INDUSTRY STATS
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Research Associate positions are at a 7% growth rate, which is as fast as average. With that said, there are currently 87,600 jobs in the market right now. The total number of jobs is expected to increase by 5,900 to 93,500 in the period of 2020-30.
What’s more, the median annual wage for the Research Associate jobs was $46,340 in May 2020. The lowest 10% earned less than $30,440, and the highest 10% more than $74,600.
Our conclusion? The Research Associate job market is wide open for candidates.
Top research associate sections that make the best resume
- Header
- Professional summary
- Experience (with numbers and results)
- Relevant skills
- Education
- Certifications
What to write in your research associate experience section
Perfecting your research associate resume experience section:
- Focus on results, not responsibilities;
- Use 4-6 bullet points per position;
- List only positions that are relevant to what you’re applying for;
- Include at least some form of quantitative data – it can be linked to the number of people you’ve managed or the - percentage decrease in costs that’s followed from your work - you decide;
- Choose action verbs over buzzwords.
We’ve collected some of the top resume experience sections from real Enhancv users. Check them out when drafting your own Research Associate resume!
- Covering cotton and sugar (soft commodity sector)
- Building and updating various databases and models maintained by the team
- Wrote up morning brief and weekly updates to trading team, produced research reports;
- Performed clinical manufacturing in a GMP manufacturing facility, following batch records and SOPs
- Conducted research and troubleshooting regarding optimal equipment use for different process steps
- Wrote standard operating procedures (SOPs) regarding use of process equipment
- Performed research for the Biophysical Characterization Group in the analysis of final formulation stability and efficacy
- Trained in the use of Dynamic Light Scattering and Light Scattering in tandem with analytical chromatography
- Provided clients with formal reports discussing the analysis of their products
- Recognized for 4 separated ACES awards for outstanding performance
- Included as a co-author in the publication of the group's work
- Drafted and executed strategic plans to establish and further existing projects
- Executed proof of concept implementations to validate product feasibility
- Monitored team progress, developed presentations, timescales and led meetings with department executives to review project status and future steps
- Provided experimental and design support to teams of undergraduates and graduates, managed three projects from start to completion
- Trained 3 interns for six months in biochemical procedures to guarantee consistent quality of reactions while maintaining GLP
- Collect, Collate, Organize and Analyse the market research data
- Conduct interview of customers for their feedback.
- Arrange and coordinate Business and customer face to face.
- Participated in the post launch market research of CNN IBN, Times Now.
- Successfully managed multiple upgrades of a key web-based enterprise software system, as well as providing technical support, bug ticket triage, and end-user training.
- Provided maintenance and troubleshooting services for legacy applications.
- Implemented custom web-based applications to support laboratory information retrieval and process automation needs.
- Researched and designed lab automation data integration workflows.
- Sucessfully collaborated with external vendor partners to implement custom software enhancements and system integration solutions.
- Conceptualized, planned, designed, and implemented a suite of automated processes and services to support corporate research goals.
- Wrote custom software applications to support laboratory workflows.
- Successfully managed business relationships with colleagues across multiple departments and multiple sites.
- Successfully provided customer-side management of sales and support relationships with multiple technology platform vendors.
- Acted as Lead CRA for assigned site, including mentoring Jr CRAs.
- Trained inexperienced site staff in protocol and study-related activities.
- Mantained close relationship with the client while being exclusively assigned to service that account.
- Responsible for reviewing all regulatory dossiers before submission to Regulatory Agency.
- Created and assisted in developing monitoring control tools, protocol reviews and user's guidelines for clients eTools.
- Created templates for study protocols, informed consent forms (ICF) and case report forms (CRF).
- Planned and lead update meetings with client and Investigators to discuss progress, key challenges and alignments.
- Evaluated the quality and integrity of study data and adherence to applicable regulations.
- Exceeded sponsor's expectations developing teamwork within 8 other CRAs assigned to the same site.
- Performed blinded/unblinded activities.
- Provided assistance to less experienced clinical staff in Good Clinical Practices.
- In charge of company's and client's systems completion and trainings.
- Administered protocol and study-related trainings to assigned sites and established regular lines of communication with sites to manage ongoing project expectations and issues.
- Managed the progress of assigned studies by tracking regulatory submissions and approvals, recruitment and enrollment, case report form (CRF) completion and submission, and data query generation and resolution.
- Synthesized and analyzed nano-scale semiconductor materials with controlled sizes and shapes
- Fabricated thin films from nano-scale semiconducting materials using solution processes
- Fabricated photovoltaic devices from nano-scale semiconductor materials and analyze efficiencies
- Studied the surface effect of various ligands on film’s efficiencies using multiple optical techniques
- Reported findings at technical conferences and in peer reviewed publications
- Filter content of interest from mainstream media sources, law enforcement, regulatory enforcement and financial regulatory agencies
- Accurately assess high-risk individuals from the region of responsibility available in the various company datasets
- Data processing and research activities
- Implementation and assessment of greenhouse and field studies for mine tailings re-vegetation using different soil amendments and native plant species.
- Conduct analysis of Neutrophilic heterotrophic bacteria, DNA extraction, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Real-time PCR.
- Soil and plant tissue sample collection and analysis.
- Researched machine learning techniques for automated design space exploration on the full software-hardware stack for embedded SLAM.
- Researched ideas for tight integration between 3D object localization and SLAM.
- Led the computer vision efforts on a large UK EPSRC project, to produce an opensource benchmark suite SLAMBench, which is used by major players including Google, ARM, Samsung, Movidius, Codeplay etc.
- Supervised MSc theses on a variety of topics include sparse coding for object detection, object learning in real-time on GPUs, SLAM design space exploration.
- Designed research approaches and led evaluation methodologies to meet the clients’ needs given the available quantitative and qualitative data sources
- Conducted key informant interviews and focus groups for qualitative analysis on client satisfaction, health outcomes, accessibility, and caregiver burden
- Utilized policy analysis skills to inform clients of the impacts and opportunities of the policies on the programs and their outcomes
- Market Research , Data Analysis & Financial Forecasting
- Business Strategies, Market Trends and Current Scenario
- Market Estimates, Forecasts, Insights & Strategies
PRO TIP
Include quantitative data throughout your Research Associate resume to impress the hiring manager. Real facts and figures that show off your competency as an audit manager go a long way. Did you reduce the costs of audits? Manage a large team? Boosted efficiency? Show off the real numbers!
Action verbs for your research associate resume
Recommended reads:
Research associate resume skills section to impress recruiters
Checklist for a perfect research associate resume skills section:
- Make sure to include most if not all essential skills for the job;
- Check the job description and add some keywords to pass ATS;
- List both hard and technical skills;
- When it comes to soft skills – elaborate on them in other sections of your resume (e.g. the experience section).
Top skills for your research associate resume
Industry-orientated approach
Reporting
Research
Project Management
Business Process Improvement
C++
Python
Critical thinking
Problem Solving
Creativity
Innovation
Organisation
Attention to details
Caution
PRO TIP
When picking skills to feature in your resume, make sure they'll be relevant to the position you’re applying to. The point of listing skills is for you to stand out from the competition. Stay away from repetitive, meaningless skills that everyone uses in their resumes. Or else, they’ll backfire and make you look like an average candidate.
recommended reads:
Research associate resume header: tips, red flags, and best practices
Checklist for your research associate resume header
- Your name and surname in a legible and larger resume font
- The job title you’re applying for or your current job title as a subheading to your name
- Link to your portfolio or online profile, such as LinkedIn
- Address (City and State for the US; just your city for rest of the world)
- Email address
- Headshot (required or welcomed in the EU; not required and sometimes frowned upon in the US)
Stick to popular email providers such as Gmail or Outlook. And use these professional formats to create your username:
- first.last@gmail.com
- last.first@gmail.com
- firstlast@gmail.com
- f.last@gmail.com
- first.l@gmail.com
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
Some companies, states, and countries have policies about identifying information like photos on your Research Associate resume. Be sure to check all the relevant rules before submitting yours. If you’re in doubt, you can always try contacting the company’s HR department to ask for their policy.
Writing an effective research associate resume summary
Impressive research associate resume summary checklist:
- Point out the achievements that make you a valuable applicant;
- Mention the total years of experience you have;
- Highlight the things you believe make you the best fit for the position;
- Keep it short: aim at having no more than 3-5 sentences.
Resume summary formula:
PRO TIP
Your summary should act as an elevator speech, briefly promoting how you will benefit the employer if hired. Pitch your strengths in the summary and expand on them in your Research Associate experience section. Give examples like how your work benefited each employer.
Recommended reads:
Drawing the attention to your research associate resume education section
Crafting a job-winning education section.
- Use the reverse-chronological format when listing your degrees;
- Tailor the classes you’ve taken to the position you’re applying for if you’re an entry-level candidate;
- Mention the awards and honors you’ve received;
- Add your certifications (but only those relevant to the position).
Top certifications for your research associate resume
How to Write a Successful Research Paper
Complete Research Paper Writing Blueprint With Instructions And Templates For Every Section. Master Academic Writing
Research Methodology: Complete Research Project Blueprint
Research Methodology From A-Z. A Step-by-Step Guide Through Research Design, Data Collection, Analysis, & Interpretation
Marketing Research: support your marketing decisions
Discover the extra advantage of any Business. A practical step by step guide to Marketing Information and Research.
An Invitation to Marketing Research
Definition, Nature & Scope of MR, MR Process, Data Collection, Measurement & Scaling, Interpretation & Report Writing
An Introduction to Online Quantitative Market Research
Learn how to effectively conceptualise, design, execute and apply quantitative online research like a PRO!
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
There are dozens of certifications that you can claim as a Research Associate. But, some are more effective than others. That’s why you mustn’t include every certificate other applicants might have. Try instead to earn and list a few of the difficult ones.
Choosing the best format for your research associate resume
The content of your Research Associate resume is what will get you hired, right?
But even when your content’s amazing and you’re a true over-achiever, recruiters might not think you’re a good fit if your resume looks messy or is not formatted the right way.
In general, there are three basic resume formats we advise you to stick with:
- Reverse-chronological resume format;
- Functional skills-based resume format;
- Combination (or Hybrid) resume format.
Deciding which one to use depends on your experience, the industry, and the company. In short — you need to know what your applicant profile is.
For instance, reverse-chronological resumes are great for people with over 10 years of experience and no employment gaps. Here, you need to list all your relevant experience in a reverse-chronological format, starting from the most recent and going back to less recent positions.
Functional skills-based resumes, on the other hand, are great for entry-level applicants, graduate students, or people who have different kinds of experience. It focuses on skills, education, and character traits, rather than experience.
If none of these work for you, and you dream of adopting a more creative approach that makes a difference, the combination (or hybrid) resume format is exactly what you’re looking for. It allows you to focus on both your experience and your skills, making it a ‘best of both worlds’ format. It’s also suitable for those who want to spice things up by adding different creative sections (e.g. ‘life philosophy’ or ‘what my day looks like’).
Here are some additional tips on perfecting your resume layout and style:
- Go for a traditional resume font sized 12p;
- Use standard 1-inch resume margins for increased readability;
- Make sure your resume fits on a one-page template. In case you’ve got 10 years of experience or more, your resume’s length can reach two pages;
- Avoid unwanted editing and plagiarism – save your resume as PDF before sending it to the recruiters.
Want to take it a step further? Learn how to make your resume stand out without relying too much on creativity.
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
Test your draft Research Associate resume by sending it out to peers and mentors in your circles. Ask them to review it as if they are hiring you for a project and implement the feedback afterwards.
Want to include something more to your research associate resume?
So you’ve already listed details about your education, experience, and skills. You’ve also crafted an amazing summary.
But now you feel a creative urge to showcase your personality and not just your expertise.
We’ve got you! Thanks to our modern templates, you can now include a chart of what your typical day looks like or even a word or two about your life philosophy. All this without sacrificing your Research Associate resume’s professional feel.
Some non-traditional sections for your resume include:
Making your research associate resume stand out
You want to make a strong first impression to all recruiters that get a hold of your resume. Sure you do! But how?
Well, the easiest way to stand out is by adding a bit of creativity to your Research Associate resume. You could do this by going for a colorful layout or adding a creative section or two. It all depends on the industry and the position you’re applying for!
For instance, a position in design would allow for a more colorful resume, while a position in finance would probably not.
What makes a great research associate resume: key takeaways
- Choose a resume layout that sends the right message across and fits your current career situation;
- Create a resume header that shows your desired job title, and easy to find contact numbers;
- Be specific about your experience, accomplishments and future goals in your summary;
- Feature detailed metrics and specific examples that show the impact you made in your previous roles when describing your experience;
- List soft skills backed by examples;
- Add all of your technical skills and certifications that you have and match the job description;
- Show off a dash of personality in your resume that will demonstrate your culture fit and the right mix of hard and soft skills.
