Salary & Employment Rates for Researchers
According to the U.S Bureau of Statistics, the employment of computer and information research scientists and market research analysts is projected to grow 22 percent from 2020 to 2030.
The industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation include:
- Scientific Research and Development Services
- Colleges, Universities and Professional Schools
- Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals
- General Medical and Surgical hospitals
- Management, Scientific and Technical Consulting Services
The average yearly salary for a research assistant is $237,000. The typical range is between $41,000 and $433,000 depending on the field, years of experience, skills and education level.
How to Write a Resume for a Researcher
A successful career as a researcher requires experience, education and top-notch researcher skills. You should ensure that your resume has all this information but remember that it needs to be well-structured. Our resume templates will help you with this if you're unsure about what to do.
Some other factors you should consider when writing your resume include the format and the layout of your resume. Let's look at them in detail.
Format Of Your Resume
Before you start writing your resume, choose the correct format.
The right format for your resume starts with your best qualifications. Let's help you out by looking at three common formats you can choose from.
- Reverse-chronological order - This is the most common and is perfect for you if you have many years of experience in your field. It's also great because hiring managers love it since it's ATS scannable.
- Functional resume - If you have a strong set of skills but don't have experience, this is the best for you. Graduate students and career changers should use this format because it allows them to highlight their skills.
- Combination/hybrid resume - This format is great if you have experience and skills because it combines the best features of the reverse-chronological and functional resume formats.
Layout of the Resume
The layout of the resume should be easy to read and understand. Use fonts that are easy to read like Arial, Helvetica, Georgia, Times New Roman, and Calibri. The recommended font size is 10-12pt, and the length of your resume should be one page.
The structure of your researcher resume should have the following sections:
- The header section
- Resume summary/resume objective
- Work experience
- Education section
- Skill section
- An additional section (awards/honors, interests, volunteer work, languages, computer skills and certifications)
Here are some other resume examples you may be interested in.
Begin Your Researcher Resume with the Header
The first section of your resume is the header. Here is the information you’ll include:
- Your full name
- Job title
- Phone number
- Professional email address
- Location
- A link to your LinkedIn profile or career blog.
Remember to proofread this section before sending your resume to ensure that the contact details are correct because if it's not, the hiring manager cannot reach you.
CORRECTMarketing Researcher
353-877-254
nanciehiles@gmail.comMobile, AL
linkedin.com/in/nanciehiles
INCORRECTMarketing Researcher
353-877-254
nanciehiles@gmail.com2750 George Avenue
House number 36
Mobile, AL
linkedin.com/in/nanciehiles
Photo or no photo?
Some hiring managers will ask you to include a photo on your resume, in which case you should add one but ensure it's professional. If not, it's always better to leave it out of your resume.
Work Experience Section In Your Resume For Researcher
While every section of your resume is important, most recruiters tend to spend a little more time in your work experience section. That's because nothing beats your previous experience. It allows the recruiter to see what you can do and give them an idea of the value you'll bring to the company. Check out our resume examples, which are precisely what you need if you don't know how to write this section.
This section details your employment history, and it's always better to stick to your relevant experience for the research position you want. You'll start with your most recent workplace and go backward. If you've worked on a volunteer research project, you can also add it here.
The details you'll include here include the name of the workplace, your job title and the years you've worked at each place. Under each workplace, list three to five job responsibilities, but don't stop there. Quantify your achievements with figures and facts if you want your resume to stand out.
CORRECTResearch Assistant
February 2015-July 2018
- Collected and analyzed data for 5 clients while maintaining database security.
- Researched company sites that would be great clients and reached out to the marketing teams closing on more than 20 clients.
- Produced quarterly reports on 6 marketing strategies and effectiveness of campaigns after analyzing data collected.
INCORRECTMarket researcher
August 2016-October 2017
- Wrote material for the company report.
- Conducted statistical analyses of various campaigns.
- Produced online marketing campaigns.
Add Your Education To Your Researcher Resume
The educational qualifications vary depending on the field you want to get into. If you're working as a research assistant in the technical or sciences field, you might need a bachelor's degree in a related field. If it's not a technical field, you may be allowed to learn on the job.
This section will have the school's name, degree/course awarded, and completion year. Since this is an integral part of your resume, you shouldn't leave it out even if you only have a high school diploma. If your GPA is exceptional, you'll add it too.
Correct example
University of San Diego
July 2018
BA in Education
University of California, LA
May 2017
Boost Your Resume with Your Skills
Most recruiters set specific search assignment criteria when looking for the right candidate, including skills depending on the job. They use ATS systems to scan for particular skills in your resume, and failure to have them in your resume means that you'll miss out on some amazing opportunities. These are the unique abilities that will help you flourish in your research assistant position, and they consist of soft and technical skills.
When adding your skills, use bullet points to list them down because this makes them easy to scan, and they're also more visible to the recruiter. Job descriptions are pretty great because they have some of the skills the recruiter is looking for. Always check them out to ensure that you list your skills the same way they appear there.
However, don't add any skill that you don't have, especially if the recruiter might need proof. That's the easiest way to lose an opportunity because no employer wants to hire a dishonest person.
Let's look at a list of skills you can add to your resume.
Hard skills- Statistical analysis
- Data collection
- Data entry
- Internet research
- Project management
- Data management
- Data mining
- Report writing
- Organizational skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking
- Multitasking skills
- Time management
- Problem-solving
- Decision-making
- Detail-oriented
Write Your Research Assistant Resume Summary
A resume summary introduces your resume by summarizing your top achievements, experience and skills. You only get one chance to make a first impression, and if this section does not impress the recruiter, they probably won't read the rest of your resume.
CORRECTINCORRECT
Professional Objective(Why you need one)
If you're a recent graduate or a candidate changing careers, you'll use a professional objective instead of a professional summary. It summarizes your career goals and how they align with the company goals and expresses your interest in the job.
CORRECTInclude Additional Headings on Your Researcher Resume
Your professional resume will not be complete without an additional section. After impressing the recruiter with your qualifications in the previous section, you need this section to add any extra capabilities that will put you ahead of everyone else.
Remember that a recruiter only takes an average of six to seven seconds on your resume, so if you have a qualification you don't want them to miss, this is where you'll put it. Let's look at some of the sections you'll add here.
Computing Skills & Certifications
Research assistants need extraordinary computing skills to do their work efficiently. Therefore, you need to highlight them under this section to ensure that the recruiter doesn't miss them.
Certifications on your resume mean that you have additional training in your field. Therefore, instead of adding them under the education section where the recruiter can miss them easily, it's better to list them in this section. Here are some certifications that will help your researcher resume.
- Professional Researcher Certification(PRC)
- Clinical Research Coordinator(CRC)
- Clinical Research Associate(CRA)
Languages
Researchers work with people from different cultures, so it's a major plus for you if you're multilingual. You'll list all your languages under this section to make it easy for the recruiter to spot them and use the official language reference as follows:
- IELTS or TOEFL for English
- SIELE for Spanish
- Goethe Zertifikat or TestDaF for German
- DELF for French
Tips to Enhance Your Professional Resume
- Constantly tailor your job titles to ensure they are keyword optimized and match the job/company you're applying to.
- Use keywords and action verbs throughout your resume to ensure the applicant tracking systems do not filter it out.
- Choose the correct format and layout to make it easy for the recruiter to read through your resume.
- Start with your best qualifications first in case the recruiter doesn't read the entire resume.
- Focus on your relevant experience and highlight your transferable skills if you don't have the experience.
- Proofread your resume to ensure there are no errors, and give it to someone to check again before submitting it to your future employer.
Summary: Key Points for Writing a Job-winning Researcher Resume
- Keep the header short but proofread it to ensure the information is accurate.
- Quantify your achievements to show the recruiter the value you bring to the company.
- Check the hiring company's background and use the same tone and style when writing your resume.
- Use the reverse-chronological format when listing your work history.
- Write a catchy resume summary/objective to introduce your resume.
- Your educational qualifications allow you to stand out and should not be left out of your resume.
Write a Cover Letter To Go With Your Resume
A cover letter makes your application complete and the only time you should send your resume without one is when the recruiter asks you not to. It showcases your achievements in detail as you get to inject your personality and use your writing skills to draw the recruiter in and make sure they read your entire application. You can check out our cover letter examples and a teacher cover letter that will give you more insight on how you should write your cover letter.
