University of Iowa

Membership

August 2019 • Iowa City, IA

What I liked

Getting to know other students on campus, learning more about how Recreational Services work

What I wish was different

Sometimes scheduling was a bit rigid

Advice

Apply for any and all jobs you’re interesting and don’t be afraid to go outside your comfort zone

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research assistant

May - July 2021 • Iowa City, IA

What I liked

Dorm room provided in nice hall, great REU leaders, some work was remote (aka flexibility, ability to work wherever you wanted). Mentors were very willing to help. Workshops in coding were helpful (I wish there were more!)

What I wish was different

Easier access to biking/transportation (I never could really figure out how to use the bus system.. I guess that's on me though). Sometimes I wish there was more involvement of the mentors in your work. I felt like it took a while to get involved in research.

Advice

Be proactive, set up additional times to meet with your mentor because they'll assume you know more than you actually do, or that you're more confident than you actually are. Also - just make sure you enjoy your time! It's easy to stress yourself out over the assignments, but in reality this is a time to grow and have fun! Also, make sure to spend time with your peers!

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Research Assistant

June - August 2021 • Iowa City, IA

What I liked

I appreciated how my supervisor was very communicative, and I felt comfortable asking her questions or letting her know when I was confused. I also really liked how she had other opportunities for us to advance our skill sets, including weekly gatherings where we read research papers and discussed them as a group.

What I wish was different

Advice

Don't be afraid to go outside of your comfort zone and try new experiences. You never know what you may end up liking! Also, network and talk to people. It can be really intimidating, especially if you're introverted, but everyone is more than happy to talk about their experience and career path, and it's a low stakes environment compared to an interview setting.

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Undergraduate Researcher

May 2021 • Iowa City, IA

What I liked

My favorite part of research over the summer was the ability to work independently and complete tasks at my own speed. It really made me feel like a true scientist and as if I was an important member of the team I was working on. I also made my own schedule so I could experience a summer in my college town also which was amazing.

What I wish was different

The only thing I wish that would have been different is more clear cut goals on what the main objectives I was doing were in the end.

Advice

The biggest piece I have from this experience is to make time to enjoy life while doing the things you love academically / career-wise. By far one of the best summers I had because I truly found balance between work and play.

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Biology Research Intern

June - August 2021 • Iowa City, IA

What I liked

This internship was great and had both field and lab components. Setting up and maintaining malaise traps (insect traps) as well as looking at and sorting insects in the lab. I learned so much about insects and identification. It was very independent and had very flexible hours. There was no set times and worked great with my busy schedule. The other people in the lab were fantastic and offered their own skill sets to help others.

What I wish was different

Advice

Schedule times for the things that you are interested in! This internship was very free about time and I was able to work whenever I could. I was very interesting in the work we were doing so it was very important to set a schedule for myself to make sure I accomplished everything I hoped to each week.

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Orientation Leader

January - August 2019 • Iowa City, IA

What I liked

GREAT team atmosphere! I loved the environment and felt the job was meaningful and worthwhile. My coworkers and bosses are some of the best people I have met on campus, and I loved having the opportunity to educate incoming students on what it means to be a Hawkeye.

What I wish was different

I wish the training had been a bit shorter -- I felt like 3+ hours a week during the school year and two weeks in May was a bit excessive. However, I did feel very prepared to execute my job responsibilities.

Advice

Working for Orientation is what you make of it! It can be a very fun and rewarding experience if you allow yourself to let loose and enjoy it.

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Marketing Intern

February 2019 • Iowa City, IA

What I liked

I loved the team I worked with. I made so many new friends! I also really just liked the overall experience and getting the opportunity to see what it was like to work in a sports environment

What I wish was different

I wish I would have been given more responsibilities. The majority of the time I was just given odd jobs and busywork, and I would have liked to have had opportunities to make a greater impact behind the scenes doing digital work

Advice

I would say go above and beyond what you are asked to do. Don't do the bare minimum. You will be rewarded for your hard work.

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Facility Supervisor

May 2018 - October 2019 • Iowa City, IA

What I liked

I really enjoyed the people I worked with. The employees at the CRWC are like a little family. I also appreciated that the schedule was flexible, working around my existing student schedule.

What I wish was different

I wish the job itself had been less stressful. As a supervisor, there were times when I was in charge of the entire building (during opening/closing shifts) and this could be difficult, especially when we were having issues with patrons or there were emergency circumstances, such as a tornado warning.

Advice

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Stafff Nurse

November 2018 • Iowa City, IA

What I liked

The experience

What I wish was different

Advice

It has been great

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Wildlife camp instructor

June 2017 - August 2018 • Solon, IA

What I liked

it was outdoors, had evenings and weekends free, got to interact with lots of kids with all abilities, had great coworkers, management was amazing and easy to request time off if needed

What I wish was different

I wish there had been more support for staff with the behavior issue kids, or some training to address how best to handle those situations

Advice

every day is a learning experience, so go in with a fresh and open mind each day

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Maintenance Assistant

May 2018 • Iowa City, IA

What I liked

Hands-on work. Satisfying to complete day-to-day tasks. Well-paid for a student job. Self-driven work. Teaches great life skills. On-job training.

What I wish was different

Management was wishy-washy at times, with different orders instructing us to do different things. Often times work could be very hot and difficult, and there were few opportunities to stop, cool down, catch your breath, clear your head from chemicals, etc.

Advice

It's a great job - if you're a hard worker. Don't even think about it if you're looking for a job you can breeze through. The interview process might suggest you need a lot of prior experience, but that's not necessarily true - you just need a willingness to learn and get your hands dirty. Convince them to hire you through your work ethic, not your prior training.

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Administrative Assistant Intern

June 2019 • Iowa City, IA

What I liked

The people I work with are amazing! So much fun to be around and always helpful when I have questions about anything.

What I wish was different

That I had started sooner, I can’t believe that I had waited so long to actually get started working with the genomics division

Advice

A big part of what employers look for is good personalities, really be yourself in the interview and try to see if your personality fits as well.

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University Parking

October 2018 • Iowa City, IA

What I liked

Money

What I wish was different

Commuting isn't fun

Advice

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Student Lab Assistant

February 2017 • Iowa City, IA

What I liked

What I wish was different

Advice

Be open to new experiences, you will be able to gain so many new skills and improve on the ones that you already have. Research here at the University of Iowa is great!

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Undergraduate Research Assistant

May - August 2019 • Iowa City, IA

What I liked

The work environment was very welcoming, understanding, and encouraged self-growth as well as team growth. I was able to learn as much as I could due to my supervisors' flexibility and willingness to teach me as I supported the team's research as an assistant.

What I wish was different

Advice

Make sure you approach your research experience with enthusiasm and self-motivation! While my team was amazing and supportive, I also believe my personal efforts contributed greatly to how well my research experience turned out.

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Research Assistant

May - August 2018 • Iowa City, IA

What I liked

I liked the flexibility of choosing my hours. I also learned a lot.

What I wish was different

I had a great experience.

Advice

Be proactive and reach out to professors you are interested in working with!

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Researcher

May - December 2019 • Iowa City, IA

What I liked

I liked the freedom and the feeling that I'm doing something important!

What I wish was different

Advice

Apply and work hard to make it worth it

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Administrative Clerk

April - July 2019 • Iowa City, IA

What I liked

The jobs I had to do everyday

What I wish was different

I wish I was given MORE work and jobs to do during downtime.

Advice

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Clinical Research Associate

May 2018 • Iowa City, IA

What I liked

Incredible human interaction at the clinic. I got hands on professional experience day in and day out, and I learned so much for both my career path and professional fields in general. I'm still working the position today and still learning, but the steepest and most rewarding learning curve was when I started that summer.

What I wish was different

I wish the pay had been a bit higher to give a little extra cushion on Iowa City's expensive cost of living (for a college student). However, I know research comes with the territory and I was fortunate to be paid at all.

Advice

I'd highly recommend anybody in science fields to work in a research position. If you can get a position that involves human interaction, fantastic! I loved that. If you land a job where you're working in a lab with rats or bacteria etc., that is still great. Working in research has taught me so many procedural skills amongst a plethora of other skills that don't involve working in a clinic.

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Building Assistant Manager (IMU)

March 2016 • Iowa City, IA

What I liked

The flexibility allowed me to pursue my career as a professional musician.

What I wish was different

It's hard to affordably park on campus, which is necessary when you have to move to the edge of town to afford rent.

Advice

Working for the university over break is a great experience and highly recommend it. Make sure you have a reliable way to get there, and understand what kind of hours you can count on having.

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