How to land your first research position

In undergrad, everybody is talking about doing research and working in the lab. I remember feeling really anxious about it. I felt like it was something super important that I had to do, but I had no experience and no idea where to start. So let’s go through it together, step-by-step.

✏️ STEP #1: Find a professor and a project

This is easier than it sounds, and there are a couple ways to do this:

1. Google different your university followed by “summer studentship/research program”. For example “University of Toronto Summer Studentship Program”. There, you’ll find that profs have put up job postings looking for summer students with brief descriptions of their proposed project. Find something that actually sounds cool and interesting to you. Here are some links to summer studentship positions at U of T, just to give you an idea.
2. Look up the professors that teach your courses, and Google Scholar/PubMed what kind of research they do. Again, find something that seems interesting to you.
3. If you already have a topic you’re super interested in/passionate about, see if there’s anybody at your university who does work in that field. Literally Google your university’s name and your topic of interest.

🧐 STEP #2: Dig dig dig

As an undergrad student with little to no research experience, you have little to bring to a potential supervisor other than your enthusiasm and willingness to learn. And that’s totally okay. Everybody starts somewhere, but you have to really live up to these qualities. You’re going to do this by stalking the professor and their research.

1. Look up their lab website and publications on Google Scholar/PubMed, and get a feel for the kind of work they do.
2. Find a review article that gives you an overview of the topic.
3. Go super in-depth into one or two papers. It’ll be hard to understand a lot of it, especially if you’re a first or second year student, but just try your best.
4. Try to grapple with some of the main concepts, and think about some questions you have about the material. This could be things you don’t understand, or about the reasoning behind some specific experiment. The key here is to try to be as specific as possible.

💌 STEP #3: Reach out

If you find a prof and project by methods 1 and 3, you’re going to send a cold email, and make it as irresistible as possible. This is the general template I used that worked well for me, and landed me my first research positions.

Hi Professor/Dr ______!

My name is Jin, and I’m a third year student at the University of Toronto studying Immunology.

Here, I’d add a line or two explaining how I came across their research.

For example: We learned in class that these systems are elegant and functional, and so I was really fascinated and surprised by your research discovering genetic mutations that make the complement system go awry.

Next, I’d add some specific details about their research that I’d learned from their papers, followed by what I hoped were intelligent thoughts or questions about their work.

For example: Specifically, the interplay between environmental factors with these genetic mutations in the pathogenesis of conditions like aHUS and MPGN in children seems to open the door for novel behavioural therapies, in addition to traditional pharmaceutical solutions. I would really love the opportunity to be a part of this process.

My first cold emails were when I had no research experience, so I  discussed other instances where I had proved I could work hard and learn fast. After I had some experience under my belt, I added details about the kind of research I did and the techniques I was familiar with to this section.

For example: Though I have no previous research experience, I am keen and a fast learner. As a content developer and team lead at ____________, I learned website scripting in a matter of days to provide educational content for over 400 daily visitors.

I would love the opportunity to meet with you in person to discuss your research in further detail!

I’ve attached my resume and academic transcript below.

Thank you so much for your consideration, Dr. __________!

Sincerely,

Jin

If you went for method 2, visit your profs during office hours. Bring up their research, talk about what makes it seem really interesting to you, and tell them that you’re really interested in doing research with them. Ask them if they would be willing to take you on as a volunteer. This is a really excellent way to get your foot in the door, and profs are unlikely to turn you down, as long as they have space in the lab. If they say no, ask them if they have any colleagues who are looking for students.

💬 STEP #4: Interview

Interviews were something of a mixed bag for me. Sometimes, it was like a typical job interview where the prof was asking me the classic questions like “tell me about yourself” and “tell me why you’re interested in this position”. Other times, the prof would grill me about everything I knew about their research. And other times still, it was a relaxed conversation with the prof and their grad students/post docs about the different research projects going on in the lab.

I had no idea what I would get going into these interviews, so I tried to prepare for everything. I brushed up my answers to classic interview questions, read up on and practiced talking about the prof’s research, and overall tried to learn as much as I could about the topics at hand. If you have specific questions about the interview, drop a comment below! I promise I’ll get back to you.

💛 STEP #5: Follow up.

After each interview, send the prof a quick email thanking them for the opportunity to chat with them about their research. This leaves another positive impression of you on the prof. Even if you don’t get the position, it’s always useful and helpful to have a good relationship with a professor.

I hope you found this helpful, and don’t think that finding a research position is nearly as scary! If you still have any questions or things you’re worried about, leave a comment below, or send me a DM on IG!