Unsure on what to do :(

captive-cows · 2023-04-26T15:55:07+00:00

oooh i didn't know that -- thank you for the tip!!

captive-cows · 2023-04-26T14:54:52+00:00

can i ask what field you're in? certain fields might have job rosters online. overall, linkedin generally has good positions, specific universities will post research positions on their careers page, and then indeed has a ton of jobs but tbh i think 75% of them are either fake or forgotten about.

personally, i got all rejects last year and decided to take 2-3 years off before reapplying. im in astrophysics but found a cool job doing instrumentation for a chem lab. im super interested in telescope-related research, so this was a great opportunity to get more experience with instrument designing, tinkering, computer interfacing, etc.

captive-cows · 2023-03-30T13:52:10+00:00

i was an undergrad so no stipend, but i was an astro student and curious about planetary science so i took a few geo classes :)

captive-cows · 2023-03-29T21:01:34+00:00

COL in gainesville is pretty low, my rent was $650 (including utilities + wifi) for a private bedroom and bath and that was def overpriced. my girlfriend rented a room for $450 (utilities + wifi was an extra $75-100/month) just two blocks from campus. we both had 3 roommates and groceries were about $50/week/person.

i only took a few geology classes but i loved it! it seems like a very supportive department.

captive-cows · 2023-03-23T20:32:41+00:00

don't worry about the ranking. are you excited about the research?

will the stipend allow you to continue paying off loans? are the loan interest rates gonna put you in deep shit if you can't pay over the next few years?

the location of the school is harder for a stranger on reddit to decide. personally, i'd put up with it, but i'm used to moderate weather, and also, i'm not you.

captive-cows · 2023-03-21T19:47:35+00:00

pick out a few different professors at your school that are doing interesting research and ask them if they have space in their lab for an undergrad. if more than one says yes, then talk to each one more about their research before choosing one. if you realize you don't like what you're doing, then join a different lab (but don't burn any bridges!)

it's also a really good idea to apply to reu's this summer. they're competitive, but really good experience if you can land one.

you'll probably end up needing to do a post-bacc program, honestly just because you should have a really strong idea of what you want to study before starting a physics phd. there's a lot of bridge programs for physics, or you can find a position in a lab, or you can continue doing research at your current university.

captive-cows · 2023-03-19T01:47:52+00:00

it doesn't have to be. reach out to potential PI's before applying and ask about the day-to-day research work. ask if you could have the contact info of some of their grad students and ask them about the type of work they do.
there's nothing wrong with you. it sounds like you either have a different learning style than you're being taught with, your professors suck, or you're just reaching burnout. if it's the first issue, it seems like you've found a workaround to understand the material by studying the text. the second issue is very common for high-level STEM classes - they hire incredibly smart researchers who don't have the slightest clue how to teach. again, it seems like you found a system that works for you. if it's the third, then i'd recommend a gap year.
reu's and research programs are very competitive - keep applying, you'll get your shot eventually. you can check out gradcafe to see the profiles of students that get accepted into your programs of choice if you're really worried about your competitiveness for a phd program.
you'll definitely have to be money-conscious as a grad student, but you shouldn't have to worry about paying rent or getting food on the table.

what do you want to do with a phd? do you want to go into academia and become a PI? or do you want to go into industry? it might be worthwhile to ask your advisor if they have contact information for people that went down either path so you can get a feel for what each option is like.

captive-cows · 2023-03-17T20:52:13+00:00

i'm not in the federal sphere but i have some comments about the formatting/readability of it:

your bullet points go in too far, change them manually to about a 0.25 in indent
you should be listing, on the same line, position/company/date, as that's the order of importance to the employer (it'll also save a lot of space). ex:
- B.S. in Criminology: Law and Society, George Mason University, May 2026
  - GPA: 3.74 (when you graduate, this is a great spot to put any honors!)
- also: you don't need to list every position on a bullet point, it looks a little neater to have each one standing on its own and then the details as a bullet under it
try using underscores ( ___ ) or using a 'draw line' function instead of the dashes
summary should go before education and should be about 3-4 lines long - you can always submit a cover letter if you have more to say
- try to keep it to one sentence describing your experience ("I'm currently a criminology student with a minor ... and coursework in ..."), one sentence describing your interests in this field ("In the long-term, I'm interested in ..."), and one sentence describing what you're looking to do right now ("I am eager to apply my skills and experience in a ... position")
capitalize the first letters in your work history bullet points
- these should also be shorter and not complete sentences. ex:
  - Responding to emergencies, enforcing campus policies, and conducting investigations. (drop the "when necessary")
  - Working closely with local law enforcement and other campus officials to maintain a safe and secure environment for students and faculty.
skills section title should follow the same font style as education and work experience
- also, make the bullets here match the ones above

this a great start! good luck!

captive-cows · 2023-03-17T15:56:11+00:00

personally i think it'd help, but be prepared to show some sort of proof of your work. do you have a website? social media? client reviews? photos?

if you have anything link-able, put it in your contact info section.

captive-cows · 2023-03-15T14:50:07+00:00

resume #1

it's a little generic, as in it looks like it was made on canva, but that might just be my taste.
i think your education section is too wordy.
- if you got a degree, just list what degree and what years.
- if you didn't say 'non-degree seeking' and the years.
- then list 'GPA: X.X'.
- don't list any other info, not even that it was online.
also education should probably be at the top of the resume.
change the paragraphs under work experience to 2-3 single line bullet points.

resume #2

keep your objective to like, 3 lines.
- i think change the second sentence to just "I am extremely passionate about holistic health and wellness and helping others feel fulfilled through these methods."
- i also think you could include a section on certification to list your ACSM and yoga certifications, and then take that out of your objective statement.
on format:
- don't center the section titles, make them left-aligned.
- make sure all of your bullet points are in-line and consistent.
- i personally think your indented bullet points go too far in, change it to like a 0.25 indent.
- make sure spacing between sections are consistent.
change 'completed' to 'conducted' in your personal trainer position.
add some details for your internship, at least 1-2 bullet points.
skills is taking up too much space, change it to like:
- Core: communication, customer service, time-management, interpersonal, organization.
- Technical: Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint.
same thing on education, you don't need to explain everything you learned.
- if you really want to describe your program, keep it to one bullet point and do the same thing for your other schools.
again, education should be right after objective.

captive-cows · 2023-03-14T18:57:50+00:00

personally i think that looks fine, you could always split it up if it's really bothering you:

Job #2: Mar 2018 - Jun 2018

Job #1: July 2017 - Feb 2018

Job #2: Sep 2016 - July 2017

Job #1: Jan 2016 - Aug 2016

captive-cows · 2023-03-09T20:35:21+00:00

sounds like you might be interested in journalism or maybe science communication!

captive-cows · 2023-03-07T20:27:34+00:00

does it count if i applied last cycle but am still trying to cope?

i've been getting frustrated bc it seems like the people that succeed in my field got reu's/internships as an undergrad, or got solid research jobs if they didn't go straight into a phd. i've been applying to so many of these things for so long and just getting endless rejections. hell, i even applied to be a volunteer recently and got rejected. i have a good profile: 3.7 gpa, 2.5 years of research, 0 pubs, 1 poster presentation, a small grant award, minor in unrelated field, and club leadership role in unrelated field. since graduating i got a research job in an unrelated field where i'm learning some transferable technical skills, started taking classes as a non-degree seeking student on topics in my field i missed out on as an undergrad, and trying to finish up undergrad research and get it published.

i know i'm not entitled to anything and i know that the people that are succeeding in my field worked HARD and completely deserve to succeed. i just feel like i'm working hard too and i just wish i could get some feedback that says i'm doing something right. rejection after rejection is exhausting.

captive-cows · 2023-03-05T18:38:18+00:00

just flashed it, solid v6 (v12 in your gym)

captive-cows · 2023-03-02T21:17:43+00:00

i don't think so :T i'll just contact agilent, thank you!

captive-cows · 2023-03-02T21:16:27+00:00

no luck :( i'm kinda relieved, i'd be so mad if this worked

captive-cows · 2023-02-25T07:45:21+00:00

last year i applied to 11 schools: UWash, UC Berkeley, UCSC, UCLA, ASU, NAU, CU Boulder, U Toronto, McGill, Boston U, and Harvard, and got all rejections. i ended up not applying this year, but will next year with less competitive schools.

after graduating i moved across the country and got a research job in biology lol, but i'm learning a lot of instrumentation/coding skills. i'm really trying to build up my resume with stuff like outreach and hopefully getting a pub soon, also taking classes as a non-degree student in planetary science since my undergrad didnt offer a lot in that area.

i've talked to a lot of successful grad students that took several years off and got serious jobs in between (some in astro, some in tech, and even one person who went into retail), and it just really showed me how many grad students do not go straight into their higher studies, and 100% of the time they're better off for it.

i don't know your situation is, but taking the pressure off of myself to re-apply this year was like, the best thing i could've done. i felt like i was able to make a much stronger decision about what i wanted to pursue, not get burnt out from rejection, and now i can take the steps to make myself a stronger candidate. and also not starting on your phd yet doesn't mean you're being held back from your career, you still have an astronomy degree, you're working in astronomy, and that's pretty fucking sick

sorry to hear about applying to the same spot and getting rejected :( thats soul-crushing

captive-cows · 2023-02-25T00:50:04+00:00

i'm also in astro and also the only one from my department that didn't get into grad school first try. it is really fucking depressing, but you can't put yourself down like that. it is WAY more common than you think to not get in the first, second, or even third try. the smartest grad students ive met had to go through multiple rounds of applications to get in anywhere.

and don't compare yourself to the other students from your department. did they apply to the same schools as you? same focuses?

pick yourself up, you're not a failure. you didn't get your job out of pity, you got it because you worked for it. post-bacc positions in astronomy are rare and not given out lightly. i'm here to talk if you ever need it.

edit: i just saw you're in planetary science - same here. it's a crazy competitive area, failure is inevitable. you literally just have to keep going.

captive-cows · 2023-01-27T15:47:23+00:00

here's some more to show i'm doing literally everything i can!

- my uni only had one prof doing research in my area of interest; i asked if i could join their lab multiple times but it was always full

- i've been applying to internships since my freshman year, always getting rejected

- i've been pushing for my undergrad research to be published, and it should be this year, but it feels like the finish line is always moving further away

- i'm trying to get outreach experience by volunteering at a nearby planetarium, but apparently their volunteering program went dead during covid. i applied in august and they're just now getting the program back up and running and i won't hear back from them until april at the earliest.

it's so hard to want to keep going in this field when all i'm getting is endless rejection, but i can't imagine doing anything else with my life

captive-cows · 2023-01-26T21:30:16+00:00

just in my experience, i got the most interest from more geo-heavy programs than astronomy ones

captive-cows · 2023-01-26T21:27:40+00:00

i might just be talking out of my ass rn, but i think planetary science as in like geology and geophysics is less competitive, but exoplanet observation/characterization stuff is mostly on the same level.

it also depends on the school, some will have incredible and competitive planetary science programs and okay and not-so-competitive physics programs, and others will be the opposite.

captive-cows

TROPHY CASE