undergradute research assistant interview? wat to expect?

[wattupdoc]

so i have an interview with a prof for a volunteer RA position. how can i prepare (aside from reading about their research) and wat can i expect?

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[DAPI]

so i have an interview with a prof for a volunteer RA position. how can i prepare (aside from reading about their research) and wat can i expect?

You can expect to get the position because you are basically slave labor to them... Unless you always spell what like 'wat' and don't capitalize the first letter of each sentence or 'i'; then you can just forget about it. (srs)

 

[Fivo]

They're going to want to know you have a decent GPA from which to judge your work ethic. Then they'll ask you why you're interested in their lab, to which you will reply with something you've already researched about them the night prior. You use your ability to hold a conversation for at least 15 minutes and then pat yourself on the back as you walk out of the door with your new position. Be sure to wear slacks, a polo, and some topsiders! Or slacks and a longsleeve button down with rolled up sleeves and the top 2 buttons undone (only if you've got swag).

 

[sinombre]

They're going to want to know you have a decent GPA from which to judge your work ethic. Then they'll ask you why you're interested in their lab, to which you will reply with something you've already researched about them the night prior. You use your ability to hold a conversation for at least 15 minutes and then pat yourself on the back as you walk out of the door with your new position. Be sure to wear slacks, a polo, and some topsiders! Or slacks and a longsleeve button down with rolled up sleeves and the top 2 buttons undone (only if you've got swag).

If by swag you mean chest hair, then I agree.

 

[MedPR]

Also don't tell them that you are applying to med school and plan on leaving in a year.

 

[sinombre]

Also don't tell them that you are applying to med school and plan on leaving in a year.

Agreed.

 

[wattupdoc]

You can expect to get the position because you are basically slave labor to them... Unless you always spell what like 'wat' and don't capitalize the first letter of each sentence or 'i'; then you can just forget about it. (srs)

haha, i dont usually type this. just much faster. So you're pretty sure she won't say no?

 

[DAPI]

haha, i dont usually type this. just much faster. So you're pretty sure she won't say no?

As long as you seem interested, informed, don't come across as a *****, and there isn't a line of other people interviewing for the same spot, no, she will not say no.

 

[wattupdoc]

They're going to want to know you have a decent GPA from which to judge your work ethic. Then they'll ask you why you're interested in their lab, to which you will reply with something you've already researched about them the night prior. You use your ability to hold a conversation for at least 15 minutes and then pat yourself on the back as you walk out of the door with your new position. Be sure to wear slacks, a polo, and some topsiders! Or slacks and a longsleeve button down with rolled up sleeves and the top 2 buttons undone (only if you've got swag).

thanks! 15 minutes seems like a lot to me.. maybe its cause im a bit nervous and not the most outgoing person in a while. well, the interviews still a week away, i have some time to prepare.

is it really necessary to dress up?

also, maybe leaving the top 2 buttons of my shirt undone may not be the most brilliant idea since im a girl

most of you guys seem pretty confidant ill get it, buuut idk i dont feel very confident. lol. thanks for your advice tho!

 

[Bangersandmash]

thanks! 15 minutes seems like a lot to me.. maybe its cause im a bit nervous and not the most outgoing person in a while. well, the interviews still a week away, i have some time to prepare.

is it really necessary to dress up?

also, maybe leaving the top 2 buttons of my shirt undone may not be the most brilliant idea since im a girl

most of you guys seem pretty confidant ill get it, buuut idk i dont feel very confident. lol. thanks for your advice tho!

Dress business casual. And if the PI is a male, it would definitely be brilliant to leave all of your buttons undone.

 

[MedPR]

thanks! 15 minutes seems like a lot to me.. maybe its cause im a bit nervous and not the most outgoing person in a while. well, the interviews still a week away, i have some time to prepare.

is it really necessary to dress up?

also, maybe leaving the top 2 buttons of my shirt undone may not be the most brilliant idea since im a girl

most of you guys seem pretty confidant ill get it, buuut idk i dont feel very confident. lol. thanks for your advice tho!

Trying my best not to make a chauvinistic reply. Success.

 

[Josh7]

I met with 4 professors over the summer when I was trying to figure out what lab I wanted to work in for the rest of my undergrad. Basically each professor told me about their research and then asked if I was interested in it.

Chances are the professor has already seen your CV before interviewing so there really isn't any need to try to impress them. Be honest and don't accept a research position if you aren't genuinely interested in the research that is being done. Especially don't become a research assistant if you're just doing it to "check off" a box on your application. It isn't fair to the graduate student or post-doc you're working with if you aren't intellectually involved.

Personally I didn't dress in business casual or anything like that, I just showed up in my normal clothes and learned about the research. I read a few of the recent publications for each lab group I was learning about to get a general idea about what I was going to hear from the professor.

 

[487806]

Also don't tell them that you are applying to med school and plan on leaving in a year.

Well said. Keep your final plans a secret.

 

[wattupdoc]

Dress business casual. And if the PI is a male, it would definitely be brilliant to leave all of your buttons undone.

shes a girl. but regardless of gender, my intelligence should be more attractive if it was a guy well, at least in a perfect world. but thanks for your advice!

 

[wattupdoc]

I met with 4 professors over the summer when I was trying to figure out what lab I wanted to work in for the rest of my undergrad. Basically each professor told me about their research and then asked if I was interested in it.

Chances are the professor has already seen your CV before interviewing so there really isn't any need to try to impress them. Be honest and don't accept a research position if you aren't genuinely interested in the research that is being done. Especially don't become a research assistant if you're just doing it to "check off" a box on your application. It isn't fair to the graduate student or post-doc you're working with if you aren't intellectually involved.

Personally I didn't dress in business casual or anything like that, I just showed up in my normal clothes and learned about the research. I read a few of the recent publications for each lab group I was learning about to get a general idea about what I was going to hear from the professor.

i am really interested in the research topic! so thats a plus. that also helps calm my nerves since they have my CV already. thanks!

 

[Bangersandmash]

shes a girl. but regardless of gender, my intelligence should be more attractive if it was a guy well, at least in a perfect world. but thanks for your advice!

Sure, intelligence can be attractive. But you need to be attractive too.

 

[saveourpens]

Voluteer researchers are a dime a dozen to PIs. Id make sure to meet with at least several before deciding on a position.

The notion that PIs won't want you because you're leaving in a year is not necessarily true. I got several full time jobs offers in my gap year after being very upfront about my situation.

And, personally, I'd go with a lab run by an MD bearer (though their funding seems to be more limited) who knows full well that you're going to med school...much better chance of a fair and healthy relationship.

 

[Yorick]

I've interview twice this year for research positions, one with a professor and another with a Ph.D student, and got both of them. The interviews were pretty informal and I dressed in normal clothes. With the professor, he asked me about my prior and current education, how interested and committed I was, and then spent the rest of the time giving me an overview of what his group did and then showed me the lab. the Ph.D student spent a lot of time explaining the project he was working on, what I would be doing, then asked me about knowledge of the topic and work I would be doing (I'm working with drosophila flies and luckily my biology class previously did a lab on drosophila so I was good with it).

So you can expect questions about your interest, commitment and possible education and classes taken.

 

[futurepremed]

shes a girl. but regardless of gender, my intelligence should be more attractive if it was a guy well, at least in a perfect world. but thanks for your advice!

Just become a lesbian and you won't have to put up with their desperate bs. It'll save you a lifetime of trouble.

 

[futurepremed]

Sure, intelligence can be attractive. But you need to be attractive too.

Your penis sounds small. And that bit of advice assumes the "male" pi is straight.