Ready or not, it’s time to apply for spring internships!

This is a guest blog by Alecia Kissel, HR/Recruiting intern at Milliner & Associates, LLC in Indianapolis.

I was just getting settled into my fall schedule, yet I already need to prepare for a new semester all over again – my last semester!

Nostalgia can move to the backburner for now.

On my mind are questions like, “What do I want to do?” “Where do I apply?” “What if I end up at the wrong company?” Valid questions, all worth discussing, but who do I talk to?

I’m lucky to have more than one mentor I truly trust. Regarding my job search though, I immediately go to my boss, Nicole. For other people, this may be a slippery slope talking to an employer about other employment opportunities, depending on the relationship. Thankfully, my boss is one of my most trusted mentors.

If I didn’t have this kind of mentorship between myself and my supervisor, I would put more considerate thought into asking about my internship search. It can be risky. After explaining my pursuit of new interests based solely on my own career path, I might ask if he or she had any suggestions of places where I would excel based on my current experience. Maybe my boss saw something in my work performance that I did not. I would ask if I could talk to him or her about the internships I have applied for so far and my feelings after interviews. At the very least, I would let my boss know I was looking elsewhere to further my experience. Who knows? I might be asked to return to my current work for another semester.

This is where I am finding myself now. Nicole would love to have me stay and acquire new responsibilities in the spring. I always thought I wanted to be in Event Planning, but here I am with almost two semesters of HR under my belt. I have felt for a while that I need closure about if Event Planning is really for me, but honestly I am at a place where I don’t want to leave. At first, I thought I would be torn between HR and Event Planning, but I am split right in half thinking about whether to stay at Milliner & Associates or intern elsewhere.

This decision weighs on my mind daily. I don’t have the answer. For now, that’s okay. However, my mentors do their best to answer any questions about the search for spring internships. I am so thankful they are helping me prepare for the steps towards the real world. Their guidance will ensure that I am on the ready side of ready or not.