What: A week-long Twitter event to promote summer undergraduate research programs (SURPS), job openings for STEM graduates, and help demystify the grad school application process.

We started this event in 2019 and focused on grad school topics using #GradRecruitWeek.

This year we've expanded the topics to include SURPS for students who will be applying soon (many applications are due in the next few weeks and early next year), to connect principal investigators (PIs) who have job openings in their research groups with researchers, and to share other job opportunities.

When: October 16- 22

What Undergrads Can Do:

• Ask your burning questions about grad school, med school, professional school or STEM careers or the job market-we'll turn your DMs into polls.
• Searching for a grad lab? @YouInTheLab w/your interests, science field, MS or PhD, and LinkedIn link. We'll retweet!
• Searching for a job in science? Do the same as above just replace the grad school information with your job aspirations and we'll RT!
• Share your bio information a few times. That program or job you're searching for might not be on twitter when your first tweet goes out. We're happy to share multiple posts!
• Be bold! When you notice a tweet from a professor or department that has details about a program or position that might be right for you--contact them and tell them you're interested. It can be a little scary but if they are posting on Twitter they want to you to make contact!

What PIs and Mentors Can Do:

• Do you have an open position in your lab for a grad student? Share the information in a tweet. Include a link to your website or how you want to be contacted.
• Or are you hiring a tech, staff scientist, or other position that requires a BS or MS degree? Post details about the position and contact information.
• Connect directly with undergrads who are searching for a grad degree program or job that matches your available position. Send them a DM or reply to their tweet.
• Share information about your available position a few times. That student or researcher you're searching for might not be on twitter when your first tweet goes out. We're happy to share multiple posts!<
• Tag @YouInTheLab in all posts so we find you and can RT.

What Departments, Programs, and Administrators Can Do:

• Connect directly with undergrads who share their grad school and job aspirations. Send a DM or reply to their tweet encouraging them to apply to your program!.
• Has your department dropped the GRE Requirement? Do you have fellowships available? Tweet the details and we'll share!
• Tell your faculty about us. Send them a link to this post so they know we will promote their open grad school AND job openings for positions for those with BS or MS degrees
• Tag @YouInTheLab and use #GradRecruitWeekSTEM in all posts.

What Everyone Can Do:

• Share this event widely to help us reach students from marginalized groups, those with disabilities, first-gens, LGBTQIA+, and anyone interested in grad school.
  Retweet!
• Answer polls, share comments, or DM to remain anonymous.
• Suggest polls on topics.
• Have you written a blog post or created a video that helps demystify the grad search experience? (or even grad school experience?) Tell us! We want to share as many perspectives as we can.
• Do you have an "essential resource" you give to all new hires or grad students or one you used yourself? Share it with us so we can share it with everybody.
• Tag @YouInTheLab in all posts.

What We Hope To Accomplish:

• Connect undergrads and PIs.
• Help undergrads find job opportunities.
• Demystify some of the grad school application process.
• Create a forum for undergrads to learn others' perspectives about the STEM grad school experience.

Why We Started Hosting Graduate Student Recruit Week in STEM

As a recent graduate who has just begun their grad school apps, following #GradRecruitWeek from
@YouInTheLab has been super helpful to be able to hear so many different perspectives about this daunting process. So THANK YOU to all who participate!!

I feel constantly overwhelmed and confused about the graduate app process. Especially, being an international student, it is daunting to search for opportunities. #GradRecruitWeek gives a feeling of comfort amidst all this and I really want to thank you for organising this!

I like the polls because they are what I’m thinking about or things I didn’t know I needed to think about [when applying to grad school].

I’m a first gen[eration] student so I appreciate being able to DM and not have to ask a question [directly to the Twitter Hive]. Also, that you DM me the polls so I could follow without having to look for the ones from my questions.