Post-Program Research Assistantship: Pros and Cons

So, your time studying abroad has been so great that you’re realizing you’d like to stay even longer and do a research assistantship after the program is over. Congratulations! I loved my time abroad and very much enjoyed my research assistantship. But is a post-program research assistantship through IES Abroad right for you? There are many pros but also a few cons, and my experience has not necessarily reflected that of my peers. 

• Pros:
  • Good on resume.
  • Good experience; figure out if it’s what you want to do.
  • Fun (if you get the right people).
• Cons:
  • Unpaid, you have to pay them.
  • In my experience, there is not much of a choice where you get placed.
  • Experiences differ: my experience was great, others not so much.

Experience

Any research assistantship or internship is a great way to get experience in the real world and test a potential career path. The great thing about the assistantships through IES Abroad is that you are almost guaranteed to get one, although it may not have been your first choice. But that in itself is helpful, real-world experience: are you passionate enough about this field to, at the very least, tolerate a position that is not your dream job?

Cost

First and foremost, can you afford to do a research assistantship through IES Abroad? Not only is it unpaid, but you have to pay an additional $1,000 for the opportunity. In general, I am not a fan of unpaid labor, but if you consider the fact that this assistantship counts for academic credit, it makes a little more sense.

Another thing to consider is whether you can afford the time. A few of my friends opted not to do an assistantship through IES Abroad because they needed that time to work jobs and earn money, or they had an internship lined up at home. If they had chosen to do the assistantship, they would only have had a month left of summer to work, if any place would have even hired them for that short amount of time.

Resume

Any internship or research assistantship is a great thing to be able to add to your resume, but it could be even more impressive to potential employers if that assistantship were abroad. It can show that you have practical experience and are not a stranger to working in the office or field (or both, depending on your assistantship).

Of course, you shouldn’t do something just to add to your resume; you should mainly be doing it because you want to!

(Lack of) Choice

Although IES Abroad does provide you with a list of potential research assistantships and asks you which ones you would like to apply for, they also have to balance everyone’s interests and preferences, which means you may not get your dream placement. However, that is also how the real world works: only one person can be hired for a position, and it’s not guaranteed to be you.

However, this can also result in being placed in an assistantship that you dislike and cannot quit the same way as a regular assistantship. Once you accept the position and pay the fee, you must stay for the duration of the position. I know two people who disliked each of their placements, but really liked how the other person’s sounded, and wished they could have switched with each other.

The assistantship position I got was not my first choice, but I had a wonderful time with it anyway, thanks in large part to my supervisor recognizing that, since I was not getting paid, I shouldn’t only be assigned the menial tasks. I got to alternate between going out in the field and doing office work, and each day was different. Unfortunately, some of my peers were not so lucky.

Bottom Line

The bottom line is that everyone will have different expectations, preferences, and placements, so everyone will have a different experience. I am so happy I decided to stay and do this assistantship, while others regret their decision. You will have to weigh all the guaranteed and potential costs and benefits and make the decision that is right for you.