News Archives

Welcome home, college students! Congratulations on making it through finals, and happy holidays to you. We know your brain needs a break, and you’re ready to have some fun reminicsing with high school friends and family.

But, you’re still a college student on a budget, so we’ve put together a brief Top 5 list of things-to-do in Central Indiana while you’re home for the holidays.

Dec. 16, 2011
Indiana Pacers vs. Chicago Bulls
Conseco Fieldhouse (Downtown Indianapolis)
Tickets: Just $10 each! Portion of the proceeds to benefit United Way of Central Indiana
More info: http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/05004716A23B7BAE?did=uway

Nov. 25 thru Dec. 30
A Christmas Carol, Unscripted
ComedySportz Downtown Indianapolis
Tickets: $12
More Info: www.indycomedysportz.com

Nov. 25 thru Dec. 30
Christmas at the Zoo, presented by Donatos and Teachers Credit Union
The Indianapolis Zoo (Near Downtown Indianapolis)
Tickets: $7.50 to $9.50
…

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Happy Tuesday, INTERNnet fans!

Did you know Indiana has 53 colleges and universities — many with multiple locations — from which you can choose to attend? With a plethora of options, there is one that may best fit your needs: our state’s newest college, WGU Indiana.

WGU Indiana is a fully-accredited online university and is specifically geared towards working adults and/or career changers. Our own Janet Boston spoke with the folks at WGU about how Indiana INTERNnet can help both traditional and non-traditional students by providing a free resource to locate an internship.

Check out the video to learn more: Janet Boston WGU Indiana Interview

Are you a non-traditional student who needs assistance in locating an internship? Leave a comment or feel free to contact us!

Our partners at the Ft. Wayne Graduate Retention Program will host a breakfast in November, and we want you to attend! Read below for all the details:

Who: You and the Graduate Retention Program of the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce

What: Annual Graduate Retention Breakfast

When: Wednesday, November 2nd from 7:30 to 9 a.m. Eastern Time

Where: The Ft. Wayne Chamber of Commerce, 826 Ewing Street, Fort Wayne, IN 46802-2182
 
Why: To celebrate internships!

The keynote speaker for the morning is Dr. Michael Hicks, Associate Professor of Economics and Director of Ball State University’s Center for Business and Economic Research. Dr. Hicks will provide attendees with a great perspective on Northeast Indiana and its future. Amy Johnson from Northwestern Mutual and Matt Toler from Group Dekko, two regional employers, will speak about their internship programs.

This breakfast is FREE of charge and provides a great opportunity to …

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This post was written by Allison Gardner. Allison will graduate from Butler University in December with a degree in political science and international studies. She spent her summer interning on an organic coffee farm in Hawaii but returned home to Indiana to complete her degree.  

I have lived in Indiana, an expanse of verdant agricultural land, for 21 years. That being said, I am a little embarrassed to admit that my first immersion in farming took place not in the countryside of the Hoosier state, but halfway across the world. My earliest memories of traveling always include leaving the busy pace of Indianapolis and staring, with fascination, out of the windows of my mom’s minivan at fields of corn and beans. Annual visits to the state fair were a treat, highlighted by strolls through rows of chickens and goats and horses. It was like visiting a foreign country. The closest …

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I’m passionate about a lot of issues, ideas, and organizations, but one thing I enjoy more than anything else is talking with and listening to people. I genuinely enjoy learning and making connections between people. This has bode well for me thus far in my short career tenure; I’ve landed jobs because I enjoy networking and putting forth my best effort. But — networking isn’t exactly something they teach you in college, unfortunately. It’s a skill that must be learned, and it takes work, patience, and sometimes a few bucks to attend quality events. 

Looking back on my college experience, the last thing I wanted to make time for between classes, homework, student organizations, being an RA, and interning was figuring out how to network; however, I made it a priority, beginning my freshman year by joining student organizations related to my major and keeping my social media profiles professional. …

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If you’ve seen the Indiana INTERNnet staff out-and-about during the last few weeks, it’s because we’ve been on-the-road, attending career fairs throughout the state. We’ve seen everything from South Bend to Bloomington to Evansville, and it’s not over yet!

Now that we’ve seen several different types of career and job fairs, we’re here to offer a few thoughts on the “Do’s and Don’ts.” Let’s face it – career fairs can be intimidating and overwhelming. There are tons of companies from which you can choose, and the recruiters can practically interview you on-the-spot. But never fear – check out our tips so career fairs do not overwhelm you!

The Do’s

Do find out which businesses will be at the event and thoroughly research those that interest you in advance. Do check out social media profiles, forums such as Glassdoor.com and company websites.

Do maximize your time by only visiting recruiters from …

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Happy Thursday, Indiana INTERNnet readers. We know it’s been a few weeks since we last posted, but that’s because both we’ve been traveling throughout Indiana to present the new website to employers, and we’ve made the rounds to a few job fairs in August.

Are you interested in finding the perfect internship match; putting together a customized internship program for your company, or having the Indiana INTERNnet team provide a website demonstration, class presentation, or attend your job/internship/career fair? If so, please contact me, Courtney Sampson — csampson@indianachamber.com or 317.264.6863.

In the meantime, check out where we’re headed in September and October, and let us know if we’ve missed an event or if we’ll be in your neighborhood sometime soon!

Happy (almost) Labor Day weekend –

Your Indiana INTERNnet team

This week marks the end of my internship here with Indiana INTERNnet, and just by coincidence, it signifies a close to the Freddie Factor blog series. My goal with this blog series was to inform peers, employers, and educators about the opportunities that arise from interning.  

Hopefully, you’ve found this blog to be informative and gained a better understanding of why internships are beneficial. I’ve tried to give tips and tricks relating to interviews, resumes, and the latest-and-greatest Indiana INTERNnet website technology. The Freddie Factor or “FF,” as it is referred to in the “factor fan circles,” was also helpful to me…yes, there are factor fans. I did quite a bit of research when writing these blogs and learned a great deal about interning, as a result. With this final blog, I thought I’d recap my internship experience.

During my internship at Indiana INTERNnet, one of my assignments was …

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As you wrap-up your internship, you may find that you have a few treasured weeks of summer left. What are going to do during this time? Maybe you’ll vacation, eat pizza, catch up on the latest blockbusters, relax, or prepare your dorm room or apartment. While these are all great ideas, if you do have a few spare minutes, you should consider utilizing the time to work on documenting your professional experiences.

Here at the Freddie Factor, I’m hoping for an upcoming school year packed with interviews for full-time employment. During those interviews, recruiters and other interviewers will want to hear about your internship, personal, and academic accomplishments. They also want to see and hear that you’ve prepared for the interview by researching the company, the position, and tailoring your answers accordingly.

Now is the time to update your resume—demonstrating what you did during your internships and results that …

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Last weekend, interns working in Central Indiana came together to give back to our community by volunteering at Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana. Sponsored by ExactTarget, this event demonstrated how interns can use their “down time” to connect with their community, give back, and meet fellow interns.

It was also a challenge to ExactTarget’s Slingshot interns to implement a community-wide event. Because the event was such a success—about 50 interns attended—we’re hoping to see other Indiana companies consider sponsoring similar events. (Are you an employer interested in thinking about ways to bring interns together to give back or have fun in their community? Please leave a comment so we can contact you.)

If you’re not interning in Central Indiana, we have some great partners in the Ft. Wayne area, too. The Live, Learn & Intern series is a part of the Graduate Retention Program—an initiative designed to …

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It’s the latter half of July. Where does the time go? For some of you, your internship may be wrapping up in the near future. You should consider how you will finish your internship experience. For example—Do you need to begin “tying up loose ends” on projects? Should you schedule a “thank you” coffee or lunch with your boss? Have you kept a portfolio of your work thus far?

Your internship experience may lead to a job within the company, or it may be the last time you work for them. No matter the result, make sure you have networked with the people with whom you are working. When your internship ends, you will need references, and having a solid group of people who will provide you with positive references is an important final step in your internship experience. However—take note—references should be people who know you personally and can …

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What’s better than meeting fellow interns and giving back to the community? (Nothing, we would argue!). We all know internships provide excellent opportunities to develop professional skills, gain experience and create a network of contacts, but the importance of networking with fellow interns is often overlooked. With more than 800 internship positions throughout the state listed on Indiana INTERNnet, reasons to network among your peers are abundant! You never know who you’ll meet and how you may connect with people in the future.

Maybe you need to find out about concerts and events taking place in Indianapolis. Perhaps you want to get a group of friends together to check out a new restaurant. Or, you might even need to find a roommate if you plan to live or work in Central Indiana after graduation.

Indy Interns 2011 can help!

Indy Interns is a great place to get involved …

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As a college student, you put in a lot of time, effort and work during the school year. There are many late nights involving lots of studying, lots of pizza, lots of energy drinks, and little sleep. Some weeks seem like a year… and some tests seem like they were probably written in ancient Greek. But… through it all…you survive because there is a light at the end of the tunnel: SUMMER!

But wait. In order to best prepare myself for the “real world,” everyone suggested I take advantage of the summertime to work and gain experience through an internship. This is the process that I and many of my peers have gone through this year. But, I’m here to tell you, your summer internship will be worth every minute!

First, if you are unsure of what you want to do, having an internship can help narrow your field …

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This past weekend, I went to the theaters and saw the big blockbuster Transformers: Dark of the Moon. One part that got me thinking (not a major spoiler alert) was when Sam, a character from the movie, had to interview for jobs. He graduated from college and has no job, and his dad makes fun of him while chauffeuring him to job interviews all around the city. Each boss asks Sam different questions, and he answers them in a way that is opposite what the employer is looking for. It got me thinking about my interview experiences and what I have learned thus far. So, I thought I would share with you some advice I have about interviewing for a job or internship.

Interviews occur for employers to evaluate potential employees for prospective employment. Each company may have a slightly different way of conducting interviews. The basics of each …

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Chances are, you’ve heard about virtual internships—but have any of you actually been a virtual intern? (I’m guessing no, but if the answer is yes, please leave a comment below, and tell us about your experience!) Personally, I was never a virtual intern, but I’ve had friends with great virtual internship stories to share, so I thought I’d do a little research and explain to you what I’ve learned.

Both The Wall Street Journal and USA Today recently covered the increasing popularity of virtual internships—specifically opportunities with start-up companies, which are more likely to be found on the coasts and in Silicon Valley. The articles indicate, as a result of the struggling economy, the job market is extremely competitive. Therefore, completing internships—virtual or in-person—is more important than ever. In addition, companies are trying to find ways to reduce their costs, so having a virtual intern is a win-win for both …

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