Crafting an impactful research assistant resume can be a challenging task. With fierce competition in the job market, it is crucial to create a document that effectively showcases your skills and experiences, capturing the attention of potential employers.
To help you in this endeavor, we have curated five exceptional research assistant resume examples that not only validate their effectiveness but also offer valuable solutions to common pain points faced by job seekers.
By exploring these hand-picked samples, you will gain valuable insights into how to create a winning resume that stands out from the crowd and maximizes your chances of landing your dream research assistant position.
Research Assistant Resume Examples
When looking at research assistant resume examples, we understand many of you are at different stages of your careers. The resume you write as an entry-level worker is much different from the one you will write after ten years of work experience.
Here we will look at several types of research assistant resumes to ensure everyone has a good baseline for starting their resume.
Entry-Level Research Assistant Resume
As an entry-level research assistant, you don’t have the experience you will later in your career. However, when companies post entry-level positions, they are not expecting someone with years of experience.
Instead, they want to see someone willing to learn and grow as an employee. Do not stretch the truth or lie about your experience. Instead, focus on the things that are relevant to the position.
Objective:
Hardworking economics student looking for an opportunity to assist your company in labor economics research to better understand the impact of minimum wage changes on hiring and labor dynamics in the state of Florida.
Work Experience 1: Computer Lab Technician
- Resolved technical issues for roughly 24 students every day.
- Created an interactive process in Microsoft Excel to troubleshoot network connectivity issues, reducing manual labor by around 21 hours.
- Let IT website project create 345+ articles answering common IT questions, increasing student satisfaction by 11% and decreasing time to resolve per ticket by 21%.
- Developed 12 remote learning presentations to resolve course accessibility issues and answer software questions.
- Led four question and answer forums, increasing student satisfaction and understanding by nearly 30%.
Work Experience 2: Undergraduate Research Assistant
- Recruited subjects for six studies by visiting clinics and sending mailouts, increasing participation by 17%.
- Reviewed data collection forms for completion and quality, resulting in a less than 3% error rate.
- Explained research procedures to all study participants.
- Performed initial data analysis and presented results to 23 senior researchers and lab attendants.
- Supervised orientation processes to ensure safety and student satisfaction, resulting zero incidents or conflicts.
Project Experience:
- Designed an experiment to analyze the unemployment impact of a campus-wide increase in the minimum wage in 2008. This project involved collecting, cleaning, and analyzing anonymized first-party data from 213 maintenance department employees.
- Designed an experiment to identify the economic and socio-economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in Florida.
- Performed detailed analysis of unemployment data from each city within each county to determine average unemployment rates in Florida.
Skills:
- Regression Analysis
- Microsoft Excel
- Customer Service
- Computer Literacy
- Economics
Education:
- Bachelor of Science in Economics
- Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL
- September 2019 to June 2023
Licenses & Accreditations:
- Certified Clinical Research Professional
- Professional Researcher Certification
- Clinical Research Assistant
Why This Resume Works
Many people looking to break into the research assistant industry will attempt to stretch the truth regarding their experience.
They will not outright lie, but they will try to spin things to make it look like they have more experience than they have. While doing so can sometimes generate interviews, it usually becomes obvious the person lied as interviews get conducted.
This research assistant resume example does a great job of displaying relevant experience without trying to spin the narrative. Additionally, the candidate demonstrates licenses, skills, education, and projects to bulk up their resume.
Undergraduate Research Assistant Resume Example
If you are looking to get a job as an undergraduate research assistant, you must have experience with many relevant soft skills.
These skills will help bulk up your resume and make you stand out as a candidate. The key here is honesty and showing a willingness to learn.
Objective:
A dedicated undergraduate research assistant who has strong computer skills and is dedicated to the success of students. Adept at maintaining a research database, keeping a research library organized, and networking with students and local business leaders. Specializes in small and private universities.
Work Experience 1: Undergraduate Research Assistant
- Responsible for ensuring that all research materials borrowed by students got returned promptly.
- Assisted students in utilizing the school database to find necessary information.
- Worked closely with faculty to have proper research resources available for specific research projects.
- Assisted students in researching local employers and in making contact with human resources professionals.
- Assisted in maintaining the school’s research database and making it easily accessible to students.
Work Experience 2: Undergraduate Research Assistant
- Responsible for maintaining an orderly and neat research library.
- Assisted faculty in creating research criteria for large-scale research projects.
- Assisted in setting up quarterly career fairs where students would talk to local employers about internships.
- Responsible for maintaining the research resource log and making sure that resource materials got returned promptly.
- Monitored student behavior to ascertain drug and alcohol use, referring students to disciplinary authorities as needed.
Project Experience:
- Prepared Artemisia cana samples to measure plant-pathogen relationships and genotype composition.
- Created three hydroponics boxes a week by mixing and piping liquid media, placing seeds, and preparing a box for cold storage with an overall 91% growth rate.
- Measured, recorded, and analyzed data regarding plant growth over three months.
Skills:
- Quality Control
- Participant Scheduling
- Customer Service
- Written Communication
- Lab Safety
Education:
- Bachelor of Science in Psychology
- University of Colorado, Boulder, CO
- September 2018 – June 2022
Licenses & Accreditations:
- Certified Clinical Research Associate
- Certified Professional in Clinical Research
- Certified Quality Auditor
Why This Resume Works
This resume works because it shows a wide variety of skills. The person has on-the-job experience, and the project experience displays technical knowledge. The candidate uses advanced terms to show their knowledge, and this should allow them to stand out from other candidates.
Additionally, the candidate does not linger too long on one aspect of their resume. They are concise and keep things clear. They do not sell themselves short, but they also do not drag things out. This resume design should earn interviews from employers.
Clinical Research Assistant Resume Example
A clinical research assistant must have technical and on-the-job experience. They are expected to have more knowledge and be more independent than entry-level candidates.
As a result, when writing your resume, you must make your knowledge and experience clear to the hiring manager.
Objective:
With over six years of experience in cutting-edge laboratories resulting in 15+ publications and $450,000+ in grant funding, I’m looking to continue my work as a research assistant to help with advancements at your company.
Work Experience 1: Research Assistant
- Trained seven undergraduate and three graduate students in the lifecycle maintenance of the SARS-CoV-2 virus (Covid-19).
- Conducted aseptic techniques in mucosal culture hoods to prevent contamination of the population culture.
- Partnered with PI to assist in writing grant proposals that generated $250,000 in funding for the lab.
- Spearheaded mutation research of Covid-19, resulting in 5+ publications regarding effective vaccination development.
- Worked with a large group to conduct, present, and publish research. I was the lead presenter on several occasions within the group.
Work Experience 2: Research Assistant
- Conducted experiments and analyses regarding whether or not catecholamines are decreased in cognitive cerebellar regions in mouse models of spinocerebellar ataxia.
- Served as the primary contact with other researchers, increasing communication efficiency by 12%.
- Organized and analyzed behavioral data in SAS, decreasing errors by 6% and reducing data processing time by 13 days.
- Managed lab inventory and reduced unnecessary spending, saving $13,400 per year.
- Reported directly to the lead researcher, presenting data found by the team of research assistants, and providing opinions on what should get included in the publication.
Project Experience:
- Undertook the responsibility of serving as the front office liaison to greet visitors, direct interns, and instruct study participants, increasing the number of clients checked in per hour by 26%.
- Worked with the marketing team to develop a plan for advertising study positions on social media. This project led to an increase of study participants by 44%.
- Led the team responsible for maintaining and updating cycles of the lab databases, resulting in a 88% data accuracy rate.
Skills:
- Written Communication
- Literature Review
- Statistical Modeling
- Flow Cytometry
- Database Management
Education:
- Bachelor of Science in Biology
- University of Washington, Seattle, WA
- September 2010 to June 2014
Licenses & Accreditations
- Certified Research Administrator
- Certified Research Manager
- Certified Clinical Data Manager
Why This Resume Works
When looking at this resume, it is not challenging to understand why it works. The candidate shows a clear understanding of their field of expertise. They have worked on several projects that display an ability to adapt and lead. There is very little weakness shown by the candidate in their resume.
When writing a research assistant resume, it is crucial to display technical knowledge. Often, research assistants must perform tasks that the lead researcher might have no time for.
These tasks are not always part of the job description, so adaptability is crucial, as is an ability to learn. This resume shows all of those things and should help the candidate earn interviews with hiring managers.
Psychology Research Assistant Resume Example
If your field of expertise is in psychology rather than biology, chemistry, or something technical, you will apply for different positions. However, the structure of your resume does not need to be very different.
The content will be different from that of a biology research assistant, but the structure should be similar. Here we will look at a psychology research assistant example.
Objective:
Training in psychiatric behaviors and disorders. Educated in principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis and treatment of disorders. Completed undergraduate research and participate in data collection and experiment creation. Looking to advance my career by assisting with research at your company.
Work Experience 1: Psychology Research Assistant
- Worked with a team of 12 other assistants on the assigned subject and collaborated to bring together the Cross Talk Presentation.
- Data mining of test batteries into SPSS for potential grant proposals and research studies, assisting in the recruitment of patients for current research.
- Assisted with experimental research, including running participants and analyzing research data. Presented data-based research with the head researcher.
- Designed, distributed, and analyzed Army National Guard Reintegration and program surveys sent to the company.
- Screened for depression and determined the quality of their support networks. Produced and continuously refined the quantitative data.
Work Experience 2: Psychology Research Assistant
- Used the information from psychology classes or facilitate a study focused on the participant’s visual-spatial awareness.
- Administered neuropsychological assessment instruments to examine executive functioning among participants.
- Worked with a graduate student to research women’s perspectives on femininity and masculinity.
- Assisted with clerical and record-keeping tasks of the surveys and participated as a pretend subject in the experiment.
- Assisted in the presentation of findings from clinical research projects with the lead researcher.
Project Experience:
- Was responsible for presenting the results of surveys and experiments to the lead researcher.
- Helped recruit study participants, increasing the number of participants significantly.
- Undertook a project that increased efficiency in record-keeping tasks, decreasing labor time by 42%.
Skills:
- Microsoft Office Suite
- Teaching
- Research
- Data Analysis
- Data Presentation
Education:
- Bachelor of Arts in Psychology
- University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR
- September 2012 to June 2016
Licenses & Accreditations:
- Certified Project Management Professional in Clinical Trials
- Certified Quality Improvement Associate
- Certified Clinical Research Coordinator
Why This Resume Works
When looking at this resume, you can see why it does a fantastic job of getting interviews for the candidate. It outlines the objective of the candidate immediately before jumping into work experience. The work experience shows the candidate’s ability to work as a team and take charge when needed.
Additionally, you can see in the project experience section that the candidate is very proactive. As a result, the lead researcher will not need to worry about micromanaging everything this person does.
Time is valuable for researchers, so they do not want to hire assistants that waste their time. Everything about this resume points to a candidate that would perform well at this job.
Biology Research Assistant Resume Example
When someone is applying for a specific research assistant position, they must have the education, licenses, and experience to back it up. They should have expertise in biology in this case, and it should be evident in their work experience and education.
Here we will look at everything you must include on your resume to get a position as a biology research assistant.
Objective:
With over a decade of experience, I have spent most of my professional life conducting research in the field of biology. Several projects I have worked on have gotten published in well-respected journals. I am looking to advance my career by conducting research for your company.
Work Experience 1: Research Fellow
- Co-authored a research paper with four postdoctoral employees and two doctoral candidates regarding protein formation within the Plasmodium falciparum organism.
- Conducted experiment to determine the protein generation process within Plasmodium falciparum.
- Utilized six aseptic techniques in tissue culture hoods to prevent contaminating a malaria parasite population.
- Partnered with PI to help write federal grant proposals that generated $450K in lab funding.
- Conducted lab work regarding malarial parasite reproduction, inspiring three new studies by Ph.D. candidates.
Work Experience 2: Laboratory Research Assistant
- Spearheaded a project involving the application of protocols to produce induced pluripotent stem cells to study how actin and myosin contribute to changes in 3D genome organization.
- Developed a rigorous testing infrastructure for these protocols utilizing advanced imaging and genome-wide analyses.
- Results from these studies led to two publications focused on the identification of novel elements that control genome organization during the formation of IPSCs.
- Implemented data analysis techniques in R to increase the speed of demonstrating the efficacy of new techniques by over 55%.
- Managed a team of two graduate research assistants and two undergraduate research assistants.
Project Experience:
- Founded the nonprofit educational association to facilitate research sharing and create a community of disease researchers.
- Collaborated with five Ph.D. candidates, three statisticians, and two two lab administrators to collect data and analyze lab results.
- Hosted quarterly conferences with guest speakers from across the nation to discuss research developments.
Skills:
- Data Analysis
- R & R Studio
- Quality Control
- Grant Writing
- Electron Microscopy
Education:
- Masters of Science in Biology
- University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA
- September 2012 to June 2014
Licenses and Accreditations:
- Registered Clinical Research Professional
- Certified Research Manager
- Certified Professional in Clinical Research
Why This Resume Works
When looking at this resume, you might consider it a little bulkier than other examples. The description is a little longer, so you might think it has too much information.
However, that is not the case, as more information is necessary for more advanced positions. This resume is a bit longer, but it is not excessive. All of the information included is vital in displaying the candidate’s knowledge.
Every section in this resume has a purpose. The objective is concise and to the point, the work experience is expertly laid out, and the other sections are helpful. This resume should help the candidate get a research assistant position shortly.
Common Skills & Action Verbs to Include On a Research Assistant Resume
When writing a research assistant resume, do what you can to stand out. Having unique experiences can help you get a job. However, there are still common things hiring managers are looking for.
Here we will look at some common transferable skills and action verbs that all research assistant applicants should consider including on their resumes.
Common Skills for Research Assistant Resumes
- Research design and methodology
- Data collection and analysis
- Literature review and synthesis
- Statistical analysis and software
- Qualitative research methods
- Project management and organization
- Scientific writing and editing
- Presentation and communication skills
- Attention to detail and accuracy
- Time management and multitasking
- Knowledge of ethical considerations in research
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team
- Problem-solving and critical thinking
- Computer proficiency and technology skills
- Interpersonal skills and professionalism
- Adaptability and flexibility
- Strong analytical skills
- Report writing and grant writing
- Proficiency in research tools and databases
- Foreign language proficiency
Common Action Verbs for Research Assistant Resumes
- Conducted
- Collected
- Analyzed
- Synthesized
- Designed
- Developed
- Assisted
- Coordinated
- Collaborated
- Contributed
- Implemented
- Presented
- Communicated
- Researched
- Drafted
Tips for Writing a Better Research Assistant Resume
You should have a pretty good idea of what to include on your research assistant resume now. There are several excellent resume examples above, but you might have a few questions.
Here we will provide some final tips for writing a better research assistant resume. Our goal is to appeal to as wide a group as possible. So, these tips should help, regardless of experience level.
1. Use a Resume Builder
One tip we do not mind giving is to use a resume builder. Many people are opposed to using a resume builder because they don’t think it can properly display all the information you need.
While resume builders have limitations, they do a fantastic job of giving your resume a baseline structure. The hardest part about writing a resume is getting started, and resume builders help with that stage.
There are several excellent resume builders out there. Do a little research and figure out which one is best for you. When you plug in your information, review your resume before sending it to hiring managers.
2. Tailor Your Resume to the Job
A big mistake many people make when applying for jobs is sending off resumes in bulk. Some people believe in the shotgun approach when it comes to job applications.
This approach is where someone sends off dozens of applications without adjusting their resume in the hopes that they will get a few interviews. Doing so saves time, but reduces the chance of getting an interview from each application.
We believe it is better to tailor your resume to the job. Read the job description carefully and tailor your resume to the specific requirements and make adjustments as needed.
3. Highlight Your Research Experience
List your research experience in reverse chronological order. Start with your most recent experience and work backward. Highlight any research projects you have been working on, including any papers, presentations, or publications that resulted from your work.
The information you provide here can get included in the work experience and project experience sections.
4. Proofread and Edit Your Resume
A big mistake many people make is not proofreading their resume after completing it. Writing a resume takes a lot of time, so when you finish, you will want to submit it immediately.
However, it is better to take the time to ensure there are no spelling or grammar errors.
Simple errors show a lack of attention to detail, which is crucial in research assistants. So, proofreading before submitting your resume could save your job chances.
Frequently Asked Questions
Before we wrap up, we want to answer some questions you might still have about research assistants and writing resumes.
What is the duty of a research assistant?
A research assistant assists the lead researcher in any way possible. Usually, they are responsible for carrying out time-consuming tasks and do not need the eyes of the lead researcher. They are still essential tasks and crucial to the research, but the lead researcher does not need to be present.
What is a good example of a research assistant’s resume objective?
When writing a resume, it is smart to include an objective at the top. Your objective should outline why you are a good fit for the position. Writing one is not challenging, but if you want examples, you can find five great ones in the resumes listed above.
Similar Resume Types to Reference
You can look at examples of resumes other than research assistants. Here are some positions that have similar skills, and as a result, similarly structured resumes.
- Administrative Assistant Resume: An administrative assistant resume can help you generate ideas on what soft skills to include.
- Medical Assistant Resume: A medical assistant resume often has many of the same technical skills as research assistants.
- Office Assistant Resume: Looking at an office assistant resume will help you determine which soft skills to include.
Wrapping Up
Writing a resume in any field is challenging, but research assistants can have an even tougher time. Fortunately, you should now have all the information you need to write a research assistant resume.
Do not be afraid to use the tools available, and you should have no trouble writing and submitting a research assistant resume. Like this guide? Share with your friends or leave a comment below!
