Cold-emailing Professors Overseas for a research position/assistant?

[wildchartermage]

Hi Guys,

 

I had just graduated with a B.S. degree in both humanities and science (joint major) from a private university in the Northeast USA. I am planning on taking a gap year before going to graduate school for Master's or Ph.D or somewhere else. 

 

I've been thinking about the possibility of working as a research assistant, research associate, or something else similar in my areas of interest (social science, economics, sociology, disability studies, etc) overseas, such as Japan, China, etc.

 

I was wondering if anyone else had the experience of cold-emailing professors overseas (as opposed to domestic professors)? Would professors be able to read in English, since I believe English is the working language of academia, right? 

 

I am sure the process to obtain an opportunity overseas might be more complicated because I'm sure there are other things to consider, such as visa, paperwork involved, etc. 

 

Any thoughts or tips would be helpful, especially if anyone can speak from their experience.

 

Thanks!

 

[victorydance]

I cold-emailed a bunch of profs in Mexico City and eventually got a position as a research assistant. However, most of these profs were foreigners themselves working at a research institute that publishes a lot of English work. I doubt I would have had the same success emailing typical professors even though I speak Spanish.

 

It's pretty doubtful that you are going to find a lot of professors who are publishing in English in Asia, and more so, willing to hire someone who doesn't speak the native language. Many of these academics will be doing research in their native countries using sources in that language so I would think your chances are quite slim.

 

But by all means do some research for profs that publish in English and ask them. It can't hurt. You should also consider just volunteering, you might not get paid but it goes on your CV anyways. Professors are much more likely to hire you as a foreigner if you are not paid.

Edited August 26, 2014 by victorydance

[fuzzylogician]

(I merged your two posts and moved them to a more appropriate location. Please don't cross-post the same question multiple times.)

[wildchartermage]

I cold-emailed a bunch of profs in Mexico City and eventually got a position as a research assistant. However, most of these profs were foreigners themselves working at a research institute that publishes a lot of English work. I doubt I would have had the same success emailing typical professors even though I speak Spanish.

 

It's pretty doubtful that you are going to find a lot of professors who are publishing in English in Asia, and more so, willing to hire someone who doesn't speak the native language. Many of these academics will be doing research in their native countries using sources in that language so I would think your chances are quite slim.

 

But by all means do some research for profs that publish in English and ask them. It can't hurt. You should also consider just volunteering, you might not get paid but it goes on your CV anyways. Professors are much more likely to hire you as a foreigner if you are not paid.

 

Mocha, 

 

Thanks for your insight/tips! 

 

Most of the Asian professors I saw on the Internet had their interests and website information listed in English, but I don't know if that means if the professors know English. There was also an Asian language version of the same page. 

 

But you're right, if I come across their work in English, they should know English. 

[fuzzylogician]

Most of the Asian professors I saw on the Internet had their interests and website information listed in English, but I don't know if that means if the professors know English. There was also an Asian language version of the same page. 

 

Are you able to live and work mostly or exclusively in the non-English language of the professor? If not, I think you have to contact them in English and see how things play out. Same for choosing locations--they would have to be in larger cities. If you are fluent in another language, that gives you more options and you can work that into the initial email. I'd still write in English. Any researcher who can't read an English email is also someone who will not be able to write you a decent letter of recommendations and doesn't present or publish to an audience that you probably want to reach.