How to people get research assistant positions

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I see so many people that are research assistants at hospitals for such and such lab, how do people get these positions? When I look at the job posting for hospitals they don't have those things listed.

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In SD (my state of residence), they have programs called BRIN or SPUR that hire undergraduates and place them with PhDs. Also, our hospitals have Sanford Research and Avera Research programs that always have postings online. You could always ask your professors if there are any opportunities. That is literally what I did with my genetics professor and she ended up needing help finishing up her data collection for her manuscript!
If there are no positions, you might have to try your state schools (they will always have research). Hope this helps.
 
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You just gotta be willing to look anywhere and ask whoever.. I went to several professors I had taken classes with and finally found one who felt like they could use me somewhere. You need to be persistent and not get discouraged, which can be difficult when hearing no repeatedly, but it will pay off.
 
I'm talking about the research assistant positions at hospitals not with professors
 
I see so many people that are research assistants at hospitals for such and such lab, how do people get these positions? When I look at the job posting for hospitals they don't have those things listed.

It is my understanding that basic science research (with professors not at hospitals) is preferred for premeds anyway.
 
Look up the NIH grant database. You can set the filter to only show recently funded projects and it updates every Saturday night. This means you can contact a PI that was funded within a week before they've had a chance to get the paperwork together to hire someone. Be warned, you will only impress them with this method if you are genuinely interested in their work and they are able to tell if you are interested even during a phone interview. If they believe you are genuinely interested, it saves them the trouble of screening dozens of applicants, so it's a win-win.

EDIT: If you're interested in clinical research, go to the hospital job website and look for clinical research job.
 
I want to add that people at my school often start working in a lab as a lab aide or a lab tech. Then if the PI/grad students like what you are doing, they will ask you to do more and more as time goes on. It is rare for people to jump levels and become a researcher right away. That's how I got my research position :)
 
I'm talking about the research assistant positions at hospitals not with professors

Check with your local hospitals (if they are large enough) because they should have a separate department/website.
 
Look at your university's job listing boards. If you don't know where to find this, take a look at the career services website. That will probably be your highest yield resource. Other than that, look at research hospitals' individual websites and ask around. Your PI might know another PI who's hiring or something like that. If you're looking for a gap year position, the NIH has a bunch of those available and there's a defined formal application process.
 
My first research job was a work-study. It was ridiculously easy to get one because lots of people didn’t know about them or they didn’t qualify for work-study. After having that first research job experience, I just started cold-contacting profs I wanted to work with and that often works well. I still find getting a paid research position pretty competitive though because I only had a bachelors degree with average grades and there are so many people with similar/better qualifications than me.
 
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First off I hope you have research experience to be able to apply for these jobs. Most of these jobs have many applicants and they won’t hire anyone without research experience which unfortunately comes from unpaid experience. My research position had about 350 other applicants, but it may be different because of the institution/hospital I work at. If you have research experience then great that’s the first hurdle!

Second, look at school boards, companies local (industry), and then specific hospitals too. You can try indeed.com as well. Be open to moving. I moved about 900 miles away for a job, but completely worth it. Moving actually helped me to change residency and make it easier for me to apply to medical school (something also to think about when looking for jobs).

Third, if you have applied to jobs, it could be your resume that is an issue. There are plenty of tips online to format your resume and write cover letters.
 
I dont think most hospitals not associated with an academic institution hire actual research assistants; they usually just have techs for their labs. In order to get a research assistant rather than tech job, you'll need to look at the listings of the affiliated academic institutions. At best, most hospitals are looking for positions like clinical coordinators, which are involved in research but not in the lab.

I'm a research assistant at a university hospital and tbh it's all about who you know. When I started, everyone asked me who I knew to get the job. Most people are hired by professors and doctors who they've known since graduate school. The online listings are often formalities because the university requires them. I got my job because I applied for a position for a PI who had just moved here and therefore didn't have a pool of grad students to draw from. Your best bet is to talk to any professors or doctors you know and see if they know anyone looking for someone. All that said, apply to all the listings you can because you might get lucky.
 
I would also gear your applications for places that suit your background, like if you've worked in oncology labs apply to oncology research positions. Not saying you can't get a position somewhere else in another type of field, but you'll have the best shot where you have the most experience. With my current research position I'm in charge of hiring new people and the amount of applications with no relevant experience is insane. And make sure you write a cover letter if it's optional
 
Look up professors and researchers at your local university or academic medical center. If their research interests you and send an email. Introduce yourself, explain your interest, and ask if they anticipate any job openings. Be sure to draw connections between your coursework or college research experience and your interest their RECENT work (not something published 5 years ago).

I had zero interviews applying to internet postings. I received 5 job interviews when I emailed principal investigators. Research assistant positions have a lot of turnover as people move on to industry or professional school. Keep in mind also that many job postings for research positions sometimes aren't real jobs. Public funding may require they post the job, but they may have already decided on a candidate informally already. That's not to say you shouldn't try for them but academia is a small world and you'll have better luck making direct contact with the scientist who has the authority to hire you.
 
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