Category Archives: Work and Learn Indiana’s Intern
Career Advice from the Director of Membership Strategy for the Indiana Chamber of Commerce
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?
Â
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 fatherâs shoes. For 5 years I worked in this capacity, but eventually the lack of work-life balance made this career undesirable. I …
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 …
My top 5 favorite things about working for Indiana INTERNnet
This week is unfortunately my final week as a member of the Indiana INTERNnet team. There have been so many great things about this experience, so for my last blog post I have decided to reflect on my top five favorite parts of my summer internship:
5. Doing Research
Coming up with blog and social media content every week isnât easy â it required a lot of research and reading. Luckily, I enjoy those two things when it comes to career development! As a young professional myself, each time I would tweet an article or pull from one for a blog post, I was taking that advice as well. During the school year, I am not able to be as proactive about my career as I would like. This experience has allowed me to devote time every week to reading about the latest trends in resumes, cover letters and more, …
Should You Negotiate Your Internship Salary?
Receiving an offer for an internship can be exciting, but what happens if youâre not sure you can afford to accept it? As was discussed in a previous blog post about how to choose between multiple internship offers, you shouldnât accept a position that doesnât fit you financially. However, you may be able to negotiate with a potential employer so that the internship opportunity works with your budget.
Although unpaid internships are becoming less common, plenty of these programs still exist. Itâs important to note that if a company posted the internship as unpaid, you will likely not be able to convince them to change their minds. If you know that an unpaid position wonât work for you, you should be transparent with them â just donât expect the company to comply. You may need to accept that itâs not a good fit.
Negotiating for a higher internship salary can …
Resources for Young Professionals
There are a lot of different tools out there to help students better their careers during and after college, but sometimes you may not know where to start. Each of the resources below can help you find experiential opportunities, expand your network or prepare for graduation.
Career Services Offices
If youâre still in college and preparing to graduate, itâs a good idea to connect with someone at your universityâs career center if you havenât already. These offices can provide multi-faceted assistance with your post-graduation job hunt. A representative can look over your resume or cover letter for free and give you feedback. Sometimes, universities will offer a mock interview service so that you can practice answering tough questions and become more aware of your interview behavior. If you feel nervous about the job search process or want to brush up on your skills, career services is a good place to …
How to Overcome the Afternoon âWallâ
I am always at my most productive in the morning. Armed with a hot cup of coffee and a delightfully full to-do list, I can sit down and start tackling tasks left and right. It feels great to cross multiple things off my list before lunchtime! Without fail though, I come up on an anti-productivity wall in the afternoon. Sometimes even by 2 p.m., my creativity feels used up and Iâm craving a refill in my coffee mug (which is not necessarily a healthy solution). Based on my experience and research, Iâve come up with a few things that make it easier to overcome âthe wallâ.
Move!
When your work requires that you be seated at a desk in front of a computer, itâs important to take time to get up every once and a while. Taking a lap around the office can …
One Thing My Internship Has Taught Me
Recently, a fellow public relations student that I follow on Twitter posed the question: Whatâs something youâve learned at your summer internship so far? It was an opportunity to spark discussion among everyone in his following about the benefits of being an intern, and I found it intriguing. Iâve been with Indiana INTERNnet for just over a month now, but it feels (in the best way) like Iâve been a part of the team for a long time. In the last month, Iâve learned several things, and I continue to learn every day, but whittling all my experiences down into one lesson seemed difficult. Then it dawned on me â speak up.
I could tell you a handful of things that are highly specific to my internship and my industry, but the best advice I can give that is applicable to interns in any field is to not be …
Factors to Consider When Choosing Between Two Internships
There will be a multitude of points in your career where you will have to make difficult decisions, including throughout your college years. If youâve applied to many internships, for example, you might be faced with having to choose one position over the other. A number of factors should be evaluated before you make your decision, and each of them weighs differently for everyone. Here a few things to think about if youâre currently facing this dilemma:
Your Resume
Review the job descriptions for each opportunity. Is one or the other more likely to bolster your resume or portfolio? For example, if the main task for an internship is to schedule one social media post every day for the company, but you already have experience orchestrating entire social media marketing campaigns, it might not be the best move for you. On the other hand, if youâre qualified for …
Keep in Touch: A Guide to Following Up
You faced your fears and attended a networking event â perhaps it was one of Indiana INTERNnetâs summer engagement events â and made a great connection. You feel as though you navigated the conversation successfully, kept your stories relevant, and bonded with the person. You even went so far as to remember to ask for their card, so you have all the information necessary to follow up with them. How do you go about doing it?
Following up with someone, whether it is a stranger you met at a conference or a past supervisor you had for an internship, does not have to feel awkward. It can seem daunting to put yourself out on a limb and reach out to someone that you donât know well or that you havenât spoken to lately. The main thing that will help in either of those situations is to be confident in what …
How to Dress for Your Summer Internship
You got the summer internship. Itâs relevant to your skill set, works with your schedule, and (BONUS!) itâs paid. It is an excellent opportunity for your professional development, and youâre super excited for the first day. The only problem? You donât know what to wear. Outside, the humidity will turn you to an exasperated blob of moisture and inside, the office air conditioner will freeze you solid. Hereâs what you do:
1. Ask your supervisor
If you havenât already, it is important that you familiarize yourself with the companyâs dress code. Every office has its own idea of whatâs appropriate, and business casual can mean a lot of different things. If you havenât started the position yet, send your new boss a polite email asking them to clarify what the appearance expectations are. For example:
Good morning [Name],
I am looking forward to my …
Connecting Interns to Indy
More than 75 interns from companies in the Indianapolis area gathered at the historic Fountain Square Theatre building on June 1 to take advantage of Indy Intern Connect. Our second intern engagement event of the summer was a casual evening event, hosted by the Indy Chamber. Attendees had an opportunity to network with Indianapolis business leaders and fellow interns while enjoying free drinks, duckpin bowling and a view of the city skyline from the Rooftop Garden.
A welcoming host, longtime Fountain Square Theatre owner Linton Calvert, shared the story of the building with the crowd. Originally constructed in 1928, it has hosted many types of businesses and witnessed the surrounding neighborhood continuously change. It stands tall today after being restored by Calvert and is an Indianapolis landmark.
It was a truly fitting venue for the night, which was all about encouraging interns who are not native to Indianapolis to see …
Takeaways From Intern Day at The Childrenâs Museum of Indianapolis
Interns and supervisors from around Indianapolis came together on May 31 for Intern Day at The Childrenâs Museum of Indianapolis. This event was the first of five summer intern engagement events hosted by Indiana INTERNnet in partnership with local organizations.
The event kicked off with a networking game, designed to get interns mingling. The objective? Get to know two new people from outside of each oneâs organization and be entered to win tickets to the museumâs exclusive collections tour. Afterwards, the attendees filed into the Lilly Theater for the eventâs career development program, presented by Samantha Martin, assistant director of the Career Services Center at Ball State University.
Martin emphasized the power of storytelling, an uncommon notion in most professional development talks. She understands that networking is not easy, and often young professionals are not sure how to approach situations where theyâre asked the dreaded, âTell me about yourself.â That …
Post-Graduation Internships
Perhaps you were busy with other responsibilities during undergrad and you didnât have time for an internship. Or maybe you changed majors part of the way through your college career, and it set you back a little bit. Many students pursue internship positions during college, and assume that once they graduate, they will be done with them. While that is the case most of the time, there is nothing wrong with accepting an internship post-graduation. Hereâs why:
The job market can be tough, especially if youâre are seeking employment in a small city where there is lots of competition â namely, your fellow graduates. Full-time positions can be scarce, depending on the economy, your profession and the area in which you live. An internship can help to provide you with some money and additional experience as you search for a salaried role.
Oftentimes, graduates instinctively accept job offers that do …