teaching assistant

research assistant

postdoctoral fellow

director

assistant director

Brandeis University

Serving as a teaching assistant at Brandeis University has been an incredibly rewarding and enriching experience. From August 2023, I have had the opportunity to assist in various courses within the International Economics and Finance program, contributing to both my professional growth and personal development.

One of the most fulfilling aspects of this role has been the chance to work closely with students. Guiding them through complex economic theories and financial principles has not only reinforced my own understanding but has also honed my ability to explain intricate concepts in an accessible manner. Seeing students progress and succeed has been immensely gratifying.

Collaboration with faculty members has been another highlight. Working alongside esteemed professors has provided me with invaluable insights into academic instruction and research methodologies. Their mentorship and guidance have been instrumental in shaping my teaching philosophy and approach.

In addition to teaching and grading assignments, I have been actively involved in developing supplementary learning materials and organizing study sessions. These responsibilities have improved my organizational skills and deepened my subject matter expertise. I have also had the chance to incorporate technology into the classroom, utilizing tools such as MATLAB and Bloomberg to enhance the learning experience.

Balancing my responsibilities as a teaching assistant with my own coursework has taught me the importance of time management and prioritization. This experience has prepared me well for future academic and professional challenges, equipping me with the skills needed to manage multiple tasks efficiently.

Overall, my tenure as a teaching assistant at Brandeis University has been a cornerstone of my academic journey. It has reinforced my passion for economics and finance, and I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the academic community while continuing to grow and learn.



A Teaching Assistant position is a part-time job where you are expected to hold 2 one-hour sessions throughout the week in order to help students in the class with either homework or questions concerning the concepts taught.

The nature of being a TA is as follows: when there is nothing immediately due in class, your hour is basically free, and you get to do as you wish, though there will be the occasional diligent student that comes to you to get a head start. As the deadlines come closer and closer, more and more students will come to your hours in order to get assistance. Thus, your workload varies from nothing at all to being absolutely packed.

Then there's grading assignments--which, when there are over 130 students enrolled, means that it will take a while, especially when you're having to read through their code to see what went wrong, if anything. When quiz grading comes around, your afternoon is dedicated to that, and nothing else. If I had to give an estimate of hours on this job, you get as few as 2 and as many as 20.

The professor for the class depended on us, for the most part, to do our jobs as we saw fit. We went to her for guidance, and she set the rules for how we were to operate, but in the end, how we were to provide our assistance was up to us. Interacting with other students keeps the atmosphere rather casual and relaxed, unless there is a deadline looming over the student's head.

I learned how to keep a working knowledge of a few key concepts pertaining to the topics being taught in class and how to clearly and effectively answer others that ask for help. I enjoyed being able to help others and guide them to the right result, but I did not like the many hours spent in a row grading quizzes and the amount of time it took to grade programming assignments. Overall, it was the typical Teaching Assistant experience.

Brandeis has a culture of community and loyalty. The people I work with are, by and large, wonderful colleagues and staff. I have remained at Brandeis for as long as I have specifically because the people I work with, supervise, and mentor are so amazing. However, there is no job advancement and little encouragement to grow beyond one's present position at Brandeis. This environment is stifling for anyone who wants to continue to grow a career. For many years I thoroughly enjoyed my job and looked forward to going in each day to run my Department. There were always many many balls in the air and no two days were ever the same. Over the last year and a half I was beginning to feel the effects of not being able to advance my career and had started considering other options due to the total lack of a career ladder. A recent reorganization at the University changed my position such that the responsibilities I hold have increased significantly and the control I have over the decisions about these responsibilities has been diminished significantly. This change in position combined with the lack of career growth has me looking for a new job.

Currently, as a Research Assistant at Brandeis International Business School, I am working on a project in which I study the relationship between the CEO incentives and the IPO underpricing to investigate potential insider trading. My professor trusted that I would give accurate information, thus she chose me to be the Research Assistant for this project which is going be used for publication. In more detail, I examined whether CEOs who sell more shares at the time of an IPO have greater incentives to negotiate with the underwriters, and at the same time would be willing to spend more to promote the issue. In order to determine the relation, I hand-collect the data on CEO stock ownership and CEO stock sales from IPO prospectuses of 543 firms that were listed in the U.S. stock market and entered data obtained into complex Excel documents. Following data gathering, I ran regression to analyze the impact of CEO incentives on IPO promotion. As I spend more time appraising and questioning the fundamentals of this, as my awareness of the finer intricacies and evolution of the subject flourish. I would bring my passion and interest in this discipline to my future job.

I joined Griffith Laboratory in order to gain lab experience and write an undergraduate thesis for my Bachelor of Science Degree. There isn't much to say about this job. It's a lab that is part of Brandeis University. I worked under a postdoctoral fellow who helped me adjust into the lab environment very easily. Since most of my lab time was spent either working with my postdoc. or individually, there wasn't much opportunity to interact with people. However, the people working there are very friendly and generous. Every once in a while, someone will bring baked goods, candy, and other foods for everyone to eat. The Biology Department at Brandeis University is known to have the friendliest staff. 

The duties of the each member in the lab varied depending on what type of research a graduate student or a postdoctoral fellow is carrying out. 

Overall, it was great experience working there. I was able to write a thesis during my senior year. I believe I learned a lot by working at the lab than I did from my classes.

Brandeis University offers a unique academic environment that combines rigorous scholarship with a supportive community. The small class sizes and close interaction with professors allow students to engage deeply with their studies and receive valuable mentorship. The campus is diverse and inclusive, encouraging open dialogue and cross-cultural understanding. Brandeis also provides strong research opportunities, even for master’s students, which is rare compared to many other universities. The location in Waltham, near Boston, gives students access to both a peaceful suburban setting and the resources of a major city. Student organizations, cultural events, and networking opportunities enrich the overall experience, while the university’s commitment to social justice adds meaningful value to its academic mission. Overall, Brandeis fosters intellectual growth, personal development, and a sense of belonging that prepares students well for both professional and personal success.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Terrible work environment, culture and leadership. The Executive Team is completely out of touch with the current needs and offerings that today’s employees require. Although  the University is well aware that it has a major problem attracting and retaining quality employees, it is not addressing these issues. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Brandeis’ leadership has taken no steps to address its workforce issues.  

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The environment is staid and old fashioned. There is no connection between leadership and staff 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Boring days and no connectivity between departments

I began working at Brandeis during Covid, so maybe my review is scewed. But so far my experience is disappointing. Department heads have inconsistent expectations regarding work/life balance for their employees, which was difficult to accept during covid. HR does not respond to emails or phone calls and/or does not follow through with answering staff questions. HR and employees at the top seem totally oblivious to the needs of their staff. Campus landscaping and buildings need repair. Students don't receive the same benefits as students at other Boston colleges, even though the cost of tuition and board is similar. Students and faculty/staff of color really struggle with the environment here. 

As Senior Department Coordinator, Brandeis offered a fast paced multitasking environment.  I interfaced with the public and and colleagues and learned a great deal collaborating with departments to manage the office daily, including payroll, budgeting, procurement, facilities maintenance and financial aid departments. I found the work culture to be supportive and enriching.  The most challenging part of the job was managing expectations of the population we served, being students and parents. In turn, this was also the most enjoyable part of the job - providing the best customer service possible while providing a safe, supportive environment for students to live, and be successful.

Being a student notetaker for Student Accessibility Support (SAS) at Brandeis University was a simple and convenient student job. You can be hired by filling out a form at the start of the semester listing the courses you are taking, and if anybody using SAS services at Brandeis needs notes for those courses, you are hired to share your notes for the course with SAS.

The job is very hands-off and although you have a supervisor submitting your hours, you don't really communicate much with them: you just submit your notes online. They pay you 1 hour per week (regardless of how often your class meets per week), for each class you are taking notes for.

It's probably not the best job if you're trying to make it a career or get references, but it does give a bit of pocket money.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Teaching assistant 6 salaries reported	$15.33 per hour
Research assistant 4 salaries reported	$18.25 per hour
Postdoctoral fellow 8 salaries reported	$63,125 per year
Director 5 salaries reported	$101,240 per year
Assistant director 1 salary reported	$85,000 per year

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