Careers in Research

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Looking for an entry level job or internship in research? This is an overview of how to approach the search and a list of companies that might have relevant entry level and internship opportunities.

Earlier this year an awesome app called ZOMBIES, RUN! was funded through crowd-sourcing on Kickstarter. It’s an ultra-immersive game for the iPhone where you help rebuild civilization after a zombie apocalypse. By going out and running in the real world, you can collect medicine, ammo, batteries, and spare parts that you can use to build up and expand your base – all while getting orders and clues through your headphones. This game is one of many being designed to help prevent weight gain and even inspire weight loss. Currently a number of researchers are helping to determine the effectiveness of these digital games and game technologies that promote health by gathering data and analyzing it to establish facts.

Research Careers

Photo Credit: Flickr user The World According to Marty

Research Career Guide Overview

  1. What a Researcher Does
  2. A Typical Day for a Researcher
  3. Salary and Career Progression for a Researcher
  4. Best Locations for Researchers
  5. Pros and Cons of Being a Researcher
  6. What You Need to Know for a Career in Research
  7. Research Resources
  8. Careers Related to Research
  9. Companies with Jobs and Internships in Research

What a Researcher Does

A researcher is somebody who searches for knowledge and investigates to establish facts. To accomplish this they make detailed observations, analyze data, and interpret results. Because research is needed in a wide range industries for different purposes, researchers can work in academic, industrial, government, and private institutions.

A Typical Day for a Researcher

The typical day for a researcher depends upon the type of research you’re involved in, but might involve any number of these tasks:

  • Working with a team of researchers team from a variety of different backgrounds
  • Giving a lecture
  • Writing grants
  • Meeting with a client to have a briefing
  • Deciding objectives of a project
  • Creating a design for the research
  • Writing a proposal
  • Setting the project up: writing a screener for recruitment purposes, as well as a fieldwork schedule, discussion guide or questionnaire
  • Running the field work (for qualitative research this involves being out of the office running groups and interviews, for quantitative research this involves inviting people to complete the questionnaire online)
  • Compiling results and preparing technical reports and documentation of outcomes
  • Presenting findings to client

Salary and Career Progression for a Researcher

A Researcher’s average yearly salary is $23,000. You can also specialize in different topics for example you could be a Tax Researcher (average yearly salary is $28,000), Court Researcher (average yearly salary is $22,000), User Researcher (average yearly salary is $80,000), Internet Researcher (average yearly salary is $22,000), Quantitative Researcher (average yearly salary is $111,000) Library Researcher (average yearly salary is $25,967), Market Researcher (average yearly salary is $49,999), or a Research Scientist (average yearly salary is between $39,000 and $114,299).

Best Locations for Researchers

Here are some hot spots for researchers:

  • Mountain View, California
  • San Jose, California
  • Palo Alto, California
  • Washington, District of Columbia
  • Seattle, Washington
  • San Francisco, California
  • Cincinnati, Ohio
  • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
  • New York, New York
  • Boston, Massachusetts

Pros and Cons of Being a Researcher

Pros
  • Can work in a variety of fields
  • Getting deeply involved in one topic
  • Help others make decisions based on data
Cons
  • It can take a while for your hard work to pay off
  • Lower pay than many other job functions
  • May spend a lot of time trying to secure funding

What You Need to Know for a Career in Research

It is generally necessary to have a college degree and typically even a Master’s or PhD to be a Researcher. Possible relevant degrees might include marketing, psychology, anthropology, sociology, biology, chemistry, business, or statistics. A lot of the training that researchers receive is on the job training from more senior staff, but you should also be familiar with standard concepts, practices, and procedures within a particular field. Beyond that helpful characteristics to have include being curious, good critical analysis, verbal and written communication skills, persistence, motivation and ability to cope with delayed gratification and even rejection.

Research Resources

If research still sounds like your cup of tea, here are a few things you should do to get started.

Required Reading

Blogs and Websites

Networking Opportunities

Careers Related to Research

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Expert Analytical Solutions Washington, DC
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Westat Rockville, MD
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Companies with Entry Level Jobs and Internships in Research

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Noom - Noom is an NYC based company that makes healthy living easy by using "cutting-edge technology to accurately monitor your progress and provide expert advice and analysis."

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Natural Areas Conservancy - Natural Areas Conservancy is an NYC non-profit that “works with the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation to protect, restore, and manage expansive natural areas."

See the complete Natural Areas Conservancy profile


Advanced Telemetry Systems Logo

Advanced Telemetry Systems - Advanced Telemetry Systems is an Isanti, MN based company that provides "researchers and managers in ecology and biology with animal tracking and monitoring products."

See the complete Advanced Telemetry Systems profile


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Wholesome Wave - Wholesome Wave is a Bridgeport, CT based non-profit with a mission “to empower people in underserved urban and rural communities to make healthier food choices.”

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ProQuest Logo

ProQuest - ProQuest is an Ann Arbor, MI based company that “is committed to empowering researchers and librarians around the world.”

See the complete ProQuest profile


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TVI - TVI is a New York, NY based “award winning digital agency that designs leading brand experiences."

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Old Sturbridge Village - Old Sturbridge Village is the “largest outdoor history museum in the Northeast” and it “depicts a rural New England town of the 1830s.”

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Center for Talent Innovation - The Center for Talent Innovation is an NYC non-profit that conducts "research that leverages talent across the divides of gender, generation, geography and culture."

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Center on Budget and Policy Priorities - The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities is a DC based non-profit that “conducts research and analysis to help shape public debates over proposed budget and tax policies."

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Pure Branding - Pure Branding is a Northampton, MA based consultancy that “builds leading brands for values-based companies in the natural products industry.”

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The Center for Effective Philanthropy

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Global Footprint Network - Global Footprint Network is an Oakland, CA based non-profit that is focused on “measuring human impact on the Earth so we can make more informed choices.”

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Center for Clean Air Policy - The Center for Clean Air Policy is a Washington, DC based non-profit that is “a recognized world leader in climate and air quality policy."

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