CV advice- attached doc.

[propsych]

Hi there,

I have been looking for a paid part/full-time RA job for a few months now (since I graduated in May) with no luck (not even an email back except for a volunteer position with no publishing/poster prospects). I recently re-wrote my CV and I would love your feedback on how to market myself better. I removed all identifying info from my CV, but the meat of it remains.

I really need a paying job as my husband works alone and NYC is super expensive. I cannot currently relocate because of my lease, so getting a job in NYC is firm.

Should I just give up and apply for volunteer positions (NYU, Columbia etc) and get a crappy job on the side to pay the bills (waitressing again ) since I want more experience before applying to grad school?

I'm not sure if i'm just not experienced enough and think I am or if I'm not selling myself well enough, but I have applied to manyyy paid positions with no word back.

I basically run my PI's entire lab, come up with projects and make sure they get run, and do everything in between. I make sure every detail of the lab admin and research aspects are attended to (I get to do this because my PI has no grad students as she doesn't teach clinical grad classes atm). I'm really trying to step back from this, finish up work on our manuscripts remotely, and work in another lab for $$.

Thank you as always for your help! I'd have much less hair without the advice! Ha

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[WisNeuro]

Unfortunately, you are in a super saturated area, and I suspect that many of the paid research positions come down to who you know. Heck, it comes down to who you know a lot of the time in unsaturated areas. Have you asked your current PI if they she knows of any opportunities. Or, if she has any funding to keep you on as you need t make ends meet? In the end, if you want to work in another lab in NYC, it may have to be as a volunteer. Lot of competition for the relatively few that are paid.

I glanced at the CV quickly, I'd list out the conference presentations in APA format. Also, you can list manuscripts in preparation.

 

[Justanothergrad]

Agreed with WisNeuro.

Paid RAs in a saturated market are hard to get (and in general, hard to get). Personally, I would move the presentations and added manuscripts you are part of preparation (if any) to the top. When I look at applicants for my lab, seeing that they produce outcomes is the best marker of what I want in a successful RA.

 

[boba_psych]

I agree with the previous posts as well. When I applied to RA positions in the NYC area, I had to send out maybe 100-150 job applications to hear back from a handful of places even though I had several years of research experience. In a subsequent job search I got a good job with good mentorship through connections and only applied to that one place. I would see if the PI's you worked for can reach out to anyone they know that could be looking for an RA, several of my friends in the NYC area got their RA jobs that way.

 

[propsych]

Unfortunately, you are in a super saturated area, and I suspect that many of the paid research positions come down to who you know. Heck, it comes down to who you know a lot of the time in unsaturated areas. Have you asked your current PI if they she knows of any opportunities. Or, if she has any funding to keep you on as you need t make ends meet? In the end, if you want to work in another lab in NYC, it may have to be as a volunteer. Lot of competition for the relatively few that are paid.

I glanced at the CV quickly, I'd list out the conference presentations in APA format. Also, you can list manuscripts in preparation.

Got it, I'll move it up. Do you mean I can list manuscripts that are just in their first stages?

 

[propsych]

Agreed with WisNeuro.

Paid RAs in a saturated market are hard to get (and in general, hard to get). Personally, I would move the presentations and added manuscripts you are part of preparation (if any) to the top. When I look at applicants for my lab, seeing that they produce outcomes is the best marker of what I want in a successful RA.

Thank you. I will add a list of manuscripts I am currently working on. so tough to get more research experience when you have to do it for free and still buy stuff..like food and shelter ha!

 

[Justanothergrad]

Thank you. I will add a list of manuscripts I am currently working on. so tough to get more research experience when you have to do it for free and still buy stuff..like food and shelter ha!

It's one of the (several) reasons why the most competitive students for graduate programs have 1-2 years of experience in a lab. Many are juggling that with other life responsibilities.

I would also recommend asking your PI to look at your CV and give any feedback.

 

[propsych]

It's one of the (several) reasons why the most competitive students for graduate programs have 1-2 years of experience in a lab. Many are juggling that with other life responsibilities.

I would also recommend asking your PI to look at your CV and give any feedback.

good idea, thanks