secretary

research assistant

library assistant

communications officer

outreach coordinator

University of New Brunswick

A typical day in the life of this PhD Candidate involves starting the day off with a large cup of coffee and a few articles pertaining to my research. The day usually continues with some data analysis with various softwares, followed by a few laps around campus reflecting on the data and approaches. Unfortunately there is not much collaboration, which I would prefer. I find bouncing ideas around and collaborations can progress some interesting thoughts, especially since my research uses social network analysis yet I feel a bit insulated from a research community.

The most enjoyable moments are those "ah ha" moments that come with moments of clarity and connection between the various fields I utilizing in my research approach. 

The hardest part of my day is when I'd really enjoy a second opinion or good conversation on the topics at hand, but there are not many at that can relate to my field of research or the chosen methods for the research. However, there have been some online tutorials and workshops that have been very beneficial for the software I am utilizing. 

The "co-workers" I have, other graduate students, are all brilliant, motivated, talented people. I wish we had similar research at times, but it's always fascinating learning about the various topics.

I had a few different responsibilities when I was working with the University of New Brunswick. I spent most of my days entering specimen data into excel files which required me to work quickly and thoroughly to get the job done on the day I had set for my employer. I was in charge of making my own hours and following my own schedule. I attended meetings every Monday morning to update the team on what I was working on. Other responsibilities included working in labs to grind specimens to a fine powder so that I could later use them for isotope sampling. The hardest part of the job was the Isotope sampling; It was physically tiring on the lower back due to the long hours of sitting in the lab. This job was a great experience for me, it taught me integrity and patience when dealing with tedious tasks. I enjoyed helping with research because I felt like it was important for understanding the ecology of invertebrates.

You are treated like a second-rate citizen unless you are a faculty member. Even though support staff are those that run the programs and university. You will make an average of $1200-1300 per pay, which these days does not go very far. They make you feel bad about taking lunches and breaks, so you tend to not take them. You are expected to be tied to your desk. Support staff are expected to clean up after faculty members. You get phone calls on your private phone after hours and are expected to work without pay. You don't get paid for any overtime and they limit how many vacation days you take at a time. Your union works for the university, even when you bring a grievance to the union they ignore you. It is not a great place to work. 

I started the PhD program in the Department of Geodesy and Geomatics Engineering at University of New Brunswick in 2008. It is a quite place for study. Even the number of professors in this department is limited, but every one is very well recognized in their field. With a high student/professor ratio, students get more chances to discuss their research with the supervisor. It was informative and interesting to join the group meeting every Friday afternoon, giving a brief summary of the work done over the week, looking for advices and comments from other group members, and learn from others as well. Talking about the hard part, I would said that is try to survive in the winter:)

A day at work began sitting and listening to lectures while taking notes. As I was writing notes I would keep an eye out for students who were disengaged and advise them to pay attention. When it was time for the students to hand in their papers the professor and I would sit down and discuss the general expectations for the material. I then went on my way and marked up the papers. Influencing the way that the students thought about through provision of advice comments and grades was the best part of the job. I knew that I was making a difference in each and every students life.

Cleaning rooms, making beds, buffing and waxing floors. Learn to work efficiently as a team while under tight deadlines. Management is understanding when personal issues arrive and you need time off. Coworkers are friendly and are always willing to lend a hand and invite new people in. Hardest job is cleaning apartments where people have been living for more than 2 years, and therefore requires thorough. Most Enjoyable part is your given freedom to talk and listen to music while you work as long as you stay focused.

• Environmental Trust Fund project: “Modelling economic consequences of the climate change impacts on ground transportation in Atlantic Canada”.

• Responsibilities: literature review, specification of statistical model, data gathering, model estimation, empirical testing, preparation and presentation of interim reports.

Outcomes:
• ICTTE-2015 article: "Economic consequences of climate change impacts on transportation: The case of Atlantic Canada". Co-author.

• MA report: "Estimating evolutionary dynamics of climate variables: The case of mean monthly temperature in Atlantic Canada". Defended.

I have four years of experience as a research assistant in the chemistry department. 
One of the main challenges has been a lack of teamwork initiatives and a sense of belonging within the team. There is often a lack of management direction, which leads to frequent miscommunication. 
Meanwhile, cross-collaboration is rare, despite my belief that it is absolutely necessary for research and development careers. There are also very limited training and course offerings for higher degree education.


Working for the University was a great experience, I got to work with a good team of dedicated people that have each others back and are  driven to complete tasks for the benefit of the entire group. As long as you are working and aren't someone who stands around when there is nothing to do you'll fit in well in this environment. People are polite and you will meet a lot and form good working relationships here. The pay is good, the hours are good, and the management are professional.

Most enjoyable parts fo the job: For student workers,there's lots of oportunities to gain experience in your field of study. I learned a lot and got really involved with multiple communities on campus. 

The hardest parts of the job: I worked mainly indoors to do research and to write papers, which I thought got repetitive pretty often. 

The culture: People tend to be relaxed and autonomous. It is a very focused environment.

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Secretary 2 salaries reported	$25.37 per hour
Research assistant 1 salary reported	$60,876 per year
Library assistant 4 salaries reported	$26.17 per hour
Communications officer 7 salaries reported	$54,543 per year
Outreach coordinator 7 salaries reported	$54,027 per year

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