Category Archives: On The Job
Internship helps solidify career goals
This is a guest post by Constance Chasteen, former intern at Summersville Regional Medical Center. She is a computer information systems student at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College in Wabash Valley, Ind.
For my internship, I was asked to either revamp or rebuild Summersville Regional Medical Centerâs Intranet site. Since their existing Intranet was only partially completed using Microsoft FrontPage 2003 (an outdated Web building program), I decided to implement a Content Management System (CMS) that could develop along with them.
I took into account that budgeting can be a struggle at small community hospitals. Therefore, I decided to use WordPress as the CMS of choice. It is a free, open source CMS with many plug-ins to expand functionality to meet the hospitalâs growing needs. Because others may need to modify what I have done, I did not want it to be excessively hard to use.
There was really no place for …
One intern’s experience: Thinking about a career in law enforcement?
This guest post is written by Jennie Faker, a criminal justice major and psychology, sociology, and women’s studies minor at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College.
Since the Criminal Justice program started at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College about six years ago, there has never been an intern at the Terre Haute Police Department – until now. As the City Departmentâs first SMWC intern I was excited to pave the way for future interns.
The Terre Haute Police Department has 136 sworn officers ranging from the uniform division to investigations. The main goal of the department is to protect and serve the people of Terre Haute as well as providing safety. I did not sit at a desk filing paperwork, stapling, mailing, or typing. I was in the middle of all the action! I rode with uniformed officers and conducted traffic stops, responded to domestic disputes, and served warrants. With the investigations division I sat …
Employers: A New Age of Internship Possibilities
I invite you to clear your mind of any pre-conceived notions about internships. Now, more than ever, employers have options when selecting an intern to fit your company’s particular needs. The word “internship” is expanding to include all types of structured and supervised experiential learning beyond the traditional 12-week college internship. Each type offers a distinct approach that can produce innumerable benefits for your organization, the student and our state.
Maybe youâve dismissed the idea of hosting an intern because you donât have the resources to manage a semester-long office internship. Or maybe your companyâs work lends itself to a different internship approach. There are several new internship trends that can address specific goals you have, help you tap into fresh talent and even recruit full-time employees. There are also different demographics you can consider for internships beyond the 20-year-old college student.
New Types
âą Virtual internships: Low on office …
From intern to full-time employee
There is no better case for the value of internships than the rate at which they lead to full-time jobs. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, approximately 60 percent of 2012 college graduates who held paid internships received at least one job offer. Today, I join that group.
I began a full-time, paid internship in September with Indiana INTERNnet, a program managed by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. This was my second post-graduate internship, following three months spent at the Indiana State Fair. Iâll admit that even I â a huge advocate for internships â was a little leery of doing a second post-graduate internship.
One of our mantras at Indiana INTERNnet is âIntern Today, Employee Tomorrow.â We say it because itâs often true.
After about two months into my internship with Indiana INTERNnet, I was offered a full-time job with the Indiana Chamber as an assistant …
The Forty-Year-Old Intern
This is a story by Felicia Edlin that ran in the Little Pink Book newsletter on Nov. 7, 2012.
“If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one.” – Dolly Parton
Not so long ago, internships were reserved for college students. That’s changing.
With high unemployment rates, many women are switching careers with the help of internships to learn fresh skills and widen their network.
These days, mid-career internships are viewed as an investment to a new career, not as a regression. Ideally, an internship could lead to a full-time position.
If not, it’s a way to keep up skills in between jobs.
Career expert J.T. O’Donnell says in-depth discussions with mentors and career advisors are essential to discovering what you are interested in.
O’Donnell suggests digging deeper into why you want to make the transition. Mid-career internships are most successful for those who plan a way …
Internship experience builds confidence, skill sets
This is a guest post by Nicole Francis, former intern at the Council on Domestic Abuse, Inc. (CODA) in Terre Haute. She is a psychology student at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College.
The goal of an internship at CODA is to gain a greater understanding of the field of social services by working to empower survivors of domestic violence. After the intern successfully completes the training program, interns begin to work at the emergency shelter, transitional housing or the CODA courthouse office.
Some of the things that I did during my internship experience include: talking to the residents, listening and letting residents voice their concerns to me. I was not confined to one area because there are several cordless phones in the house, which allowed me to move about the residence and be prepared for any calls at the same time. Interns were able to work in the donation room, linen closet, …
Discovering your career path, Part IV
This is the final installment of the series discussing methods to narrow down what jobs youâd like to pursue post-graduation. For previous entries, see personality, exploratory coursework and career aptitude tests.
You wouldnât buy a car without taking it for a test drive. You wouldnât marry someone without getting to know them.
Why would you jump into a career without first completing an internship or a similar form of experiential learning?
Experiential learning is a key step in your career development and is becoming less of an option and more of a necessity (see this USA Today College story). Not only can you âtest driveâ a career, but you acquire skills and complete real-world work in addition to what you learn in the classroom.
With that said, the goal is not to land just any internship. As you begin your search, there are several factors you want to keep in …
Discovering your career path, Part III
This is Part III of a four-part series discussing methods to narrow down what jobs youâd like to pursue post-graduation.
If youâve taken an in-depth personality test, you have insight into how you naturally behave and in what situations you are most comfortable. If you have a college transcript with a broad range of coursework, you probably have an idea of what subject matter interests you.
Now, do you have an understanding of how you work best and what kind of work environment you might enjoy? Career aptitude tests are a great way to unearth your preferences.
One of the most trusted resources among career development professionals is the Strong Interest Inventory. This assessment enables you to identify specific courses, jobs, internships and activities youâre likely to enjoy. It helps you pinpoint your interests, preferences and personal style so you can prepare for a satisfying career. You can visit your …
Discovering your career path, Part II
This is Part II of a four-part series discussing methods to narrow down what jobs youâd like to pursue post-graduation.
One of the great things about college (that you often donât appreciate until after you graduate) is the unbridled access you have to an immense amount of diverse knowledge. Iâm not just talking about the library or free Internet access. Each college and university offers hundreds of courses with fascinating subject matter, and you never know what lessons, skills or new interests you could take away from a class off your beaten path.
Iâve talked to many people about their careers who have said something like, âI majored in XYZ in college⊠but I donât do anything related to that now.â I found that unbelievable until I entered the job market and began to understand the concept of transferable skills. You can find a piece of knowledge in each class …
Avoid âscaryâ intern personas
Happy Halloween! Though your internship supervisor is likely expecting (and maybe even looking forward to) frights and scary surprises tomorrow, you donât want to be one of them in the workplace.
Make sure your Halloween costume doesnât symbolize your internship persona! Here are some scary internship characteristics to avoid:
The Werewolf Intern: An employerâs nightmare! This intern looks fantastic on paper and interviews extremely well. He or she promises a great work ethic and the ability to help implement improvements within the organization. But when the full moon rises⊠or rather, when the intern is hired, he or she morphs into something unexpected and undesirable. Make sure you live up to what you advertise on your rĂ©sumĂ© and in your interview.
The Frankenstein Intern:Â An intern who may act like they were born yesterday (eek!). You are smart, creative and accomplished for someone your age; thatâs why an employer tapped …
The intern experience at myCOI
This is a guest post by Kyle Vail, a marketing intern at myCOI. Kyle is a 2012 graduate of Indiana University Bloomington and is from Greenfield, IN.
I am 23 and fresh out of college. I am not afraid to admit that I’m still a little unsure about what I think I will or should be doing for the rest of my life. I completed a Business Economics degree in May, but never really decided on a clear career path. I just knew I loved ideas and the work it takes to make them a reality. Knowing that, the opportunity to join the myCOI team in July as an intern was an easy and rewarding decision.
Working at myCOI as a Marketing Intern means collaborating with a creative, forward-looking team; a team that is always looking to better their product and service by focusing on end users. When a problem arises, there …
Bright prospects for Class of 2013
It seems the Class of 2013 has much to look forward to once their tassels are turned. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), employers expect to hire 13 percent more new college graduates from this school year than they did from the Class of 2012 (see Job Outlook 2013).
Take a look at what jobs are most in demand:
Source: NACE Job Outlook 2013
How can you meet representatives from companies in these and other industries? Career fairs at your schoolâs campus are a great place to start. Visit your schoolâs career services office and check out the Events Page on our website for opportunities near you.
When you do attend a career fair, you will get much more from it if you are prepared. Check out this post about Doâs and Donâts at career fairs.
Here are five tips to make the most of …
Tips for balancing your internship and classes
One of the first skills college students learn is how to juggle. Classes, homework, social engagements… somethingâs got to give, right, if you add an internship to the mix? Not at all! Time management and organization are the solutions, and here are some tips to help you succeed.
4. Â Â Be more organized than youâve ever been with your coursework. You donât want to be cramming for exams and trying to work a job at the same time. That school stress will follow you to work and chip away at your productivity and performance. For your classes, build your study materials as you go rather than frantically compiling them right before an exam. Refresh yourself on course material at the end of every week. A great online tool for this is called Quizlet, where you can make virtual study guides, flashcards and study games. You can share information with classmates, you …
Adopt an attitude your internship supervisor will love
Beginning a new internship can be scary, if for no other reason than the fact that you have to build a good reputation for yourself from the ground up, usually in about 10-12 weeks. Can your internship supervisor really come to trust you with meaningful work in that small timeframe?
The answer is âyes!â You can expedite the process, too, by adopting an attitude on Day 1 that your supervisor will love. From my internship experiences, here are some ways I found will help you build a good relationship with your supervisors and mentors:
1. Act like a professional
Be pleasant and respectful. Know when to listen and when to speak. Contribute to the formal and productive office environment, donât detract from it. Talking about your 21st birthday while the board president is within earshot is not a good idea. Texting during a meeting also wonât win you any points.
…
First day on the internship
Today marks Day 2 for me as the Marketing and Special Events intern with Indiana INTERNnet. I just read an excellent blog post by Megan Schuman, last summerâs intern, and by the sound of things, Iâm in for an incredible experience!
This will serve as my eighth internship, so I am a huge believer in the benefits and take-aways these experiential learning opportunities provide, and I am beyond excited to talk about this for the next several months. I know I am indebted to all of my internship supervisors and mentors for the great experiences they afforded me and all the wisdom they passed to me.
Internships can be downright fun. Iâve had the opportunity to work for the 500 Festival, the Indiana State Fair and Sen. Richard Lugarâs office in Washington, D.C. I gained practical field knowledge, but I also have a host of fun memories from these experiences, …