Research Assistant resume example & writing guide

What is a research assistant? 

Research assistants apply their expert technical knowledge to help organizations solve problems and prepare for the future. They perform cutting-edge research and data analysis, conduct experiments and tests, then deliver their findings to technical and non-technical audiences. Research assistants are in demand in fast-paced, highly regulated environments.

Why use this research assistant resume example?

While there are many job opportunities for research assistants, it’s important to get the right job that offers you great pay and benefits. For these types of jobs, you need a powerful resume that showcases your skills, experience, and technical expertise. Our resume guide and example will help you create a strong research assistant resume that will help you get more interviews for the jobs you want.

The professional profile is your initial pitch, so it needs to grab the attention of the hiring manager and promote you as the perfect person for the job. Our resume example shows exactly how you can highlight your technical expertise and industry-specific skills, balanced with your soft skills, such as communication, critical-thinking, and leadership. Keeping your profile direct, succinct, and impactful will ensure the hiring manager is compelled to read on and review the rest of your resume.

The core competencies section is prominent to capture the attention of recruiters during the initial scan of your resume. Keeping the skills section short will ensure you don’t include too many areas of expertise, which can negatively impact readability and potentially make the hiring manager lose interest.

The all-important professional experience section provides recruiters with clear and concise information about your responsibilities and showcases the specific projects you have worked on. This includes positive outcomes from your research studies and details of any subsequent presentations, partnerships, or affiliations.

How to write a great research assistant resume

Here are some top tips to creating a strong research assistant resume:

1. When building your research assistant resume, you may think that writing a highly technical resume is the best option. While this content is informative, the hiring manager may find this difficult to read and/or too much like other applicants, so you won’t create a lot of impact. Follow our resume guide so you can stand out from the crowd and make a great first impression. 

2. Include a key skills section at the top of your resume, with relevant keywords separated into three core categories. This section will blend hard skills (research and policy development) with soft skills (communication, client relations, and team building). Check the job description for keyword inspiration, with focus on listing hard (industry-specific) skills at the beginning of this section so they are more prominent.

3. In the professional experience section, start with your most recent experience and work back to earlier roles (covering a period of 10 to 15 years as a maximum). This is a great opportunity to tell the hiring manager how you can manage multiple demands for high standards, excel under pressure, and maintain smooth operations. Action verbs at the start of each sentence can help you make this point. You can include perform, interface, or prepare, and other action verbs.

4. Highlight any specific research projects you have delivered under the relevant role. You can use bullet points, along with a brief outline of your role in the project and any project wins. The goal here is to show the hiring manager what you can do and what you have achieved. You can also highlight other achievements in the work experience section, such as publications, awards, accolades, or presentations.

5. The education section should detail your highest qualifications in research and development, followed by any professional training/certifications, technical proficiencies, and affiliations. Make sure you separate these sections on your resume so the recruiter can clearly see this information under each category.  

6. Finally, ensure you complete a full proofread of your resume before you submit your job application. Spelling errors, typos, and grammatical errors show a lack of attention to detail, which is not the professional image you want to project as a research assistant.

Which skills are relevant for a research assistant resume?

When outlining skills on your research assistant resume, make sure they are relevant to the job opportunity by checking the job description. Here are some of the top skills to include:

• Research and development

• Data analysis

• Policy development

• Field investigations

• Project management

• Regulatory compliance

• Scientific writing 

• Communication

• Cross-functional collaboration

• Team leadership