Having trouble finding PI willing to let me work in their lab during school year

[Beyonce2.0]

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Hi, I've been having trouble with trying to find a lab I can work at. I'll be entering my sophomore year this coming fall and I figured I would start emailing now so that I can secure a spot ahead of time. So far, I have emailed 2 PI's affiliated with my school and major, both of which have said no. I'm wondering if it's something about the way I have formatted my emails or just the fact that I haven't reached out to enough people. I just want to make sure that I'm doing it right so that I can continue and hopefully find a lab. Here is how I have been formatting my emails:


Dear [PI name],

My name is [name] and I will be entering my sophomore year at [school] this coming semester, with a plan to major in biology. I am emailing you to discuss the possibility of me working as a research assistant in your lab beginning this upcoming school year. A bit of background on me: [here I write my background of working in a few labs during high school summers]

[Next I write about my interest in the work their labs do, both in terms of how it connects to the research I've done and to what I've learned in my college classes]

If feasible, as I will be in [city] for the next few weeks, I would appreciate the opportunity to meet with you in person soon to further discuss your research, as well as the possibility of working for you next semester. Additionally, I have attached my resume to this email for your reference. Thank you again for your consideration and I look forward to hearing from you!

Sincerely,
me


Is there anything in the email you guys would recommend changing? Is it too long/short? Should I maybe be calling to set up meetings instead of emailing? Any help is appreciated; thanks in advance!

 

[Beyonce2.0]

Sorry, wrong forum and can't figure out how to move/delete it!

 

[red leader]

Don't lose hope. I had to e-mail 30 labs while I was a Sophomore, got 2 responses, and ended up working for one of them.

 

[keep_swimmin]

The email doesn't look bad!

It's probably that you haven't reached out to enough people. Not all PIs want undergrads or are even in a place to have undergrads. The training, costs, and inconsistency associated with having an undergrad can sometimes trump the benefits of free labor to a PI. I say this after having worked in over 5 labs and in 3 of them, several undergrads quit and left their mentors holding the bag. It happens. You need to prove you are not one of these unreliable quitters without making the e-mail too long. I would provide a reference for a past mentor too (email contact).

Make sure this part isn't too long. Think about if every phrase adds something new: [Next I write about my interest in the work their labs do, both in terms of how it connects to the research I've done and to what I've learned in my college classes]

Do you write in the email how much time you could realistically commit? Some projects will require you to be there a minimum of 6 hours a day but only once or twice a week, others require you to go in an hour or two each day, etc. If you indicate an honest commitment that works for the project, that could be attractive to the PI.

Don't call; stick with email.

Finally, maybe this will help you too: http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.or...s_issues/articles/2015_05_06/caredit.a1500118

 

[pd1112]

Is this for a posted position or just blind emailing? I would give a 2 sentence background with mention of interest/experience in research, mention interest in his/her research, then ask if it's possible to meet to discuss his/her research & if it's possible for you to get "involved." I don't like the idea of asking for a job in the second sentence or attaching a résumé without knowing if a position is available (if this is the case). Keep in mind that the easiest/fastest way to get involved would be volunteering. If you're hoping to be compensated, I would look for posted positions.

 

[doc05]

just keep sending out messages. not every lab has openings, especially for undergrads.

 

[GoSpursGo]

Thread closed per request of OP.