Category Archives: Career Advice

5 Steps to a Legendary Internship

If you have ever watched the hit TV sitcom How I Met Your Mother, you would know that Barney Stinson is the paragon of determination and success at singlehood. From his competitiveness to his magic tricks, Barney has evolved from a one-dimensional womanizer to the eloquent and creative –sometimes, sensitive – “Mr. Awesome.” Finding a parallel with internship success might seem like a stretch. Some may even say it could not be done. To that I offer two words: “Challenge accepted.” So, here are the 5 steps to a legendary internship:

1) Suit up!

As Barney explained in the episode Single Stamina, he suits up “to distinguish (himself) from the millions of T-shirt and jeans lemmings out there.” Throughout an internship, you too want to distinguish yourself – from previous interns, current interns/coworkers, and your casual self. A sharply dressed young …

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Three introverted CEOs and what you can learn from them

This is a blog by Susan Cain, author of QUIET: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking. You can find the original article posted on Psychology Today here. This is the final installment in the Quiet but Mighty blog series exploring ways introverts can remain true to themselves and still experience a satisfying professional life.

Many people believe that extroverts are more “natural” leaders than introverts, but recent groundbreaking research out of the Wharton and Harvard business schools suggests that introverts often outperform extroverts as leaders. Here are three examples of outstanding quiet CEOs:

1. Douglas Conant, the much-celebrated and beloved former CEO of Campbell Soup. In addition to famously turning around his company, Conant is well-known for his quietly humane touch. Like many introverts, he’s interested in building alliances one person at a time. For …

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Finding the right role in the theater of business

This is a guest post by Kaleb Lantrip, a student at IUPUI and a self-proclaimed introvert. This is Part IV in the five-part Quiet but Mighty blog series exploring ways introverts can remain true to themselves and still experience a satisfying professional life.

If all the world is a stage, and all the men and women merely agents, then how does one who likes performing background and scenery work to be noticed?

I have met individuals who possess better qualifications and instincts for the stage of business, but I have my own skills and values to offer. I am a shameless introvert. I am not ambitious, but I am willing to provide a hard day’s work for a noble production. The trick is getting myself behind the curtain. Establishing myself as a trustworthy and able worker is key.

There is a narrow window of …

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Maintaining Balance: Working effectively, managing office presence

This is Part III in the five-part Quiet but Mighty blog series exploring ways introverts can remain true to themselves and still experience a satisfying professional life.

Life is an exercise in balance in many capacities, including within your internship or job. As an introvert, it’s important to learn how to cater to your personal work preferences as well as how to stretch yourself. Below are a few thoughts as you begin developing into the best worker you can be.

Create your best working environment

As an intern, you probably don’t have much choice when it comes to the location and set-up of your workstation. However, there are little things you can do with the resources provided that can make you more comfortable and productive.

To avoid distractions, situate your computer or work materials to face away from a heavily-traveled walkway. …

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One quality you’ll see employers calling for in many job descriptions is “self-starter.” If you’ve completed a couple internships, you’re likely qualified in that regard.

But what if you went a step further and started your own internship of sorts, where you are both the supervisor and the intern?

If you’re looking to add more “meat” to your portfolio, speculative work (or “spec work”) is a great way to learn-while-doing, and you’re completely in control. I’m not referring to the controversial spec work in the graphic design field. The spec work I’m advocating is where you come up with an idea from scratch, plan the project, complete the tasks and evaluate the work all on your own time. You aren’t working within the limits of company protocol or a class rubric and you aren’t answering to a supervisor or professor. You can tailor the project to fill any holes you …

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This is a Q&A with Ativio Executive Vice President Susan Nierste about how their company benefits from virtual internships. Be sure to also check out our blog about the potential of virtual internships.

1.  How long has Ativio been offering virtual internships? How many interns do you typically work with at one time?

We started in Fall 2011. More than 500 United States (domestic and foreign), African and Indian students have participated in the internship. The number of students working at the same time on teams varies. Our team sizes range between 8 – 12 on a team, plus team management.

2. Can you briefly explain how your virtual internships work? What work do your interns complete?

We have different levels of participation within the virtual team environment. We start out by teaching a class on how to work within international virtual team environments at area Indiana universities. In the classroom, the team works on a static project with …

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This guest post is written by Elizabeth P. Cipolla, a business communications professional specializing in the areas of leadership training, creative recruitment strategies, professional development and executive coaching for more than 13 years. Cipolla is featured weekly in the Jamestown Post-Journal’s business section, where this column was published orginally on March 10, 2013.

Each year, millions of students and adults race to find the perfect internship in the industry of their dreams. What many fail to understand is the simple truth behind what they can do to get the most out of their experience at any internship assignment, every time.

Truth No. 1: Despite what you’ve been told, studying hard and getting good grades is not the only path to career success.

As a seasoned human resource management professional, I can assure you that savvy hiring managers want something more than good grades. In fact, many will not even consider hiring a …

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This is a guest post by Marie Dunlap, former intern at Stone City Counseling. She was a psychology student at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College who graduated on Dec. 15, 2012. She is 63 years old.

As a psychology major considering a career in mental health, I was able to do my internship at Stone City Counseling Center, in my hometown of Bedford, Ind. Stone City Counseling (SCC) is a small, private practice.

My internship supervisor was Becky Kleihege, who holds a bachelor’s degree from Butler and a master’s degree from Indiana University Bloomington. Over the course of my internship I became familiar with hers and the other therapist’s credentials. More than that, she was a wonderful mentor, which seems a little strange, considering I’m senior to her by quite a few years!  But we’re never too old to learn.

Becky held several positions before coming to SCC.  Because of that she …

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Are you an employer low on office space? Do business nationally or internationally? Office located far away from major cities or college towns?

Are you a student with an academic course load that doesn’t lend itself to an office internship? Can’t find any internships near your campus?

If you answered “yes,” a virtual internship could be a great option for you. It’s a trend that is picking up steam because the benefits are numerous. In 2012, there were 58 new virtual internship positions posted to our website.

Virtual internships are a great way for employers to nurture talent in soon-to-be professionals and for students to secure full-time employment post-graduation. Take it from our friends at Ativio, an information technology and business process outsourcing solutions company in Indianapolis.

“We work in virtual environments all the time,” said Susan Nierste, vice president of business affairs. “We know what we need as a …

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Editor’s Note: Thomas P. Miller and Associates  (TPMA) is and Indianapolis-based company with a mission to align people, technology and initiatives to enhance the economic value of communities, educational institutions and companies. Former TPMA Intern Calli Duggins reflects on her internship and what she learned while at TPMA.  Duggins is now a graduate student at IUPUI.

Working with TPMA as an intern was a critical part of my professional development during my undergraduate work at Butler University.  Prior to this internship, I had interned at a large non-profit organization and a state government agency.  While both of those experiences were valuable because they introduced me into the work environment and helped me improve my interpersonal skills, TPMA afforded me an incredibly well-rounded experience.

The projects assigned to me in the first summer included the development of a new website for TPMA and the creation of community asset inventories to be used in …

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This is a blog post from Kelli Vorndran, the Communications and Media Intern for EmployIndy. Kelli will graduate from IUPUI in the spring with a bachelor’s degree in English with a concentration in Creative Writing.

Most of today’s college students understand the value of an internship. Interning has become so commonplace that many employers actually expect to see this kind of experience on a college grad’s resume. In addition to this newer idea of a “required” internship, I was eager to enter the professional world as an intern just to gain experience.

One thing that may turn students away from an internship is the idea that it is all work­—with no pay. This is never the case! As cliché as it sounds, an internship pays you in experience, if not only as a résumé booster. If you are lucky enough to land a paid internship, hooray! Bask in it for a …

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This story was posted on Inside INdiana Business.

The largest group of engineering educators in the world has selected Kirk Barber, a School of Engineering and Technology student at IUPUI, as its intern of the year. Barber received a $500 cash award and a recognition plaque, and he attended the American Society for Engineering Education‘s Conference for Industry and Education Collaboration in Mesa, Ariz.

Barber, who is expected to graduate in May with degrees in mechanical engineering and motorsports engineering, has completed three internships, including two consecutive summer internships at Allison Transmission Inc. in Indianapolis.

“Kirk is very capable and can achieve anything he sets out to do,” Bill Klenk, executive director of off highway and hybrid operations at Allison Transmission, wrote in a letter nominating Barber for the American Society for Engineering Education’s Intern of the Year Award. “He has an extremely high level of self-motivation and a strong …

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The IMPACT Awards Luncheon was a great way to see some of Indiana’s brightest interns, professionals and companies. I had the opportunity to learn why Indiana is such a great place to work and intern.

Caroline Dowd-Higgins’ speech was very moving and inspired me to create my own career plan path. She stated that 70% of employees are disengaged and unhappy. This really spoke to me because I’ve always believed in finding a career I will love going to each day and where I can make a difference.  Her speech was relatable–stating that it’s okay to change your mind and that we are each a “work in progress.”

As an intern myself, it was great to listen to three different rock star interns’ (high school, college and nontraditional) success stories. It demonstrates the work you put forth in internships directly affects your career path, making it that much easier to land …

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This article is from the Indiana Business Journal titled, “Look Beyond Résumé to Predict Hiring Success” by Jenny Vance, President of LeadJen.

Here is some insight into the mind of an employer. It is important to remember that although your résumé may not have a lot of relevant experience to a job you are applying for, companies still look for transferable skills and qualities. Don’t get discouraged when applying for jobs or internships because your background doesn’t necessarily reflect the description. Instead, try to highlight other qualifications that might show the company why you would make a great fit. See Indiana INTERNnet’s blog where other Indiana employers provide intern tidbits: Take it from the internship supervisors.

I hate resumes. Okay, “hate” may be a little strong, but I do think resumes are overrated. They tend to put prospective hires into a box and possibly limit companies from hiring outstanding employees. …

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As I begin my new journey into my internship with Indiana INTERNnet, I am most excited about creating content that will be useful to other interns and employers. I must reflect and admit that this wasn’t where I thought I would be six months ago, but I am so thankful that this is where I am today. After finally graduating in August 2012, I was ready to embark on my journey of “life after college.” I landed a job with the Indiana Department of Homeland Security after I had interned with them. I was funded by a grant, and found out that I would be losing my job at the end of the year, so I decided to explore other career opportunities. I actually created a profile through the Indiana INTERNnet website and began searching for internships.  I was very excited about applying for the Marketing/Special Events coordinator position and …

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