Lab Volunteer Opportunities Questions

[skyzek]

Hello,

 

I am just wondering how do people get positions as lab assistants or volunteers. Keep in mind that I am a first year kinesiology student. Also I want your opinion on my current portfolio on extracurricular:

-Shadowing doctors at a hospital for 3 weeks

-2 Years as a lifeguard and swim instructor

-1 Year as a math tutor

-OFSAA swimmer of 2010

 

This is what I have currently that is of significance. I just want to know what your opinion is about it and what can be made to improve it. I don't have any real marks to give out as I really don't think my marks mean anything until I get into my finals. But currently after midterms, I have around 99% on the midterms I have completed.

 

Thank-you,

SkyZek

[schmitty]

Join some clubs maybe? Become an executive member of some clubs that you are interested in. Volunteer at a hospital (not necessary, but I greatly enjoyed volunteering and met tons of great people).

 

As for getting positions you have to be proactive! I am in charge of hiring for a large research lab and I get tons (probably 200/year) applications to volunteer, work-study (paid position with limited hours), summer projects, 4th year projects, etc. I don't even read most of them to be honest - I just don't have time. The ones I like are the ones that hand deliver their applications and go find out who works in the lab and chat with them about what they do and their interests. Talk to your prof (more likely TAs) about their work. Don't just walk up and be like "I want a research position for experience." I got my first research job by applying to about 10 work-study positions. Then, while waiting to hear back, I spoke with some of my TAs and asked them if they know people in so-and-so lab or at least where they are located. Then I would go find students/staff in those labs and chat with them about THEIR work (not your work - I would read up on recent publications, online stuff, etc). Then, by the time I would actually get an interview (often students/staff would set up the interview for me after this!) I knew everything about the lab and could really impress the manager/prof.

 

By doing this I managed to get 3 research assistant positions during my undergrad (one was at a hospital working in OB/GN medical emergency simulations - very cool!), 2 paid summer projects, a full-time research gig after my BSc which led to my MSc.

 

Doing your research, being specific about goals and being proactive is key.

 

GL!

 

EDIT: Oh, and also be aware that it won't always work. I would say that at least 80% of the time that I hire somebody in my lab, it is via a strong recommendation from a graduate student in our lab, or a volunteer already working here. That means that many times sending in your application won't get you anywhere since they have already made up their mind who they are going to hire - don't let it get you down. C'est la vie.

[McLovin101]

It's rare for a professor to take a first-year student as a volunteer; they usually see if you have taken the research methods and statistical analysis courses.

 

I'm currently a lab volunteer for a professor and I'm mostly helping out a few undergrad students who are working on their thesis. I just emailed the prof and told him about my interest in his fields of research and sent a copy of my CV and transcript. We set up an interview, and that was that.

[FuturePT216]

Always write a great cover letter of why you're interested in research and their lab specifically, why you're a good fit for research, etc. Show your professor your marks (even if they're high school marks), read up on their research and go confident to the interview!

[invincible110]

I agree with the previous posters in that it is good to be proactive. Another approach that will probably be more tedious is to mass email a lot of professors. In these emails you have to stress how amazing a student you are in order to get noticed. In my lab, my supervisor even hired a high school student to help with menial tasks in the lab because he had a stellar CV (he was ironically a med school gunner). It is your job to clearly communicate why you would be a good fit to the lab. Finding scholarships will also help, since the profs will likely hire you if they know you already have money. Sometimes profs will think you won't work as hard if you are just volunteering.

[Edict]

I agree with the previous posters in that it is good to be proactive. Another approach that will probably be more tedious is to mass email a lot of professors. In these emails you have to stress how amazing a student you are in order to get noticed. In my lab, my supervisor even hired a high school student to help with menial tasks in the lab because he had a stellar CV (he was ironically a med school gunner). It is your job to clearly communicate why you would be a good fit to the lab. Finding scholarships will also help, since the profs will likely hire you if they know you already have money. Sometimes profs will think you won't work as hard if you are just volunteering.

 

Yeah another option is to mass email professors. I haven't gotten a research job yet, but because I had no research experience and I was studying abroad, I sent about 100 emails and got a few responses. I lined up a few interviews and I don't know my results yet. It is difficult but it definitely can be done. I know a lot of people who have been able to get research experience even in high school, so a 1st year should be better.

[peachaso]

When you mass email, you will get way better responses if you tailor each email according to the professor.

 

At the beginning, I wrote a wonderful email specific to each professor... after getting replies like "My lab is full. Sorry I can't be more encouraging," I gave up on that. Then, I just used a standard letter but changed 2 sentences according to what they were researching, for example:

...In reading some of your research, I found __________ to be very interesting and something I would like to help with. Would there be any projects related to _______ that would be suitable? At the same time, I am open to other opportunities...

 

 

Doing this, I sent about 8 emails, got responses from all except one. Most of them had various reasons why it wouldn't work, but one of them accepted me right away through email! Then I met with the postdoc to discuss, and later the professor.

[apache]

the first prof i did research with i got into a swearing fit after class, than again i don't people who aren't 110 precent but cant have fun, i literally asked over 2 min for all 3 positions, the last was 2 hours, but if was for a funded masters... honestly, the key is going to office hours... friends help friends... and if someone knows yoiu, well, they want you...

 

Always write a great cover letter of why you're interested in research and their lab specifically, why you're a good fit for research, etc. Show your professor your marks (even if they're high school marks), read up on their research and go confident to the interview!