Category Archives: Internship

The tenth time’s a charm!

Indiana INTERNnet began the tradition of celebrating internship excellence nearly a decade ago by launching the annual IMPACT Awards program.

Today, the IMPACT Awards are presented at an annual luncheon honoring Interns of the Year (high school, college and non-traditional categories), Employers of the Year (for-profit and not-for-profit categories) and a Career Development Professional of the Year. Indiana INTERNnet will honor its tenth group of award nominees and winners on Feb. 3, 2016. Co-founder and CMO Angie Hicks of Angie’s List will be the keynote speaker.

Honorees are nominated by the public, and winners are chosen by a panel of impartial judges. Click here to submit your nomination(s) in any or all of the categories by October 23.

The inaugural group of honorees set the standard for years of inspiring stories of accomplishments by – and on behalf of – interns. Here is a sampling …

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Admittedly, when I first considered applying to work with Indiana INTERNnet, I thought I was a bit aged to take on an internship.

That is until I watched the trailer for the upcoming movie “The Intern.” I am nowhere near 70, the age of the intern character played by one of my favorite actors, Robert De Niro. But I did wonder how I would compete against traditional college students. It goes to show that no matter your age, if you’re willing to learn, you can find opportunities.

I call this a non-traditional movie review for two reasons. First, non-traditional (a 37-year-old parent who works while attending college) is the type of student I am, and second, I’ve yet to see the movie, which is set for release Sept. 25. Based on the trailer, however, I expect to experience more than a few laughs and maybe even learn a life lesson …

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“Do what you are afraid of.”

These are the words of Caryl Auslander, VP of Education and Workforce Development Policy at the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. When she said this, she didn’t know I accepted this internship at Indiana INTERNnet for that very reason.

Prior to joining this team to help increase talent retention, I was a student plagued by writer’s block, and I had very little social media experience. I decided I wanted to face this head-on.

I was that guy, probably like your parents, who used Facebook just to see who wished me a happy birthday once a year. As far as I was concerned, hashtags were never the character displayed in front of a word to loop a post into a larger conversation. It was always just the number/pound sign to me.

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“This kind of growth could not be found in …

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It’s party time because you’ve almost made it through your summer internship! You’ve learned new things and grown professionally. You’ve become a significant part of the team. Whether you are sad to skedaddle or ready to roll, how you leave is just as important as how you arrived. Here are some tips for wrapping up your internship in a professional manner! What will they do without you?

Reflect

Internships are like swimming in the kiddie pool. It’s the same water the professional swimmers use, only it’s specifically constructed for learning. In other words, internships are the time to test the waters and even pick up some new strokes. After “splashing around,” perhaps you know that you are in the right area, or maybe you need to explore another career path.

Make a list and reflect on things you liked about your experience and things you didn’t. What did the …

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The journey Alex Eaton embarked on after his sophomore year has come full circle.

A recent Indiana University graduate, Eaton, utilized Indiana INTERNnet to apply for an internship position at Pete the Planner, a small financial wellness company based in Indianapolis founded by Peter Dunn. Dunn is an author, radio personality and financial expert.

Now, Eaton has transitioned into his new full-time role as the Director of eLearning at Pete the Planner.

While his job involves marketing Pete the Planner’s online platforms, he wears many hats during the day.

“I’m reaching out to a perspective client and starting the sales process, I’m running the actual product demos all the way to helping sign them on as clients, and I’m working with them once they are clients to make sure everything is working,” Eaton explains.

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“If you can find more situations where you don’t know what …

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Indiana INTERNnet celebrated internship excellence on Feb. 4, 2015, at the 9th Annual IMPACT Awards luncheon. Though the event is over and the winners have been announced, we are continuing to celebrate the nominees’ successes.

These are their stories.

Indiana INTERNnet: You contributed several articles and reports to Seedstock EDGE, one of which was determined to be the most memorable article published, and you also designed many pages of advertising. What was your favorite article to write and why?

Holly Hopkins: The first article I wrote for the magazine is the one that always comes to mind titled, Show Gilt to Sow. I think a lot of it being my favorite has to do with the fact that I remember brainstorming the idea with the team, putting together my source contact list and even shooting the photos at the farm of one of our breeders. Then, watching it go …

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Indiana INTERNnet celebrated internship excellence on Feb. 4, 2015, at the 9th Annual IMPACT Awards luncheon. Though the event is over and the winners have been announced, we are continuing to celebrate the nominees’ successes.

These are their stories.

Indiana INTERNnet: What do you love about sales and marketing?

Josh Valadez: I enjoy being involved in the company and knowing my role is part of a larger purpose. I am also a very talkative person, which being in sales allows me to talk without getting in trouble most of the time. I am a very creative person, and being in marketing empowers me to make my own decisions. I love being able to affect people’s lives in a positive way, and I can do that through understanding sales and marketing.

IIN: In your internship, you were a leader in so many ways, including with the group of interns. Did …

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Indiana INTERNnet celebrated internship excellence on Feb. 4, 2015, at the 9th Annual IMPACT Awards luncheon. Though the event is over and the winners have been announced, we are continuing to celebrate the nominees’ successes.

These are their stories.

Indiana INTERNnet: You were a long-time intern with Angie’s List and worked your way up to a full-time position. How did your internship help you get to this point?

Paige Prather: I started interning with Angie’s List the summer after my freshman year of college (May 2012). As an intern, one of the areas I assisted with frequently was Talent Acquisition. When I graduated in December 2014 from Marian University, there was an opening in the Talent Acquisition department. I still went through the process like an external candidate. My internship helped me to be offered a full-time role because of my depth of knowledge about the company, great working relationships with managers in …

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Indiana INTERNnet celebrated internship excellence on Feb. 4, 2015, at the 9th Annual IMPACT Awards luncheon. Though the event is over and the winners have been announced, we are continuing to celebrate the nominees’ successes.

These are their stories.

IIN: Tell me about your academic path and how some of your other internships supplemented that.

MU: I majored in Classical Studies with the intention of being a foreign language teacher. But, as college set in and I started thinking about career paths, I realized how competitive Classical Studies can be. So, I thought about other opportunities that would be impactful on people lives.

I realized financial services is something almost everyone needs guidance with. I was hired for the Northwestern Mutual summer program selling life, property and casualty insurance. I utterly failed at this; I’m not a very good salesman.

After graduating from IU Bloomington, I struggled with what to …

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Lynn Zeheralis is a recent graduate of Butler University and former development intern at Make-a-Wish Foundation.

As a new college graduate currently going through the job search process, I am grateful for the experiences and skills I gained through Butler’s internship program. Oftentimes, you gain more than just skills to put on a resume, and those turn out to be things you value most.

In March of my junior year, I was extended an offer to serve as the Development Intern for the Make-A-Wish Foundation in Indianapolis. I had no idea when accepting this internship that not only would I gain skills many future employers would find impressive, but I would also have to opportunity to directly impact the lives of kids and their families.

In the three months I spent working for Make-A-Wish, I became much more confident in the work I did and realized how much I …

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Do you know how depressing it is to spend a summer at an internship that’s not right for you?

Fortunately for me, I don’t have the answer to this question because I truly enjoyed my past internship experience. I have found something that I hope every intern finds this summer – internship happiness.

Last summer I was an intern for Building Tomorrow, an Indy-based non-profit that continues to have big impact in East Africa by supporting access to quality education.

My assignment: the 2nd Annual Indy Burger Battle. This would be the epic event where nine restaurants duke it out to be crowned the best burger in Indy.

I’ll be the first to admit that sunshine, live music, drinks and juicy burgers at an exclusive venue can cloud your view of what it is to be truly happy at your internship. Still, I realize the true key to internship …

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Indiana INTERNnet celebrated internship excellence on Feb. 4, 2015, at the 9th Annual IMPACT Awards luncheon. Though the event is over and the winners have been announced, we are continuing to celebrate the nominees’ successes.

These are their stories.

Indiana INTERNnet: You are a sophomore at IU Bloomington majoring in neuroscience and biology. What prompted you to take an internship in the insurance field?

Meredith Gentry: Internships are an essential part of exploring career opportunities and preparing for life after college. I wanted to get a feel for going to work every day, reporting to a supervisor, and collaborating with coworkers. I became aware of the internship openings at Baldwin & Lyons through some friends, who had just as positive experiences as I did.

IIN: What are one or two projects that really allowed you to grow professionally?

MG: While there were still assignments that had to be managed …

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Clayton Maddox is a content marketing intern with National Trade Supply, LLC in Greenwood, IN.  He assists with social media accounts, creating content, graphic design, and PPC advertising.

The 60s are often called the Golden Age of Advertising.

“Mad Men” like Donald Draper were the pioneers, with beautifully crafted stories and ideas rolling off the tongue one after the other. The interns only dreamed that they could ever be as witty and cool as them. All ideas were destined for TV, print, billboard or radio.

That was 50 years ago though, and the marketing and advertising industry has changed immensely.  Fedoras, plaid suits, smoking and drinking at work are all gone. Even though change is rapid, it’s time marketing classes incorporate modern aspects of marketing.

Creatives like Donald Draper are still essential for marketing agencies, but there’s a whole new side to marketing that wasn’t covered in any of …

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Indiana INTERNnet celebrated internship excellence on Feb. 4, 2015, at the 9th Annual IMPACT Awards luncheon. Though the event is over and the winners have been announced, we are continuing to celebrate the nominees’ successes.

These are their stories.

IIN: You were the first junior to serve as the Career Center for Opportunities (CCO) Ambassador Coordinator Intern. Tell us about your responsibilities in that role and what it meant to be trusted with that as a junior?

EL: As the Ambassador Coordinator Intern, I helped manage 12 student ambassadors to ensure proper training, growth and performance while they supported the Purdue student body with professional development. This included the planning of a two-day onboarding session, bi-weekly training sessions, schedule creation and monitoring, evaluations and goal setting, as well as project management.

Having all these responsibilities as a junior really grew my leadership abilities and taught me time management and …

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If I were given the chance to be everything I wanted to before I leave this Earth?

I wouldn’t mind being on the Today Show, or perhaps Late Night with Jordan Patterson. I would want to design BMW’s next flagship sedan and also be the leading architect in designing the perfect addition to Indy’s skyline. I would write and produce music for talented artists that would win me a record number of Grammy awards. Oh, and voice acting in a Pixar film would be awesome!

One might see why the question “Where do you see yourself in 10 years?” poses a challenge to a guy like me with many ambitions. I have a hunch that I am not alone. When giving campus tours at Butler University, I always ask the question to perspective students, “How many of you know what you want to do with your life?”

Of course, …

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