From Nomad to Glorious Research Assistant?
June 16, 2010 1:46 PM Subscribe
How do I go about seeking Research Assistant positions, after several years of travel and non-traditional employment since completing my MA?
I have a BA in Sociology from an Ivy League university, and an MA in International Development, but I spent several years traveling and have no access to old academic writing samples, and only one working reference which is fairly unrelated to what I am seeking. I write well, read absurdly quickly and meticulously, am an inveterate autodidact, and love doing research. I know the work itself would be a success all around, if I could simply gain access to it. I simply do not know how to break into the field after such a disconnect from academia.
I live in NYC, and am open to any kind of research. Additionally, I live a lifestyle where my monetary needs are quite modest and simple. I simply realized that my years of traveling and non-traditional employment shouldn't limit me to desperate retail and receptionist jobs. I may lack a robust work trail, but I am hoping that my degrees may enable me to find work which challenges me, but does not have me locked into an office culture. In case the information is useful, I am 30 years old. Any ideas on finding Research Assistant work would be helpful, as well as any related work ideas which this post may suggest. Many thanks.
I have a BA in Sociology from an Ivy League university, and an MA in International Development, but I spent several years traveling and have no access to old academic writing samples, and only one working reference which is fairly unrelated to what I am seeking. I write well, read absurdly quickly and meticulously, am an inveterate autodidact, and love doing research. I know the work itself would be a success all around, if I could simply gain access to it. I simply do not know how to break into the field after such a disconnect from academia.
I live in NYC, and am open to any kind of research. Additionally, I live a lifestyle where my monetary needs are quite modest and simple. I simply realized that my years of traveling and non-traditional employment shouldn't limit me to desperate retail and receptionist jobs. I may lack a robust work trail, but I am hoping that my degrees may enable me to find work which challenges me, but does not have me locked into an office culture. In case the information is useful, I am 30 years old. Any ideas on finding Research Assistant work would be helpful, as well as any related work ideas which this post may suggest. Many thanks.
It's unclear what sort of "position" you mean. It sounds like you want to do work that is almost always done by graduate students enrolled in MA/PhD programs. You can't make a career out of being and academic research assistant. It's part of the apprenticeship system. You might be able to get an administrative job in an academic department or center where research opportunities could arise. And you might be able to find work with a former professor who knows your abilities well -- I've employed former undergraduate student as assistants before. But the money won't be more than part-time, and erratic. There aren't f/t positions doing that which aren't graduate fellowships or grant funding one spends on one's own grad students or on specialized contract freelancers (like web developers, in my case).
You might have better luck trying to find a gig working as an assistant for a journalist or non-fiction writer. Sometimes you see such positions advertised on craigslist.
posted by fourcheesemac at 3:24 PM on June 16, 2010
You might have better luck trying to find a gig working as an assistant for a journalist or non-fiction writer. Sometimes you see such positions advertised on craigslist.
posted by fourcheesemac at 3:24 PM on June 16, 2010
(or work sometimes done by undergraduates, often with work-study funding)
posted by fourcheesemac at 3:25 PM on June 16, 2010
posted by fourcheesemac at 3:25 PM on June 16, 2010
Labor unions are always hiring researchers. The pay's not awful and the training can be pretty good, from what I hear. If your degree taught you a lot of quant skills you'll be in a good position to get one of these jobs.
posted by lunasol at 3:42 PM on June 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by lunasol at 3:42 PM on June 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I disagree with slow graffiti and fourcheesemac. I work as a research assistant/coordinator in a social science department at a University and have a Master's degree. I don't consider myself underpaid, but I definitely make less than I would in the private sector or government. (I think there are other perks to academia, though.) I got this job by applying through a local job bulletin board, with no existing connections to the department, though I did have other local academic connections since I attended grad school in the area. I will say that I am unique in my department - there is only one other person like me and the majority of research is carried out by undergraduate and graduate students.
However, prior to getting my degree I worked in an epidemiology department as a research assistant at another local University known for doing a lot of medical research. These positions are a dime a dozen at this University, and I'm sure that is also the case at other similar Universities. Some of these research assistant positions require a laboratory/hard science background, but there are also many that require a psychology/sociology background. Again, I just got this job by applying on a local job bulletin board.
I do want to warn you that many of these types of jobs are also very administrative in nature. I do more administration than analysis. I'm actually looking to get out of academic research for this precise reason. They also tend to be limited to one or two specific projects and the position may end when the funding/project does.
You may also want to check out labor unions, as was suggested, and think tanks. I'm not sure about the former, but the latter definitely hire research assistants at the Masters level. For the latter, your lack of experience may hurt you, but depending on where you traveled and what you did while traveling, that may help you.
posted by unannihilated at 6:06 PM on June 16, 2010
However, prior to getting my degree I worked in an epidemiology department as a research assistant at another local University known for doing a lot of medical research. These positions are a dime a dozen at this University, and I'm sure that is also the case at other similar Universities. Some of these research assistant positions require a laboratory/hard science background, but there are also many that require a psychology/sociology background. Again, I just got this job by applying on a local job bulletin board.
I do want to warn you that many of these types of jobs are also very administrative in nature. I do more administration than analysis. I'm actually looking to get out of academic research for this precise reason. They also tend to be limited to one or two specific projects and the position may end when the funding/project does.
You may also want to check out labor unions, as was suggested, and think tanks. I'm not sure about the former, but the latter definitely hire research assistants at the Masters level. For the latter, your lack of experience may hurt you, but depending on where you traveled and what you did while traveling, that may help you.
posted by unannihilated at 6:06 PM on June 16, 2010
I also should add that my position is full-time, with benefits, as was the previous research assistant job I had, as well as many of those advertised at the second University I mentioned.
posted by unannihilated at 6:10 PM on June 16, 2010
posted by unannihilated at 6:10 PM on June 16, 2010
Best answer: Network, network, network. Since you're not a grad student and you don't have a traditional background, you're going to have to convince a PI (principle investigator) to take a chance on you. He or she also has to have money to hire someone, so you're probably looking at "soft money" projects.
Start by doing your research. :) Contact the sponsored projects office of your local universities and find out how to obtain lists and updates of recently awarded research grants and contracts. Look up the project PIs and read their websites, publication histories, etc. and see if their work sounds like something you'd like to be involved with. Seek opportunities to meet these people through department and university events, or contact them directly about their work.
If you hit it off, let them know about your interest in transitioning to a research career and ask them if they know of any opportunities for you to get your foot in the door as a research assistant (if they can't or don't want to hire you themselves, they may know of someone else). You might have to start out as a volunteer or as a low pay/no benefits temporary employee until you prove yourself.
posted by Jacqueline at 7:34 PM on June 16, 2010
Start by doing your research. :) Contact the sponsored projects office of your local universities and find out how to obtain lists and updates of recently awarded research grants and contracts. Look up the project PIs and read their websites, publication histories, etc. and see if their work sounds like something you'd like to be involved with. Seek opportunities to meet these people through department and university events, or contact them directly about their work.
If you hit it off, let them know about your interest in transitioning to a research career and ask them if they know of any opportunities for you to get your foot in the door as a research assistant (if they can't or don't want to hire you themselves, they may know of someone else). You might have to start out as a volunteer or as a low pay/no benefits temporary employee until you prove yourself.
posted by Jacqueline at 7:34 PM on June 16, 2010
Where I work all the reserch assistant positions are filled by former (unpaid) interns. But not all interns get hired. So try volunteering where you want to work, and be strategic about it.
posted by Jason and Laszlo at 10:01 PM on June 16, 2010
posted by Jason and Laszlo at 10:01 PM on June 16, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
Without access to the internal connections, your chances are slim. You need to get access to the job boards of as many universities in NYC as you can; some listings will be public, so start with those.
You may encounter a stumbling block because of your MA- universities have pay structures with salary floors for people with advanced degrees, which might make you too expensive to employ for some profs or labs.
posted by slow graffiti at 1:58 PM on June 16, 2010