This seems like a daunting reality to behold, especially for most high school and college students who have absolutely no background or experience in their fields of interest.
Research positions and internships are not just in the medical science fields, but can be in engineering, graphic design, entrepreneurship, technology, marketing, media presentation, legal advice, and so on.
It doesn’t matter what you plan to do… there will always be an opportunity for you to work with other people who are more experienced. It’s a huge advantage to have as a high school student or college undergrad. Nothing can replace hands on, real-world experience.
Internships are a great way to accelerate your knowledge of the field and get ideas for how you want to do/change things in the future. They also enable you to be a credible and competent person, which will help you in everything from relationships to your professional life.
That’s why employers will always ask about your background, previous jobs, and qualifications. Good grades and high test scores are not enough to get you anywhere in real life. You have to have applicable knowledge in whatever field you want to pursue.
And if you don’t have any, then it’s about time to get going. Fear not, my dear friend, for we are about to break down the nitty gritty of how to do just that.
- Create A Strong LinkedIn Profile
The reality is: you probably don’t know anyone in your field of future expertise that can help you get there. No shame, though, most young adults are the same way.
However, that doesn’t mean you sit on your bum and wait until some opportunity arrives. You go put yourself out there and CREATE the opportunity.
That means: create diverse connections. Yes, build a network with people who may not have the same vision as you do, but who have implemented a vision of their own in the world. And if you don’t know what your vision is, then stop reading this and go figure it out right here.
When you’re done, go create a LinkedIn profile (either download the app or use the website above). Why? Because LinkedIn is the most used online platform for job opportunities and professional networks. It is used by 675 million professionals in over 15,000 fields and has a 64% rate of job hiring through referrals.
That means your chance of being hired because you know someone else who promoted you is 64%. That’s excluding your own self-promoting strategy, which we will discuss shortly.
The best way to network on LinkedIn is to start small and then build the web from there. First, set-up a profile that best represents your skills and potential. Include only the most relevant and significant experiences and skills.
After you set up your account (name, email, picture, location, career, skills, etc.) go to My Network and request to connect with any of the suggested people.
If you know people or have heard of people that you want to connect with, send them a connection request. Put their name in the search bar and see what they have been contributing in their field.
If you don’t know anybody, but are interested in some, then send them a connection request. Don’t ever hesitate to put yourself out there. You can only be genuine when you’re the most vulnerable. It will do you plenty of good to keep that in mind.
2. Make a Strong Resume
A resume in the workforce is like what an advertisement is to a new iPhone. Yes, it sounds weird, but you’re basically advertising yourself.
You have to not only make it visually appealing, but professionally eye-catching. That means you have to flush out your strengths and shine on your accomplishments.
There are many free google docs resume templates that you can use or you can design your own from scratch. The former takes almost 10 minutes to create because you just plug-in your info in the pre-designed slots. The latter requires intense thought and creativity (which I recommend).
You can opt for a simple, un-personalized template or you can get deep and dirty with your own favorite fonts, styles, and colors (which I also recommend).
The actual content of your resume should include:
- Intro section: (name, address, phone number, email, and optional picture)
- Education section: latest degrees/diplomas and the institutes (with years of graduation). If you have not graduated yet, include the most qualifying courses that you are currently studying.
- Work Experience section: previous jobs/volunteerism (with time periods).
- Certifications section: certificates/legal abilities that have been approved/endorsed by legal organizations.
- Skills section: what you can do WELL. The things that make you stand out for that position.
- Activities/Hobbies section: what you enjoy doing and where you spend most of your non-working hours.
- Bonus Tools/Technology section: digital abilities or experience with professional technology in your field.
These sections are the vertebrae of a solid resume. For a concrete example, here is my simple and basic resume. If you need a more personalized and unconventional example, you can use my personalized resume.
3. Mass Apply to Open Positions
Now that you have a LinkedIn profile and a solid resume, it’s time to research open positions and start applying.
For this step, I advise you to allot a 2-3 hour time period to be able to get it done. You’ll need to do massive amounts of job searches and applications.
- Go to the Jobs tab on LinkedIn, then type your desired position in the search engine. You will get a little tool bar beneath the search engine, where you could select the options that best suit you. (For instance, you can choose what experience level you want the position to require, what company you want to apply for, whether it’s remote or not, etc.)
- After you have selected your preferences, take a long look at the results and notice the most appealing ones to your interests.
- Now you can officially start applying. Click on the job you like and select the big, blue Apply button. There will either be an Easy Apply option (which means you could upload your resume and answer a few questions directly on LinkedIn and be done) or an Apply option (which will most likely take you to the company’s website and have you fill out a lengthy application from there).
- Repeat that process for 25-30 positions (Yes, MASS APPLY)
It’s quite logical what happens when you do this: the more positions you apply to, the greater your chances of being hired. Some people would choose to do a few applications here and there whenever they have time. The problem with this is that you’ll be too vague and unfocused as to what you are really targeting.
4. Cold Call When Necessary
Yes, the chances of you getting into at least one of these positions is pretty darn high. However, that doesn’t mean it’s guaranteed.
You’ve got to have another steady back-up action plan. Nothing but cold calling can save you after 25+ applications don’t work.
If after three weeks of applying, you still do not get a positive response from anyone, then go ahead and cold call.
Go to the desired job position on LinkedIn and look for a phone number around the job description area. If it’s not there, then go to the company/employer’s website and dial the primary phone number.
Explain who you are to the person on the other end. Tell them how you are really interested in their research studies or endeavors and how your abilities/experiences can aid in that work.
This audacity and tenacity cannot be met with anything but a genuine connection with the employer. There are two scenarios that can happen, 1) they schedule a further interview with you or 2) they respectfully decline. In both cases you are the winner.
In the latter case, you should pursue this last course of action:
5. Send Personal Emails
This one is the most unpopular course of action for employment, especially among young adults. People give up after steps 3 and 4… and rightfully so.
It’s really challenging to not give in to the negative thoughts that might say “oh, I’m just not cut out for this” or “I already knew it. Nobody’s gonna want me.”
It’s nothing personal if you don’t get hired after all of these tries. You just have to try again, and try differently.
Choose your favorite five or so positions and email the employer or company. Their email can again be found on their LinkedIn page or their main website. In the email you should include:
- A little snippet about yourself (and why you want to work with them)
- A link to your LinkedIn profile
- An attached resume
- Optional cover letter
- One major item that you want them to see (a research paper about something related to the field, a great presentation, an organization that you previously worked with, etc.)
Please remember to keep your emails professional, courteous, and straightforward. Don’t spend too much time talking in circles and ignoring the main point of the email.
State that you want to get that position right away. And make it clear that you are willing to do whatever it takes to get it. There is really little else that can stand in your way when you have diligently and intentionally implemented these steps.