Category Archives: Internship and Job Search

This is a guest blog by Armenda Boyer, a sophomore at Purdue University. She is currently working toward a dual major in Agricultural Communication and Agricultural Economics. This past summer, she was an education intern for the Indiana State Fair Commission.  

“Where are we going?” asked a wide-eyed little boy as I led his summer camp group to the Mac Reynold’s Barn at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.

As an education intern for the Indiana State Fair Commission, my team and I often hosted student field trips. My favorite days working at the fair were the days when children flooded the Fairgrounds to learn about agriculture. This summer, I realized that helping children learn is one of the most fulfilling things I can do. When that learning is regarding agriculture, an industry I am passionate about, I am even more excited to share information.

I answered the eager …

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Jenn Meadows is a senior communications major studying at the University of Indianapolis. She is the UIndy PRSSA president and promotions director for WICR 88.7. Currently she’s interning in her hometown for Main Street Greensburg and the Decatur County Chamber of Commerce.

I’m a big fan of the NBC Show Parks and Recreation. Leslie Knope, the main character played by Amy Poehler, was born and raised in the fictional town of Pawnee, Ind. Leslie is very passionate about the town she loves which carries over into her work as Director of the Parks Department – she’s writing a book, campaigning for new parks and planning a festival.

Like Leslie, I was born and raised in Indiana. However, I come from Greensburg, a small town in Southeastern Indiana. When I watch Parks and Recreation, I can’t help but think about my hometown.

Unlike Leslie, I couldn’t wait …

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This is a story that appeared in the ISU online newsroom.

By: Emily Sturgess, ISU Communications and Marketing Staff

Every day children fill the three stories of the Terre Haute Children’s Museum with chatter and laughter as they learn about farm life, play in the two-story tree house and laugh as they stand in the midst of the large bubble ring.

For senior public relations major Casey May, participating in this fun came her summer job.

“I just love that I can be myself here,” said May, a Terre Haute, Ind., native, who interned at the museum during the summer.

From being fingerprinted as a suspect during the CSI summer camp to dressing up as Princess Leia complete with hair buns and a toy gun, May enjoyed every opportunity to embrace the “little girl within” her.

“At any other internship I would have not be able to joke around, act …

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Do you have some unresolved questions about internships? Whether you’re a college student wondering if internships are the best next step for you – or you’re an employer curious about setting up an internship program at your organization, here is a compiled list of internship frequently asked questions with answers by our internship experts:

What is the point of interning?

Employers: A New Age of Internship Possibilities Students: Internship Experience May Increase Your Salary Discovering your career path Why Intern? Mind the Employment Gap No. 1 Perk of an Internship

Are internships truly a stepping stone into a full-time job?

From Intern to Full-Time Employee Considering an intern as a full-time employee

I hear a lot of myths about internships. What are some truths?

Five Simple Truths About Internships

I keep hearing about virtual internships. What are they all about?

The Potential of Virtual Internships Virtual …

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This is a guest blog on tips to connecting during a job search by John Muscarello, Founder and CEO of Start Networking Today.

Looking for an excuse to spend even more time on social media?

LinkedIn has proven to be a great professional networking tool. According Jobvite, “Employees hired through referral are hired 55% faster than those who come from a career site.”

I have personally used The Alumni Networking Solution to find leads and get interviews that lead to job offers.

What exactly is The Alumni Networking Solution?

The Alumni Networking Solution is a 5-step networking tool designed to introduce yourself to college alumni and develop relationships that lead to referrals. This means actually getting to know the person- and asking for his or her advice, instead of a job. I used these five simple steps – in about 10 minutes per connection – to find …

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In the summer of 2012, I had just graduated with my MBA and was looking for my first big-girl job. I sent in my résumé to every job posting that I found online that fit my criteria. After a few months, I realized my efforts were futile. I had little marketing experience to penetrate the job market. I needed a place that would give me a fresh start and some hands-on training.

I was aware that internships are the new interview for a full-time job. I knew this applied to perhaps a larger company. In a small non-profit, I wasn’t as sure about the degree of this truth. Nonetheless, I knew the experience would be valuable no matter the size of the organization.

“I thought that building up my portfolio…was as good as it gets. Turns out, it gets better.”

When I started at Indiana INTERNnet in April 2013, …

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Just when I thought my internship with Indiana INTERNnet could not get any more exciting after our staff luncheon at Dick’s Last Resort, the Indiana Chamber of Commerce treated the entire staff to an Indianapolis Indians Baseball game right around the corner at Victory Field. I hurried to wrap up my work for the day before the noon hour. The air in the office was electrified with excitement and the prospect of socializing. The air outside, however, was humid and warm.

After taking my seat alongside my chamber-mates, I thought back to the last time I was at Victory Field. It must have been back in 2010 while I was interning with the Human Resources Department at OneAmerica. The JW Marriott had not graced the panorama of Indy yet.  And, I was ready for my first-ever baseball game. My boss at the time bought me a foam finger and …

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You know how the people in the Disney-Pixar movie, Walle, look? That is how I feel after a couple of hours of sitting at my desk at work. Some days, it feels like the legend of the Freshmen 15 has come back to haunt me – not that I gained all 15 pounds in college, but you get what I mean.

As any health conscious intern, I began to collect some tips on ways to maintain wellness while at work. Then, I realized the Indiana Chamber of Commerce has among its programs a state-wide Wellness Council. Hence, I went directly to the experts to help me compile a list of time-tested tips. Within five minutes of chatting with Adrienne Luegers, the Program Coordinator, I came to realize there is more to wellness than just the physical aspect.

Not only did Adrienne shed a brighter light on wellness in the workplace, but also …

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This is a post by Ball State University graduate Kelsey McPheeters. After graduating with a Bachelors of Science in public relations from Ball State University in May 2013, Kelsey McPheeters joined LMV Consulting as the marketing and communications intern. Not only does she maintain client websites and update social media, but also develops newsletters, among other various tasks.

As graduation was approaching, I began my job search hoping to land an account executive position with a public relations agency in Indianapolis. Early in my search, it became apparent to me that the positions I wanted to apply for required agency experience, or post-graduation experience.

Although I had two non-agency internships (Special Events at Indiana State Fair and Marketing/PR at IU Health Ball Memorial) under my belt, I decided to turn to Indiana INTERNnet to look for a third. After all, the third time’s a charm, right?

…

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A new movie, The Internship (PG-13), featuring comedic icons, Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson, opens June 7th, 2013.

The movie follows two former salesmen who must compete with a group of young, tech-savvy geniuses at a coveted internship at Google for a shot at employment. In an age where digital smarts is quickly outweighing street and book smarts, we can only imagine what hilarious mishaps are in store for Vaughn and Wilson’s characters:

Watch ‘The Internship’ movie trailer here.

To enter to win tickets to “The Internship” movie, sponsored by Indiana INTERNnet, tell us about your favorite internship by filling out the Entry Form via Formstack. (It takes less than 5 minutes – we promise!)

Entries must be received by 11:59pm on Wednesday, June 5th, 2013. Two winners will be selected at random and emailed an electronic Fandango gift card good for two movie tickets (Maximum $25 value).

P.S. For extra entries, share …

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The Life and Times of an Internet Marketing Intern is a guest blog post by Rachel Brown, the Content Marketing Intern at digitalrelevance. In this position, she produces valuable advanced content and contributes to the company blog. Brown expects to graduate from Butler University in 2015 with degrees in English Literature and French. This is her reflection on her rewarding internship experience with digitalrelevance.

An English literature and French major at a liberal arts university. Does that sound like someone who would throw herself into the world of Internet marketing? I thought that girl would be out of place and struggle to find her way in.

My time at Slingshot SEO and digitalrelevance proved to be quite the opposite. Right from the start, I had confidence instilled in me from my supervisors, and I was put right to work. As an intern in the editorial department, my fellow Search …

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“A Virtually Equine Semester” is a guest blog post by Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College student, Stephanie Dolan, about her experience at a virtual internship.

A horse lover from birth, I was thrilled to see the posting last winter for a virtual internship with the Indiana Horse Council. I’m an Indianapolis resident, but I was not quite sure how I would have managed a full-time job with an in-house internship. The fact that this internship was virtual made this experience a dream job for me, and I am so grateful to my site supervisor, Mary Marshall (the Secretary of the IHC Board of Directors) for choosing me as her first-ever intern.

The mission of the Indiana Horse Council is as a non-profit corporation dedicated to the well-being of the horse industry. The Indiana Horse Council protects, promotes and preserves the interests and activities within the Indiana equine industry in the areas …

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From “what are you going to do when you grow up” to “what are you going to do after graduation” to even “what’s next for you,” life seems to be one never ending string of career questions. These questions assume that one is continually equipping one’s self with the tools needed to proceed onto the next career milestone. Up until my graduation from college in May 2011, I thought I was ready to take on “the real world” – to do whatever I was going to do when I grew up. However, like many of my generation, I faced a reality that I was not expecting: the student employment gap.

A labor shortage is a stark realization as the Baby Boomer workforce retires, heating up the competition for emerging talent. However, a striking contrast exists bewteen what employers require and what college students bring to the table. As reported …

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I enjoyed most subjects in high school—with the exceptions of physics and art.

Growing up, I had this idea that there were three main occupations that would bring the highest accolade: physician, lawyer, and engineer. When I had to choose a college major, I decided to pursue a pre-professional health track, since I was interested in biology. After taking an introductory course, I was smitten with psychology, and I quickly added it as a complementary major. By my junior year, I realized that my interest in the medical field was dwindling. I still enjoyed learning about the infinite complexity of living things, but I could not foresee myself living out the physician’s lifestyle. I loved watching House and Scrubs, but my interest stopped with TV.  This is why internships have been so critical in my career path.

The summer of 2010 brought along my first internship: Human …

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This is a guest post from Jenna Whalen, a student at the University of Indianapolis. She found her upcoming summer internship with DistinXion from a tweet posted by Indiana INTERNnet.

Last year I was extremely lucky with my internship search.

Sure, I had a few roadblocks, but my professor introduced me to the person who ended up being my boss for the summer. From there, it just took off with very little effort on my part.

This year, though, I wasn’t quite as lucky.

I began my search in December and applied with 14 different places. I had a few interviews and a couple offers, but nothing seemed like a good fit. I was frustrated because I thought I had exhausted all avenues – I’d been on numerous websites and had also communicated with several key people.

Just when I was reaching the height of my frustration, something unexpected happened. I was on …

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