Sophomore Internship Talk

-P.Karthikeya

7 October-2015

Focus:Research Internship in

India & Abroad

So, What is it?An opportunity to apply what you’ve learnt and explore ur field of interest under a Scientist or a Professor.

Why to go for it?If(MS or PhD) { Strongly Recommended; } Else if(Jobs or MBA){ Can give it a try. Maybe you’ll change your mind after this :P ;}Else if(Dilemma){ I’d recommend you research, for the advantages it bears and the exposure it gives;} • Best way to utilize summers• May get to work on some cool projects in a cutting edge lab• An early exposure to how things go on in a research

Other advantages-Strong point of showcasing your research experience-Heavy weightage given to research experience in 3rd year internship programs like mitacs, DAAD, etc -An advantage over others while applying for MS or PhD

Miscellaneous: (international)-A chance to explore other countries, their culture & society, popular landmarks etc.-Escape from hot summers in India

How to choose my field?If(clarity==0){Choose a broad area that interests you ;Explore as many top university webpages as possible; //Take help from world rankingsGo through their projects & their recent publications;Arrive at the conclusion on a topic that is as specific as possible;}If(clarity==1){Well and good;Search for the recent works going on, on your topic by going through the webpages of various research institutes;Try to keep it as specific as possible ;}

How to applyGenerally, through 2 ways:1) Programs 2) Personal request to Professors/Scientists through mailingIn sophomore, 2nd one is widely followed.

Tools:Google advanced searchRelated research papersKeywords: For ex. in mechanical, Mechatronics, Heat Transfer, CFD, Robotics etc.How to search for a Professor/Scientist in my field of interest?-Again, visit university labs/department webpages. Search for a prof. whose interest matches with yours.

You are at Prof.’s webpage1. Prof.’s name, University/Research Lab’s name, Email-ID2. His exact field of interest 3. Current research projects4. Recent publications

Use Google Scholar, Research gate, Scopus etc. to look at his research papers.Indices like citations, h-index etc. can give an estimate of his work.

Cover letter3 or 4 ParagraphsDear Prof. 1st : Who are you, why are you applying, when do you want to do internshipBe specific & personalized to him2nd : Why you have chosen him (the Prof.), why his field, refer to some publications3rd : your projects (in brief), your CPI, achievements, commitment 4th : I look forward to …., have attached my CV..(Make a template)

Most important of all is how well your project is connected to his recent research work.

Where to look for?Popular destinations in India:Old IITs, IIT-H, IISc, IIIT-H, CMI, ISI etc.International: Asia: Singapore, Japan, South Korea, China etc.Europe: Germany, France, Switzerland, UK etc.NA: US & CanadaAustralia & New Zealand

Refer to rankings from QS world rankings, times higher education, webometric etc.

Keep updated about various programs:Internshala.com, eduinfo.asia etc.

Why should one give you an internship?

Think and try to get an answer yourself.Some of the popular factors that a recruiter might be convinced enough with, to give u an internship:-Your project is related to his ongoing research work-You have a high CPI-You suggest something/discuss about his research papers-Some other previous research experiences like 1st year internship etc.-Expressing other sorts of enthusiasm in the field with club projects, minor, online courses, workshops etc.

Other miscellaneous ones:-Popularity of our institute-He’s over-burdened by many projects.

Attention:-Send mails to foreign professors only when you think you have achieved enough clarity -Don’t SPAM. IITs are already notorious for mass mailing.-Every single spam you send may hamper the chances of a truly deserving candidate

Some Tips-Don’t get discouraged with no replies. Show patience & perseverance. -Start early. December would be an ideal time, though some people start in mid-October or Nov.-Do your research well on a lab/prof. before asking for an internship.-Interact with your seniors • Get your CV & Cover letter reviewed by them(must). • Discuss your career plans too. -Be honest and truthful to yourself and the professor.-Immediately apply for a passport if you don’t have one.-Be a little desperate

GimmicksA mainstream topic in other IIT’s intern talks like B,K,Kgp etc. So, enquire from your friends.-Sometimes, despite u being a worthy candidate, a prof. may not reply to you because of some other reasons.-Use chrome extensions like yesware to track your mail and Boomerang to schedule mails accordingly-Keep in mind that there will be time differences between you and countries abroad. Send mails accordingly.-Use attractive subject lines. This is important as many prof.s don’t open all mails in their mail boxes.

Hope this helps Any Questions?