A bachelor’s degree in a science or health discipline is usually required to work as a clinical research associate. Employers sometimes favor candidates with nursing degrees or certifications, particularly a registered nurse (RN) license. If at all possible, try to get some research experience while you’re still in school, as it will come in handy later on.
You may need at least three to five years of relevant experience for some positions. Working as a clinical research assistant or as an intern can help you get this. Although most internships are unpaid, it is occasionally possible to find ones that do. Because these jobs aren’t usually advertised to the general public, it’s usually easier to get them while you’re a college student.
You should expect to work at least 40 hours per week in these positions. To succeed as a clinical research associate, you must also be comfortable with the possibility of traveling for work on occasion. Some jobs require more travel than others, so if this isn’t something you’re interested in, look for jobs that require little or no out-of-town travel.
Typically, candidates for these positions have excellent communication skills. If you work as a clinical research associate, you may be required to communicate with a wide range of people, both orally and in writing. It’s also a good idea to work on improving your problem-solving abilities, as many clinical research jobs require them. You may also be in charge of making sound decisions that are directly related to current or future research activities.
These jobs typically require candidates to be able to work both independently and as part of a team. If you want to work as a clinical research associate, you must be adaptable to changing work environments. The number of people that you may be working with on any given day is likely to fluctuate, so having an even temperament is a desirable quality.
You should be familiar with scientific methodologies if you want to work as a clinical research associate. You must also be computer literate, with knowledge of a variety of software programs that may be used in the course of your job. In addition, it is usually a requirement that applicants have exceptional organization capabilities for thorough monitoring of the entire clinical research process.