Category Archives: Internship
Keep Your Eyes Wide Open During Your Internship
Entry by Anastasiya Elaeva, Indiana INTERNnet Intern
The fun part of interning is that you never know what events you will have a chance to attend and what people you will get an opportunity to meet.Ā If you keep your eyes wide open, your internship can extend beyond your primary responsibilities and the department to which you are assigned.
After my Washington D.C. internship in international affairs did not work out because of differences in mine and the companyās schedules, I was desperately looking for something in Indiana.Ā I picked up the phone and called the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. To be honest, at that point of time, in mid-May, I did not expect that there would be anything available.Ā I picked up the phone because I thought that trying every single opportunity would be the right thing to do.
To my surprise, I was offered an exciting internship assisting …
Don’t Underestimate the Value of an Internship
Entry by Pat Patterson
Are you a 2010 graduate who is still searching for that first job?Ā It is no breaking news that jobs are difficult to come across in our current economy.Ā However, what may be news to some of you is that job search databases and networking are not the only ways to land a full-time job offer.Ā
One option that is continuously overlooked by graduating seniors is the possibility of acquiring a post-graduate internship.Ā Now, more than ever, because of the low cost of hiring interns, internships are used as a recruiting tool for full-time hires.Ā A recent article in Forbes reports:
āIn this economic climate, people still want to get entry-level hires but don’t have the budget, so they’re trying candidates as interns and looking to hire them afterward,ā says Adeola Ogunwole, CollegeGrad.com’s director of marketing and public relations.
In addition, although all internships may not …
āReal Worldā Internship Opportunities
Entry by Ali Norman, Career and Technical Education Intern, Department of Workforce Development
Last week I had the opportunity to do something both nerve-racking and very exciting for an intern ā I pitched an idea for a commercial to the Director of Communications of the Department of Workforce Development. As a communications major, this was a huge step for me. When my supervisor approached me with the idea for a new commercial design for the agencyās job database website, I was immediately excited and got to work. After putting two yearsā worth of effort into intensive communication theory and critical writing classes, this was a golden opportunity that I couldnāt possibly pass up.
I spent two weeks creating the concept, designing a storyboard, and making an outline consistent with the storyboard.Ā I had my co-workers read it to make sure it made sense and then finally, after many deep breaths, …
Half-way there: Ensuring Your Intern has the Best Experience Possible
Entry by Ashley Cashen, Talent Acquisition and Retention Coordinator, digitalKnowledge
I canāt believe that Bartās internship is at the halfway mark.Ā While he has plenty of work to show for his time with us, time really has flown by.Ā I was sitting at my desk a week or two ago and realized that with the halfway point approaching, our mid-internship evaluation would be soon.Ā I created an evaluation form prior to the start of the internship, but I wanted to make sure that the evaluation process was not just about filling out a form and filing it away ā I wanted to use this experience to make sure that Bartās second half of the internship was even better than the first.
I want to take the time to fully prepare for the evaluation with Bart and make sure that he is getting the most value from his time with us.Ā …
An Internship: What Itās Really Worth
Entry by Colleen Borgmeier and Andrew Stoelting, Summer Coordinator Interns, PACE Community Action Agency
For all of you skeptics out there who are wondering whether or not an internship is worth your time, we are here to tell you that it is most definitely worth your time, and money in some cases!Ā Some universities, like Ball State, require that you have an internship for most majors.Ā Other universities donāt require it, but it is highly recommended.Ā Anything that can add to your resume, especially an internship, shows that you have more specific job skills in your career area.Ā
Andrew and I are working to organize a volunteer day, Race to PACE, where the community comes in and volunteers their time to help benefit Early Head Start and Head Start.Ā We were given this opportunity to coordinate this event about two weeks into our internship.Ā With no prior …
Students: How to Communicate Successfully during a Virtual Internship
Entry by Anastasiya Elaeva, Indiana INTERNnet Intern
In Mondayās blog entry, I provided you with Interactive Intelligenceās perspective on virtual internships.Ā I also recently spoke with one of Interactive Intelligenceās virtual interns, Courtney Guard, who would like to share her advice on having a successful internship experience.Ā An economics major at Purdue University with minors in business management and political science, she is currently doing an internship in the office of Interactive Intelligence, a global provider of business communications solutions.Ā However, last fall she worked for the company from her campus, assisting with the management of Interactive Intelligenceās customer accounts.
Courtneyās started as a regular summer intern in Interactive Intelligenceās office.Ā When her term at the company was over, she talked to her manager about the possibility of keeping her job over the fall while working from home.Ā Courtney really wanted to have a professional job in the fall semester, …
Communicating Effectively at Your Internship
Entry by Courtney Sampson, Marketing and Communications Intern, Indiana State Fair
Last Tuesday, I shared with you a āTop 10 List of Things Iāve Learned about the Indiana State Fairgrounds.ā While there is plenty more where that list came from, this week Iām shifting my focus to writing. Sounds thrilling, doesnāt it?
Seriously, whether or not youāre studying communications (like me), employers across the board will take you more seriously if you can write well. But how can you write well if you donāt know where to begin?
Well, you can start by reading and asking a lot of questions. Just ask my boss ā Iām sure heād confirm that I ask plenty of questions. Because Iām an inquisitive person, I feel like Iāve learned a lot about the State Fair, agriculture education, the 4-H, FFA, and even musical acts set to perform at this yearās fair, like Drake! As …
Pace Community Action Agency’s Internship Program
Entry by Colleen Borgmeier, Summer Coordinator Intern, PACE Community Action Agency
Pace has always wanted to implement an internship program, but the funds were not available until 2009 when stimulus dollars became available through the American Recovery Reinvestment Act. This Internship Program is providing summer employment opportunities for college students, giving us the opportunity to acquire skills, gain valuable work experience, and help finance our return to school. Opportunities are being offered within Pace facilities in Washington and Vincennes and will run for a 13-week period beginning May 11th and completing August 6th.
As summer coordinator interns, Andrew and I have already learned valuable skills to use next year after graduation. We have been working to monitor the high school workers who have been placed around various small businesses in Vincennes and Washington. We are also organizing and implementing a volunteer day and researching and creating surveys and other documents …
āEmployers, be brave, donāt rule anything out, and youāll be surprised by the level of work of your virtual internsā¦ā
Entry by Anastasiya Elaeva, Indiana INTERNnet Intern
Still not feeling ready to start a virtual internship program at your organization? Maybe reading another organizationās success story may persuade you. Interactive Intelligence Inc., a global provider of IP unified business communications solutions, headquartered in Indianapolis, has been hosting virtual interns for several years. Their corporate recruiter, Debbie Linville,Ā shared with meĀ how the idea of running a virtual internship program was born and what types of projects interns were working on remotely.
Interactive Intelligence launched their summer internship program in 2006. That year the company hosted six bright interns from different schools in Indiana. When the summer was coming to an end, and it was almost time for the students to return to their universities, one of the companyās managers came up with the idea that the interns could keep contributing to Interactive Intelligence projects by working remotely from their …
Students: Are You Ready for a Virtual Internship?
In the June INTERNnetwork, we included an article about virtual internships, working for an organization outside of an organizationās office. Although there are benefits of being a virtual intern (no office commute, flexible work schedule, no dress code, more personal freedom, etc.), not every student can excel as a virtual intern.
Before you apply for a virtual internship, consider these questions:
– Do you have previous internship experience in an office setting?
– Are you interested in working for a web-based organization?
– Are you interested in electronic outreach, including email pitching and social media communication?
– Are you self-motivated?
– Are you independent enough to work with minimal supervision?
– Are you technology savvy?
– Are you able to meet important deadlines?
A virtual internship may be ideal for a student who may not have the opportunity or funds for a traditional internship …
Top 10 Things I’ve Learned Working for the Indiana State Fair
Entry by Courtney Sampson, Marketing and Communications Intern, Indiana State Fair
Our Great Indiana State Fair is all about food, family, fun, and farmers ā I added the farmers. Weāre more than just sweet corn and midway rides ā although I enjoy both! Education is one of the values the Indiana State Fair holds near-and-dear ā the young, the old, and everyone in-between can learn something while attending the fair. Iām 2 Ā½ weeks into my internship with the fair, and Iād love to share with you some of the things I have learned thus far!
Top Ten Things Iāve Learned Working for the Indiana State Fair
10.) Thereās such a thing as deep-fried butter & deep-fried sushi. On the other hand, the Indiana State Fair was the first state fair in the nation to eliminate trans-fat cooking oil.
9.) Horses (and their trainers) are weather-resistantā¦or maybe weather resilient
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Avoiding Intern Isolation
Entry by Ashley Cashen, Talent Acquisition and Retention Coordinator, digitalKnowledge
Several things can lend to a negative experience for an intern ā in my opinion, one of the biggest pitfalls can be isolating your intern from the rest of the company. One of the internās expectations is to dive deeper into your company and the industry ā to get an insiderās look at how your company operates. Companies who treat their interns like temporary employees who come in and work on tasks that quite frankly, no one else wants to do, are neglecting their interns of valuable experiences.
There are several ways that we have chosen to involve Bart in the company and allow him to feel like he is a true member of the dK team. The first being very simple, but important – his location in the office. A lot of the work that Bart is participating in …
Making an Impact as an Intern
Entry by Courtney Sampson, Marketing and Communications Intern, Indiana State Fair
Between researching and writing press releases, blogging about Indy Premier Cage Fighting, engaging with the community via social media, attending various meetings, and learning about mission and vision statements, I built a house. Yep, you heard me ā a real-life, five-bedroom, two-bathroom home.
OK, for all you skeptics out there, I didnāt exactly build the house with my own two hands, but I did work up a sweat by hammering some nails, dragging a few 2 x 4ās, and helping to carry the āwalls.ā Last week, Indiana State Fairgrounds commission, board, and staff members, along with hundreds of volunteers from sponsor companies, helped construct a Habitat for Humanity Ag House.
Several Indiana agriculture businesses and organizations have stepped up in a BIG way to make Tamika Allenās dream of home ownership a reality, showcasing the impact of Indianaās agriculture, …
What if we CAN have a successful internship program?
Entry by Ashley Cashen, Talent Acquisition and Retention Coordinator, digitalKnowledge
Founded in 2003, digitalKnowledge is a smaller, but mighty IT consulting firm. Last fall it became very apparent that digitalKnowledge was missing out on a great opportunity ā hosting an intern. When the idea first began circling the office, it made perfect sense. We are a smaller company, but that lends to our unique office culture – a culture that is a perfect educational environment for an undergrad intern.
Several months later, here we are, with the first dK internship program well under way. The process to get here consisted of a lot of research and conversations pondering that never-ending question, what if? What if we donāt have enough work to keep the intern busy? What if we canāt pay the intern enough? What if we donāt have the staff to oversee the intern? And so on, and so on.
…
Goinā Hog Wild for the Great Indiana State Fair
Entry by Courtney Sampson, Marketing and Communications Intern, Indiana State Fair
Iād like to consider myself a āresearch queen.ā Really, I love reading and surfing the Internet; this trait bodes well for me when researching potential internships or future jobs. When I stumbled across the Publicity/Media Relations internship for the Indiana State Fair, I learned that it is the āYear of Pigs.ā Iām a Hoosier gal, so the idea of celebrating pork didnāt faze me much. After all, Indiana pork production contributes $3 billion to Indianaās economy annually! See ā told you I like research. Needless to say, my first day on the job really brought the āYear of Pigsā to lifeā¦so-to-speak.
One of my responsibilities is to assist Andy Klotz, Director of Publicity & Media Relations for the State Fair, escorting the media to various events at the fairgrounds. My first day coincided with the Indiana …