Explore research opportunities on and off campus!
Gaining hands-on experience is an important part of any well-designed career development strategy whether you wind up applying to graduate school or not. Now is the time to explore options to determine if certain career paths are right for you. We highly suggest engaging in research and other experiential opportunities to help you make an informed decision regarding your future career path.
Focus on opportunities that will help you explore your areas of interest and broaden your experiences as a whole. Remember- graduate schools are looking for well-rounded candidates- every candidate should bring their unique qualifications when applying. Use research, internships, and other experiential opportunities as tools to explore your interests while demonstrating your focus and determination. ENJOY!
Basic process for finding research opportunities
Research is an amazing way to gain relevant experience that will help you explore your potential career of interest while building experience.
The month before each new semester starts is a great time to approach researchers for potential research opportunities.
Steps:
1- Use the links to the right as a starting point to start looking for opportunities that will help you explore your interests while gaining hands-on experience.
2- Once you find an opportunity of interest, tailor a resume and cover letter that explain your interests and skills related to the opportunity. Mentioning coursework and academic projects that have helped you gain experience in you application materials is a great to demonstrate your abilities to support the research efforts.
3- Apply to the research position posting. If a specific position is not posted, feel free to email the contact person or researcher directly expressing interest in a research position. Share your resume, cover letter, class schedule, as well as the number of hours weekly you may be able to commit to research. While many research opportunities are unpaid, we suggest mentioning if you have been granted federal work study funds. In your email, we also suggest asking what the appropriate next steps might be in the process of securing a research role with them.
4- If you applied to a specific research opportunity (as opposed to a research scholarship) follow up on the opportunity 5 business days after applying. Please be patient in this process- some researchers will be in the field or lab and/or unable to answer emails on a regular basis.