What are the benefits of being a research assistant?
In addition to learning valuable research skills and building relationships with faculty members outside the classroom, becoming a research assistant can also positively impact your future job search. In a 2023 survey by the AACU, employers were asked how likely they would be to hire a candidate with certain experiences on their resume.
This chart shows the skills employers felt rose to the top.
56% of employers agreed that undertaking a research project in collaboration with a faculty member was among their top skills that make a candidate much more attractive for hire. In a similar survey in this same report, when just employers who were 40 or younger were asked the same question, this experience rose to 63%.
- REPORT: The Career-ready graduate: What employers say about the difference college makes.Finley, A. (2023) The Career-ready graduate: What employers say about the difference college makes. Washington DC: Association of American Colleges and Universities. Retrieved from https://dgmg81phhvh63.cloudfront.net/content/user-photos/Research/PDFs/AACU-2023-Employer-Report.pdf