College is a pilgrimage with a career as its destination. But what is a Career? Some words come to mind immediately: employment, assignments, paychecks. That last one is important. How about lifework or livelihood? For many students, college is only four years. Your career, however, will follow you throughout your life. Participating in undergraduate research helps you transition from college to a job by building critical skills necessary outside of academia. You’ll learn three essential skills in undergraduate research: problem-solving, communication, and teamwork.
1. The world’s growing complexity requires different techniques in problem-solving.
The problems encountered on the work front continue to grow more complicated. Part of the learning process is comparing proposed solutions to given answers. An opposite exists at work. Answers to problems are unclear, and outcomes take time to develop. Participating in research means working with similar unsolved or ‘open’ problems. Being involved in research introduces heuristic methods that aid in decrypting complex issues.
2. Effective communication is a vital part of any successful career.
Research programs usually have a capstone project that marks the completion of the program. Typically, this is a presentation or essay that summarizes the findings and procedures used to form conclusions. Managers have similar expectations from their staff. Throughout your career, you’ll need to report progress on tasks and summarize big projects. Effective communication with upper management is vital in receiving promotions and rising through the workforce. Getting involved with research will help you get your feet wet in this critical skill.
3. Effective teamwork is the key to career growth.
I can’t think of many jobs that don’t require collaboration. During your career, many different challenges will present themselves. I can guarantee almost all these challenges will need assistance from a co-worker or superior. Anytime at work, when asking for help, you’re effectively creating a team with that person. The most challenging problems require teamwork and learning to foster relationships to solve common problems is the cornerstone of career growth.
How can you get involved with research?
Universities across the United States participate in a range of paid research programs throughout the year. For those interested in STEM students, there are many paid summer research programs sponsored by the National Science Foundation. These programs are open for anyone to apply. Here is their website https://www.nsf.gov/. These programs have a competitive application process, however, the cost of travel, room, and board plus spending money is often covered. These programs deepen your experience and expose you to new and exciting opportunities. Get started with research soon!
This post was written by Math Path Scholar, Max Budnick