Full-Time Research Assistant/Lab Manager Positions and Post-Bac opportunities for Summer/Fall 2014

[TheChicPsychologist]

It's that time of year again when some of us are officially out of the running for graduate school. So, I was wondering if anyone knew of any paid RA positions that are out there. Where do you suggest I (and others like me) go?

 

For me, I realized that I actually want to go into clinical programs. I didn't get into any Cognitive Neuroscience programs because this (the fact that my true interests lie in Clinical Psychology) was actually pretty obvious in my applications even though I didn't actually want to admit it. SO, I would personally prefer positions for labs that are relevant to mood disorders, borderline personality disorder, and suicide. However, I would appreciate it if you post ANY opportunities here because I'm sure there are others looking right about now.

 

 

[obaka]

I think you need to research this yourself; no one is going to just hand you a job. Most universities/research hospitals maintain up to date job websites, so check out the sites of schools in your area, or areas you are willing to move. I got extremely lucky and got a job in a lab that was exactly in line with my interests but lab jobs are VERY competitive so you kind of have to take what you can get. For every position there could be a hundred applicants, some with years of experience and more degrees than the people they'll be working for. Most PIs will want at least 2 years of commitment. You can also email PIs whose labs you're interested in but that seems unlikely to be fruitful.

[Angua]

This seems like a good place to recommend resources for finding positions like these -- I know that it is remarkably difficult!  Off the top of my head, I recommend:

 

Higher Ed Jobs - They have a very large clearinghouse of job postings (lots of different kinds), and you can set up customized alerts to be emailed to you.  The downside is that they have so many, so ferreting out the kinds of positions you want can be hard.  I set up several alerts when I was searching, and in fact turned up a handful of relevant positions -- I actually think you'll have better luck with clinically-relevant positions than I did with non-clinically-relevant jobs.  Cast a wide net, and you will certainly turn up some things to try applying for.

 

SPSP.org - This website is trying to get up and running, and I have seen a few lab manager positions posted in the forums. This link is specifically to their job board, which has a few openings listed and may have more in the coming months (the SPSP folks are really trying to build up the site).  This is theoretically a social psych site, but (1) other related posts get added, and (2) it's part of a general recommendation to check the message boards and websites of organizations like this.  (For example, here's one that might be relevant to you: http://www.spsp.org/networking/apply_now.aspx?view=2&id=184696)

 

APA.org - This is (obviously) not a specific job site, and this is tedious (fair warning!), but go to APA.org, look for "Divisions", and start poking through any division that sounds related/interesting to you. Some have websites, lists, or forums that will have postings for the kinds of jobs you are looking for (here's an example -- check the recent archives of this mailing list: https://sites.google.com/site/sscpwebsite/listserv). Many divisions have little to no site -- but those that do are likely to have good resources.

 

Specific school sites - the other thing I did when I was looking was check the job websites of specific schools (for me, large schools that I thought were likely to hire full-time RA/lab managers, and those that I knew had labs relevant to my interests). This is even more tedious, but if you can set up alerts (or develop a system for checking promising schools regularly), it can pay off.

 

Good luck! If I think of other resources, I'll pass them along.

 

OH! One other piece of advice: if you're serious, then be sure to tell every professor you know that you are interested and looking.  Networking is still the best way to land (and often to find) these jobs.

Edited March 14, 2014 by Angua

[Munashi]

I think having a place to post these kinds of resources is a good idea.  True that no one will just hand you a job, but it might help people get an idea of where to start.  I'll add a few tidbits that I don't think anyone else has mentioned yet.

 

I don't know of anything specific right now, but definitely talk to your adviser(s) at your undergrad institution, even if you already graduated.  Professors are sometimes on listserves that send around notices advertising for these types of positions.

 

Additionally, check the job postings on various university websites.  They sometimes list openings there.

[dbrainiak914]

Keep running searches on indeed and simplyhired - posting do invariably end up there.

[TheChicPsychologist]

I apologize if I came across as waiting for someone to hand me a job and am a bit insulted. That was not my intention and I'm not sure where that perception came from. In the past on these forums I have seen "ooo my PI is looking for someone" or "so and so needs an RA" type posting. I thought that this would be a nice place to bring some of this stuff together. I know the positions are competitive--I'm obviously going to take what ever I get or, if absolutely nothing works out, I have a viable plan B. I would just like it to be closer to clinical than cog neuro type things I've done before if possible, and as close to my own research interests as possible. The net I've cast is large enough that I've been able to apply to 2-3 things every day for the past couple of days (I live in a major city with many hospitals... suicide and mood disorders is a big area for funding). I've been using Simply Hired, the RFMH, hospital websites, university webpages, my own connections (most of my friends are in positions like this and a few of my professors have "soft money" affiliations), etc. I just wanted some extra ideas and thought others would appreciate it too.

 

Thanks guys for sharing... I'll put up some stuff I learn about too.