Tips and Tricks for Leveraging Your
Undergraduate Research in the Workplace
Dr. Julie Lyons talks setting your research experience up for success
By Erika Stromerson / 2020
Dr. Julie S. Lyon, a researcher at Google and former undergraduate research coordinator, stopped by Mines on Thursday, Jan. 16 to give an Emerging Scholars Seminar Series talk. At this event, Dr. Lyon discussed undergraduate research and how to set your research experience up for future success. Here are some of Dr. Lyon’s main takeaways from the seminar:
Go with your gut
Interested in grad school? Lyon advised students to immerse themselves in what programs they are interested in have to offer, especially when it comes to mentor relationships. The right advisor can make or break a graduate research experience. And when it’s time to make the decision of where to go with your research, trust your instincts. “You’ve gotta go and visit, you’ve gotta meet the people,” stated Lyon. “Go with your gut.”
Get as many experiences as you can.
Have a balance of practical and theoretical experience
Industry and academia are the most common routes undergraduate researchers follow after their initial research experience. Lyon’s approach toward finding the right career is to have experiences in internship and research, as well-balanced candidates find better career opportunities. Lyon’s advice: “Get as many experiences as you can.”
Know how to communicate your ideas
Lyon stressed that while fully understanding your research is important, it is also vital to know how to explain your research to others, especially industry professionals or other researchers who are unfamiliar with it. Explaining what you learned from your research and why it matters can be more valuable to future employers. According to Lyon, interviewers “don’t care about what you did as much as what you learned from the experience.”
Interviewers don’t care about what you did as much as what you learned from the experience.
Learn what interviewers are looking for
Lyon walked student attendees through typical styles of interview questions, highlighting the differences between behavioral and situational-
focused insights. Interviewers use these questions to gauge the impact you would have on the teams you work with and the environment you would work in. Lyon reminded students that undergraduate research is incredibly valuable for learning how to adapt to new situations and differing opinions. According to Lyon, undergraduate research experience is a valuable source for learning teamwork and leadership in any workplace.
Embrace the new
Lyon walked student attendees through typical styles of interview questions, highlighting the differences between behavioral and situational-
focused insights. Interviewers use these questions to gauge the impact you would have on the teams you work with and the environment you would work in. Lyon reminded students that undergraduate research is incredibly valuable for learning how to adapt to new situations and
differing opinions. According to Lyon, undergraduate research experience is a valuable source for learning teamwork and leadership in any workplace.