Research experience, however, is not the only relevant experience which you might discuss in your SoP. Whether you are going straight from an undergraduate program into a graduate program or you’re applying to graduate school after several years of working, you have experience that informs your decision to pursue a graduate degree. This might include: teaching/mentoring experience; extra-curricular and/or leadership experiences; volunteer opportunities; internships; any full- or part-time professional experience; challenges encountered and how you persevered; realization from or excitement in the experience. What you decide to be a relevant professional experience will largely be related to your research interests and career goals.
In the example below, notice how the writers talk about their leadership experience. They do not just simply list the experience but discuss their involvement and the impact.
As President of Iowa State University’s Anthropology Club, I have engaged students with anthropologically themed activities and experiences that are not a part of our undergraduate curriculum. I have collaborated with other students and faculty to create new lesson plans and do extensive outreach to get more students involved within the community. I have involved more students in leadership roles by creating new officer positions to help represent each subfield and to ensure that we are serving the whole anthropology community to the best of our abilities. Through my positions, I have been dedicated to helping students to achieve their goals and to presenting tools, resources, and guest speakers to help the students achieve them. While president, I have also worked with different companies and organizations to raise money for increased personal development within the club. I have striven to ensure that all of the members inside of the club have felt heard while maintaining a fun atmosphere.
Learning more about the science behind environmental change led me to get more actively involved with various sustainably-minded local and campus organizations. As the Director of Sustainability for Iowa State’s student government, my committee and I provided funding for student-led projects, developed our own initiatives, and often collaborated with the university’s Office of Sustainability. The project I am most proud of is the Climate Commitment Plan, a call to action for the university which encouraged them to commit to transitioning to 100% renewable electricity by 2035 and prioritize sustainable development. The plan passed the student government senate unanimously, and we received around 1,500 student and community member signatures on a petition supporting the plan.
