initially do a skype or phone interview, then I could fly over if he was still interested, and never heard back..

Anyways, any tips would be great. Also, if anyone is willing to look at my CV/cover letter I would appreciate that as well.

Thanks.

Best advice I can give is to continue to get volunteer experience boosting your resume. Working in a research university will give you contacts (asking co-workers if they have heard of anything). Additionally, consider looking for studies in your area with active funding (use the NIH grant tool called reporter) and email every single professor with an active project. If they have funding they may have an open position, keep your resume on file or let you know about future/other openings. If you haven't, be sure to check local university, hospital and clinical center websites for job postings. Often they only go up for a week as they get flooded weekly so if you live near a research university be sure to check weekly!

 

[chman]

Best advice I can give is to continue to get volunteer experience boosting your resume. Working in a research university will give you contacts (asking co-workers if they have heard of anything). Additionally, consider looking for studies in your area with active funding (use the NIH grant tool called reporter) and email every single professor with an active project. If they have funding they may have an open position, keep your resume on file or let you know about future/other openings. If you haven't, be sure to check local university, hospital and clinical center websites for job postings. Often they only go up for a week as they get flooded weekly so if you live near a research university be sure to check weekly!

Thanks for the tips. I hadn't thought of the NIH suggestion before.. I have had a little luck, including a really important interview, so we'll see. I am keeping my fingers crossed, but I know they had many qualified candidates.