Category Archives: On The Job
Jake Coker : Making an IMPACT
Indiana INTERNnet celebrated internship excellence on February 26, 2019 at the 13th Annual IMPACT Awards Luncheon. Though the event is over, and the winners have been announced, we are continuing to celebrate the nomineesâ successes.
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These are their stories.
My name is Jake Coker. I am a junior at the University of Saint Francis in Fort Wayne, IN where I study Finance and am a member of the EPIC honors program at the Keith Busse School of Business. I am also a member of the Cougar football team. Before enrolling at USF, I went to high school in Tecumseh, MI where I grew up.
Indiana INTERNnet: You are a student at the University of Saint Francis in Finance, correct? What made you interested in pursuing that?
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Jake Coker: Growing up, math was always one of my favorite subjects, so I knew that I wanted …
Career Advice from the Communications and PR Manager at the Indiana Chamber of Commerce
Earlier this week we had the opportunity to interview a current employee of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. Charlee Beasor is the Communications and PR Manager for the Chamber. We asked her about her internship experience and whatâs important in the early stages of professional development.
Indiana INTERNnet: What is your current position and what do you do?
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Charlee Beasor: Iâm the Communications and PR manager of the Chamber. I perform a wide range of tasks, from handling social media accounts to writing for BizVoice(R) magazine, as well as Indiana Chamber press releases. Also, I talk with members of the Chamber and see what visibility and communications resources we can offer them. I also work with the media and our spokespeople in my current role.
IIN: When did you decide to start applying for internships and why?
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CB: I started searching …
Career Advice from the Manager of Membership and Customer Services at the Indiana Chamber of Commerce
Earlier this week we had the opportunity to interview a current employee of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. Nick Luchtefeld is Manager of Membership and Customer Services for the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. Nick has been with the chamber since 2012. We asked him about his previous internship experiences and how it helped him prepare for his career. He provided us with career advice as well as what to look for in an internship to gain the most experience and exposure.
Indiana INTERNnet: How many internships did you have?
Nick Luchtefeld: One of the requirements for Butler business majors is that you must complete two internships. I was able to land two internships before starting my career search. My first internship was with Wolverine Worldwide who is a shoe manufacturer, and I worked in work boot department. At Wolverine I worked with a mix of marketing …
Career Advice from the Human Resources Director at the Indiana Chamber of Commerce
Earlier this week we had the opportunity to interview a current employee of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. Michelle Kavanaugh is the Director of Human Resources for the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. She has been with the company since 2011. We asked her about her career experience and what HR departments look for when selecting candidates. She provided us with tips about resumes, interviewing, and what to do (and not do) when applying for jobs!
Indiana INTERNnet: What is the screening process like when people apply for positions?
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Michelle Kavanaugh: First I have to sort applicants out and see if they meet the minimum qualifications. This helps me find out which applicants are worth talking to based on their background. After that I sort them by skill sets and whether they fit the position. Once they are categorized into yesâs and noâs then I phone …
Career Advice from the Manager of Membership Development at the Indiana Chamber
Earlier this week we had the opportunity to interview a current employee of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. Matt Ottinger is a Manager of Membership Development for the Chamber. Heâs been with the organization since 2007. We asked him about his career experience and whatâs important in the early stages of professional development.
Indiana INTERNnet:Â What is your current position and what do you do?
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Matt Ottinger:Â Iâm currently the Manager of Membership Development and Iâm in charge of finding new members that we can offer our service to. I find and research potential companies to contact through various methods such as events and conferences, Chamber programs and news. I have been with the Chamber since 2007 and started out in communications and publications.
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IIN:Â When did you decide to start searching for …
Career Advice from the BizVoice Advertising Sales Director at the Indiana Chamber
Earlier this week we had the opportunity to interview a current employee of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. Tim Brewer is the BizVoiceÂź Advertising Sales Director for the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. He has been with the organization since 2000, and first started in the Membership department as a representative. Then he worked his way up to become the Vice President of Membership. We asked him a series of questions about his career experience and what is important in the early stages of professional development.
Indiana INTERNnet: What did you look for when applying for full-time jobs?
Tim Brewer: There are many things to look for when applying for full-time jobs. But you must ask yourself, âwhat is most important to me?â When applying for jobs it all depends on the individual. What I was looking for was flexibility, stability, balance, and it being enjoyable. You must …
Career / Internship Advice From The Communications Manager at The Indiana Chamber
Earlier this week we had the opportunity to interview a current employee of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. Symone Skrzycki is the communications manager for the Indiana Chamber and a writer for BizVoiceŸ Magazine. This summer, she  will celebrate 19 years of employment at the Chamber. Previously, Symone interned at the Johnson County Museum of History (then known as the Johnson County Historical Society) and WB4 Indiana. We asked her a series of questions about her internship experiences and how they helped her transition into a professional career.
Indiana INTERNnet: When and why did you decide to start searching for an internship?
Symone Skrzycki: The summer after my junior year. I wanted to get  professional experience and at the same time, gain a competitive edge over the competition. I completed my museum internship that fall, and the one at WB4 Indiana the following spring.
IIN: What would you say …
Meet The Intern: Favian Aveja
Hello, Iâm Favian and I am proud to be part of the Indiana INTERNnetâs team as the 2019 spring intern. I am currently a senior at IUPUI Kelley School of Business where I am finishing up my bachelorâs in marketing and I will be graduating this May!
I used to live in North Carolina, but my parents decided to move to Indiana when I was 3 years old, and I have spent most of my life here. Growing up I played several sports such as basketball, baseball and football to keep me out of trouble. A few fun facts about me are: I really like to play Fortnite in my spare time; I like shoes; and I like Supreme merchandise a lot.
I am also currently the content marketing intern for the Industrial Assessment Center (IAC) at IUPUI. I help the IAC with their marketing tactics and …
Why It’s Okay to be Overdressed at Your Internship
I was never a fan of being overdressed, but it was a problem I consistently encountered growing up. I remember when I was in elementary school, my mother would never let me pick my own clothes for special occasions. While my peers were wearing jeans and t-shirts, I was dressed to the nines, fully coordinated and accessorized. I hated the feeling of sticking out, and I remember being embarrassed. But looking back from where I am now, I’m grateful. When I see pictures from family gatherings and school events, I always look well put-together. It makes the memories nicer, and easier to look at. I didn’t think dressing up mattered at the time, but now I understand.
This attitude is the same one I have when I look back on my internships. I almost always overdressed! I felt like I stuck out like a sore thumb, but overdressing served a …
Indiana INTERNnet Team: What We’re Thankful For
Now is the time when we start thinking about what we’re thankful for, and why. In this post, the Indiana INTERNnet team reflects on what we’re thankful for in our careers.
Allison Kuehr
I am thankful for my fantastic coworkers. Iâm fortunate to enjoy what I do, but Iâm even more fortunate to love the people I work with. During my time with Indiana INTERNnet, Iâve made some great friends and mentors. Theyâre always there to celebrate achievements and birthdays, share a laugh or dish some advice. As Iâm still in the beginning stages of my career journey, itâs nice to have an amazing in-office support system guiding me and cheering me on along the way.
Caitlyn Beck
I’m so thankful for my amazing job and my colleagues. I’ve heard so many horror stories of how people dislike their first job out of …
Work Event Dos and Don’ts
At some point in your career, you’re going to attend a work event that’s outside of normal business hours. They actually happen more often than you think! This week, I had both a luncheon and a cocktail hour/dinner on the same day. I never thought I would have a job where I have to attend these events, let alone two in one day! Even if you don’t think you’ll be encountering work events in your career, you need to be prepared anyway. Here are some do’s and don’ts of attending a work event.
Do: Be Polite to Waitstaff
I worked in retail and the service industry for years. Waitstaff have to put up with a lot. Their job is stressful, fast-paced, and exhausting. Keep this in mind the next time your food isn’t the greatest, or you don’t get your drink as fast as you want. In the dating world, …
How to Handle Allergy, Cold and Flu Season
âWinter is coming.â A phrase that strikes fear into the hearts of many. Not just because it means something major is impending on Game of Thrones, but because it means the time for getting sick is upon us. Whether itâs just getting a common cold, or something major like the flu, âtis the season of sickness. Hereâs how to navigate life during whatâs sure to be a tiring time!
Utilize preventative measures.
The easiest way to handle getting sick is using preventative tactics. Get your flu shot, not just for your sake, but for everyone elseâs! If you skipped your shot, it doesn’t mean you didn’t get someone else sick. Donât want to stop by your doctor to get the flu shot? Go to Target. It sounds weird, but the MinuteClinics inside Target stores are doing free flu shots AND they give you a $5 Target coupon! In addition to …
How to Handle Politics in the Workplace
Since today is election day, what better topic to address than handling politics in the workplace? The level of chaos and tension in the current political landscape feels like it is at an all time high. Sometimes it seems like itâs all anyone can talk about. But hereâs how to handle politics being brought up at work.
Donât ever make assumptions.
Whether itâs you or someone else steering the conversation in a political direction, never make assumptions. Donât assume that anyone will have the same view as you. Some people are uncomfortable at the thought of voicing their political opinions, and logically so. People often clash when they have different beliefs, and you want to avoid negatively affecting someoneâs opinion of you. If you have a negative view of someone because of their political beliefs, maybe that conversation should have been avoided in the first place!
Never use derogatory language. …
How to Fight Burnout
The weather outside seems to be consistently cold, and not in a cute, Instagram-worthy seasonal kind of way. Thereâs been rain, and lots of gray skies. If youâre a student, youâre in the midst of a heavy workload. If youâre working, daylight hours are decreasing, and youâre probably waking up when itâs dark, and heading home when itâs nearing sunset. Everyone is likely feeling the effects of burnout, a state of physical or mental exhaustion after prolonged exposure to similar stressors. Hereâs how to fight it.
Take breaks throughout your day.
Personally, I know that Iâve always tried not to take breaks, both when I was in college and now. I worried that they would distract me and ruin my productivity. It felt like a sign of weakness. This is the wrong perception of breaks.
Taking brief breaks is proven to help with your focus during prolonged work and fight …
Sleep and Productivity: They Go Hand in Hand
Now that weâre entering midterm season (I know, sorry for bringing it up), plenty of students sleep less as the amount of schoolwork increases. If youâre not in school and working, itâs easy to feel like youâre not getting enough rest in todayâs hectic world. Regardless of your situation, sometimes you just don’t get enough sleep.
How does sleep really impact your work?
One study found that lack of sleep is directly related to poor levels of function at work, but many likely find that an obvious conclusion. However, it gets worse. Another study found that while sleep deprivation doesnât necessarily impact rule-based cognition (think mostly mindless tasks, like standardized tests), it negatively affects your innovative thinking, strategic planning, and risk analysis.
If youâre in school, you definitely need your planning skills to manage your schedule, and innovative thinking is often needed when working on assignments. If youâre working, whether …