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Research assistant/technician skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted experts

Stephen A. Matthews Ph.D.,

Harriet Phinney Ph.D.

Research assistant/technician example skills

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical research assistant/technician skills. We ranked the top skills for research assistant/technicians based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 7.8% of research assistant/technician resumes contained patients as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a research assistant/technician needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 research assistant/technician skills for your resume and career

1. Patients

Here's how research assistant/technicians use patients:

Transformed an unfamiliar, sometimes uncomfortable environment for patients into a comfortable and friendly atmosphere.
Administered EEG and psychological assessments to patients with psychiatric disorders.

2. Analyze Data

Analyze data or data analysis refers to the practice of studying, organizing, and transforming data to make it more useful. It also includes the cleansing of non-useful information which helps in better decision making regarding any particular matter. Analyze data is a practice that is used widely in the field of business, social sciences, and science.

Here's how research assistant/technicians use analyze data:

Communicate and analyze data with professor.
Self-studied computer languages such as MATLAB, R, and Python from scratch to better analyze data.

3. Data Collection

Data collection means to analyze and collect all the necessary information. It helps in carrying out research and in storing important and necessary information. The most important goal of data collection is to gather the information that is rich and accurate for statistical analysis.

Here's how research assistant/technicians use data collection:

Participated in data collection and data entry for the Virginia Tech Human Development undergraduate research team.
Assisted other lab members and research collaborators with experimental data collection and analysis.

4. PCR

PCR stands for Polymerase Chain Reaction, a tool to make millions of copies of a target part of DNA. Polymerase chain reaction involves the process of heating and cooling. The process takes place using a machine, which helps in heating and cooling off the substances. The purpose of heating exists to separate the DNA into two single strands.

Here's how research assistant/technicians use pcr:

Performed diagnostic molecular pathology utilizing PCR for bcl-2, tuberculosis, and other diseases.
Performed cell harvesting, RNA/DNA extractions, PCR, Northern and western blotting.

5. Cell Culture

Here's how research assistant/technicians use cell culture:

Worked with protein expression systems from yeast, bacterial and mammalian cell cultures.RESEARCH
Trained Primary Investigators and Lab Technicians in sterile cell culture techniques.

6. Molecular Biology

Here's how research assistant/technicians use molecular biology:

Provide training and supervision for laboratory staff, students and visiting scientists in the area of molecular biology.
Employed microbial genetics, biochemistry and molecular biology to study glycobiology.

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7. Western Blotting

Here's how research assistant/technicians use western blotting:

Assisted other researchers in the lab by helping out with experiments like Western Blotting, FACS analysis and DNA isolation.
Used behavioral and Western blotting analysis to study chronic co-administration of amphetamine and alcohol adolescent Long-Evans rats.

8. RNA

A Ribonucleic acid (RNA) has a vital role in determining the biological macromolecule commonly found in all bodily cells. It is the synthesis of protein, carriers message instruction from the Deoxyribonucleic acid or DNA. RNA is a kind of single-stranded cell that has different forms. It allows the molecule to go back and forth to its original condition.

Here's how research assistant/technicians use rna:

Project 2: Protocol development of viral RNA capture in solution.
Characterized in vitro-derived cell types by functional assays, protein quantification and RNA sequencing.

9. Research Projects

Here's how research assistant/technicians use research projects:

Initiated research projects and community activities by working alongside fellow biology students and professionals.
Coordinated and conducted research projects funded by industry partners

10. Literature Searches

Here's how research assistant/technicians use literature searches:

Preformed literature searches and preparation of physical anthropology lab sections.
Performed literature searches relating to research being conducted.

11. FDA

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is a division of the US Department of Health and Human Services that regulates the production and sale of food, pharmaceutical products, medical equipment, and other consumer goods, as well as veterinary medicine. The FDA is now in charge of overseeing the manufacture of products like vaccines, allergy treatments, and beauty products.

Here's how research assistant/technicians use fda:

Trained in proper scientific documentation procedures compliant with FDA Good Laboratory Practices regulations.
Set up, monitored and completed clinical trials, according to SOP, GCP,FDA and Safety Guideline.

12. CRISPR

Here's how research assistant/technicians use crispr:

Participated in several projects studying the genetic basis of hearing impairment using mutant mouse models generated via CRISPR technology.
Designed primers and targets for CRISPR gene knockouts on axolotls to examine the roles of gene candidates in development and regeneration

13. Data Analysis

Here's how research assistant/technicians use data analysis:

Performed quality control, data analysis, radioactive waste management.
Involved in daily farm activities and care of livestock for purposes of data analysis and professional research.

14. DNA

Deoxyribonucleic acid, or only DNA, which is considered the king of molecules, is a macromolecule that contains the main component of chromosomes. Shaped like a double helix, DNA is usually found in the nucleus of a cell. It is a type of material that transports characteristics in many forms, developed in nucleotides around one another.

Here's how research assistant/technicians use dna:

Performed DNA extraction and analysis for the purpose of identifying bacterial strand for waste stream characterization.
Collected and analyzed DNA in search of the SmyD1 developmental gene.

15. Extraction

Here's how research assistant/technicians use extraction:

Developed circuit tests and parameter extraction techniques.
Worked on Model Enhancement and Robustness with incomplete data inputs Dealt with Natural Language Processing (NLP) based text extraction method

5 Research Assistant/Technician resume examples

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What skills help Research Assistant/Technicians find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on research assistant/technician resumes?

Stephen A. Matthews Ph.D.

Liberal Arts Professor of Sociology, Anthropology, Demography and Geography Director, Graduate Program in Demography Faculty Director, Graduate Programs in Applied Demography Editor, Spatial Demography Associate Editor, Mathematical Population Studies, Pennsylvania State University

Our program is too broad and complex to answer this in any meaningful way (see my opening paragraph). I hope our Ph.D. graduates have both soft skills (e.g., people skills, communication (writing/speaking), team science/work skills, critical thinking skills) as well as the technical skills (e.g., data analysis, data visualization, data ethics, IRB experience, etc.). As mentioned, I also hope they are flexible and adaptive vis-a-vis other perspectives (interdisciplinary outlook).

What soft skills should all research assistant/technicians possess?

Harriet Phinney Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Seattle University

Understanding human diversity, effective communication (speaking and writing: the ability to convey complex ideas respectfully to a diverse audience) across differences, adept at working in groups, yet also independent thinkers.

What hard/technical skills are most important for research assistant/technicians?

Harriet Phinney Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Seattle University

Empirical data collection: Research skills for collecting original data, analyzing the data, writing up the information collected, and presenting it in a professional manner.

What research assistant/technician skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Ben Brown

Professor, Ohio State University

Always the soft skills of holding a conversation and working with people, regardless of the pandemic.

What type of skills will young research assistant/technicians need?

Matthew Fisher SFSU, Hult, SMC

Business Instructor, San Francisco State University

Students will need to have some exposure to more technical skills. I say "exposure" for the fact that not everyone needs to know how to code, but understanding what coders do goes a long way in empowering young professionals to work in roles adjacent to those with technical skills that they might not have. However, the core skill that will not be outmoded anytime soon is to have robust critical thinking skills and a motivation to keep learning. While firms may seek to fill an immediate need position, it's always better to hire individuals who can learn for the fact that you can almost always teach specific skills.

What technical skills for a research assistant/technician stand out to employers?

Sya Kedzior Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Towson University

The ability to understand technical or complex scientific processes and communicate that information with the public is one of the most attractive skills for an entry-level worker to possess. Many employers may not have staff skilled in the latest GIS technologies or social media trends. While the ability to use last year's software or network via Instagram might not seem particularly novel to recent graduates, these are skills less likely to be found in the workforce of even 10 years ago. Geographers are particularly well prepared for today's workforce because they've often had coursework across the "hard" and social sciences, along with training in technical skills (usually GIS or quantitative analysis) and written and oral communication skills. Another skill in high demand today is data collection and analysis. I often talk with potential employers who want to hire people who can develop and administer a public survey, and then analyze and write up the results. That requires understanding human behavior, public communication, and different forms of data analysis. But, these are skills that can be developed in perhaps only a few classes as part of a major or minor in Geography and other cognate fields.

Do you want to know more?

List of research assistant/technician skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a research assistant/technician resume and required skills for a research assistant/technician to have include:

Patients
Analyze Data
Data Collection
PCR
Cell Culture
Molecular Biology
Western Blotting
RNA
Research Projects
Literature Searches
FDA
CRISPR
Data Analysis
DNA
Extraction
Excellent Interpersonal

GLP
Laboratory Equipment
Elisa
Chemistry
Lab Equipment
Laboratory Procedures
Data Entry
Animal Handling
Cell Lines
Genotyping
Tissue Culture
Next-Generation Sequencing
Test Results
Data Management
Research Studies
PowerPoint

Clinical Trials
Experimental Procedures
Electrophoresis
QC
GEL Electrophoresis
Technical Assistance
R
Stem Cells
Research Data
Immunofluorescence
Blood Samples
Statistical Analysis
Centrifuges
HPLC

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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