Trouble finding a lab on campus.

[xnfs93hy]

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I was offered an interview at a neuroscience laboratory in April, but was turned down because my CV wasn't that impressive. Since then, I have accumulated shadowing hours and hospital volunteering hours. I also do community service through my university's Newman Center. My GPA is above 3.8 cumulative and above 3.8 science. What are some other things that I can do to bolster my CV for a research assistant position? Also, I must have contacted nearly a dozen laboratories' PIs and they all said that they are filled to the brim with undergrads working there. One PI suggested that I start looking for positions in November, as decisions are usually made in April. So, I have some time to improve my CV. The trouble is, I just don't want to wait too long. I'm already a sophomore and have zero bench research under my belt. Should I try contacting other laboritories besides neuroscience ones? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[Neuronix]

It sounds like you're looking for a paid position. You typically have to work for free for awhile as an undergrad, possibly free for your entire pre-med career. If you're not having much luck finding a volunteer position, yes, broaden your search. Beggars can't be choosers.

 

[xnfs93hy]

It sounds like you're looking for a paid position. You typically have to work for free for awhile as an undergrad, possibly free for your entire pre-med career. If you're not having much luck finding a volunteer position, yes, broaden your search. Beggars can't be choosers.

I'm actually not looking for a paid position. All the positions I applied to are volunteer gigs. I think I will start looking into other research areas such as microbio and the like. What do PIs typically look for on your CV @Neuronix?

 

[Neuronix]

Every lab is different. The way it works as an undergrad is that you knock on doors until you find someone willing to take you on. The idea is you go find the PIs and say "Hi I'm interested in research, can I get experience in your lab?" You ask around to the profs you know and see if they know anyone. I've never heard of profs reviewing your CV and taking applications to decide later who to accept into the lab. That makes sense for funded research positions and other competitive programs. You're just looking around your undergrad. Keep looking.

 

[xnfs93hy]

Every lab is different. The way it works as an undergrad is that you knock on doors until you find someone willing to take you on. The idea is you go find the PIs and say "Hi I'm interested in research, can I get experience in your lab?" You ask around to the profs you know and see if they know anyone. I've never heard of profs reviewing your CV and taking applications to decide later who to accept into the lab. That makes sense for funded research positions and other competitive programs. You're just looking around your undergrad. Keep looking.

Will do. The labs that I've looked at, at least in the Neuroscience department, require a CV, course schedule and interview, in order to be locked into a position. I don't know why my university makes you jump through all these hoops, but, unfortunately, they do. Like you said, every laboratory is different. The Biology or Chemistry departments may have different policies. I'll keep looking around. Thanks again.

 

[Neuronix]

Weird. Maybe someone else can help you better than I can.

I can't imagine what they're expecting from an undergrad CV. I mean I dropped out of high school, backdoored my way into college after bumming around for awhile, worked full-time in tech support while I took classes, and eventually found someone willing to take me into a lab after switching majors from computer science. It would be crazy to me to expect something more than just interest as an undergrad. But then again, most of the undergrads I've ever seen in the labs I've worked in had parents who were somehow connected to the PI. Anyway, it did take me a lot of asking around as an undergrad to find a lab (and then even more to find a paid position so I didn't starve), but I suspect you'll be successful with more persistence.