Experience Requirements Overview

  • Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
  • Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
  • Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
  • Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.

Education, Training and Experience

Required Level of Education: Master's Degree

Related Work Experience: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years

On-Site or In-Plant Training: Over 3 months, up to and including 6 months

On-the-Job Training: Over 3 months, up to and including 6 months

Detailed Work Activities

  • Write grant proposals.
  • Train others in computer interface or software use.
  • Update knowledge about emerging industry or technology trends.
  • Analyze data to identify trends or relationships among variables.
  • Present research results to others.

Work Values

Achievement

Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.

Working Conditions

Recognition

Relationships

Support

Independence

Tasks

  • Draw conclusions or make predictions, based on data summaries or statistical analyses.
  • Analyze clinical or survey data, using statistical approaches such as longitudinal analysis, mixed-effect modeling, logistic regression analyses, and model-building techniques.
  • Write detailed analysis plans and descriptions of analyses and findings for research protocols or reports.
  • Calculate sample size requirements for clinical studies.
  • Read current literature, attend meetings or conferences, and talk with colleagues to keep abreast of methodological or conceptual developments in fields such as biostatistics, pharmacology, life sciences, and social sciences.
  • Design research studies in collaboration with physicians, life scientists, or other professionals.
  • Prepare tables and graphs to present clinical data or results.
  • Write program code to analyze data with statistical analysis software.
  • Provide biostatistical consultation to clients or colleagues.
  • Review clinical or other medical research protocols and recommend appropriate statistical analyses.
  • Develop or implement data analysis algorithms.
  • Determine project plans, timelines, or technical objectives for statistical aspects of biological research studies.
  • Prepare statistical data for inclusion in reports to data monitoring committees, federal regulatory agencies, managers, or clients.
  • Plan or direct research studies related to life sciences.
  • Prepare articles for publication or presentation at professional conferences.
  • Monitor clinical trials or experiments to ensure adherence to established procedures or to verify the quality of data collected.
  • Write research proposals or grant applications for submission to external bodies.
  • Design or maintain databases of biological data.
  • Collect data through surveys or experimentation.
  • Apply research or simulation results to extend biological theory or recommend new research projects.
  • Develop or use mathematical models to track changes in biological phenomena, such as the spread of infectious diseases.
  • Assign work to biostatistical assistants or programmers.
  • Analyze archival data, such as birth, death, and disease records.
  • Design surveys to assess health issues.
  • Teach graduate or continuing education courses or seminars in biostatistics.

Work Styles

Persistence

Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.

Achievement/Effort

Initiative

Leadership

Cooperation

Concern for Others

Social Orientation

Self-Control

Stress Tolerance

Adaptability/Flexibility

Dependability

Attention to Detail

Integrity

Independence

Innovation

Analytical Thinking

Data Source: This page includes information from the O*NET 28.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This page includes Employment Projections program, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.