Related Career Categories

• Biochemist
• Biologist
• Chemist
• Environmental Scientist
• Forensic Scientist
• Horticulturist
• Medical Scientist
• Meteorologist
• Microbiologist
• Physicist
• Psychologist
• Social Scientist
• Statistician

School and Career Surprises: Tips From People on the Job

Career: "I was surprised by the extent to which the members of a team can get in each other's way instead of working together for a common goal, especially by focusing on past problems rather than moving forward. I was also surprised by how much interpersonal skills play a role even in a research setting - you need to be able to work well with everyone around you, even if you're just working on data collection, or you will have a very frustrating time."

Career: "I was surprised how intensely methodical and bureaucratic a research job is in psychology. I love to pursue my interests and run experiments, but our creativity is neutered by rules that go beyond being ethical and cause everything to move very slowly at times. My research positions in college never seemed as limited."

Career: "I was surprised that being a scientist involves so much writing, which includes writing grant proposals and manuscripts. I was also surprised that to be a good scientist you must also be able to market your research and your ability to conduct that research. A scientist must also be a salesperson in order to secure the funds necessary to carry out their work."

Best & Worst Things About This Career

"I really love my job because, as a researcher in human behavior, I get to understand how people work. Whenever I find a new piece of data, I've essentially discovered new knowledge about people. That I can do that is incredibly empowering. The 'leg work' to get this can be pretty brutal, though, which is the worst aspect of my job. It includes sitting at a computer for long hours looking at columns of meaningless numbers. It can be incredibly depressing; sometimes I question the purpose my own existence."

Tips for Succeeding in This Career

"You should be sure that the day-to-day schedule suits you. It can be boring at times, and it might not be for you. Also, make sure that you care about the 'big picture' of doing research. If this doesn't matter to you, any amount of work is too much. You should methodically re-check your work. Many people will be able to compliment or criticize your work, so you should save yourself embarrassment by making sure you did a good job. It pays horribly. Make sure that you can live on a budget."