Obtaining Work-related Experience

A Bachelor's degree is not enough to obtain a job. Successful job applicants also have skills which they gained from work experience:

  1. Hands-on skills include those applicable to any work environment (e.g. filing, word processing, telephone skills) as well as the skills specific to that workplace (e.g. data collecting, behavior observation, operating gas chromatograph).
  2. “Soft skills,” such as oral and written communication skills or an ability to work with others and adjust to their needs, are extremely important.

 

 

How do you gain these work-related skills?

There are many ways to gain workplace skills, and some of them are discussed on this page:

 

 

 

Research Opportunities

Experience in a research project or laboratory is essential if you plan to attend graduate school.  You can do this part time during the school year or find a full time summer position.

The manual Time to Make Your Own Tracks: How to find real-world experience in Zoology (biology) (pdf) has in-depth information on:

 (The same information is available on the web pages here, but in less detail.)

 

On-campus job sources include:

 

Off-campus research experience, a few sources:

 

 

 

Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU)

The REU program is sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF).  This is a terrific way to gain research experience (usually in the summer). 

Students accepted to one of these programs work in a variety of specific research projects at host institutions around the country.  About ten undergraduates are associated with each REU Site, and each student is associated with a specific research project.

There are REU sites in Michigan, such as at MSU's Kellogg Biological Station ot through Central Michigan University, but there are also many more across the country at colleges and universities.  Many university based field stations offer REU opportunities too.

Housing and a stipend are included for these programs, so this is a great way to investigate another part of the country.  They usually last 10 to 12 weeks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Internships

An internship not the same as a summer job.  It is a professional activity in a job situation, under the general supervision of an experienced professional. 

The Zoology Department's Time to Make Your Own Tracks: How to find real-world experience in Zoology (biology) (pdf) has in-depth information on:

 (The same information is available on the web pages here, but in less detail.)

LEARN more about internships


 

 

 

Field based courses

Intense field courses can provide experience wih a variety of data collection techniques and analysis methods.  These skills will be attractive to a future employer.  In addition, you will see if a long day collecting field data or analyzing it is appealing to you.

Some course like this are offered at MSU during the Fall or Spring semseters.  Others are offered at MSU's Kellogg Biological Station in the Summer.

Field courses like this are often offered by university related field stations in the summers.  If the station is accredited, its courses might transfer back to MSU.  Follow these steps to be transfer a course into your MSU record.  Check also with your advisor to discuss how the courses might be applicable for your degree program.

 

 


 

Experience from Extracurricular Activities

If you do not have any relevant experience yet, or you want to gain new skills or enhance existing skills, volunteer activities are a terrific way to do this.  Volunteers gain both  hands-on skills (such as typing or filing skills or familiarity with a variety of computer applications) and “soft skills” like an ability to work with and adjust to others.  A few ways to volunteer include: