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How can I stand out amongst other applicants without much research experience?
I am a college junior majoring in psychology.
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Jane’s Answer
Several years ago, while my daughter was a junior in college as an accounting major, she applied for an internship with a very well-known accounting firm. Her GPA was not great and many of her peers with a much higher GPA were also applying. They were being interviewed in groups of five and it was an open discussion meaning she heard what everyone else was saying in the interview. The four who spoke before her talked about their GPAs and the courses they were taking. She was very nervous because she was speaking to a VP who had just heard how amazing the other four applicants were doing in their studies. When it was her turn, she started talking about parasailing. She and I had gone the weekend before and had a absolutely wonderful time. The person interviewing her was shocked at her response and they started talking about traveling the world. For the next 20 minutes the words accounting, school, studies and GPAs never came up. She got the internship and 10 years later is still working for that company. My advice to you is be yourself, show your personality, stand out.
Good luck !!
Good luck !!
Updated
Priya’s Answer
Hi Casey, I think this depends on your goal. Are you looking to enter graduate school? Are you looking for a job immediately after? Is it a more hands-on job or research-based? If you are looking toward a research based job or graduate school, I would say getting involved in a research lab at this time or in your senior year can really help. Also for graduate school or a hands-on job, volunteer experience/work experience can also help in my view. Explore your goal and try and build up the experience that matches that goal. Feel free to consult a college advisor or faculty as well!
Updated
Rija’s Answer
Hello Casey,
A GPA of 3.5 or higher would make you stand out. Having good grades in your classes shows that you have a good understanding of the subjects. Research hours are good as well. If you are on campus, try talking to your advisor about getting those research hours, they might know nearby locations for that. Maybe your school might have some too. For example, at my school there were various research opportunities. Volunteering would make you stand out as well. I believe volunteering in person or online would make a difference. If you are interested in volunteering online, a great site I would suggest is Crisis Text Hotline. It is an online volunteering system in which you are able to talk to individuals who are struggling with anxiety, depression, suicide, etc.. As you are talking to these individuals, you get a glance on how to advise them and now only will this make you stand out, but also give you great experience. Other than that, there are various other volunteering options that you can look into. An internship would be helpful as well, as you will get real-life experience. Finally, shadowing would also make you stand out because when you shadow a psychologist/psychiatrist, you see how they interact with their patients and how they get to their diagnoses. Good luck!
A GPA of 3.5 or higher would make you stand out. Having good grades in your classes shows that you have a good understanding of the subjects. Research hours are good as well. If you are on campus, try talking to your advisor about getting those research hours, they might know nearby locations for that. Maybe your school might have some too. For example, at my school there were various research opportunities. Volunteering would make you stand out as well. I believe volunteering in person or online would make a difference. If you are interested in volunteering online, a great site I would suggest is Crisis Text Hotline. It is an online volunteering system in which you are able to talk to individuals who are struggling with anxiety, depression, suicide, etc.. As you are talking to these individuals, you get a glance on how to advise them and now only will this make you stand out, but also give you great experience. Other than that, there are various other volunteering options that you can look into. An internship would be helpful as well, as you will get real-life experience. Finally, shadowing would also make you stand out because when you shadow a psychologist/psychiatrist, you see how they interact with their patients and how they get to their diagnoses. Good luck!
Updated
Kim’s Answer
Hi Casey!
It's great that you are thinking ahead to landing a entry-level position in Psychology. What exactly do you see yourself doing with this Education? What research/work/volunteering/internships do you have that you can put on a resume? Why SHOULD I want to hire YOU over everyone else? Convince me that you are the best candidate. What do you have to offer that they may not? (tricky, because, you don't know the competition.) It starts by believing in yourself and your training.
And, although it's "old-school," I still believe in a well-written cover-letter, specifically tailored to the position you are applying for. Give me a feel for who you are as a person, show that you understand what the position is about, and demonstrate how you will fit in. It takes some time to write, but, if it is a position that you truly want and feel you will excel in, then, it's worth the investment. And, needless to say, proofread with great attention to detail. Perfection. A cover letter lets you draw from personal life experiences, not just work and schooling. For example, when someone is drawn to law enforcement because of personal experience, perhaps a family member was victimized. . . show your human side as well as your professional side.
hope this helps!!
It's great that you are thinking ahead to landing a entry-level position in Psychology. What exactly do you see yourself doing with this Education? What research/work/volunteering/internships do you have that you can put on a resume? Why SHOULD I want to hire YOU over everyone else? Convince me that you are the best candidate. What do you have to offer that they may not? (tricky, because, you don't know the competition.) It starts by believing in yourself and your training.
And, although it's "old-school," I still believe in a well-written cover-letter, specifically tailored to the position you are applying for. Give me a feel for who you are as a person, show that you understand what the position is about, and demonstrate how you will fit in. It takes some time to write, but, if it is a position that you truly want and feel you will excel in, then, it's worth the investment. And, needless to say, proofread with great attention to detail. Perfection. A cover letter lets you draw from personal life experiences, not just work and schooling. For example, when someone is drawn to law enforcement because of personal experience, perhaps a family member was victimized. . . show your human side as well as your professional side.
hope this helps!!
Updated
Nick’s Answer
Hi Casey,
Great question and wonderful you are looking at how to differentiate yourself but a little unclear on what level of research position you are looking for.
At the college level, you can look for an internship to start to build your experience and really understand further what you want to pursue within that field. For example, my girlfriend studied psychology in college, and she pursued an internship at a lab to help supplement her experience. She found this by searching the psychology school board where they posted opportunities. In addition, you could consider an independent study with a professor to leverage their knowledge and expertise to help craft your own knowledge in the field.
For a full time role, while you do not have any current existing experience, to set yourself apart you could pick a topic of research that is of interest to you, create a problem statement/hypothesis, conduct analysis and come to a conclusion, and create a presentation to leverage in interviews to show your passion and interest for the topic. This could show your creativity and willingness to go the extra mile that ultimately could impress the hiring manager and help land you the opportunity.
Best of luck and hope this helps!
Great question and wonderful you are looking at how to differentiate yourself but a little unclear on what level of research position you are looking for.
At the college level, you can look for an internship to start to build your experience and really understand further what you want to pursue within that field. For example, my girlfriend studied psychology in college, and she pursued an internship at a lab to help supplement her experience. She found this by searching the psychology school board where they posted opportunities. In addition, you could consider an independent study with a professor to leverage their knowledge and expertise to help craft your own knowledge in the field.
For a full time role, while you do not have any current existing experience, to set yourself apart you could pick a topic of research that is of interest to you, create a problem statement/hypothesis, conduct analysis and come to a conclusion, and create a presentation to leverage in interviews to show your passion and interest for the topic. This could show your creativity and willingness to go the extra mile that ultimately could impress the hiring manager and help land you the opportunity.
Best of luck and hope this helps!