Entry level research jobs

Careers in research start with your degree. In reality, you’re never ruled out of entry level research jobs, no matter what degree you undertake. This is because of how broad a label ‘research’ is, and how crucial the function is for so many different industries. However, there are degrees that prepare you distinctly for jobs in research.

These degrees include: business, marketing, psychology, maths, economics, sciences, history, and sociology. But once you have a degree, you have to establish what area you’d like to go into. Otherwise, your job hunt will be spread too thin and could become unproductive. You may want to go into market research, academic research, or scientific research. But, to get into these industries you need to know where you’re heading, so you can commit yourself to becoming a desirable candidate.

The right work experience, postgraduate degrees, or apprenticeships will help persuade employers to hire you for their research roles. More importantly, this kind of practical experiences will help you establish whether you think you’ll be an effective researcher in the professional world.

If you are looking at becoming a research scientist in particular, an undergraduate degree would be seen as a minimum requirement. Often research scientists will also have PhDs or master’s degrees. Give a Grad a Go has a range of research opportunities, such as graduate research assistant jobs, covering a variety of industries.

So, if you’re still wondering how to get started in your research career, create an account with us and get in touch with a Consultant. They can help you map out a journey that’s right for you.

Junior research jobs rely on a particular set of skills, that are picked up through higher education, experience, and developed on the job. Firstly, there is the crucial element of analysis and critical thinking. Research requires an individual to source, collate, and organise information for a certain purpose (depending on the company and the project). This is then followed by the analysis and evaluation of that research to reach certain conclusions. You may be shaping policies, advising on marketing campaigns, or designing medications. But across each discipline, critical thinking is essential.

Other fundamental skills include:

– Attention to detail
– Organisation
– Verbal and written communication
– Management
– Personability
– Time management
– Independent working
– Adaptability

The last skill, adaptability, is another one worth noting. It may be a so-called ‘soft skill’, but it’s a crucial one to have when pursuing a research career. The information you’re sourcing may not be what you expect, or may change the landscape of your project when cross-referenced with other data. Equally, clients, colleagues, or other stakeholders may make contributions that can quickly alter the progress of research projects. For all these reasons, it is vital that you see yourself as an adaptable individual when entering a research role.

Postgraduate education is not essential to develop any of these skills, but for many research roles, it is expected. Having helped clients place research roles for over a decade, we have all the resources to help you land a PhD in mathematics jobs or jobs for PhD biotechnology students.

Research jobs are often well paid. This is dependent on the level at which you’re entering the industry. It also depends on factors like experience and existing qualifications. These can be used to negotiate and justify higher salaries in the interview process. For example, you’ll find it easier to find a good salary if you’re looking for the likes of math PhD jobs or neuroscience PhD jobs in research.

If you have relevant postgraduate qualifications, PhD headhunters may contact you to recruit you for high-paying research roles. In any industry, be it the sciences, social research, or statistics, there are ample progression opportunities that can grow your salary significantly. Senior researchers in immunology PhD jobs or microbiology PhD jobs, for example, can see salaries as high as £75,000.

The type of company you’re working for will also make an impact. If you’re doing research for a private company, there is a higher chance of earning a decent salary. Public sector roles do tend to pay less. However, government research jobs can still end up well paid in more senior positions.

Understandably, junior and graduate research positions will pay less. However, even salary packages can begin at around £30,000, which is a very healthy starting salary for recently graduates.

If you’re trying to find UK research jobs, the best place to start is online job boards. Looking at research jobs online allows you to compare one research job description to another, view salary options and explore various companies all in one place. Doing so enables you to manage your expectations in terms of salary and benefits, and understand what kinds of research positions match your skillset.

If you’re looking for niche roles, such as graduate social research jobs, it may not be fruitful to look on a generic job board. For specific job searches – graduate jobs – it’s best to hone your search on a specialist job board. Graduate job boards refine the search for you, selecting the best grad opportunities to present to job seekers looking to take the first steps in their careers.

At Give a Grad a Go, our job board is tailored specifically for graduates and early career professionals. Our job filter pages provide further industry segmentation so that you don’t have to waste time looking through roles in an irrelevant sector. Our research jobs page contains the best junior research jobs at some of the UK’s most exciting companies.

Whether you’re searching for graduate research analyst jobs or junior research executive roles, our graduate research jobs board has something for everyone looking to enter the field of research – take a look!

 

A research graduate scheme typically refers to a structured programme designed to provide recent graduates with an opportunity to engage in research activities while receiving mentorship and training. These schemes are commonly offered by universities, research institutions and private companies, with the aim of nurturing junior researchers and contributing to the advancement of knowledge in various fields.

Here are some of the benefits that a graduate research executive may experience on a grad scheme:

• Mentorship: Participants usually work closely with experienced researchers, often faculty members or senior researchers, who provide guidance, feedback, and support throughout their research journey. Mentorship helps participants develop their research skills and navigate challenges.
• Training and workshops: Graduate schemes often include workshops, seminars, and training sessions aimed at developing research skills, such as literature review, data collection and analysis, experimental design, statistical methods, writing research proposals, and academic publishing.
• Professional development: Many schemes focus on enhancing participants’ professional development by providing opportunities to present their work at conferences, workshops, or seminars. This helps participants improve their communication skills and network with other researchers.
• Career progression: Participating in a research grad scheme can be a stepping stone to further studies, a career in academia, industry research or policy development.

 

It’s important to note that the specifics of a research graduate scheme can vary widely depending on the organisation offering it and the overall programme structure – so always make sure to read the job description before you apply!