How To (Actually) Find Research Jobs in US/CA
5 intelligent ways to find and apply to research jobs in the US & Canada
Hi. In this post, I will share my secrets on successfully finding and applying to research positions in the US and Canada.
A research job in the US can offer opportunities for professional development and networking, while also being intellectually stimulating and financially rewarding.
The average salary for postdoctoral positions is $60,000/ year and prospective employers provide a J1-visa sponsorship to future employees.
Please note that to succeed at any research position, you must first gain research skills, optimize your cover letter and CV, and get a few publications.
If you have all of the above, this post is for you.
If you still need to gain research skills, I advise you to do courses and only consider applying for volunteering opportunities for now to build your profile.
With that out of the way, let’s get started:
1. Job boards:
Many job boards such as Indeed, Glassdoor, LinkedIn, Google Jobs, and Monster have a specific category for research jobs.
However, new job seekers need to learn how to use these sites efficiently.
To get started, search by keywords such as "research assistant," "research coordinator," or "research analyst + field of interest” to find relevant listings.
Doctor of Medicine (MDs), International medical graduates (IMGs), and Ph.D. applicants can apply to postdoctoral research jobs directly.
As such, Ph.D./MD/IMG applicants should consider searching the terms "postdoctoral research + field of interest."
For example, if you are interested in cardiology positions, search for the term "postdoctoral research cardiology."
Change the "field of interest" to match your area of interest and prior experience. In this way, you will narrow down your research focus.
In this simple search above, I found 100 jobs. Ideally, only apply to jobs that are less than 3 weeks old.
As for the location settings, it is best to keep it as "anywhere" in the US/ Canada. You can enter specific cities in your search settings but that will narrow your results.
Last but most importantly, submit your email and turn on email notifications for your keywords of interest. This way, you'll get email notifications when new jobs are posted.
As soon as you see a job notification, apply for it. The longer you wait, the lesser your chances of success.
In google jobs, you can turn on notifications for keywords at the bottom left.
Note that I only used indeed.com, linkedin.com, and jobs.google.com, but you are free to explore the other platforms.
2. Google/ Bing/Twitter:
Most principal investigators (PIs) make new hires after they have been awarded a grant.
To maximize your chances of getting hired, contact PIs when they win a new grant. So, how do you know if someone has obtained a new grant?
Firstly, they may post it on Twitter. Use advanced search to find PIs who have won an NIH R01, U01, or NSF grant.
Put in the keywords: “R01 cardiology,” and you’ll see on Twitter if someone got a new R01 grant. You can search for the keyword “R01” alone as well.
In the image above, I searched for the term “R01" and saw some recent awards. Similarly, consider searching for the term “postdoc position.”
You can search for Canadian grants on Twitter using the keywords “CIHR grant” or “NSERC grant.”
Secondly, most institutions post about Faculty members who get awarded new grants on their website. Search on google for “University + Grant + Subject area.”
Change settings to “most recent” and check recent articles. You can also go to the “news” section of google to learn about recent announcements.
In the image above, I changed settings to recent articles and found out about some scientists who have won grants recently.
After you have identified potential PIs to contact, find their emails, and write them a thoughtful cold email to express interest in working with them.
3. Apply directly to research labs:
Many research labs, especially those in academia, have ongoing recruitment for research positions.
Check out the lab’s website, area of research, and profiles of current postdoctoral research fellows and research assistants.
If your profile matches them, you can contact the lab head or principal investigator directly to inquire about job openings.
Postdoctoral research fellows move from one job to the other or sometimes get promoted to academic positions.
IMGs who are postdoctoral research fellows eventually match into residency, leaving an empty spot.
You may get a job if you cold email the PI at the right time.
Just make sure your cold email is solid. I’ll share information on writing one on my LinkedIn in the future. Search about this on google for now.
To find out about research labs, go to university websites and explore the faculty/ professors and the website’s research section.
4. Institution websites:
Check university and research institution websites directly.
Most universities and research institutions have a job board or careers section listing open research positions on their websites.
For example, Duke and Mass General Hospital have website portions dedicated to new jobs. You can turn on notifications for new jobs on this site as well.
I just googled “Duke postdoc positions” to find the above page.
This is an excellent method for applicants keen on getting into specific Institutions.
Always email the PIs directly in addition to applying on the institution’s website job application system.
5. Networking:
Networking can be a powerful tool for finding research jobs in the US and Canada.
Reach out to people in your network working in research or related fields.
Attend conferences, seminars, and other industry events to meet people in the field and learn about job opportunities.
Reach out to alums from your university or college who work in the research field in the US. They can provide insights and refer you to job openings.
Join professional organizations such as the American College of Surgeons (ACS) or the American Chemical Society (ACS), the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin – AAPI USA, and The Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North America (APPNA).
These organizations can provide networking opportunities and job listings.
These Associations usually have a Facebook group, email list, or other ways of communicating with members. Make sure to join these.
In the end, I would like you to follow these Twitter accounts for basic medical and clinical research jobs:
Dr. Dennis Wirtz - Dr. Wirtz posts a database of postdoctoral research jobs across the United States every month. This list is available here: research.jhu.edu/rdt/funding-opportunities/postdoctoral/
Inside the Match - Inside the Match always posts links to the latest research jobs, among other job notices.
You can also follow me on Twitter here: Asad Naveed. I try my best to retweet jobs I see online while posting other helpful content.
To conclude, always remember to apply early and always find the PI’s email address and send them a direct job email after applying on website portals.
Make an excel sheet to track your applications. You’ll fail at many applications but keep trying until you succeed.
Personally for me, LinkedIn, Indeed and Google jobs was the most useful resource.
All the best to you for your future applications! Stay in touch.
Regards, Asad
Extras:
🤝Book a one-on-one with me to review your cover letter and CV
Interesting write up. I have learned a lot.