This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Virginia Tech chapter.

I’m a junior here at Virginia Tech, but if you didn’t know I am also an Undergraduate Teacher’s Assistant within the Orion Living Learning Community. Orion is a Living Learning Community that houses and supports majors in the College of Science where you can learn valuable skills that help you succeed in your career. I’m a leader in my community and as I was meeting incoming freshmen, the first questions I got were: How do I get involved in Research? I tried to tell them they didn’t have to start so soon, but I guess I contradicted myself by getting into research my freshman year.

Now if you can’t fit research or an internship within your schedule your first year that’s perfectly fine! I honestly recommend finding research your sophomore or junior year when you have your feet steadier on the ground. The advice I give you today can apply to you whether you’re a freshman with zero experience or a senior who needs their hours. I got you and I’m here to help with five awesome tips.

Know Your Stuff: When I say know your stuff, I don’t mean you have to be an automatic expert on the topic your research is about. Most of the time you’ll learn through hands-on experience and work. What I mean here is to know your stuff on your boss. The person who is trying to hire you, the researcher themself! Now figure out, do you just like their research, or do you like their career path as well? It’s good to differentiate the two. You can always see if they have other similar projects in the future or if it’s a possible profession that can help you to graduate school. Now that’s a big difference.
Honesty is key: Do not put on a fake version of yourself. I know you want the position but as they work with you, the facade you put on may begin crumbling down. One compliment I constantly got from my interviews was my honesty and uniqueness. I didn’t fit the equation, but I brought something new and fresh to the table. They don’t want the same applicant over and over, they want what makes you different from the other applicants. If you don’t have any experience that’s okay! I wouldn’t lie about it because then they would have certain expectations of you. I would say I have no experience, but I’m a very hard worker and diligent learner.
Cold Emailing: I know this tip sounds daunting, to say the least, but a cold email can go a long way. Now what’s a cold email? It’s when you email a person without ever meeting them. I know it sounds awkward but honestly, it works! A lot of the time people don’t follow up with opportunities because they feel as though it would be too awkward to just email a random professor. Now you can use that to your advantage. Also, it shows initiative and confidence that can impress them.
Following up: Following up is a crucial tip, which I think a lot of people don’t notice. This is a generalized tip, and I mean it in a broad sense. For example, “Are there any questions you have for me?” Follow up and ask a question. Show you have thought about this opportunity for a while and you’re seizing the moment. Also, following up with a thank you email a few days after your interview can do wonders. It can keep you fresh in their mind and stand out from the crowd. In a thank you email, you say basically thank you for your time and consideration before adding on if they have further questions, comments, or concerns about reaching out.
Knowing your resources: Virginia Tech and colleges in general have resources available to you in order to get you involved. Need to practice an interview, get a headshot, or have your resume reviewed? Head over to Career and Professional Development services. There’s an Office of Undergraduate Research weekly newsletter that you can subscribe to, and get emails to notify you of opportunities. Another program available is FURF (First-Year Fralin Undergraduate Research Fellowship) which is a new program that can give you experience in your research field with direct mentoring from a faculty member. Also, your own professors are resources too! Getting to know them and figuring out opportunities they provide may open you up to their own research, or future networking into the research you would like to do.

These tips and tricks have helped me and others quite a lot. Nonetheless, research doesn’t have to be something to be scared about. It can give you amazing experiences and skills you can use for the rest of your career, you just have to be open about it. Remember, other people are trying to get research, but you are you and no one else can be that.

Research 101: How to Get Involved

We wanna slide into your DMs