Category Archives: Employers

Whether you’ve hosted interns for years or weeks, chances are you’re still not a mind-reader. You care about making this internship the best possible experience for everyone involved, but your intern may not know how to communicate their goals to you just yet. To make things easier, here’s a list of ten things your intern probably wishes you knew:

1. I’m here to work

If I wanted to be paid to do nothing, I would get a job as a house sitter. I’m here to gain experience in my field of interest, and I’d rather be busy than bored.

2. That said, I know my limits

And you probably do, too. I don’t expect every task you assign me to be incredibly important or challenging, because I understand there are some things I’m just not qualified to do. I’ll learn from the small things, too.

3. I’m always observing

Because …

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In March, Indiana INTERNnet surveyed employers to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected their summer 2020 internships. You may view the executive summary here. Since this has been an extremely fluid situation, Indiana INTERNnet sent another survey in April to see if – and how – anything has changed.

The survey was distributed to all employers registered on IndianaINTERN.net. In addition, it was shared with employer networks by Indiana colleges/universities and economic development organizations. A total of 181 responses were received.

Forty-six percent (84 employers) revealed they completed Indiana INTERNnet’s March survey. Of those 84 employers, 62% (52 employers) said  their answers had changed from the March survey.

Of those surveyed, 86% (156 employers) indicated that prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, they were planning on hiring interns for summer 2020.

When those 156 employers were asked what types of interns their company plans/planned on hiring, here’s how they responded …

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The last month has upended the way most of us live our daily lives. When this happens, most of us go back to the basics. We do what we need to do to make it through the day – and not much more. After a few weeks, however, we realize that we can establish new routines. We can do much of what we did previously, even if physically distant from one another during a stay-at-home order. We regain much of our productivity and, before we know it, we wonder why we weren’t using technology so much in the past.

As we set new routines, we can start thinking ahead again. Our first instincts may have been to put our summer internship plans on hold because there were too many questions. For students: Are employers still hosting interns? Will the employer be able to host me if I accept an offer? …

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With the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, Indiana INTERNnet wanted to get a clear idea of Indiana employers’ initial reactions to hosting summer 2020 interns. Who received the survey? All employers registered on IndianaINTERN.net. In addition, it was shared to employer networks by Indiana colleges/universities and economic development organizations. A total of 224 responses were received.

Of those surveyed, 93% (208 employers) indicated that prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, they were planning on hiring interns for summer 2020.

The majority of respondents 66% (138 employers) said they were planning on hiring between one to three interns before the pandemic.

With their current knowledge of events surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, 72% (161 employers) said they still plan on hiring interns. Of that 72%, 74 employers said they still plan on hiring interns with no changes to plans. Eighty-seven employers said they plan on hiring summer 2020 interns, but with changes …

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Indiana INTERNnet recently appointed Lori Danielson of Terre Haute-based GoTime Coaching as the new president of its board of directors. I sat down with Danielson to discuss her role and goals for the future.

Caitlyn Beck: Tell me a bit about who you are and what you do.

Lori Danielson: I started a small consulting practice, GoTime Coaching, about five years ago. My career has been built in the business world – marketing, finance and manufacturing. I really wanted to do something that would have a greater one-on-one impact with individuals and businesses. I’ve had a lot of fun. A lot of learning in the past five years.

CB: Was there something in particular that motivated you toward wanting to make an individual impact or has that always been a goal of yours?

LD: It was a combination of wanting a one-on-one impact, but also having more control over my …

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I’ve been with Indiana INTERNnet for almost three years, but every once in a while, I make a mistake. It may be a small typo in an email, forgetting to follow up with a voicemail or messing up the formatting in a PowerPoint presentation. Humans aren’t perfect! I quickly own up to the mistake, correct it and move on.

That’s why when interns make mistakes, it’s very important to realize that no one, not even yourself, is capable of delivering perfect work 100% of the time. For most interns, an internship is their very first experience working in a professional setting. Many things are new to them, so they need the freedom to learn and grow from their mistakes. However, what should you do when your interns mistakes become a bigger issue? Here are some examples:

You noticed your intern posting inappropriate things on their social media channels
You …

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Indiana INTERNnet is pleased to welcome Angela Taylor to our team as Program Assistant! She is responsible for the logistics of the IMPACT Awards, serves as liaison to the board of directors and committees, and produces communications.

Angela was born and raised on the west side of Indianapolis but currently resides in Irvington, a charming east side neighborhood. She received her bachelor’s degree at Indiana University – Indianapolis with a focus on tourism, conventions and events management. She started her career in the hospitality industry as an intern working at the Sheraton in Indianapolis. Once her internship was completed, she stayed working at the Sheraton through college and beyond.

To build her resume, she switched fields and worked at Elanco Animal Health for a few years, then most recently worked at the Greater Lawrence Chamber of Commerce. She is very excited to jump in with the Indiana INTERNnet team and …

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Join Indiana INTERNnet and the Indiana Commission for Higher Education (CHE) in celebrating Indiana’s interns! Gov. Holcomb has officially recognized July 25 as Indiana Intern Day. The occasion is modeled after National Intern Day – a movement to honor interns and the employers that provide meaningful internship opportunities.

This day is primarily social media-focused, but if you want to give your interns a break, Indiana INTERNnet and the CHE will host a casual intern meet-up at the Statehouse Market in Indianapolis from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. You can purchase lunch from food trucks and other local vendors. Employers: Send your interns to show them your appreciation. Interns: Network with your peers!

Can’t make it to Indianapolis? Acknowledge your interns by using #INinternday on social media. Complete this pledge form. It’s free to participate. We’ll send you downloadable content to start your Intern Day celebration off right!

We recently started screening every single internship posted on IndianaINTERN.net. We quickly realized this is a time-consuming process. But it truly increases the quality of internships we share with students. I noticed, however, a common trend: Employers were putting a lot of emphasis on experiences as opposed to desired skills from potential applicants.

I see a lot of internship postings requesting specific qualifications. The employer limits its search to juniors or seniors, a student with a certain GPA, number of courses completed and/or total years’ experience. There are plenty of other attributes that should be considered when trying to find your next intern.

Applicants’ skills

When you review an applicant’s resumé, it’s easy to hone in on how many internships they have or have not completed. Instead of looking solely at quantity, focus on abilities developed during their professional experiences.

If the applicant doesn’t have an internship background, avoid discounting them. …

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Earlier this week we had the opportunity to interview a current employee of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. Charlee Beasor is the Communications and PR Manager for the Chamber. We asked her about her internship experience and what’s important in the early stages of professional development.

Indiana INTERNnet: What is your current position and what do you do?

Charlee Beasor: I’m the Communications and PR manager of the Chamber. I perform a wide range of tasks, from handling social media accounts to writing for BizVoice(R) magazine, as well as Indiana Chamber press releases. Also, I talk with members of the Chamber and see what visibility and communications resources we can offer them. I also work with the media and our spokespeople in my current role.

IIN: When did you decide to start applying for internships and why?

CB: I started searching …

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Earlier this week we had the opportunity to interview a current employee of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. Nick Luchtefeld is Manager of Membership and Customer Services for the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. Nick has been with the chamber since 2012. We asked him about his previous internship experiences and how it helped him prepare for his career. He provided us with career advice as well as what to look for in an internship to gain the most experience and exposure.

Indiana INTERNnet: How many internships did you have?

Nick Luchtefeld: One of the requirements for Butler business majors is that you must complete two internships. I was able to land two internships before starting my career search. My first internship was with Wolverine Worldwide who is a shoe manufacturer, and I worked in work boot department. At Wolverine I worked with a mix of marketing …

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If you’re a student, you’ve still got time to apply for summer internships on Indiana INTERNnet, and if you’re an employer, this is still a good opportunity to post your internship! It’s better to start late than never.

Students

It’s a common assumption that by this time, it’s too late to start searching for a summer internship. It’s not! There are still over a thousand open internship positions on our site! Additionally, many employers procrastinate (just like students do). We still have employers posting summer internships every day.

But you do need to move quickly! Head to your school’s career services office and ask someone to look over your resume and make sure you impress employers. Brush up on your interview skills and gather any relevant work pieces from your classes that highlight your skills (like writing samples, design pieces, etc.).

Employers

Many students have final exams and projects to worry about …

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Earlier this week we had the opportunity to interview a current employee of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. Brett Hulse is the Director of Membership Strategy for the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. He has been with the organization since 2012. He started out as a Membership Development Manager, and became the Director of Membership Strategy recently. We asked him about his career experience and what is important in the early stages of professional development.

Indiana INTERNnet: Can you gives a brief background about your early career development?

Brett Hulse: I grew up as the son of a golf professional and spent most of my early years at the golf course. From an early age, I was confident that I would follow in my father’s shoes. For 5 years I worked in this capacity, but eventually the lack of work-life balance made this career undesirable. I …

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Indiana INTERNnet is hosting its first online internship fair through CareerEco on March 28! This is the prefect opportunity for employers to connect with students and hopefully fill their upcoming summer internships. And unlike a traditional face-to-face career fair, an online internship fair provides employers and students with much more convenience. Want to participate? Here’s the important details:

What times does the fair take place?

The online internship fair runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. EST. However, your company doesn’t have to attend the entire time. Employers can indicate a specific timeframe that they’ll be available. Students can see all the registered employers’ availability so they can determine when they’d like to attend the fair to meet with their top prospects.

What’s makes this fair different from a traditional career/internship fair?

Zero travel is involved! Attend via your computer or laptop whenever is convenient to you. Employers won’t …

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Even though it’s only January, many companies are already starting to think about summer intern recruitment. In fact, if you scroll down this page and look at our live numbers, you can see that summer internships are quickly getting posted to IndianaINTERN.net. Feeling a bit of FOMO (fear of missing out)? Think you need an intern? You may want to pump the brakes before posting.

I’m all about increasing the number of available internships for students. With the addition of interns, employers can accomplish additional tasks, introduce fresh perspectives and help train/mentor the future workforce. At the same time, students can increase their skills outside of the classroom, network and explore career interests. It’s a win-win!

There’s a danger, however, in poorly-executed internships: Already understaffed employers hire interns and can’t provide them with training or feedback. They don’t put much thought into tasks and projects their intern will be accomplishing. Or …

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