Category Archives: Internship and Job Search

In order to combat the spread of COVID-19, many Indiana colleges and universities moved to eliminating fall and spring breaks while extending winter breaks. While a longer break can provide a much-needed period of relaxation for students, it also can be the perfect time to explore micro-internships.

Micro-internships are short-term, project-based experiences that provide individuals opportunities to increase their skills, explore new career paths and build their networks. They’re an excellent opportunity for employers to hire students specifically for the purpose of completing a singular project. It’s important to note, however, that micro-internships are not eligible for the EARN Indiana program.

Unlike traditional internships, micro-internships take place over a range of hours as opposed to a set timeframe. They typically last from 10 to 80 hours of work with most projects due within a week to a month after assignment. Their short timeframes make micro-internships a great fit for this …

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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 …

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During both March and April, Indiana INTERNnet surveyed employers to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected their summer 2020 internships. You may view March’s executive summary here and April’s here. With fall internship season fast approaching, Indiana INTERNnet wanted to gauge employers’ feelings toward hiring fall 2020 interns. Also, now that summer internship season is concluding, we wanted to understand Hoosier employers’ experiences with hiring summer 2020 interns.

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 121 responses were received.

Of those surveyed, 68% (82 employers) indicated that prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, they typically hired fall interns. Five percent (6 employers) indicated that they were unsure if their company typically hired interns.

Forty-one percent (34 employers) of the 82 employers that typically hire fall interns prior to COVID-19 said they …

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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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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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Last Wednesday, I attended my last career fair as an undergraduate student on Ball State’s campus.

If you would have even mouthed the words “career fair” 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 INTERNnet’s 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 …

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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 …

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I know that it’s the holiday season and that the last thing on a lot of people’s minds is planning for the summer. But what a lot of students don’t know is that now is a great time to start applying and searching for summer internships. I know some are focusing on their spring internship experience and that is great, but summer is right around the corner. Use these couple of weeks off to start your summer search and use some of the tips I have complied for you!

Utilize Indiana INTERNnet and all the amazing resources on the site

Most readers know the resources that we offer, but some new users are still getting familiar with the site. Here are some new user tips:

Utilize the advanced search options. This is a perfect way to only see internships that work for you. Sort it into the industry, location, or …

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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.  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

It’s 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.  Maybe make an appointment with someone in your campus career center. They can help you make sure you’re 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 …

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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 doesn’t 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 aren’t 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 …

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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 aren’t 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 …

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When starting off your professional career, interviews are going to become a lot more common than you would hope for. Preparing for an interview and knowing how to set yourself up for success isn’t as easy as everyone makes it out to be. Here are some steps to take when preparing for an interview. 

A few days before 

Interview preparation should start as soon as possible. You should start with researching the company. This is a great way to get ideas about what the company is doing and where they are headed. Bringing up some key elements during the interview will really help set you apart from other candidates. Start with the company’s website. Learn about the goals, missions, and future plans for the company, which will help you get an idea of what you could be getting involved in. Now is also a good time to prepare for how …

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It can be challenging starting off your professional career and knowing what the dress code is for every event or meeting. What you wear to interviews, meetings and even daily in the office can make an impact on how others view you. Navigating what is appropriate and expected isn’t always the easiest which is why I am here to help give you advice most people don’t think about.

Interviewing and starting your job

Most know that you should dress for the job you want. This means looking the part for the interview. Walking in with a nice and professional outfit will not only help you make a great first impression but will help you create a strong reputation within the office. Take note on your first couple of days to see what other people are wearing. It’s important to look nice, but you should avoid standing out for looking too …

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Join Indiana INTERNnet at its second online internship fair on October 30! The event takes place virtually through CareerEco which means you will be able to connect with students around the state from the comfort of your office. It is the perfect opportunity to find your next spring, summer or even fall 2020 interns!

Like a traditional internship/career fair, employers can connect directly with potential interns. However, unlike a traditional fair, everything takes virtually place within a chat room. Registered employers have their own chat room with the option to host private text, video or audio chat sessions.

Here are some more benefits of the online internship fair:

Eliminate travel costs and costs associated with ordering promotional items

Since the fair takes place online, there are absolutely no travel costs associated with attending. Employers can take part in the fair from their home, office, coworking space, coffee shop, anywhere!

Travel isn’t the …

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Recently, Allison wrote a blog post about what to do if an intern isn’t doing their best. I think we should also talk about what to do if your internship experience isn’t the best. Unfortunately, even though every internship posted on our site must be approved by a staff member, some internships are not what you were hoping they would be.

Remember it’s temporary

Internships are great because they are only temporary, which allows you to see what work environments you do or don’t like. Some days will be harder than others, but remember that you don’t have to be there forever. Take every opportunity you can to learn and network as much as you can. Just because you don’t like the place you are at doesn’t mean the experience is a waste of time.

Don’t burn any bridges

You might think that because you’re “just an intern” you can …

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