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Although winter is still here and many university students in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) studies are swamped with assignments and tests, now is the time to start on the hunt for a summer job in the field. In fact, many summer internships are already posted and job offers are being extended.
For many students the job hunt can be daunting, and this can result in it being put off. In this blog post, I hope to ease this anxiety by helping with the first steps: sourcing summer jobs in the STEM field and creating a compelling resume to catch the eye of potential employers.
Part 1: Summer job opportunities
Find sources for STEM summer jobs and internships below. These organizations list opportunities that are based in Canada, except for one notable opportunity for our United States-based readers. Application deadlines have been mentioned if available.
Stem Cell Network and Mitacs RM Internships
Stem Cell Network and Mitacs have partnered to offer five, eight-month internships that will provide tomorrow’s life science leaders with the skills and experience required to work within Canada’s burgeoning regenerative medicine (RM) sector. The program is open to graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who have an interest in working in a Canadian RM-focused biotechnology company. Applicants’ expression of interest packages are due on March 1, 2023.
Additionally, Mitacs’ Accelerate database connects businesses and not-for-profit organizations with the right researchers to support their innovation projects. It appears that many current postings are from across Canada, though international projects are welcome. Search the database by discipline, project type and location to find projects that fit your area and level of education and expertise. As you peruse the options, be mindful of each project’s duration if you are returning to your studies in the fall.
BioTalent Canada hub for STEM job postings
Search for “internships” using BioTalent’s job postings database to find positions across Canada in the STEM field. At the time of writing this post, available internships occur in Edmonton, Alberta, and include cryobiologist, research analyst and interactive browser/app developer roles. The application deadline for these opportunities is March 1, 2023.
Research Trainee Centre at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute (LTRI)
This program provides an opportunity for undergraduate students who have completed their second undergraduate year to work throughout the summer in a laboratory at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute (LTRI) in Toronto, Ontario. Students will work on a project assigned to them by their laboratory supervisor and gain valuable experience and research skills. Applications are due on February 28, 2023.
SciHIGH Summer Internships at LTRI
This is an opportunity for those who have a desire to work in a lab setting, but don’t yet have a high school diploma. Grade 11 and 12 students who have completed grade 11 biology and chemistry, and are at least 16 years old, can apply for LTRI’s Quinn Family Summer Internship Program. Interns in this program will work full-time in a LTRI lab at Mount Sinai Hospital. Applications open in February 2023.
Government of Canada student opportunities
Canadian post-secondary students with a variety of STEM backgrounds can apply to positions within various federal agencies, which are typically based in Ottawa, Ontario. STEM-related roles with the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) can be reviewed on this agency’s website, while information about internships and co-op placements with other relevant agencies, like the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Health Canada, and the National Research Council, can be found on the federal government’s page about science jobs open to students. While some positions may occur in the summer, please be mindful that employment dates and criteria can vary from one agency to the next, so be sure to carefully read the details about a job before applying.
GROW RegenMed Internship Program (U.S. applicants only)
The Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM) launched this program to provide crucial, early-career paid opportunities in the RM sector to Black students, to increase the representation of Black employees within the RM workforce. ARM represents 400+ organizations in the cell, gene and tissue-based therapies sector that target a range of diseases and disorders. Please note that this program is only open to U.S. citizens or permanent residents, and internships will take place in the U.S. Applications are due on February 15, 2023.
Part 2: Resume writing tips
If any of the above postings have piqued your interest, I encourage you to get started on your resume. Think of a resume as a marketing tool that “sells” an employer on you as a candidate. While it needs to state the details of your education and employment history that make you qualified for a role, it must also convey the value you can bring to an organization, even for an internship or entry-level position.
Here are some tips to help write and refine your resume.
Research the company and role. Start by learning the company’s mission and think about how you would help to achieve its goals when working in the job described in the posting. Write down a few bullets about the value you can bring. Keep these thoughts in mind as you write your resume to ensure that they are clearly communicated. If you already have a resume drafted, take the time to review it for each role you’re interested in and make tweaks to ensure it aligns with each new company and position.
Pepper your resume with the right keywords. Many hiring managers use software to streamline the resume review process. The job description is analyzed by the software, which then compares how well your resume matches up based on the description’s most common keywords. Before submitting your resume for a position, review the job description and highlight the most common keywords that are relevant to the role. These keywords are usually the skills, experience and abilities that a candidate must possess. Then, cross-reference with your resume to see if you have included these keywords, and edit your resume as needed to incorporate them.
Use numbers to illustrate your experience. Don’t just use words to communicate your results. Incorporate numbers whenever possible in your resume. Numbers stand out when a hiring manager is visually scanning your resume, and they add helpful context to the information you’ve shared. For example, if you’ve worked on relevant projects in your education or work experience, indicate how many. If you’ve managed other employees at a previous summer job or oversaw a group project, share the number of people on your team. If you worked as a fundraiser, share the total monetary amount raised.
Highlight transferrable skills. Hiring managers are often aware that a candidate for an internship or entry-level position might not yet have work experience in the field. This is an opportunity to communicate your transferrable skills, which are skills and abilities that you’ve obtained in a previous job that’s unrelated to the one you’re applying for, but still benefit you when doing the new job. Some examples are managing time, projects or people, setting and achieving goals, analytical skills, writing, public speaking, and technical skills gained from lab work or using relevant software.
Use a tool or template to get started. There’s nothing more frustrating than staring at a blank page and wondering where to start. A resume builder or template can guide your efforts. The Government of Canada’s resume builder tool is an example of a website that helps write your resume. Or review the professional resume templates offered in your document writing application, such as Microsoft Word and Canva, and then populate them with your own information.
Proofread. Hiring managers typically spend only six seconds reviewing your resume when they first look at it. Yes, you read that right – six seconds. Even if you’re a great candidate for a position, a resume that is riddled with typos and grammatical errors could raise a red flag and result in your resume being disqualified. Remember to proofread your resume once you finish the first draft. My rule of thumb is to proofread a document that I’ve written at least three times myself. From there, ask a friend, family member or classmate to review it to catch any errors you might have been blind to.
Last, but not least, please don’t feel discouraged if a position you apply to or interview for does not work out. Every step in the job search process – including identifying potential roles, refining your resume, preparing for and participating in an interview, and following up with a hiring manager – is critical for building your competence and confidence in the job market. If you’re aged 15-30, check out career preparation services like Canada’s MyStartr, which provides support with finding a job, interviewing and preparing for your first day. This experience is invaluable because it will set you up for success once the right position comes your way.
Good luck in your job search! If this blog post helped you perfect your resume or land a position, please let me know. Find me on Twitter at @lainebcomms.
Laine Bodnar
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