hey this is weird but im also a biotech major (btech) and im in my 3rd year and my ass doesnt have any idea how and when to do internships any advice
HI!
So I'm finishing a 3 year BSc Hons degree and I recently got an internship for my bachelor's thesis. So I can tell you what I have experienced myself and what I have gleaned from my seniors and faculty.
There is no bad time to do an internship. I honestly wish I could have done atleast one more but certain global pandemics that must not be named meant that I couldn't do any for the bulk of my college life. But internships are all about your own skills, time management and interests. You can find part time ones during week days or full times ones during the summer break.
The harsh truth I have noticed is that getting research internships at prominent institutes is really difficult without knowing someone or having some kind of contact to get face time with your preferred researcher. HOWEVER, you should still try to contact these professors and researchers anyways. So you can do that by:
Going through the institutes website and look at their departments, faculty, professors, research groups and recent papers. Focus on identifying what exactly matches your own interests.
Prepare a CV - look through examples online. Put your information across in formal language and proofread over and over again. If you feel like your CV is lacking, sign up a course or two on Coursera, EdX or NPTEL. (Pro tip - You can just audit the course instead of paying for the certificate in Courser and EdX. The course page will have a free track or an audit option). Put almost everything in your CV in a detailed but concise manner. Try to Google "how to put ____ in a CV". Limit the size to two pages MAX.
Identify specific researchers you want to work with and familiarize yourself with their work (you don't have to go too in depth but just get an overview). Prepare a cover letter for each researcher you are interested in. And make sure to express your interest in their work and why exactly you are interested in the topic.
Send your cover letter and CV to their email id. Sit tight and hope. You can remind them of your application maybe a couple of weeks later if you don't get a reply.
You will be rejected by most of them. It's alright. It's almost certainly not personal. Try again with the next researcher.
A lot of institutions, companies and other organizations also generally have specific slots open for interns especially during the summer. So, you can find out if your university or one of your teachers can help you sign up for these or notify you when the applications are open.
NGOs are an excellent place to gain experience and contribute to society while also building up your merits and your CV. And NGOs are always looking for volunteers and interns. So, you can try to narrow your selection down to the kind of work you are interested in and apply to their HR department or even go in person of that is possible. Some NGOs also take in interns from different states to work from home with online resources. So you can look into that too.
I'm including some links to resources about making CVs and drafting cover letters:
Basics of building a CV:
Academic Guides: Curriculum Vitae Guide: Build Your Curriculum Vitae (c.v.)
Basics of cover letter drafting:
Informational Videos Watch this and other videos on our informational videos page. Check back often for new uploaded content.
Yeah that's about how much I know right now. This is by no means an exhaustive guide. So try to reach out to a teacher you like for further guidance. You can even send them your CV and cover letter drafts so they can help you hammer out any and all kinks.
All the best!!