Where are you in the

internship maze?

An attempt to get from

confusion to clarity!
 Please make
sure you can
hear us and see
our screen.

Please keep your

microphones on
mute.

Please type your

questions in the
chat window.

We will pick Qs
as we go along.
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 Outline
●Choosing and Applying to Labs - Nagaraj

●Writing your first email - Snehal

●Responses to emails - Omkar

●Making CVs / Resumes for internships - Karishma

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Choosing and Applying to Labs

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What are you looking for ?
Why ?

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 Choosing the Right Lab
Does the research focus of the lab align with your interests ?
Read details of ongoing projects on the website (do your homework!)

Check out recent publications and read them. (UG student authors?)

Look at the composition of the lab (UG vs Grad vs Post Doc).

Also look at the department and the institute also when you apply to a lab.

THINK EARLY PLAN SOON AFTER APPLY LATER

Ask yourself why you think this lab is right for you. Let your letter reflect that.

DO NOT apply to a lab just because it is reputed

There is a high chance that the PI will recognise a non-specific email!

Dramatically reduces your chances to even get a response. 6

 Applying to the Lab
● Best chance of getting a (positive) response: Pitch an idea
Demonstrates that you are truly following their work :)

It may not be something you finally work on, but will reflect your commitment

● E e if d ha e a el idea ge fa ilia i h hei k

Make sure you highlight your project of interest in the email

● Timing: Make sure you write well in advance (3 months prior) such that
you have time to complete any prerequisites
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 The Nitty-Gritty Details
● Where do I find internships, other than lab websites?
Common platforms? Portals? India-specific sites?

● How many labs should I apply to?

Any success metrics to share? Conversion rates?

● Make sure you have discussed this with your current PI/faculty!
Any host institute/graduation specific requirements?
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Your first impression - Your first email!

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 Before sending the Email
✔ Identified a Lab
✔ Read their work
✔ Identified potential projects/areas of interest

Find the correct email address

Make a draft email first (add in the email ID as the
last step)
Never write emails when you are not in the right
headspace! 10
 Structure of the Email
● Part 1 : Initiation
Introduce yourself - who and where? Current course?
3-4 lines
Scientific interests (broad) and research background

● Part 2 : Main Body

Main research interest and reasons (focussed topic)
Skills you have for the project 10-12 lines
Publications etc.

● Part 3 : Termination
F ali ie h i g kee i e e
2-3 lines
Timelines, Forms, Application procedures etc. 11
 Correct Email Address

Relevant to the position OR clearly indicating that your email is an application

Dear Prof. XYZ,

Introduce yourself and state in one line what this email is about. State
your research interests in one line.

Give a brief background of your education and research experience

(relevant), skills you have that are relevant to this application.

More about your research interests (how it ties into the work of this lab
you are applying to).

Details about project/internship you are looking for, and TIMELINES!

Attached CV

Sign off
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 DON T
Begi e ail a Dea Si Mada
Emphasize on details that are already present in
your CV
Be too generic. It shows lack of focus and might
dampen your chances
Write lengthy emails. Most of them will be
postponed to later and forgotten.
• Use fonts that are difficult to read. E.g. Cursive fonts,
decorative fonts WHEN YOU RECEIVE AN EMAIL
WITH WEIRD FONTS

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 DOs
Give enough information and/or rationale about the
reasons for your interest and idea
Mention any publications (relevant)
TIMING: Send the email at an appropriate time!
Right email to the right lab !
Be concise and specific
Follow up with a query a few days later
Use GRAMMARLY - emails with poor
language/grammar almost never get responses! ALWAYS READ YOUR EMAIL
BEFORE CLICKING SEND!

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 Grammarly
Wonderful tool for Grammar and spell check
Has a free and premium version
Check if your Institute has taken a Premium subscription!

Accessibility : Online, App for PC, Plugins for Chrome/Word, Keyboard

Tip: The plugin can be distracting for some people

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Responses to Emails ?

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 Write an email

Send it an appropriate time

Wait for a few days (5-7 days) for the response

Got a response?

Yes! No

Se d a ge le e i de a a
Faculty may have genuinely missed responding appropriate time

Often they appreciate the reminder

Not more than
Gentle reminder means: twice
avoid words such as ASAP, immediately :)
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 Yes! You got a response.

Application accepted Application declined

Congratulations! D l eh e
Make good use of the opportunity:- An opening might come-up soon.
Every day is a new day!
● Complete all prerequisites
● Get a head-start by reading papers Keep yourself in the loop by showing
● If needed, ask for reading relevant interest in joining if an opening comes up!
reading material What is the reason?
● Set a timeline to join them No opening: Ask if you can keep in touch,
● Ask if you can get to know other lab any idea when an opening might come up?
members Remote work?
● Accomodation/visa? Not the right fit: Better to let it go
Found a better place/fit: Please email
and inform that you will not be joining! 18
 Some Examples of Emails
Respected Sir/ Ma'am
I wish to apply for the research project that advertise on ------ group by ------ Ma'am I
thoroughly Interested in working on this topic for my internship because prior to
ge i g i f a i hi jec I had ead fe a e hi ic ------ a d ----"
which really got me Interested in the topic.Also attended ----- Ma'am Lecture in -----
College, Pune.
I look forward to your response and further communication, do let me know if I need to
come to meet you regarding project and if you require apart from my CV to join.
Thanking you,

Is this a good or bad email?

Yours Sincerely
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ABC
Dear Dr. ABC,
Some Examples of Emails
I, Snehal Kadam, am an undergraduate student at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER)
Pune, India. I am currently in the 4th year of a 5 year dual BS-MS course. I am interested in synthetic biology, gene
circuits, their functioning and microbiology. I wanted to enquire about the possibility of doing my Masters Thesis
project in your research group.
I am currently working with Dr. XYZ at IISER Pune studying a synthetic genetic circuit and gene expression patterns
using E.coli as a model organism. I was also a part of the IISER Pune iGEM team that won a bronze medal in iGEM
2015. I have previously done an internship at the Mechanobiology Institute (National University of Singapore) in Prof.
PQR's lab, studying regulation in a genetic network involved in Salmonella pathogenesis.
As a part of our course at my home institute, we are required to do a project (roughly from May 2017 to March 2018) in
the 5th year of our course (Masters Thesis Project). This is an evaluated project and required to successfully obtain the
degree.
I am interested in the work your lab is doing, particularly in understanding noise in genetic networks. I wanted to
know if there is a possibility of doing my masters thesis project in the lab. I have attached my CV, which details my
education background and research experience.
Looking forward to your reply.

Thanking you, Is this a good or bad email? 20

Snehal Kadam
IISER Pune
 Some Examples of Emails
Respected Dr.ABC ,
I am Omkar Joshi, a 3rd-year student in the BSMS Dual Degree Program at the Indian Institute of Science Education and
Research (IISER), Pune. I write to you with interest in working in your Ray Lab at the ******* (Name of Institute), ### (Place), as a research student,
during the Summer months (May-July) of 2019.

With a long-standing inclination towards Cell Biology, I decided to join a Cell Biology Lab at IISER-Pune. I worked in that lab, under Dr. XYZ, for a
year and a half. In the course of my work, along with all the theoretical and Wet Lab Cell Biology skills, I developed a keen interest in Cancer
Biology. Understanding the "Hallmarks of Cancer" further fascinated me towards this exciting system.

The field of Cancer Biology and it's association with various transcription factors and this in turn driving metastasis has fascinated me. Knowing
from my previous cell biology experience that the transcriptome of cancer cells is nothing short of a mess, I am excited to know how it is various
regulations work in the cancer cells to achieve various phenotypes. The work in your Lab has sparked my curiosity and I would love to learn more
along these lines, particularly the transcriptional regulation of ++++ (Specifics).

I have also taken Advanced Cell Biology and Genome Biology courses as a part of my semesters, which will help me learn the research questions
better.
So, with my current and research background, I hope that I will be able to contribute to the research in your Lab.
I hence write to you, Dr.ABC to ask if there is an opening in your lab this summer.
I am thrilled about this opportunity and hope to hear from you soon!

Kindly find my CV attached with this email.

Is this a good or bad email?
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 In Conclusion
● DON T BL FF to make your email attractive
You may land into unnecessary problems
● If you have any connections in the lab, use them!
● Not a great idea to write to someone in the lab before the approval of
the PI - a l k like i g ge i ide i f a i backd
entry, sleuthing!

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 Special Considerations
How do you find internships?
Pe al e k T i e Bli d da e e ail
Remember: Internships are still largely dependent on networking and
connections! We will have a session on social media for scientists soon, and
we can talk more there!

How do you fund internships?

Always personal money? Institutional / Government funding?
Can crowdfunding GoFundMe work? Any experiences?
Any other ideas? 23
Making your Resume

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 An Important Question
Should I attach my Resume with my email?
(Personal opinion : Yes)

Else, the next email will usually be - send me your Resume :)

Nothing more than a 1-pager, at most 2 pager

PDF format
Well-formatted, clear font, should enable a quick assessment 25
 How Do You Structure a Resume?
According to importance/relevance or According to
chronological order?

Name, Contact Details

No need for photo/marital status/blood group etc
Educational background (from your undergraduate onwards)
Publications (if any) or Project Experience
Workshops/Conferences/Seminars Attended
Awards/Fellowships Received
Any outreach activities/blogs/features/scicomm
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Additional information (national level rifle shooting!)
Page 1 Page 2
 Some Tips to Remember

Modify your Resume depending on the application details

E.g.: You could change the objective, details of research
experience, chronology as per need
Keep it short: Profs will seldom read a 5-page Resume in entirety
Extra-curricular sections are important, and make you stand out!
Grammar check!

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 Special Considerations
An on-site internship seems unfathomable right now. Can you pitch
alternatives?
Can we consider Remote internships ?
Yes, it is not perfect but possible.
Depends on PI and their interest to make this work.
Not a reflection of you!
Work that can be done: contribute ideas for a project, writing a
scicomm article, research / literature review a topic, developing
educational tools/curricula
Bioinformatics work has a huge advantage!
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 Other Relevant Sources
Vi h G al bl g IISc
https://teelabiisc.wordpress.com/tag/education/

India Bioscience
https://indiabioscience.org/

Resume versus CV
https://theundercoverrecruiter.com/cv-vs-resume-difference-and-when-use-which/

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