Category Archives: Networking

Collin Roach is completing his first internship this summer at Artisan Electronics. He is a rising senior at Indiana State University (ISU), where he studies Electronics Engineering Technology and Automotive Technology, making him the perfect fit for the engineering intern position at Artisan this summer. In his role, he has gained not only vast experience in the technology field, but also a cherished sense of community with the team at Artisan.

Artisan made its first impression on Collin when he went to the company’s website and read its core values: “We value people, innovation and technology.” This stuck with him as he explored the work Artisan does. When he received an email from Indiana INTERNnet about the company’s summer internships, it was a no-brainer – Collin applied and accepted a position for the summer.

Although Collin says his coursework at ISU prepared him well for both the practical tasks …

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Believe it or not, we’re already nearing the end of another summer internship season. And though this summer hasn’t been without its challenges, it has still been something to celebrate! Many of us completed our first virtual internships this summer, and many completed their first internships ever! Do you have a summer internship story to share? Are you completing a project you’re especially passionate about or proud of? Then our newest event is for you! Register now for the Indiana Intern Showcase on Wednesday, August 5 from 2-4pm. 

What is the Indiana Intern Showcase?

It’s an opportunity for interns around the state to share their summer internship experiences with the community. Through a virtual presentation, interns will showcase their work to an audience of peers, supervisors, mentors, professors, friends, and even family members!

Each intern will have five minutes to present a slide about their experience, which could include …

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I’m so excited to announce that I am back on the Indiana INTERNnet team for the summer! If you remember my name, you know I was an intern last year through the summer and fall semesters. I am now back as the interim program assistant. It’s good to be back.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted many internships around the state. Despite the challenges, employers throughout Indiana aren’t letting this stop professional development. Instead, they’re providing virtual opportunities as they strive to prepare the state’s future workforce.

Indiana INTERNet and other Indiana organizations are offering free events to enjoy from the comfort of your own home while learning from career professionals in a wide range of areas. Young professionals can use these opportunities to understand and develop new skills by understanding personal branding, learning how to utilize LinkedIn and much more.

While these experiences may be different than what many are …

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It’s that time again! School has been in session for a little bit now, you are in a routine, and things seem okay. Then, it hits you. The smell of free swag, pamphlets, and the feeling of uncomfortable conversations overcome you. Yep. That’s right. It’s career fair time. It’s no secret that a lot of people try to avoid career fairs because they either don’t want to put in the effort of dressing professionally, networking, or just going through the whole process of what a career fair really entails. I am here to prove that myth wrong.  Fun fact: career fairs can be used for more than just class credit and free stuff!  Career fairs are a really great way to see amazing possibilities that could lead to future careers. It is a time to network in an environment designed for you.

Career fairs can be scary, but I have …

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Purdue University rising senior Emily Sclafani joined Matchbook as a Communications intern this summer, before going back to complete her major in public relations and strategic communication. At Purdue, Emily is a member of the Public Relations Student Society of America, public relations officer for the Purdue Italian Club, and is in Kappa Alpha Theta sorority. Dance is one of her passions, and she’s a member of the dance company Higher Ground at Purdue. With Matchbook, Emily learned more about public relations strategy and technique as they function in the real world, as well as translating her skill sets and knowledge to create meaningful work for clients that have a purpose.

An intern’s greatest fear is that they will spend their summer making coffee trips and doing busy work. At Matchbook, that is not the case. Right from the start, we were given real, hands-on work for …

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Last week Indiana INTERNnet hosted the final Summer Engagement Event of the summer at the Indiana State Fair. The event allowed interns from all over the state to come and network while enjoying an iconic Indiana event. It was a day full of networking, prizes, games, and a lot of fun.

The event started off with hearing from a returning State Fair intern, Mary O’Connor. It was a great chance for interns to hear about the importance of internships. She also talked about how helpful they can be when trying to find what the future holds. Mary’s current area of study is in a science-based field, but her internship is in HR. She highlighted that there are still many learning opportunities with internships that can be used in any career path.

Interns in attendance were also able to hear from Julie Schrader from Butler University. She gave helpful tips on …

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With our friends from the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, on July 25th, 2019 the first ever Indiana Intern Day took place at the Statehouse Market. Interns were able to take a break from their crazy schedules and relax with some food trucks and friends.

For those that were not able to make it to the Statehouse, social media was blowing up all day with posts celebrating interns and all the hard work they do. Employers showed their support and appreciation for their interns by pledging to celebrate and spreading the word about Indiana Intern Day.

The meetup was a great way for local organizations to show their interns how much they mean to them and give them a chance to spend some time with coworkers outside of the office.

Whether it was surprise coffee and donuts or going to fun outings, employers celebrated the day by showing their support …

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In June, interns from around the state attended Indiana INTERNnet’s first engagement event of the summer. Interns came together at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis to network, explore, engage in a personal development seminar, and hear from a panel of past and present Children’s Museum interns.

Panelists shared their stories, while attendees asked questions regarding career paths and entering the workforce.

The future
One of my biggest takeaways was that it’s okay to not know what you want to do. Taking everything one day at a time was a large focal point that the panelists hit on. They all spoke of their past experiences and how they got to where they are today.

It was interesting to hear the different ways they wound up at the museum. Something they had in common: All had reached a point where they had no idea what they wanted to do or where …

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Earlier this week we had the opportunity to interview a current employee of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. Madie Newman is the Indiana Healthy Communities Program Coordinator for the Wellness Council of Indiana. We asked her about her college experience and how it helped her prepare for her professional career.

Indiana INTERNnet: What is your current position and what does it entail?

Madie Newman: I’m the Indiana Healthy Communities Program Coordinator for the Wellness Council of Indiana, which is a subsidiary of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. I work with communities across the state to help them assess programs, services, and infrastructure, and create goals to improve community health and quality of life.

IIN: When did you decide to start searching for an internship?

MN: It was a requirement for my undergraduate degree at Indiana University (IU). I was public health major and I knew I …

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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 nominees’ successes.

These are their stories.

Emily Miles plans to graduate from Indiana University-Bloomington in May 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and specialization in audio. She currently works as the Audio and Special Projects Specialist at the IU-Bloomington Office of the Provost & Executive Vice President and helps run the student podcast American Student Radio.

Indiana INTERNnet: You are a graduate of Indiana University-Bloomington with a bachelor’s degree in journalism, correct? What made you interested in pursuing that?

Emily Miles: I graduate from Indiana University-Bloomington in May with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, which is my major. My specialization within my major is audio, so that means production, broadcast and …

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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 what’s important in the early stages of professional development.

Indiana INTERNnet: What is your current position and what do you do?

Charlee Beasor: I’m 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?

CB: I started searching …

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Earlier this week we had the opportunity to interview a current employee of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. Brett Hulse is the Director of Membership Strategy for the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. He has been with the organization since 2012. He started out as a Membership Development Manager, and became the Director of Membership Strategy recently. We asked him about his career experience and what is important in the early stages of professional development.

Indiana INTERNnet: Can you gives a brief background about your early career development?

Brett Hulse: I grew up as the son of a golf professional and spent most of my early years at the golf course. From an early age, I was confident that I would follow in my father’s shoes. For 5 years I worked in this capacity, but eventually the lack of work-life balance made this career undesirable. I …

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Indiana INTERNnet is hosting its first online internship fair through CareerEco on March 28! This is the prefect opportunity for employers to connect with students and hopefully fill their upcoming summer internships. And unlike a traditional face-to-face career fair, an online internship fair provides employers and students with much more convenience. Want to participate? Here’s the important details:

What times does the fair take place?

The online internship fair runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. EST. However, your company doesn’t have to attend the entire time. Employers can indicate a specific timeframe that they’ll be available. Students can see all the registered employers’ availability so they can determine when they’d like to attend the fair to meet with their top prospects.

What’s makes this fair different from a traditional career/internship fair?

Zero travel is involved! Attend via your computer or laptop whenever is convenient to you. Employers won’t …

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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, …

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As students, plenty of you don’t want to go to your college career fair. I certainly didn’t. It takes away from valuable free time, you have to change into something other than sweatpants, and spend time awkwardly interacting with people. But it wasn’t until I started representing my organization at career fairs that I gained a new perspective. Career fairs are actually incredibly important.

My Career Fair Experience

I attended career fairs maybe two or three times during college, all during my freshman or sophomore year. The only times I ever went was when my professors made me go. They made us do assignments based on the career fair (writing about our interactions, collecting a certain number of business cards, etc.). I thought going was a massive waste of time when I had such a busy schedule.

I was wrong.

Now that I occupy a position where I represent my …

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