Want To Add Research Experience in a Resume? Learn How! (+10 Examples)

Research penetrates virtually every profession, from healthcare to finance and tech to the arts.

In fields like biotechnology, the value is clear. Still, even in areas like market analysis, design, and humanities, research experience can highlight your capacity to dig deep, discern patterns, and contribute original insights. It's also a testament to your in-depth knowledge in your chosen domain.

Research experience in your resume is a powerful way to demonstrate your analytical insight and unique expertise. So where should it go? And what's the best approach to describe, quantify, and showcase these accomplishments?

Why you should include research experience in your resume

Research experience showcases your dedication to and in-depth understanding of your field. 

Whether you're after a research assistant position, a job in molecular biology, a position as a marketing generalist, or a prominent spot on the leukemia research team, including research on a resume highlights technical skills (like data interpretation and statistical analysis), soft skills (such as collaboration, critical thinking, and teamwork), and their corresponding impact. 

Especially when these research skills are listed in a job description, it’s crucial to incorporate them into your resume. This helps align your qualifications with what the hiring manager, recruiter, or prospective employer is looking for. 

Also, every role you apply to will likely have a variety of skills you’ve gained through your research experience. So before you submit an application, be sure to tailor your resume to that specific role—focusing on the unique skills and keywords for each position.

Pro Tip: Teal+ offers insight into unlimited hard skills, soft skills, and other important language from any job description. The free Teal AI Resume Builder and Job Application Tracker pull the top five hard skills—helping you align your resume with every role you apply to. 

How research experience on a resume differentiates you

As a job seeker, skills gained through traditional research experience set you apart as a candidate who not only has theoretical knowledge but also has the hands-on experience to apply this knowledge, tackle complex challenges, conduct research, and contribute meaningful insights in real-world scenarios.

For example, if you conducted research in data analytics, you know how to collect, process, and interpret large data sets, whereas those who haven’t engaged in real-world research experience may only be able to interpret large sets of data. 

What fields value research experience?

So, what are some fields where adding research experience to a resume can help differentiate you from other candidates?

1. Engineering & Technology: Emphasizing your ability to tackle technical challenges and innovate using cutting-edge technologies.
2. Social Sciences & Humanities: Emphasizing your analytical skills in understanding human behaviors, societal trends, and cultural nuances.
3. Business & Economics: Showcasing your skill for dissecting market trends, predicting economic shifts, and strategizing based on concrete data.
4. Life Sciences & Medicine: Demonstrating your expertise in laboratory techniques and understanding of complex biological systems.

Other fields where research might be less prominent but still relevant are marketing, event management, web development, and hospitality.

How to write about your research experience

The power of your research experience lies in quantifying your impact and success. 

Rather than just listing your research experience, by emphasizing the measurable impact you've made, you offer undeniable proof of concept—turning abstract research skills into concrete accomplishments.

In the same way you would create resume work experience achievements, research experience should follow this structure (or something similar) to emphasize your research skills, how you used them, and the outcome.

Success Verb + Noun + Metric + Context (Research Experience) + Outcome = 1 bulleted achievement 

You can also incorporate research experience on a resume using a similar structure into your “Professional Summary,” “Education,” and “Projects” sections. 

If you’re feeling stuck, the Achievement Assistant in the free Teal AI Resume Builder can help you write impactful resume achievements for all of your research experience. 

How to list research experience on your resume with Teal

Step 1: Log in to your Teal account. (If you don’t have one, sign up for free!)

Step 2: Click “Resume Builder” in the navigation panel on the far left. From here, you can click “Add New Resume” or select a resume you’re already working on. 

Teal note: Start with steps one and two. Then, proceed with the directions for each of the following sections.

To list research experience in your professional summary

To add research experience to your professional resume summary, scroll to Professional Summaries, click the drop-down button, then click "Add Professional Summary." Create one from scratch, or click the "Generate With AI" Button. Then, edit as needed to incorporate your relevant research experience. 

To list research experience in your work experience

To add research experience to your work experience achievements, from the Resume Builder, scroll to Work Experience. Then, click the drop-down button. Click "Add Work Experience" to create a new section or "Add an Achievement" in an existing work history.

To list research experience in education

To add research experience to your education, from the Resume Builder, scroll to Education. Then, click the drop-down button. Click "Add Education" to create a new section or the “Edit Education Item” icon to add research experience to existing education.

To list research experience in your projects

To include research on a resume in your projects, from the Resume Builder, scroll to Projects. Then, click the drop-down button. Click "Add Project " to create a new section or the "Edit Project" icon to add research experience to an existing project.

How to include undergraduate research experience on your resume

Undergraduate academic research experience is more than just academic work; it's a testament to your commitment, curiosity, and capability. 

By actively engaging in research at an early stage, undergraduates like you demonstrate a proactive approach to learning and a desire to dig deeper into your field. 

Not only is this research experience valuable for students pursuing, say, a career in academia, but also for students of all fields of study entering the professional world. 

In real-world scenarios, prospective employers view undergraduate research as an indicator of problem-solving project management skills, technical knowledge, and the ability to collaborate.

5 tips for including undergraduate research experience on a resume

If you’re looking to learn how to put undergraduate research experience on a resume, the best placements are within your “Education” section or as projects in a resume.

Here are five tips to help you get started.

1. Use a clear title

2. Include the duration of the research

3. Be specific about your role and contributions 

4. Highlight achievements and outcome 

5. Incorporate relevant hard and soft skills

Resume research experience examples

Let’s take a look at some research experience examples on a resume across different levels of experience and professions to get an idea of what this can look like. 

High school student

Collaborated and utilized botanical techniques in an 'Effects of Light on Photosynthesis' study, examining 40+ seedlings during a semester-long biology research project, revealing blue light's heightened influence on photosynthesis.

Undergraduate student

Surveying 500+ meals over six months in the 'Dietary Habits of University Students' research projects, using Excel's advanced statistical functions and critical thinking, revealed a 58% decline in protein-rich food choices.

Recent College graduate

As an Environmental Science graduate, I'm skilled in the hands-on application of advanced chromatography techniques, with a focus on the 'Efficiency of Modern Water Purification Methods' research. I've successfully analyzed and improved purification methods for over 300 water samples, achieving a 90% reduction in contaminants. 

Masters student in Psychology

Led the data analysis of 100+ patient evaluations during the 'Efficiency of Cognitive Therapies on Stress' study, resulting in a 20% improvement in therapeutic outcomes.

Human resources intern

Used the Qualtrics survey tool to capture insights from 250+ employee responses as part of the 'Employee Satisfaction Metrics' evaluation. This collaboration and data-driven analysis highlighted key opportunities for organizational enhancements, leading to a 10% increase in overall employee satisfaction scores within Q2.

Junior-level data engineer

Developed an ETL pipeline capable of processing 2TB+ of data daily as part of the 'Real-time Data Integration' research project, significantly reducing data latency by 80% 

Financial analyst

Leveraged Excel's advanced financial functions to dissect 3 years' worth of company financials in the 'Company Health Audit' study, identifying potential savings of $1.2M

Product manager

As a seasoned Product Manager with 7 years of experience, I've spearheaded research-centric product developments, aligning technical capabilities with market demands. My most notable accomplishment was the 'User Experience Revamp' research project, where I employed data analytics tools and cross-functional teamwork to gather feedback from 10,000+ users. This feedback-centric approach led to a 20% increase in user retention and positioned our product as a market leader in its segment.

Lead mechanical engineer

Project: Efficiency Enhancement of HVAC Systems Research

- Innovated novel airflow designs tested on 100+ HVAC units as part of the 'Airflow Optimization Research,' achieving an efficiency boost of 15%.

- Collaborated with electrical engineers to integrate smart sensors in 50 existing HVAC systems during the 'Smart HVAC Retrofit' initiative, leading to a 10% reduction in energy consumption.

‍Senior machine learning engineer

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​​Optimized neural network architectures, improving over 2,500 lines of Python code, during a collaborative research initiative on image recognition, resulting in a 15% boost in model accuracy.

Add your research experience to your resume with Teal

Highlighting research experience in your resume is more than just filling space.

It's about showcasing a depth of understanding, commitment to a field, and practical skills that can differentiate you from other job seekers.

Research proves you have the hard and soft skills employers want and demonstrates your proactive approach to leveraging those skills for tangible outcomes.

The Teal AI Resume Builder makes adding this research-focused experience to your resume seamless. Whether it's capturing intricate details of an independent research project, translating theoretical skills into actionable results, or giving context to your hands-on experience, Teal provides the tools and guidance to do it with precision. And by tailoring your research for each application, you make a compelling case that you're the best fit for a role.

Sign up for Teal today and let your research experience take the spotlight it deserves.

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