Research Technician
(Female, Age 23) from Riverside, CT
This is a REAL-LIFE job profile written by a Female aged 23 who works as a Research Technician in Riverside, CT. We have removed all names and personal information in order to protect privacy. This professional kindly spent a bit of their time to complete one of our job profile surveys so that prospective job seekers like you could read their insights. Please excuse any punctuation or grammatical errors in this profile.
At a Glance
Current Job
Basic data on your current job
| Job Title | Research Technician |
|---|---|
| Salary | $23,000 |
| Other Compensation | None Set |
| Hours/Week | 30 |
| Company Size | (not answered) |
| Location | Riverside, CT |
| Years Experience | 13 months |
Career Ratings
Opinions on your CAREER overall (i.e. not just your current job)
| Years in Career | 0 |
|---|---|
| Education | (not answered) |
| Income Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Interest Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Work-Life Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Fulfilment Rating | 0 / 10 |
Current job Q&A
Describe the type of organization you work for.
University Hospital
Describe your job role and responsibilities.
Schedule patients, conduct clinical studies, general scientific research, write manuscripts
Please list an additional benefits (beyond compensation) that you receive.
Health/Disability/Life insurance
Do you feel you are under/over or well/fairly compensated at your current position?
undercompensated
Does your job entail you working with others on a daily basis? Is this something you like/dislike about your job? Please explain.
Yes. I do like working with others, makes the work day less boring.
Do you work collaboratively with supervisors/managers?
Yes
Do you work collaboratively with your co-workers?
Yes
Describe your work location (e.g., office, home, theatre, in the field) and what you like/dislike about working in it.
Please rate each of the following aspects of your current job on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest/best):
Income: 2
Benefits: 5
Hours: 3
Co-Workers: 6
Supervisors: 7
Job Title: 8
Level of Responsibility: 4
The Actual Work: 1
A day in the life of…
Please describe a typical workday for you in your current job:
| 5am to 6am | |
| 6am to 7am | |
| 7am to 8am | personal time |
| 8am to 9am | personal time |
| 9am to 10am | Listened to voice messages. Returned phone call to patient who wanted to schedule a test and doctor seeking test results. Located and then faxed test results. |
| 10am to 11am | Checked work email. Responded to emails regarding manuscript in works. Spoke with supervisor about current study, what needs to be done, etc. |
| 11am to 12pm | Did some data analysis of data from current study. Inputting #’s and running statistics. |
| 12pm to 1pm | Personal time. |
| 1pm to 2pm | Patient in the laboratory, had him sign informed consent, fill out paperwork, did testing. |
| 2pm to 3pm | Analyzed data from patient. Went over data with supervisor. |
| 3pm to 4pm | Assisted doctor with finding out detailed technical information about one of our pieces of equipment. |
| 4pm to 5pm | Leave at 4pm, personal time. |
| 5pm to 6pm | personal time |
| 6pm to 7pm | personal time |
| 7pm to 8pm | personal time |
| 8pm to 9pm | personal time |
| 9pm to 10pm | personal time |
| 10pm to 11pm | personal time |
| 11pm to 12am | personal time |
Table of Contents
How you got your job
How did you get your current job?
Referral
What was the application process?
Submitted resume
Did you have to interview for your current job? If yes, what did the interview process entail?
Yes. One interview with supervisor and employee who was leaving the position.
If you can remember, what questions were you asked during the interview?
General questions about my education and research background.
Do you feel your employer properly prepared you for your job? Explain.
Yes, did a week’s worth of on-the-job training.
Was there training for your current position? If yes, what did it entail?
Yes. Entailed person with position prior to me walking through the equipment in the lab, the current research studies, important contacts, etc.
Do you feel your educational background prepared you for your job? Explain.
Yes. Studied sciences in undergraduate career. Did own independent clinical research as part of senior thesis.
If applicable, do you feel your internship experience helped you prepare for your job?
Yes.
If someone wanted to go about getting a job similar to yours, what would you recommend for him or her to do?
Do undergraduate research in the sciences. Do a BS in one of the hard sciences.
What skills do you think a person should have if they want to pursue a position like yours?
Ability to synthesize information. Data analysis skills. Empathy/people skills. Writing ability.
Do you feel that you need a certain level of education or training to be successful in your job?
Yes
What advice would you give to someone who was about to start work in your position/ line of work?
Read everything you can get your hands on. If possible, get person with your prior position to fully explain the status of the research projects.
Long-term career plans
Is your current employment part of your overall career plan? Why or why not?
Yes. Plan to go to medical school.
What are your current career goals?
Medical Doctor
Is there anything else you would like to share about your career?
No
Prior work history
Please list your most recent jobs prior to this current job:
| Title | Length | Salary | Description | |
| Prior Job 1 | Physical Therapy Aide | 6mos | 15 | Assisted physical therapists with patients in the clinic. |
| Prior Job 2 | Research Assistant | 3yrs | $10/hr | Research Assistant for lab during undergraduate career. Assisted with conducting the research projects out of the lab. |
Educational background
Please list your educational background:
High School GPA:4.3
| GPA | School | Degree | |
| College (Undergraduate) or Technical/Vocational |
3.4 | Duke University | Psychology, BS |
| Graduate or Professional (Masters or Doctorate) |
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