Category Archives: Career Advice
Common Challenges New Interns Face
We’ve all been there–the new kid, the freshman, first day of your first job.
No matter who you are, you experience being the bottom rung of the ladder at some point.
One of the most common stereotypes surrounding internships is that you are designated all the grunt work. We see evidence of this in popular tv shows, movies, and even books, so it has to be true, right? Well– yes it is kind of true, interns are given the jobs that other employees don’t care to do, but this is not necessarily a bad thing. We all have to start somewhere, and there’s no better way to learn than to start from the bottom.
The advice I would give to an intern who does not appreciate getting the grunt work is this: perspective is everything. You must always remember that scanning through documents and running errands are some of the …
Three Tips for Working a Hybrid Internship
In this new era of virtual jobs and remote learning, it’s crucial to find new ways to stay focused. I speak from experience when I say that having a hybrid internship comes with tons of perks, like wearing sweatpants or spending the day with your pet, but it’s key to stay on top of your work. The comfort of home quickly can distract you from your weekly tasks, but weâre sharing a few pointers that will help you to keep your momentum while working from home.
Have a dedicated workspace
This may seem arbitrary to some, but the truth is, where you do your work matters. An article by the American College of Healthcare Sciences indicates that if you do most of your work in bed, you will have trouble sleeping at night. Our bodies are trained to associate sleep with our beds. When you begin using your bed …
Students: Here’s Essential Advice for Virtual Career Fairs
Most people don’t have a whole lot of experience with virtual career fairs. Up until now, no one had that much of a reason to host or attend one. But amid COVID-19, most career fairs are going completely virtual. It’s easy to be intimidated by this foreign environment when in-person career fairs were already nerve-wracking. But use this advice on how to handle a career fair so you can set yourself up for success!
Most virtual career fairs use video platforms, so be prepared.
All the career fairs I’ve attended so far this season had employers plug in their meeting information for whatever video platform they want to use with students. What this means is you’ll probably encounter a variety of different video call applications. To make sure you don’t have any delays as you try to speak with employers during the fair, try to download the video programs ahead …
Diversify Your (Internship) Portfolio
Shoutout to the finance interns who understand portfolio diversification much better than I do! Here, weâre talking about diversifying a different kind of portfolio: your internship portfolio. This is a compilation of the work youâve completed as an intern for one or several companies. It can be a formal, physical, or digital collection â or, it can be a more informal mental list. Either way, itâs helpful to have more than one type of internship experience to put on your resume and talk about during interviews. So, what are some major classifications of experience to consider?
Type
Whether they planned to or not, many students have recently added a virtual internship to their portfolio. If youâre not one of them, donât worry! As employers become more comfortable hosting interns virtually, more opportunities will become available. This is a valuable experience to have, especially as work continues to move home. At …
High School Internships: To the High School Student Considering an Internship
Donât underestimate the value of high school internships. We’re shining a light on these valuable experiences by telling the stories of students around the state. Be on the lookout for additional blog posts about high school internships.
Dear high school student,
If youâre wondering if you should pursue an internship, the answer is yes.
Maybe you donât know where it will take place, because itâs nothing more than an idea right now. No problem! The process of finding an internship may teach you just as much as the experience itself. It may feel daunting to search for an opportunity as a high school student, but youâll find that there are more offerings than youâd expect. Your school, community and Indiana INTERNnet want to help prepare you for the workforce; internships are one of the best ways to do so.
Even an unpaid position likely will benefit you financially over the next few …
Spend Summer Serving
Here at Indiana INTERNnet, weâre all about experiential learning. Our focus is internships, but we recognize that sometimes students have to get creative and find other opportunities â especially this summer. As some internship programs have been cancelled or changed due to COVID-19, volunteer opportunities have only increased to help communities through this crisis. If your summer internship has been cancelled or shortened, consider spending some of your extra time serving!
Why Volunteer
Recent months have made us all more aware of the needs within our communities â why not help to meet them? Not only will you be making a difference during this historic time, but youâll also be gaining valuable experience to learn from and add to your resume. Can you say win-win?!
Finding Opportunities
There are so many needs that it can be hard to know where to start. But there are several resources to help you …
Virtual Summer Events for Interns
Iâm so excited to announce that I am back on the Indiana INTERNnet team for the summer! If you remember my name, you know I was an intern last year through the summer and fall semesters. I am now back as the interim program assistant. It’s good to be back.
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted many internships around the state. Despite the challenges, employers throughout Indiana arenât letting this stop professional development. Instead, theyâre providing virtual opportunities as they strive to prepare the stateâs future workforce.
Indiana INTERNet and other Indiana organizations are offering free events to enjoy from the comfort of your own home while learning from career professionals in a wide range of areas. Young professionals can use these opportunities to understand and develop new skills by understanding personal branding, learning how to utilize LinkedIn and much more.
While these experiences may be different than what many are …
Working and Studying from Home
With both city and state governments announcing new guidelines and restrictions to stay healthy and safe, a lot of people are expected to not just stay home, but also work or attend classes from home. There could be a silver lining. No more commuting (at least for the time being), and more opportunities to eat an actual well-balanced meal instead of whatever you can heat up in the office microwave or find in the campus cafeteria. However, in a setting where you’re completely in charge of how you manage your time, you can be your own worst enemy. Â Here are some tips to maximize your productivity while working or learning from home.
Respect Your Space
It may be tempting to work from the comfort of a big comfy couch or a cozy bed. Respect your work and the space you work in. Find a designated spot to work at. If …
My Final Career Fair
Last Wednesday, I attended my last career fair as an undergraduate student on Ball Stateâs campus.
If you would have even mouthed the words âcareer fairâ too close to me about two years ago, I would’ve probably run very fast in the opposite direction. This time around I took a different approach – I took advantage.
I stood in line for some free, much-needed professional headshots. After that I explored the fair. I initially came to scope out Indiana INTERNnetâs table and show some love, but it took me a while to find. After walking past too many swag bags to count I decided it was time to act.
I gravitated to a table for a company called Impact, an IT company mainly looking for entry-level sales representatives (if I remember correctly). The table was covered in a deep red tablecloth and their display was interesting, so I stopped. The …
Balancing Work and Wellness
As a student and employee, it’s important to balance work and school. Everyone should make sure their health is a priority. Health is one of those things that we all often overlook until we’re no longer healthy enough to carry out our daily tasks. This is especially annoying when there’s a big test or work event. As basic as it sounds, taking care of yourself by eating properly and working out will ensure you are operating at an optimal level.
Of course, when trying to balance classes, work, an internship, extracurricular activities and possibly a social life, the last thing on most peopleâs minds is three well-balanced meals and 30 minutes of exercise a day for five days a week. However, shifting your mindset about this is the key here. It’s self-care of the most vital form. How can you expect to kill it every day when you’re being fueled …
New Year’s Resolutions for Young Professionals
2020 is almost here! Can you believe it? Every time we’re approaching a new year, there’s a lot of talk of resolutions. People typically focus on health, money, and other aspects of self-care. One thing that’s typically neglected in resolutions is your professional growth, especially if you’re a college student/young professional. Here are some resolutions you should make for 2020!
Keep an active LinkedIn profile.
It’s easy to neglect using LinkedIn. But you don’t need to use LinkedIn as often as you use Twitter or Instagram. Make a resolution to keep an active LinkedIn , but be specific about it! Aim to engage with two posts on LinkedIn each week, or make one new connection a month. While you may not think LinkedIn is worth your time, it’s still the main social network for professionals. Make sure your profile is up to date, and that you take time to fill …
How to Update Your Resume
Every now and then you should update your resume so that when the time comes, you’re always ready to apply for any position that comes your way. Â Instead of waiting for when it is time to apply make sure to take some time and update it to create the best possible resume.
Ask for help
Itâs always a good idea to get help. Especially with something as important and tricky as writing a resume, getting all the possible feedback can make a huge difference. Â Maybe make an appointment with someone in your campus career center. They can help you make sure youâre resume is typo and error free. They could also let you know of any other positions you might be interested in.
Contact info
Start with the top and work your way down. That way you can make sure you updated everything! While this information does not change as …
How to Handle Being Late to an Interview
Not everything always goes as planned. When it comes to interviews everyone always puts the emphasis on how you need to be on time and the importance of showing up in the right outfit with the right attitude. Unfortunately, life happens. Whether it’s that you wake up sick or your car doesnât start, things come up that could hinder getting to or even showing up to your interview. Like I have mentioned before, these blogs are here to help interns everywhere succeed throughout their professional career. While I would always want everything to go perfectly, that is just not how it happens.
Relax
The first thing you need to remember is that you arenât the first person to have to miss an interview or show up late. Just relax and know that most of the time the people you are interviewing with will be flexible as long as you are …
How to Succeed in a Phone Interview
Last week I gave the best advice I had for an in-person interview. If you missed it or need a refresher you can read it here. While I know that not everyone will have to experience a phone interview, they are becoming more popular and I want to make sure that if you have one, you’re as prepared as possible.
Preparation
Just because you arenât going into an office doesn’t mean that you can just go into it without any preparation. Like any interview, you should be researching the company and starting to get familiar with what the company does, who works for the company, and who is going to be interviewing you. Knowing some of these key elements and mentioning them in your interview could really set you apart from other candidates. You can even use being in a remote location to your advantage and keep a page of …
Beyond the Impact: Gabriella Blauert
Gabriella (Moline) Blauert graduated from Butler University in May with a degree in journalism and moved to Columbus, Ohio. Sheâs currently working as the Marketing and Communications Coordinator at Pelotonia, a non-profit organization in Columbus whose proceeds go toward cancer research.
Indiana INTERNnet: What are some of the best lessons you learned while interning?
Gabriella Blauert: My internships provided me with opportunities to practically apply the skills I learned in class. I learned how to utilize these skills, while also managing my time effectively. Another important lesson I learned was how to interact in different job settings and how to present myself in a professional way in each one.
IIN: What advice do you have for current interns?
GB: I would tell current interns to not be afraid to go to their supervisor or mentor with big ideas or questions they have. One of the most important …