Research Associate Reworked
Alisa Shine, Research Associate at DiMassimo Goldstein
Once upon a time but not too long ago, I received my masters in clinical psychology and was subsequently hired as a biomedical informatics research associate right after. ‘Biomedical what?’ I thought at first, and which countless people have asked me as well. So I learned about the interdisciplinary world of biomedical informatics, and it was…meh. Just meh. I soon became dissatisfied with academics overall, and so I left, unsure about what to do next career-wise.
So I tried being a lay-about, then a club promoter, and then a growth analyst at a startup. Nothing seemed to be working out. I felt rather dejected, but what I think was really happening was I just didn’t know what I wanted to do when I grew up, and NYC prices told me I better grow up fast.
A friend of mine working at an ad agency called DiMassimo Goldstein suggested I intern under him thinking I would be a good fit for some research work. I thought, ‘Why not? I’ll have no idea what I’m doing but I’ll learn.”
…and learn I did. I’m still learning new things everyday here. However, now, I feel like I’m some big shot digital strategist instead of just a research associate. I am the master of Twitter and mother of finding the latest ad tech, and that’s definitely a step above being a lay-about. More importantly, I feel part of something larger and more harmonious, which was missing from my previous experiences. At DiMassimo Goldstein, the only time I’m truly dissatisfied is when I’m looking for more work to accomplish.
Since working here, I’ve been able to clear my head of lackluster academics and insecurities about what to do next on my career path. Finally, I feel like a grownup, and that I know what I want to do in life (for which my rent and bills thanks me). Now I just reflect: ‘Biomedical what?’