postdoctoral fellow

research assistant

graduate researcher

postdoctoral researcher

postdoctoral scholar

Stanford University

Stanford has good benefits as a company, a lot of public events you can enjoy, it is convenient to commute there, salaries are not on the high end of the spectrum but neither at the lowest, if you have kids going to college there is an amazing benefit about it, money for research doesn't seam to be a problem, you have the chance to interact with top scientists in your field, as well as nobel prices, the bewell program pays you for taking care of your well-being. There is a free convenient shuttle in campuses, you get free Kaiser permanente insurance.

I had to do 3 people positions: lab manager, postdoc, research assistant with the technician salary. But the worst part for me, was the really bad management I had to deal with.  Someone said, "you do not leave bad positions, but bad management" and I agree.

My direct supervisor was really bad as supervisor and as a person, no interest in my profesional or personal growth, no respect for anyone while taking, he was never wrong or as he used to say "Oh, I was almost right", no communication skills at all, I didn't even know where he was, 80% of the time when I needed him, he was out of the country! I had to go to work the day of my relative funeral because he was out of the country, I didn't know it, nobody could finish the experiment he left running over the weekend, but the 2 of us (I was the only person in the lab for 6 years), and it was an issue keeping the equipment going unattended, so I put myself together for an hour and went to remove everything. 

The manager only talked to me once in 6 years, no yearly check up, no interest in me growing professionally or personally, she kew my supervisor's behaviors and didn't care or intervened, she didn't include me in meetings, retreats, staff celebrations, since I was at the lab all the time and she was at the office (15 min walk), she only included admin people.

I kept waiting and asking for help and promotion over the years, but never got it. I realized it was just a bad specific lab/department, and other labs had a completely different positive environment at Stanford, so I resigned and I transferred to a great lab/department.

A typical day as a research assistant at Stanford University heavily depends on the stage of a given research project. Performing literature reviews are crucial before designing any research project as reading relevant and recently published articles keep you informed recent developments in your field of research. Working as a research assistant  includes collaboration of study design and format. We hold weekly lab meetings where Ph.D. students and faculty present their research at various stages, as peers providing constructive suggestions for improvement. Study materials, such as surveys, are constructed using Qualtrics, and are easily distributed via email. Other studies require strong interpersonal skills as we must approach participants in real world settings (i.e. train stations) and asking for their participation in a confidential study. I am also responsible for running studies on campus, often in a computer lab, where I brief students on the study they are participating in, and guide them through the necessary steps for participation completion Data entry can consume entire days, ensuring the data is entered correctly, proofing reliability to ensure data confidence, and cleaning and transferring data to Excel and SPSS requires immense attention to detail. Along with collecting and entering data comes analyses via SPSS software where we observe statistical trends our data, providing tangible results to prove or disprove hypothesis. Overall as a research assistant at Stanford I must be well read on all topics that broach our area of study, dedicate many hours to insurance of data and study materials and always be prepared and receptive for last minute tasks and changes in ongoing research studies.

Stanford GSB was a great place to work. I worked with a team of 5 in the Marketing/Communications department researching stories and designing layouts for the print and web versions of the quarterly Business magazine. We would read through the submitted and contracted stories to see which should be included in the current publication, then I designed and laid out the stories, flowed copy and chose submitted photos and searched for relevant stock photos to use to enhance each story. I coordinated photoshoots, contracted illustrators, and researched, negotiated usage rights, and purchased stock photos. After I was satisfied with my layout designs, our team assembled to review the layouts, make suggestions, write headlines and captions, and suggested edits/copy cuts for each story. The remote art director was sent PDFs to review and make suggestions regarding the design/layouts. Along with the art director, suggestions were bounced around within the team for cover ideas to sum up the magazine's theme for that particular issue. I would make the edits to the text/design, input headlines and captions, finalize the files and upload the print version to the vendor, then create the Web version of the magazine using Wordpress. Afterwards, I organized and archived all relevant files.

I worked with a terrific, smart and thoughtful team of co-workers and editors who found a way to have fun while working.

The most enjoyable part of my position was working in an office with smart and talented people who worked with me to produce the finest magazine.

The first day I stepped on to the grounds of Stanford University I felt extremely blessed and just knew I was poised to be more than I was prior to becoming an employee.  The senior leadership promoted individual contributions, and invested in my growth from an Emotional Intelligence perspective, constantly grooming me to become a visionary and a leader.  I also loved the attention to spirituality and meditation.  

My immediate manager did not hold the same values as the senior leadership; under that leadership my confidence was constantly tested and my decisions were undermined.  That person was the hardest part of working for Stanford.  I truly feel that without that person's presence stifling my growth, I would have reached a higher level of visibility at the University based on my likability, creativity, and strong ability to build meaningful relationships. 

I thoroughly enjoyed the Stanford Technical Leadership Program I successfully completed, and had begun applying all of what I had learned to personal time management, and in the coaching and developing of the union staff that reported to me.  There was so much opportunity for growth until I was rarely bored.  

It is because of Stanford University that I am thriving in this new post employment venture I embarked up in social networking and radio.  I will be forever grateful for all I learned, and my time spent there.

What is the best part of working at the company?
20 December 2022 / I worked in Stanford's Bursar's office in late 1989 to early 1991. The office at that time wasn't equipped with even the most rudimentary computer system. The working environment, at best, wasn't conducive to a team effort and wasn't fostered by the department's management. The long-standing Manager I reported to was, of course, a Stanford alumni, and had no idea what it was like to work in a 'real world' office environment. Part of my job was implementing new ideas and systems to help their student loan portfolio collect seriously delinquent loans from a non-performing status to a revenue-generating status.

I was met with much lip service, but no action from management. I was also undermined by an unprofessional, insecure and jealous co-worker in the department that 'kept tabs' on my coming and goings, even rifling through my desk when I was away from the office, attempting to curry favour with the Manager. Sadly, I left Stanford as I wasn't used to working in an unprofessional working environment.

As I have oft said about working with Stanford: There is a right way; a wrong way, and the Stanford way. 

PS: To be fair, my experience working-in the Bursar's Office was over thirty (30) years ago and I'm sure most of the individual's I dealt with have long-since retired or left the department. One can only help the working atmosphere has changed to a more collaborative one. 



What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Undermined by department employee (s)

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
No leadership, nor support for new ideas/methods.

I worked at Stanford as an admin for several years. Like other workplaces, there are many amazing colleagues. However, Stanford University is filled with abusive bosses whom the HR Department works hard to defend. Faculty often treat staff poorly. Sometimes they make staff cleanup student projects that undergraduates left behind on beak. Truly unacceptable to have staff manage the academic work of students. Bosses and management often carry out blatant discrimination and bullying with zero consequences. Abusive upper managers are shielded while middle managers are too afraid to make any real changes to workplace culture. HR is more concerns with protecting the images and "brand" of Stanford than structuring a workplace culture that fosters camaraderie and mutual support. 

Upward mobility is nearly impossible unless you are personal friends with management and HR as thy have total control over the rate at which you can move up a fixed salary scale. Departments get downsized during economic downturns (2008, 2020) and staff are frequently forced to take on the assignments of previous staff with 0 increase in compensation or ability to reclassify their jobs. 

There are of course wonderful people at Stanford, but in my experience leadership, especially in the humanities, was wildly disappointing and abusive. I found it to be a workplace culture driven by anxiety, abuse, and coerced silence. I would not recommend anyone work at Stanford.

My day in he Division of Pediatrics, Neonatology consist of	provided administrative support to physicians and faculty members in Neonatal Division,handled all administrative tasks including travel arrangements, processing maintenance orders, and preparing and maintaining conference rooms for office-wide meetings and events.
Created, edited, and proofread documents ensuring accuracy, which included articles, invoices and presentations.Managed all office correspondence including answering phones, creating and maintaining filing systems, managing emails and office memos, and performing database entry. Managed financial and inventory control for the office, including monitoring office and lab supplies, and processing purchase orders and staff reimbursements. Arranged and set up meetings in the Lucille Packard and Stanford Hospitals. Stanford is a teaching school and in the Division of Neonatology there where different physicians working on different projects. For example, one of my doctors I supported (Dr. Vinny Bhutani) was working on a study with Jaundice at the time I had a new baby so a lot of the findings related to my new situation. I really enjoyed working for the 16 doctors I supported. The hardest part of this position was the constant change in office management. This was difficult because the new management did not understand the work I was doing  or that the physician ask of me and I had to always explain.

I usually start 1 hour early at 6am and check the queue for new work orders that have been submitted.  I would review the new work request scope and assign the request to the designated Field engineers. If assigned to me, I send a email and or voice mail to schedule at job walk at the customers convenience. Meet with the cabling vendors dedicated to the Hospital and Campus accounts and review the days scheduled work as required to maintain some quality control of the days scheduled events. Walk the job of MAC move, adds, changes work and the smaller project workloads as scheduled with the preferred cabling contractor and customer. Answer customer call for new MAC job walks and meet the customer to review their scope of work as they requested through the bid process for an estimate.Thats my typical day.

I thought this would of been, and should be the best place to work and utilize my customer experience background knowledge and communication skills, but I learned that I was on an Island with no support...

What management? Seriously the worst experience in my work history career.

I did have great co-workers, and I thought I got along well with my peers.

Trying to have a work related conversation with my manager without him yelling and it stressing me out.

The customers and students and staff. 
Being part of something bigger than your self, supporting the needs of the Stanford Hospital and Clinics, LPCH and the Stanford Campus.

Like anywhere else, your job depends on your manager.  

Unfortunately, I was hired by someone who changed everything when I started.  She didn't even bother to show up on my first day of work, told me a new boss was coming within a month of my starting and it only got worse from there.  

Did you know:

There are more places to park your electric car at Mountain View Public High School than all of Stanford Campus?

Arrogant managers will expect you to drive/pollute the environment in order to arrive at an office where you will spend the whole day alone.  There isn't even a cafe or cafeteria on the Arrastradero campus. 

Whoever hired you can change everything you negotiated the day you arrive / after you have turned down other offers.

You could be given a boss who has no experience and whose only job is to manage two people! That doesn't happen in a profitable firm.  

What I learned: 

Don't ever decide to contribute your talent to people who don't deserve you.  I chose to cut my salary in half and work for a good cause in research.  I never expected to be treated so poorly; I now believe Stanford staff think that your treatment/ worth is tied to your position.  So, unless you are a surgeon at the hospital, don't jump in the pool.  Here is an example, I asked the HR of surgery to mail me my last check.  It came a year later when the finance department found it.  As I said, I didn't go for the $.

My day would begin following up on previous tasks that have not been completed. Overlook all emails, make sure I have answered questions and/or direct individuals to the proper assistance. Go over financial monitors for all sponsored awards/grants. Review and approve all reimbursements, travel card and pcard expenditures and transfer journals. Check on our suspense account to see if any individuals labor schedules were not set up correctly and complete a labor distribution for all. I have learned so much about sponsored awards and grants. How to follow policy and procedures to ensure Stanford and CISAC were in compliance will all policies and procedures dictated by federal government. I have also gained experience handling labor schedules and distributions for human resources. I enjoy working with all the principal investigators and research assistants. It is a highly compatible relationship for our end goals. Hardest part of the job was to keep everyone on board. As each individual has his or her own way of processing information. However, with organizational skills and communication it became less of a problem. My most enjoyable part of the job is helping people. I find great reward in answering people's questions and seeing the end results.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Postdoctoral fellow 40 salaries reported	$80,239 per year
Research assistant 11 salaries reported	$25.81 per hour
Graduate researcher 12 salaries reported	$55,292 per year
Postdoctoral researcher 14 salaries reported	$76,951 per year
Postdoctoral scholar 16 salaries reported	$76,065 per year

Working at Stanford University: Company Overview and Reviews

Stanford University

Stanford University Ratings

Popular jobs at Stanford University

Salary Satisfaction

Job Seeker Tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected