Joining a Research Lab

Working in a research lab as an undergraduate is one of the best ways to gain experience in the neuroscience/psychology field. If you plan on attending graduate school, doing so is especially important.

What experience do i need?

  • Most university labs understand that many undergraduates have little to no laboratory experience, so don’t worry if you don’t have any! Instead, undergraduate labs will look at your past work and volunteer experience.

what tangible items do i need?

Resume/CURRICULUM VITAE (CV)

  • A resume is a condensed version of your education, jobs, and skills. Resumes tend to be on the shorter side, usually around 1-2 pages. Click here for a template, or click here to see an example!

  • A CV is similar to a resume, but it is usually longer and presents a full history of your work. Click here to see an example!

unofficial transcripts

  • Your unofficial transcripts display previous classes and grades, as well as your semester and cumulative GPA.

  • If you are a Temple student, you can easily access these transcripts at any time by going to TUPortal, clicking “Student Tools” in the top banner, and scrolling down to the bottom of the page. Here you will find a list of options on the right-hand sidebar; click “Academic History” and choose which transcript level you want to see (there should only be one option to select as an undergraduate student)!

The Interview

Congratulations! You’ve secured an interview! Don’t freak out, you got this! Here are a few interview tips to make sure you impress your potential new lab team!

Dress professionally

  • How you look is the first thing that your interviewer will notice, so make sure you look your best!

  • Click here to see Temple’s list of Do’s and Don’ts for interview attire! At the bottom of the page, you will find a section about Career Wardrobe, a free service that provides students with business attire that Temple partners with.

Be on Time/Early

  • Nobody likes to be kept waiting, so don’t be the cause! Make sure you allow for plenty of time for travel and don’t forget to check for any accidents or traffic that could add extra time to your commute.

  • Sometimes if you are going to a new place for an interview, it’s good to allow for extra time before your interview so you can figure out parking (if necessary) or find where you need to go.

  • If you arrive extra early, use that time to go over your practice interview questions!

Come Prepared

  • Interviewers often use similar questions, so you can easily look up common interview questions and prepare your answers. Click here to see Indeed.com’s list of 20 Common Interview Questions and Answers.

  • Furthermore, it shows initiative if you come up with questions for the interviewer. An interview doesn’t have to be one-sided; feel free to ask questions about the role you are interviewing for, the workspace environment, etc..