Destiny Minker Headshot

 

Research Assistant, Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security (ARLIS)

Major: PSYC

Minor: Neuroscience

Class Year: 2022

LinkedIn Profile

 

 

 

What was a typical week like in your internship position?

I was hired to work on a specific research project. In a typical week my boss, who is an associate research scientist, will provide me and my team with a list of assignments to annotate for emotion. My team consists of me and two other research assistants who are all involved in psychology or social sciences in some way. My team and I will then annotate emotions in social media posts and our reactions to them individually. Afterwards, my team meets at the end of the week to hold a consensus meeting for this annotating/coding. Some weeks, we meet with our boss to keep up with how we are doing in the research project and to ask any questions we might have come across during coding.

 

 

What do you enjoy most about your current position?

I enjoy that it is something out of my comfort zone since it is different from other positions I have had in UMD research labs. It is not a strictly neuroscience or psychology lab, and it instead incorporates lots of different fields to come together to work on social science research and projects. I also enjoy the flexibility of this job. Lots of the work is done on my own time, so I make my own schedule; everything else for this job is meetings done over zoom. I only had to go in person for training which works well with my busy schedule as a student.

 

 

How did your coursework help you in your internship?

Broadly, I’d say coursework that has helped me in my position has focused on group assignments, research methodology or writing, and statistics. Specifically, psychology coursework that helped me understand cognitive processes and affective/emotion science gave me the background knowledge I needed to successfully fulfill my role in this current project. Also, I work in another lab on campus for credit which has helped me a lot with my professional and neuroscience skills. 

 

 

How did you locate your internship position?

I found my internship position while browsing the PSYC blog one day. The blog post told me what the position entailed and to send a resume to my current bosses email, and I did the next day. Eventually, I was asked for an interview where I was offered the position a few days after the interviewing process.

 

 

Advice for students:

My biggest advice is to not settle for an internship. An internship, no matter if it is in research or any other field, should serve to help you as much as it helps the person/people you will be working for. It will only benefit you to gain knowledge and to enjoy it while you’re at it during an internship or other experience. Also, it sounds cliché but don’t be afraid to try new things. I have really liked working outside of my comfort zone. 

 

 

Anything else you want to share with students about your experience?

An internship or any experience outside the classroom is only going to be as good as you make it. It’s helpful to have a great team or boss, but you have to be motivated and ready to learn as well. Always take advantage of good opportunities!