The fall academic term will be starting in a few weeks, and you may be thinking about volunteering to work in a faculty member’s research lab. Doing so offers a number of benefits.
Most significantly, it’s a terrific way to learn how research is conducted. But it can also lead to a paid position if the faculty member has funding for their work, and if you perform well as a volunteer.
In addition, if you’re thinking about applying to graduate programs, having research experience will make you more competitive. And it can be a great way to obtain an informed letter of recommendation that will help make your application stand out.
But as with many things, there are better and worse ways to make your request.
You’ll probably want to send an email to make your initial contact. And unfortunately, many students fail to put their best foot forward when doing so. Every semester, I receive messages like the following:
Hi —
Could I work in your lab? Someone told me that I should probably be in a lab to get some experience. Please let me know right away.
This is a composite of the many sins that a student might commit if they’re seeking research experience. If I were to receive it, I wouldn’t be in a hurry to send a positive response or to reply at all.
Let’s look at the multitude of missteps on display here. (It’s worth noting that much of this applies to communicating with professors in general.)
Do it early. Once the school year begins, faculty members are very busy and receive lots of unsolicited email, so yours may get lost in the shuffle. In addition, if you wait too long, they may have already selected volunteers for the coming semester.
It’s best to make your query before the term begins. This helps to show that your request isn’t some last-minute impulse on your part. Midsummer is not too early to reach out.
Use an appropriate salutation. Many students view email as an informal medium, but messages sent to faculty should be addressed appropriately. Beginning with “Dear Dr. Smith” is always the best way to go. And please don’t open with “Dear Dr. Susie,” even if Susan Smith, Ph.D., allows her students to call her that in class.
Such a salutation may strike you as absurdly formal. But keep in mind that you’re writing a letter to a person of a different generation and not texting one of your friends. A lack of civility is a pet peeve of many faculty—present company included—so it’s best to err on the side of formality.
Introduce yourself. Are you a freshman? A senior? A psychology major? Have I had you in a class? Would you like to get involved right away, or are you thinking about next semester? You don’t need to tell your life story, but do provide some specifics in a sentence or two.
Do your homework. Most of the time, I receive generic queries with flattering but vague statements, such as I think that your research sounds fascinating. It makes me suspect that you are contacting me and several of my colleagues. But even if that’s true, you should personalise each appeal to make it stand out.
Locate a recent paper from the faculty member’s lab and read the abstract. If you find it boring—or incomprehensible—you may want to consider working with someone else. But if it really does sound interesting, refer to this specifically in your letter. This may be the most important thing you can do to stand out from the crowd.
Don’t attach a résumé. You can offer to send a résumé, but don’t send one with your initial email. (And you will have a polished and vetted résumé ready before you reach out, right?)
Be persistent. If you don’t hear anything after a week or so, it’s fine to send a follow-up query. But if a second overture doesn’t lead to a response, you may want to consider approaching a different researcher.
Check your online persona. The first thing I do after reading a promising inquiry is to conduct a web search for the student’s name. Make sure there isn’t anything online that will undermine your credibility.
Consider meeting in person. You may want to make your request face-to-face. Professors receive many time-sensitive emails every day, and so your query may sit in their inbox for a while.
But stop by at the proper time. Faculty will have office hours posted on their doors or online. Showing up in person demonstrates effort and initiative on your part. It’s also harder to say “no” to someone in person than by email!
Start early. The best time to get involved in research is when you are a sophomore or a junior. If you see graduate school as part of your future, working in the same lab for two or more terms is much more beneficial than volunteering for just one semester.
But do reach out. Even if you’re only thinking about pursuing graduate study, you need to learn more about how research is actually conducted. Many undergraduates have a romanticised view of this because the hard, boring parts are hidden from view. Volunteering will give you a much better idea of whether psychological research is a good fit for you.
Good luck!
