News Archives
Students: Why You Should Have a Mentor
Entry by Pat Patterson
Let’s say you are a basketball player and would like to take your game to the next level. Now, let’s say you have an opportunity to practice your jump shot on a regular basis with Larry Bird as your coach. Would you pass up that opportunity? Of course not.
Now, apply that same logic to your career. It doesn’t make much sense to pass up an opportunity to learn from a professional who has the career you aspire to have one day. That’s where mentors come into play.
Mentors provide career and personal growth coaching. If you want more information about a particular industry or are hesitant about pursuing a certain career, you can benefit from working with a mentor.
A mentor can assist you in the following areas:
Identifying career interests and goals Assessing your strengths and weaknesses Understanding a particular industry …
Internships Open Doors
Entry by Pat Patterson – from the January 2011 INTERNnetwork
You never know when opportunity may come knocking on your door. Nick Ewing is a great example. A few days before graduating from Columbia City High School, Ewing received an unexpected call. Working at a Dairy Queen with no intention to attend college, Ewing received an internship offer that would soon alter the course of his life.
As a student at Columbia City High School, Ewing was involved with numerous video projects, as he completed more than 10 video related courses and worked as a lead anchor for his school news. When the Whitley County Community Foundation needed an intern familiar with video, Ewing’s name was mentioned, and the director of the Foundation was impressed with his work that she viewed on YouTube.
When Ewing was introduced to the Whitley County Community Foundation’s opportunity, he did not know too much …
Indiana College and Career Pathways
Entry by Pat Patterson
The Indiana Department of Education is currently reaching out to Businesses and Industries throughout the state to create awareness of College and Career Pathways. College and Career Pathways are an aligned sequence of courses that prepare high school students for college and career success.
The pathway plans focus on easing a students’ transition from high school to community college; from pre-college courses to post-secondary programs; and from community college to university or employment.
The Indiana Department of Education is also providing opportunities for companies to review the curriculum that has been developed. Their goal is to ensure the pathway plans designed for Indiana students meet employer needs in a growing and changing economy.
Input of business and industry representatives who understand the type of courses/content that will prepare our Indiana students upon graduation from high school is essential to their goals.
If you would like to …
Students: Common Interviewing Mistakes
Entry by Pat Patterson
The “dead fish handshake” – Always shake your interviewer’s hand firmly and confidently (just make sure you don’t over do it).
The “poker face” – When you answer questions, do so with a smile on your face and at least appear as if you are enjoying yourself. A pleasant attitude is contagious, and your interviewer will remember you as a positive person if you are pleasant.
Forgetting to breathe – I don’t mean literally forgetting to breathe and passing out (I hope no one is that nervous during an interview) – I mean try not to talk too quickly. Take some deep breaths and slow your speech enough to be understood. If you think you may be speaking too quickly, there is a good chance that you are. Practice answering questions with a friend to gauge a good talking speed.
“Thanks Tom, uhh…I …
Employers: Non-traditional Interviewing Approaches
Entry by Pat Patterson – from the January 2011 INTERNnetwork
Non-traditional Interviews
Virtual Interview
With today’s technology, interviews do not necessarily need to be face-to-face. If you are unable to meet with students for interviews or vice versa, conducting an interview via video/audio equipment may be a viable option. Many career services offices have webcams and Skype accounts to accommodate students and employers for virtual interviews. If your organization typically conducts preliminary phone screening interviews, you may even consider a virtual interview as a substitute.
Meal Interview
If you have a client-focused organization that regularly involves interacting with different individuals, including lunch or dinner meetings, consider interviewing students over lunch or dinner. By doing so, you may be able to gauge a student’s social skills and mannerisms in a more relaxed setting. Even if you are not a client-focused organization, conducting interviews over meals may …
Last Day to Register!
Entry by Pat Patterson
Don’t miss out on your last chance to earn six Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI) credits at one of three upcoming internship management workshops. Indiana INTERNnet has partnered with Intern Bridge, the nation’s leading college talent consulting and research firm, to deliver the Total Internship Management Roadshow in Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, and Evansville.
The Total Internship Management Workshops will provide national internship best practices to Indiana employers, strengthening the state’s mission to reduce the “brain drain.” Based on just-released data from over 100,000 students attending 500+ universities nationwide, the workshops will provide key data and metrics surrounding topics such as supervisor selection, work structure, compensation, working with universities, legal issues and much more.
All participants earn six Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI) credits and receive a copy of Total Internship Management (a $40 value). To learn more, visit the following location specific web …
Interview Like a S.T.A.R.
Entry by Pat Patterson
From the January 2011 INTERNnetwork:
In internship interviews, employers commonly ask behavioral interview questions that focus on past events in your life and your responses. Since a student will typically not have much work experience, behavioral interview questions are open-ended questions that focus on past performances to assess behavior – in particular, how you may respond to similar situations in the future. “Can you tell me about a goal you accomplished at a previous job?” is an example of a behavioral interview question.
Since behavioral interview questions are open-ended, they can be difficult to answer. Therefore, you need to be prepared. The S.T.A.R. technique for interviewing is a method for thoroughly answering behavioral interview questions. Using the S.T.A.R. technique, you describe your actions in past situations to answer behavioral questions.
S.T.A.R. is an acronym for Situation, Task, Action, Result.
Situation – Provide some …
Students: Are You Ready for Career Fairs?
Entry by Nicole Goble, Director of Recruiting and Development in the financial services industry in Zionsville, IN
It is that time of year again; spring, campus career fairs are right around the corner. If you are still in the hunt for a summer internship, making the best of your time at each one is highly important. I have drilled down on research, research, research so it won’t be mentioned (but please do research 🙂 ). Here are a few things to separate you from the sea of students in line at company booths:
1. Go Alone.
It is ok to say hello and shake hands as you meet fellow classmates; however, steer away from going with a friend. This time is about talking with employers and company’s about what interests you.
2. Dress to Impress.
This is easier said than done from my experience. For …
Employers: What is Holding You Back?
Entry by Pat Patterson
What is holding you back from hiring an intern for your organization? Remember, internships are mutually beneficial to employers, students and schools. When determining whether or not to host an intern, do not only consider the employer benefits, but also how students and schools benefit.
Student Benefits
College credit Fulfillment of degree requirements Application of academic coursework to the professional world Exploration and verification of career interests Exploration of different organizational departments Discovery of talents Discovery of ideal job aspects Development of responsibility and new, transferrable skills Experience living in a new area Growth of professional network Opportunity for possible full-time employment at internship site
School Benefits
Establishment of collaborative work environment between school and community Increased student retention through illustration of practical coursework application Enhanced school curriculum through career relevance assessment Enhanced public relations through student internship successes
If you would like …
Employers: Don’t Forget to Register
Don’t miss out on your chance to earn six Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI) credits at one of three upcoming internship management workshops. Indiana INTERNnet has partnered with Intern Bridge, the nation’s leading college talent consulting and research firm, to deliver the Total Internship Management Roadshow in Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, and Evansville.
The Total Internship Management Workshops will provide national internship best practices to Indiana employers, strengthening the state’s mission to reduce the “brain drain.” Based on just-released data from over 100,000 students attending 500+ universities nationwide, the workshops will provide key data and metrics surrounding topics such as supervisor selection, work structure, compensation, working with universities, legal issues and much more.
All participants earn six Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI) credits and receive a copy of Total Internship Management (a $40 value). To learn more, visit the following location specific web sites:
January 18, 2011: Fort Wayne, IN – …
Employers: Are You Ready?
Entry by Pat Patterson
Career fairs are fast-approaching – are you prepared to market your organization? Regardless of whether you are a large or small organization, career fairs are a great opportunity to recruit new talent:
“Think about all the money AT&T, Coca-Cola, and Ford Motor Company put into national advertising and promotional campaigns,” explains Keever-Watts, president of The Keever Group. “In the arena of college recruiting, however, any company can be a ‘big fish’ on campus.”
She points out that this is due to employers dealing in a much smaller, more confined market. In addition, Keever-Watts adds, the target audience—which is composed of students—is buying what the employer is selling.
“To make things even more favorable, it’s an employers’ market, which means that students are casting a wider net when it comes to finding a job,” she notes. “While the economic downturn hurts us …
Employers: Is 2011 the Year?
Entry by Pat Patterson
Is 2011 the year you will hire an intern for your organization? If you have hired an intern in the past, is 2011 the year you will host more than one. If you are still “on the fence,” consider the benefits:
Employer Benefits
Interns can:
complete project work that may be on the backburner; increase productivity; reduce recruiting costs; and bring fresh, innovative perspectives to your organization.
Hosting an intern can allow you to:
provide a student with a rich learning experience; influence school curriculum; encourage students to stay in their local community; gain short-term talent; increase diversity within your organization; offer management experience to employees working as intern supervisors; provide full-time employees more time to focus on important tasks, remain competitive within your industry; market your company via word of mouth; and begin training potential full-time employees (more …
A Big Thanks!
Entry by Pat Patterson
As 2010 comes to a close, I just want to thank all our past blog contributors for making our blog a success since its June 2010 launch date!
Thanks to Courtney Sampson who blogged about her marketing and communications internship with the Indiana State Fair. Read her first blog entry here.
Thanks to Ashley Cashen, Talent Acquisition and Retention Coordinator with digitalKnowledge, who blogged about digitalKnowledge’s first experience with an intern. Read her first blog entry here.
Thanks to Colleen Borgmeier and Andrew Stoelting who blogged about their summer coordinator internships with PACE Community Action Agency. Read their first blog entry here.
Thanks to Ali Norman who blogged about her career and technical education internship with the Department of Workforce Development. Read her first blog entry here.
Thanks to the Wabash College Career Services Staff and Peer Career Advisors who blogged about their weekly activities preparing …
Start the New Year off on the Right Foot
Entry by Pat Patterson
What is your New Year’s resolution? If your resolution is to enhance your professional workplace skills (or even if it is not), then I have the perfect web site for you – www.JobSTART101.org:
A free, first-of-its-kind course, JobSTART 101 covers topics ranging from how to communicate and solve problems to how to develop a professional persona that helps drive a career for long-term success. Designed to be engaging and fast-paced, students have the option to complete the entire course in approximately 90 minutes or tackle the six topical modules one at a time, and participate in interactive components, such as videos and workbooks.
“While our nation remains focused on job creation, it’s equally important to ensure that our workforce has the skills and training to succeed in today’s economy,” said William D. Green, chairman and chief executive officer of …
Students: How Many Hats Can You Wear?
Entry by Pat Patterson
In today’s workplace, employers are placing more emphasis on an employee’s ability to multi-task…and I don’t just mean texting and talking at the same time. A diverse collection of workspace-related skills may increase your likeliness of landing your dream job. According to research from Robert Half International, multi-tasking is a prominent attribute desired for the hottest jobs of 2011:
“The common thread among the jobs highlighted in our research is that they help businesses improve efficiency and profits, and foster a more positive customer experience,” said Max Messmer, chairman and CEO of Robert Half International. “The most successful job candidates bring multiple skill sets, a track record of success and a strong sense of accountability to their roles.”
Read more.
Knowing this information, at your current or upcoming internship, you may want to ask your supervisor for opportunities that may enhance any …