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Make the Internship Work for You
Allison Gaffney graduated in May 2016 from Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism. She majored in Journalism with a concentration in Public Relations. While at IUPUI, Allison interned with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and Girls Inc. of Greater Indianapolis.
Internships are a great way to develop skills, build your network, make an impact and gain experience working in a professional environment. While it is important to produce quality work during an internship, it is also important to make sure that your internship provides you with opportunities to build your resume and portfolio.
According to Robert Meier, President of Job Market Experts, only the top two percent of applicants make it to the interview stage. Once you reach the interview stage, it is important to stand out. One of the best ways to do this is by having a diverse portfolio of work from internships and …
There is Always a Bigger Picture
Brittany Ulman is currently a senior Creative Writing student at Ball State University with minors in Professional Writing & Emerging Media and Spanish. During her college career, Brittany took online summer classes and held an internship that counted for course credit, so she will be graduating a semester early in December of 2016. This summer, she was the marketing intern for International Floral Distributorâs Executive Director and was in charge of writing several press releases for IFD and its Flower Trends Forecast as well as working on various projects aimed at enhancing distributor services for IFDâs vendor partners.
The immediate effects of an internship are easily known; benefits such as gaining professional experience, learning more about a particular trade, obtaining various technical and communication skills, etc. can all certainly be acquired during an internship and oftentimes are the most common. However, there are also numerous other aspects of an …
Back to School-Internship Balance
The month of August means one thing for students, the start of fall semester. If youâre interning this semester as well, it can be difficult to manage your time effectively. From my personal experience, itâs best to stay calm and organized.
The first step in balancing school and an internship is to create a schedule. Online calendars are a great tool to utilize (Google and Outlook are my personal favorites). If you prefer having a hard copy, there are many planners available for purchase.
Once your school courses are scheduled, youâll need to determine your internship hours with your mentor. It helps to bring a copy of your school schedule to coordinate your availability. Then, you can input the hours of your school courses and internship into your calendar.
If youâre planning to include tasks and deadlines in your calendar, it may be easier to have separate calendars for school …
Intern to Employee: I Said Yes to Success!
Many students have the same goal, to obtain full-time employment following an internship — whether that be transitioning from intern to employee with the same organization, or bringing their experience to another organization. In my case, it was a modified version of transitioning from intern to employee.
In January, I started my first college internship as a marketing intern with Indiana INTERNnet. The next few months I learned about the marvels of internships, while gaining first-hand knowledge and experience. As the end of spring semester approached, I was offered the opportunity of interning for the summer. I decided to decline the offer and explore full-time employment opportunities elsewhere. Little did I know, opportunity would soon knock again from Indiana INTERNnet.
Once my internship ended in May, the search for a full-time career was in full swing. Let me tell you, it is tough out there for a recent graduate. In …
Networking, Financial Guidance and Funnel Cakes
Last Friday, Indiana INTERNnet partnered with the Indiana State Fair to host the third (and final) intern engagement event of the summer. The interns were ready for a full day of fun, which started with a round of networking bingo!
Each player searched for a fellow intern who matched a description on the bingo card. For example, an intern who has studied abroad or one has complete multiple internships. Once a row or column was completed, the player was entered in a drawing for Fair Bucks (dollar-amounted vouchers to be used only at the Indiana State Fair). Janet Boston, Executive Director of Indiana INTERNnet, announced the winners-all three were Salesforce intern- during her welcoming speech.
The entertainment continued with two representatives from the Indiana State Fair making an on-stage appearance. Mark Anderson, Director of Human Resources at the Indiana State Fair Commission, thanked everyone for coming and discussed …
The True Value of Internships
As spring semester is coming to a close, reality is setting in. Graduation is near (or has already passed for some of you), and the stress is overwhelming. School-project deadlines are approaching, upcoming final exams, and the biggest struggle of all: job searching.
If you havenât started searching for jobs, do it now! For months I have been stalking Indeed, CareerBuilder, Charitable Advisors and various organizationsâ websites for available positions. The biggest issue Iâm having is a lack of experience/education.
Iâve started thinking maybe Iâm just picky or aiming too high. A position of Assistant Director could be a leap for a recent graduate, but it somewhat matches my ideal job description. Could there be a person in a level below the assistant director who could be promoted and Iâd take their spot?
My biggest regret in college is only participating in one internship. If I had known I would …
Interview Preparedness Guide
An interview can cause stress and panic. You may spend hours on Google searching for what to wear, what to ask during the interview or what to do after the interview. Hereâs a guide to help you prepare for an interview and reduce your stress level.
By preparing your interview outfit in advance, you can help ease the morning stress of worrying about what youâre going to wear. Also, this gives you the opportunity to iron, hem, sew on buttons or lint roll your outfit. What youâre wearing to the interview should correlate with the organization youâre interviewing at. A corporate law firm is going to have a very professional dress code and you should wear a neat suit. However, for a more relaxed organization you may consider losing the tie. If youâre unsure about what the company dress code is, do some research on its web site …
Graduation in GIFs
May is the month of graduation! Students will proudly don their caps and gowns while hoping they donât trip on the stage. Hereâs a collection of GIFs to help prepare you for that special day.
The pride of completing your degree
The satisfaction of completing your degree is hard to beat. Youâve spent years attending classes, studying, working on projects and stressing over exams. Now, youâre hard work is being rewarded by a diploma. You should feel proud of yourself, graduating is a major accomplishment. As Kelly from The Office would say, âYouâre, like, really smart now.â
Thinking about continuing your education?
This is a question youâre going to hear a lot when you graduate. âWhat is your next step?â âAre you considering graduate school?â It can be a difficult decision. You should weigh your options and decide what is best for you. If youâre like …
The End of Spring Semester According to âNew Girlâ
Each April brings a lot of stress to college students. It signifies the approaching end of the spring semester. The characters of New Girl seem to understand the stress of college at this time of year.
Letâs be honest, a college student is usually stretched for time anyways. As finals are approaching, time becomes more strained. Trying to find a few minutes to eat can seem impossible. Just remember, food and water are essential to human life.
The spring semester brings prospective students to campus to tour the grounds and crowd the line at the coffee shop. If youâre in the thick of finals week, these fresh-faced young people may seem foreign to you. Just remember, you were once in the same position they are in, and one day they will be in yours.
At some point, youâre going to realize what …
Write a Compelling Internship Posting, Part III
Summer internship season is quickly approaching. This is Part III of a three-part series on crafting internship postings that will attract qualified candidates on Indiana INTERNnet and elsewhere.
The first part of this series provided general tips for posting an internship, the second part highlighted the strengths of a well-written internship posting. This post will feature the use of keywords and promoting an internship.
Many students search for internships using keywords, therefore if you want your internship to be seen you should plan accordingly. For example, if a student is searching for a public relations internship they may use keywords such as communications, public relations, public affairs, community outreach and marketing. By including these keywords, the internship will be easier for candidates to find.
The best place for keywords is in the internship title. However, be selective with the words you choose. Decide which term best describes the internship and …
Write a Compelling Internship Posting, Part II
Summer internship season is quickly approaching. This is Part II of a three-part series on crafting internship postings that will attract qualified candidates on Indiana INTERNnet and elsewhere.
The first part of this series provided general tips for posting an internship. Read the full entry here. This post will highlight the strengths of a well-written internship posting. While you examine the internship posting take notice of the position title, organization biography, keywords, dates, responsibilities and qualifications.
Indiana Chamber of Commerce
Indiana INTERNnet Marketing Intern Summer 2016
Description
Indiana INTERNnet is a business-education partnership between the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, Indiana employers and Indiana education institutions to promote the quality and quantity of internship opportunities statewide. www.IndianaINTERN.net serves as the stateâs online matching system connecting students and employers for internship opportunities.
Indiana INTERNnet is currently offering a paid summer internship to assist staff members with internship activities. Internship will last approximately May to August 2016 …
Write a Compelling Internship Posting, Part I
Summer internship season is quickly approaching. This is Part I of a three-part series on crafting internship postings that will attract qualified candidates on Indiana INTERNnet and elsewhere.
Writing an internship description can be a challenge. Human psychology plays a major role in whether or not candidates will be interested in the position or skip to the next. The description has to catch their attention, but not overwhelm them with information. Here are some tips to help perfect your posting.
Position Title
Be descriptive â never use “Intern” for the title of a position. Thatâs like saying âStaff Memberâ for the position of Executive Director of Financial Services. What kind of intern are you looking for? Use the job description as a guide. If the intern will be performing legal services, use “Legal Intern” or âLaw Student Intern.â
Organization Biography
There should be a short description of your …
Employer Feature: Dunes Learning Center
Northwest Indiana is brimming with opportunity for young professionals. One organization that truly exhibits internship excellence is Dunes Learning Center. Located in Chesterton, the organization offers internships as camp counselor and interpretive naturalist. We spoke with the Education Director, Erin Crofton, about their program.
Indiana INTERNnet: What exactly is the Dunes Learning Center and what role do you play in the organization?
Erin Crofton: Dunes Learning Center is a national model for place-based residential environmental education. Operating in partnership with the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, Dunes Learning Center educators provide year-round curriculum and standards-based learning experiences in nature. Our trained education staff and 63-acre campus located inside Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore are truly unique and valuable resources.
As the Education Director, I lead education staff and programs. This includes program development, implementation, education staff recruitment, training, supervision and evaluation.
IIN: Why is the Dunes Learning Center …
March Madness: Internship Style
March is here! Flowers are blooming, students are relaxing during their spring breaks and the NCAA basketball tournament is in full swing. If you arenât a basketball fanatic, March Madness may not be important to you. We will take a different approach to March Madness by relating it to searching for internships.
Selection Sunday
In basketball, this is the day the NCAA Division I Menâs Basketball Committee reveals which teams have been selected to compete. In searching for internships, this is when you select the industry youâre interested in. If youâre searching for a marketing internship, determine if youâd rather intern at a marketing agency, non-profit organization, etc. There are many options out there, so do your research!
Sweet 16
This is the round of 16 basketball teams that have made it this far in the tournament. Once you have selected the industry, you can search for organizations. …
Make the Most of Spring Break
Spring breaks are this month for many high schools, colleges and universities. You may be planning to kick back and relax for a week, but hereâs a list of productive activities you could do instead.
1 . Catch up on homework
This may sound boring, but the end of the semester brings deadlines for projects youâve been putting off. You donât have to spend every day at the library studying for those final exams coming up in May. Use this time to catch up, so you donât fall behind later. Dedicate a few hours throughout the week to work on assignments.
2 . Get organized
Students have busy lives, which can leave little time for organization. Use this free time to clean out your backpack and organize your notes. If you have the momentum, clean and organize your room/apartment/house. Spring is almost here, you can get a head start …