<p>Within the next year, I'm interested in landing these three (Leadership = RA). The only problem? I don't have past experience.</p>
<p>What am I supposed to put on a resume that's essentially blank? And how am I supposed to compete with other students who've done research or internships before?</p>
<p>Lab classes, upperclassmen friends, prof/TA recommendations, interest. You probably won’t get a lab position freshman year unless you go to a huge school with lots of research professors, and you may need to intern for free.</p>
<p>Highlight what you do have. List relevant coursework that you’ve taken or are taking at the top. Any idiot can follow the directions on a protocol; it takes education to correctly interpret the results, think about what could have gone wrong and what your next step should be. If you have picked up skills in lab classes, list the techniques you know below the classes and above your work experience. Maybe gel electrophoresis for a bio lab, or acid base titration in chem. If you have no skills, just stick with relevant coursework. </p>
<p>For actual work experience, if you’re a freshman you can use high school experiences. If you’re a sophomore, join a significant activity like newspaper or student government and only use actual employment from high school. That sort of activity will help an RA app too. Print a couple resume formats and take them to your internship/career center and have them look over it. They’ll probably recommend where/how to apply (they see hundreds of kids in your major).</p>
<p>When applying to PIs, reference their publications. If they respond saying they have nothing available, ask where they would advertise if something became available. Also look into other organizations that operate on or near your campus; for example, my university offered no raises and denied more than 20 hours a week, but the US government group operating there allowed PIs to pay whatever they wanted for as many hours as they liked.</p>