{"id":8325,"date":"2014-12-03T16:24:45","date_gmt":"2014-12-03T10:54:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/internshala.com\/blog\/?p=8325"},"modified":"2018-05-02T16:10:54","modified_gmt":"2018-05-02T10:40:54","slug":"how-to-email-professors-abroad-internship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/internshala.com\/blog\/how-to-email-professors-abroad-internship\/","title":{"rendered":"The Art of Emailing Professors to Secure a Foreign Internship"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Email is the most under-rated, under-used tool for grabbing an internship abroad. Read all about how to utilize it effectively!<\/p>\n

There are two definitive ways to bag an internship-<\/p>\n

1. Apply to various internship programs such as MITACS, DAAD-WISE, etc. Fill up your application form in the fanciest way possible and leave the rest up to fate.<\/p>\n

OR<\/p>\n

2. Write an email to a professor as a prospective intern\/student.<\/p>\n

The latter might sound easier than it reads. Yet most people say this method almost never works. A few days ago,\u00a0Mr. Shivpal Yadav<\/strong><\/a>, a Civil Engineering student at IIT (BHU), shared his summer internship experience at Federal University of Rio De Janerio, Brazil, with us. What made his story stand-out was that he achieved this funded internship (yes, you read it right) via a simple email correspondence. He is an email application veteran, having sent out mails by the dozen to professors all over the world. Some of the useful tips he provided are worth a read:<\/p>\n

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  1. Being resilient<\/strong>: Professors are busy people. Do not lose hope if your first, second, or even third email goes unanswered. You have to be resilient while contacting professors.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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    1. Timing matters<\/strong>: The time you send out your mail matters more than you think. Never email a professor during the weekends or Friday night; that might be a convenient time for you to email the professor but it is also the professor\u2019s day off and your mail will get buried under the numerous other student\u2019s applications. Professors tend to check their mail during their office hours thus increasing chances of a reply if sent out at such a time.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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      1. Whom not to contact<\/strong>: It is advisable not to contact more than one professor from the same department as, if found out, it will dampen your credibility in the eyes of both professors.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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        1. Be specific<\/strong>: I cannot stress on this point enough. In the subject heading of email, be sure to include the specific area you want to intern in. The professor shouldn\u2019t have to scour through the email to search for what you want. If you want to do a research project under him\/her, a subject line such as \u20182015 Prospective Research Intern for xyz subject area\u2019 would be ideal.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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          1. Funding<\/strong>: Most professors are reluctant to provide funding and understandably so; you are an unknown candidate with only words to prove your credibility. Typing out a politely worded, technical email will help your chances. Make sure there are no grammatical errors. If you are good at academia with prior work experience pertaining to their field, then getting funded becomes much easier.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            The email is all\u00a0about you being a student that the professor absolutely HAS to offer a position. The real question you should ask yourself is: What can I do to make the professor respond to my mail\u00a0instead of ten dozen others lying in his\/her inbox? Here’s what-<\/p>\n