Hi everyone,
I’ve been trying for over a year to move into a Research Assistant role in wet lab research without much success, and I wanted to ask for honest advice on what I might be missing or should change.
I have a Master’s in Biochemistry, around 2 years of clinical lab experience, and I’m currently working full-time in a clinical laboratory. I also completed a research-based master’s thesis, and I’m currently involved in preparing 2 manuscripts.
Over the past year, I’ve applied to 100+ RA/research positions through university portals, hospital systems, and LinkedIn. I’ve also cold emailed several professors directly and tried to ask for feedback or advice when possible. Despite that, I’ve only had a couple of interviews and mostly silence from applications.
I’ve been actively improving and tailoring my CV depending on the role, but I’m still not getting much traction.
At this point, I’m also wondering:
If RA roles in wet lab research are this competitive, what’s the most realistic way to first get more wet lab research experience?
Is there a better strategy than applying through job portals + cold emailing?
From your experience, what usually helps someone with a clinical lab background transition specifically into wet lab roles?
Any practical advice or direction would really help.
Thanks for reading.