Entry level research jobs & grad schemes

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, these 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 covering a variety of industries, from banking to PR.

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.