Category Archives: Work and Learn Indiana’s Intern

Many degree programs require students to obtain an internship experience for credit. It is something that is expressed in the graduation requirements that freshmen learn about, but at that point junior or senior year can feel very far off. It is important to keep internships in the back of your mind, no matter what point you’re at in your college career. It can be difficult to work these types of roles into your schedule, and if you wait until the last chance to get an internship under your belt it may not be an experience that proves helpful for your post-graduation pursuits.

Here are three tips to help keep you on track:

Keep tabs on your favorite companies

Do some research on companies in your area and figure out which ones you’d like to look for. Keep a spreadsheet handy and record all the details you can find about their …

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College students hear it again and again – network, network, network! However, building and maintaining professional relationships is often not high on a student’s list of priorities. The thought of initiating a conversation can be intimidating. Even once introductions and connections have been made, it is difficult for individuals to keep in touch. Schedules are typically overflowing with academic, financial, and personal responsibilities, which does not leave a lot of room for attending networking events. It can be easy to put off networking and ignore event opportunities, with the hopes your schedule will be less full later. That is not the case. Forty-nine percent of today’s professionals say that it is difficult to maintain relationships with their network due to a lack of free time, according to a 2017 LinkedIn survey.

Ignoring networking events and failing to create connections is a much easier route, but the truth is that taking …

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Hello, my name is Marissa and I am excited to be Indiana INTERNnet’s intern for the summer of 2018. I have just wrapped up my junior year at IUPUI, where I study journalism, public relations and advertising.

Prior to relocating to Indianapolis for college, I attended high school near my hometown of Losantville, Ind. Though Indy is a relatively small city, it is huge compared to Losantville, which has a population of less than 300 people! I definitely prefer city living and plan to move somewhere even larger later on in my career.

My previous positions have all been communications or event management related, taking place at locally-based organizations such as the Indiana State Museum, Girls Inc. of Greater Indianapolis, and Indiana Futsal. In addition to my new position here, I am also currently interning with HWC Engineering as part of the firm’s pilot program creating public relations plans for …

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Can you believe it’s almost April? This semester has flown by! With the end of the semester approaching, it may also mean the end of your internship is approaching. It can be easy to want to just skate by for the rest of the semester, but often the last month of your internships are crucial. Below I’ve included some tips on how to not let yourself slip and make the best out of your internship.

Don’t get overwhelmed.

It can be easy to get overwhelmed at the end of the semester. Between finals, final projects, and simply passing your classes, life can be hectic when May rolls around. If you’re like me, when you get overwhelmed it’s easy to do nothing. However, don’t let yourself do this! Always take your tasks one at a time to ensure that you’re doing your best work. Don’t be afraid to ask for …

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Being an intern can be hard. You’re juggling school work, internship work, along with the other aspects of being in your 20s. Sometimes you’re doing so many things you question if you’re doing them right.  This is why feedback is the most important aspect of your internship, but sometimes it can be hard knowing what to do with it. Below I’ve included three strategies to use feedback to its fullest potential.

Take it and run.

Feedback from your supervisors and peers can be a great asset, especially if it’s in a form of a mid-term review or working feedback. The best thing to do with feedback is to take it and use it. If your supervisor says that your work needs to be double checked, you should make sure to double check your work in the future. This will not only show your supervisor that you value their opinion, but …

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Urban Dictionary defines being ghosted as “To be ignored, or not having anyone respond to your opinion and disregarding your remark, leaving you feeling insignificant.”

After weeks of searching for the perfect summer internship, I thought I had finally found THE ONE. The internship embodied everything I could ever want. I applied and got through to the interview stage. The interview was fantastic. I couldn’t have imagined it going any better. Like all interviews, I sent a follow-up email thanking my interviewer for their time and expressing my excitement for the position. However, my email never received a response.

No big deal, right?  Things happen, people get busy, I get it. However, the timeline that I was given came and went, with no responses. By this time, I was a little worried, so I sent another follow-up email. Still, no response. By this point I realized I most likely didn’t …

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It’s the middle of the semester, and you know what that means: MIDTERMS! In my college experience, I haven’t had a lot of midterms. Most of my classes focused on exams periodically throughout the semester. However, when I do have midterms I always try to make sure that I am well prepared so I can rock my tests. Here are a few tips on how to manage your internships during midterm week.

Plan your study schedule.

Between working, school, and now studying for midterms, your schedule can become pretty hectic. Make sure that you work in time for studying somewhere in your calendar, whether that means blocking out an hour or two, or saying no to going out with your friends. Better yet, plan some time to study with your friends. Being in a group and studying can help you focus and keep you accountable to actually studying.

Don’t put …

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When an employer asks for a phone interview you may have one of two reactions:

or

Either way, here are a few tips that will help you ace that phone interview.

Pick a time that works best for you.

Picking a convenient time can make or break an interview. Block out at least an hour for the interview and ensure you have plenty of time before the call to prepare. There’s nothing worse than going into an interview and feeling rushed.

Take the call in a quiet place.

Taking a call in a quiet place will allow your interviewer to hear you clearly. Background noise can be a distraction to both you and your interviewer. The point of a phone interview is to screen potential candidates, so it’s important your interviewer hears all of the qualifications you have for the …

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With the focus in colleges and high schools becoming more internship-based, it’s important to recognize the hard work and dedication that goes into being an intern and having a successful internship program.  On Wednesday, those efforts were recognized at the 12th annual IMPACT Awards Luncheon.

Indiana INTERNnet hosts this event to recognize interns, career development professionals and employers for having an impact in the internship arena. The theme for this year’s event was “Wild About Workforce Development.”

The luncheon featured Chris Heeter, founder of The Wild Institute located in Minnesota, as the keynote speaker. Heeter detailed how important it is for employees, employers, and interns to be “wild” in the workplace and make an impact in their positions.

“Being wild is having the courage to bring the gift of all of who you are to all of what you do,” Heeter said.

Heeter also explained how important it is for …

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One thing that I always struggle with the day of an interview is the age-old question: “What am I going to wear?” I’ve walked into rooms where I’ve been the best dressed and the worst dressed, although I prefer the latter.  Attire is a problem that affects every professional, even people who have been in the workforce for years.  Here are some important things to remember when choosing that perfect interview outfit.

Make an impression.  Your attire shapes the first impression you give to potential employers, so it’s extremely important to make the right impression. I always like to make sure that my outfit accurately represents the professional I am. I want my outfit to say “I’m competent, qualified, and can make a great impact on your company.” The way you dress should represent the way that you feel about your abilities as a professional. Showing up in jeans and …

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Between taking 18 credit hours, having two in-person internships, and keeping a healthy social life, college has seemed like a whirlwind. However, to further my professional development and career goals, I wanted to have as many experiences as I possibly could. So, I logged into IndianaINTERN.net and found an amazing virtual internship that I’m still active with today!

My virtual internship is with Indy Displays, an ecommerce display booth company, as the digital content strategist intern. In this role, I’m doing some graphic design work, as well as writing content for their blog to promote their company. This position is wonderful for me, because it allows me to earn extra money while growing my skills in a way that works well for my busy schedule.

The best part of this internship is that I’m able to work on skills that I would otherwise be lacking. For example, I had planned …

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I’m thrilled to be joining Indiana INTERNnet this semester as the communication and special events intern! I am currently a junior at IUPUI studying journalism with a concentration in public relations. I’m originally from #TheRegion (Northwest Indiana), but have since transplanted to Indy and instantly fell in love. One of the best things about going to school at an urban campus is that there are SO many opportunities for professional development and growth.  Not only do I get to learn about interesting topics in school, but I also get to directly use those skills in my work environment.

Interning has been the theme of my college career. In the past three years, I’ve held seven positions with experiences ranging from IT/technology support, graphic design and even event planning. Through these internships, I’ve learned what I love, what I don’t love, and the ins and outs of so many different areas. …

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Today is my last day as the videography and marketing intern for Indiana INTERNnet! I’m very sad for my time here to be over—it flew by so quickly. Thanks to everyone who watched my videos, read my blogs, or just kept in touch with Indiana INTERNnet during this fun summer.

I’ve lived in Indianapolis for my whole life, but this internship has allowed me to experience some wonderful new things in my city. I got to work in the middle of downtown, spend the day at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis as an adult (and see their behind-the-scenes collections!), network with fellow interns at the Rooftop Garden at the Fountain Square Theatre Building, spend a whole day exploring the Indiana State Fair, and more. One of the goals of Indiana INTERNnet is to retain local talent through engagement events, and it was so fun to be in the center of …

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If you’re a college student, there’s no doubt you’ve heard of LinkedIn. The professional social network is extremely popular, and I’m sure more than one professor, career counselor or mentor has told you to join it.

LinkedIn can be intimidating to use at first for inexperienced students, but a solid LinkedIn profile can go a long way in your internship and post-grad career search. According to LinkedIn, 9 in 10 companies use LinkedIn to recruit new hires. Additionally, you can apply for many jobs and internships directly through LinkedIn.

Here are five suggestions for students to polish their LinkedIn profiles.

Add a (good!) photo.

This one is more important than you might think—according to LinkedIn, profiles with pictures get viewed 14 times more than those without! Use a clear, high-quality photo of you in appropriate clothing. No grainy shots, cropped group pictures or crazy expressions. A simple smiling photo is …

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Yesterday, Allison, Karissa, and I volunteered with the Catch the Stars Foundation, to help them get ready for their 12th annual Back to School Celebration!

The Catch the Stars Foundation was founded in 2004 by Tamika Catchings and her sister, Tauja Catchings, who serves as the Director of Operations. The Foundation coordinates multiple programs to support local youth “with a specific emphasis on supporting and assisting under-served and low to moderate income communities throughout the city,” according to their website.

One of their efforts, the Back to School Celebration, is a community event to motivate students and get them excited for the school year. This event will be held on Sunday, July 23, at the Washington Park Family Center. One thousand pre-registered students (grades K-12) will receive a free backpack stuffed with school supplies. The celebration is open to the community, there will be free food, entertainment, prizes …

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