Over the last few years I have interviewed close to 100 undergraduates for a variety of research positions. I, and others who bring undergraduates into our research, are often struck by the fact that a significant portion of bright, talented students have very little idea how best to go about finding a research position that fits them. This makes sense, as many students don’t have a lot of experience on either side of this process. Here, in the hopes of being helpful, I have put together some of my thoughts and opinions, which, taken together, are (I hope) worth reading for any student applying for a position in a research program. Keep in mind that much of what I say here is my opinion only, and not based on any systematic study.
A. Why work in a lab during college?
B. Finding positions to apply for
C. Preparing resume, cover letter and references
D. Preparing for an interview
E. Interviewing
F. Choosing a position
G. Once you have a position
A. Why work in a lab during college?
One of the wonderful things about our University is the variety of opportunities for undergraduates to get involved in research. Learning about science without doing science is like learning to drive without ever getting in a car. Research experience is both highly educational and important for those of you who hope to apply to graduate school/vet school/med school/research based jobs. Also, you may well need letters of recommendation for applications. You are far better off getting letters from someone who can talk about your work than from someone who's class you took three years ago who sorta remembers you were the kid with the funny hair.
The best reason to get involved in research is that you are interested in and excited by the research. Almost anything you could be fascinated by, someone at Berkeley is already researching it. If you want to really know about something, working in a lab with the world experts on that subject is a good way to start.
B. Finding positions to apply for
Finding a set of positions to apply for can be overwhelming in a place as big, fast-paced and crowded as Berkeley. Before I start suggesting ways to look for positions, let me suggest what kinds of positions to not apply for. Don't apply for positions that don't sound interesting to you. If you don't like the work and aren't interested in the science, don't waste your time. You will end up doing work you hate, or quitting, and probably not get a very good recommendation out of it. So keeping in mind that you are only looking for work that will actually hold your interest, consider the following ways to find positions to apply for:
1. Talk to professors/grad students/postdocs whose work you find interesting (this requires learning something about the research of professors and grad-students, which often requires asking). Some of them may not be able to fit you into their labs. Others will, or will know of opportunities in labs doing similar work. You'd be surprised how many labs will make space for a talented and genuinely interested undergraduate. Many labs don't have money to pay student researchers, but it is easy to arrange for course credits, and if you make a good impression they may be able to hire you for pay later on.
2. Look through http://mvz.berkeley.edu/Student_Job_Listings.html and fill out an "MVZ Undergraduate Application."
3. Keep an eye on http://research.berkeley.edu/urap/projects/list-bio.lasso as hundreds of new URAP positions are posted every few months.
4. Check out the Biology Scholars Program.
5. There are often research positions listed on http://career.berkeley.edu/Tools/Tools.stm
6. For those with work-study hours: http://workstudy.berkeley.edu/JobSearch.aspx
7. Talk to your current GSIs and professors and your department’s undergraduate office. If the first person you talk to can't help you, try someone else. It is entirely appropriate to ask about research opportunities at office hours, and GSIs/professors respect students who want to get involved in research.
A few other things to keep in mind:
In the biology departments on campus, molecular-genetics-related student-positions tend to have many too many applicants, and other positions tend to have fewer. If you don't have your heart set on playing with DNA, try to apply for a variety of jobs. Finally, apply for a lot of positions. Most positions get a lot of applicants, so you have to apply for a lot to be fairly confident of getting one.
C. Preparing cover letter, resume and references
The positions you apply for are likely to have several or even dozens of applicants. And the person reviewing your application is likely to be very busy. So a resume should give them the relevant information as quickly as possible, with as little extraneous fluff as possible. Don't bother with an objective. You're objective is to get the position, or you wouldn't be applying. Put your most impressive sections first. If you volunteered for 41.2 hours at the local vet clinic and won a national young researcher award, talk about the award first and the volunteering second. Make sure to include the information that shows why you are qualified. What relevant classes have you taken? How much experience do you have in the skills listed as requirements in the job ad? I'm amazed how many resumes I see where students have left off the most relevant or impressive information about themselves. Ask someone to first read the job ad, then to spend no more than two minutes reading your cover-letter and resume, and to evaluate not only spelling and grammar, but also if the information you are providing is what the person reading your resume is going to want to know, and is easy to find.
When you write your cover letter, make it absolutely clear why you want this position in particular. Training undergraduate assistants is a serious time commitment, and your potential boss wants to hear something that makes them think you are interested enough in this particular research to make it worth their time to train you. If you can't think of anything about the project you can get enthusiastic about, don't apply. When you do apply, express your enthusiasm early and often. It is as important to express particulars about why you are interested as it is to say why you are qualified.
Not all positions ask for references, but it never hurts to include them. Make sure you know whom you can give as references if asked. This might be a professor who knows you, a former boss, or a GSI with whom you interacted a lot. A reference should be someone who can attest to the specific qualities you are trying to convey in your application. Your gymnastics teacher might be able to attest to your superb upper-body strength, but can probably say little about how well you keep a lab notebook. Including at least one academic reference is highly suggested. Make sure you check with each person before putting her down as a reference. This is both polite, and saves you from giving someone as a reference who really doesn't feel that they can give an informative or positive referral. I have had the experience of calling the references people list and hearing, "who?" or "wow, she must have thought she did better than she did" or "I wish he had asked me before giving you my phone number." If you ask someone if they will be a reference for you, and they seem to change the subject, there is a good chance you should ask someone else.
D. Preparing for an interview
So you've sent off your resume and heard back, and now you've scheduled an interview. Great. The first thing to do in preparing for your interview is carefully reread the job ad. You applied for quite a few jobs. Make sure you know which one this is and what they are looking for. Make a list of the qualities the person who wrote the ad says they are looking for.
If they say they want someone who can do careful detailed work, be prepared to be asked about experience with careful detailed work. If they want you to take care of plants, don't be surprised if you are asked about plant care experience. If you don't have a particular type of experience, be prepared to say so, and to make it clear you are eager to learn. Researchers want their assistants to be able to admit when they don't know something.
Reading a little bit about the research interests of the person you are interviewing with is a smart idea. Making sure you understand all the words used in the ad is a great idea. That said, do not try to explain the research question or methods to the person you are interviewing with, unless asked. For example, if the interviewer says, "so tell me what you know about PCR," it behooves you to be able to speak about it intelligently, even if you say, "well I looked that up last night because it was in your ad." It is good to show that you are really interested and have put time into preparing. On the other hand, if you are asked why you want to work in a genetics lab and you start listing all the steps in PCR that you learned last night, the interviewer may think you have trouble staying on topic. Don't expect to tell the interviewer every relevant fact you know.
Expect to be asked why you are applying for the position, and be prepared to state it compellingly. When you are asked, "why do you want to work with me on this research?" do not say, "I don't know" or, "because I need a letter of recommendation" or "I just applied for every position listed because my pre-medical group said I should." The interviewer is looking for signs that you are a potential waste of his time, and if you don't know why you are interested, that is a sign.
Make it clear to the interviewer that you have the time to put in and want to do so. No one wants an assistant who might have 2 hours a week, and the week of the big game is totally out. Figure out before you apply how much time you can spend on the research each week, and if it is less than 8-10 hours a week, or whatever the advertised time commitment is, don't apply. When you do apply make it clear that you are ready to commit a significant amount of time.
All that said, keep in mind that in addition to you being evaluated for the position, the interview is a chance for you to learn about the position and evaluate it. Think beforehand about what you don't know about the position, and be prepared to ask if you haven't been told. Where will you be working? What is the underlying question? Who else is involved in the project? What is the timeline? What specifically would your responsibilities be? Not only do you need to know these things, you need to demonstrate curiosity.
E. Interviewing
Do all the obvious stuff. Show up on time, wear decent clothes (when interviewing for a lab position, wear closed-toe shoes to show you know how to dress for a lab). For most student positions dressing fancy is not necessary.
The key concept to understand before your interview is the difference between stating and demonstrating. One does not need to be terribly interested or smart to say, "I am terribly interested and smart." One does need to be very interested and smart to ask probing and expansive questions. Asking good questions demonstrates, stating does not. Your goal in the interview is not to state that you possess the qualities they are looking for, but rather to demonstrate those qualities.
The single factor that rules out the most candidates for student research positions is the inability to demonstrate, or even state, why the research is interesting. You cannot be too curious. Make an honest and visible effort to learn about the research as much as possible. If you really can't muster curiosity or enthusiasm for the position, we owe it to you, and ourselves, to not burden you with it.
Be upfront about what you know and don't know, and make it clear that you are eager to learn. We wouldn't be hiring a student if we didn't expect you to need to learn on the job. No one wants someone in their lab who can't admit ignorance. If you are asked a question and you don't know, say so. When asked about experience caring for live animals, you are far better off admitting you have little than expounding upon the walks you have taken your dog on.
The person you are interviewing with wants to hire someone who will be enjoyable to work with. In other words, someone who is enthusiastic, confident, friendly and professional. Don't force a fake bravado, and don't act like the interviewer wants to eat your liver for leftovers. You are applying for the role of junior colleague, so act like a junior colleague. Smile, ask questions, answer forthrightly. Put all your preparation to work, and don't be afraid to show that you prepared.
F. Choosing a position
Depending on how well you put all this into practice, and what you have to offer potential employers, you may well end up with the happy conundrum of having to choose between positions that are being offered to you. Chances are you need to let each position know soon. You probably have a gut feeling about which position you want, and you should probably go with that feeling. Consider the pay (if any) each position offers, the skills you'll acquire, how each position feeds into your career goals and which you will enjoy the most. If your gut feeling hasn't changed, you probably know which job to take. If you are still unsure, ask for advice from someone in the field, perhaps a professor or GSI not affiliated with either position.
G. Once you have a position
Do the work that is expected of you when it is expected of you. Communicate with your boss regularly. Write your references to let them know how it went and thank them. Continue demonstrating enthusiasm and curiosity. If your boss tries to talk you into a career in research, you know you are doing a good job.
