By: Ilana Cohen
Yes, you can get a research position with “no experience”!
Too often, I hear people speak about research positions as though they are entirely separate from any other job or position you could have. I think this does a disservice both to our understanding of the work that goes into research, and to undergraduates who are applying to their first research positions. Working in a lab is not the only thing that can prepare you to work in research – in fact, work experience, classroom experience, and more are fair game to leverage in your applications. If you are looking to get your first research position, just know that we all have to start somewhere– and while it might take some trial and error, there are plenty of opportunities out there.
Like most positions, emphasizing your transferable skills can get you far in research. If you know how to repackage your resume for applying to new positions, you can get places twice as quickly. Do they want someone detail-oriented? A strong communicator? Someone good with people? A problem solver? If you know the kind of work that goes into the position, and what they are looking for, you can effectively choose how to emphasize your experiences.
Chances are, if you’re applying for undergraduate research positions, labs will want to start you off with fairly simple responsibilities, and will delegate more advanced tasks once you are on the team for longer. These responsibilities vary by lab, but pay attention to what they’re specifically looking for, and if you have any relevant experience with those specifically.
Individual skills will vary based on the position (content, data analysis/coding, etc.), but they’ll want to know that you’re a fast learner, and that you have a demonstrated interest in the field. You can mention classes you’ve taken that informed you in similar material, or any other anecdote. Your passion is powerful! Don’t shy away from sharing why you’re interested in someone’s research. And of course, doing some lurking on the lab website or the professor’s past publications doesn’t hurt.
There may be random skills and experience that come up! For example, research involving participants may be looking for RAs to recruit subjects as one of their tasks. You can describe any experience you have in working with people or talking to strangers. My early research positions were in developmental psychology labs, so I talked about my experience working as a camp counselor in every interview.
Finally, as far as I’m aware, labs do not expect you to have research experience from high school – if you do, that’s great, but this is unrealistic for most people!
Of course, it can take many applications to land a position – that’s often the nature of the beast. It is frustrating, but don’t take it as a reflection of yourself. Try to apply to a wide range of positions, knowing that each one will make you more prepared for the next, and even if it’s not perfect for you, you’ll learn something valuable.
Happy applying!
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