When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate's work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal, state, and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations. Support from Laboratory Assistants also includes clerical functions such as answering telephone inquiries from other departments of the facility, dissemination of laboratory reports and communicating with referral laboratories utilized by the department.