IRB Position before PhD

[Bianco32]

Hey everyone,

I'm going to be taking some time off of school to gain some experience/make a little money before going for my graduate studies. I'm interviewing Monday for an "operations specialist" position at an IRB in Cincinnati. The job entails only some research abilities (such as database maintenance and writing reports), but for the most part is a glorified receptionist. I guess my question is, will graduate schools really care about this position? I'm also waiting to hear back from some other research coordinator jobs, which I would gladly accept over this if the opportunity presents itself. It is a reputable IRB, but i'm just concerned I would be wasting a year or two of my time there (in regards to enhancing my graduate school candidacy). Any input appreciated!

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[AcronymAllergy]

My gut tells me that it might be viewed slightly more positively than a random, completely unrelated job, but not nearly so much as a true research position. Maybe in the same way that working as an administrative assistant in a psych private practice would be seen, or perhaps a bit better than that given the research components and database management duties.

That being said, I personally would much rather have a job than not, so if it came down to the IRB or nothing, I'd definitely go with the IRB.