Category Archives: Young Professionals

Internship Experience at Native American Museum Confirms Career Interests

Heather is a senior humanities major in the honors program with minors in French and history at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. She a member of Sigma Tau Delta International English Honor Society and holds the position of editor-in-chief of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods’ literary arts magazine publication, Aurora. In her free time, she volunteers with the White Violet Center for Eco-Justice, a ministry of the Sisters of Providence.

This fall semester I interned at the Native American Museum at Dobbs Park in Terre Haute, IN. The museum is run by the Terre Haute Parks Department because it resides on park property. Nestled in the woods, the Native American Museum serves the Terre Haute area through community education on the culture and history of the native peoples of North America, particularly on the peoples of the Woodlands and the Great Lakes regions.

The primary goal for the Native American Museum …

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How to Make the Most of Being Home for the Holidays

Between the snowmen, reindeer and egg-nog, you may be thinking of the holidays as a time to relax for a moment (or at least appear to relax), right? After all, you’ve just finished your finals, wrapped up an entire college semester, slipped into your festive jammies and reclaimed your spot on the couch. You’ve earned this mental break.

You might be cozy by the fireplace – chowing down on sugar cookies and catching up on your favorite TV shows, but don’t let your internship hunt take a hiatus. Here’s how to make the most of being home for the holidays:

Update your resume to include leadership positions, volunteer activities and jobs you had during the past semester. The information is fresh in your mind. Just type it up and proofread it. Put your resume out there on internship/job sites; consider your university’s career site and www.IndianaINTERN.net (shameless plug: 800+ active …

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Intern Featured on Annual Cover of GRAD Magazine

It’s not every day I get a text message from my coworker asking me if I want to be on the cover of a magazine. Naturally, I play it off as a joke and ask what issue. The next day, she explained how GRAD Magazine, a partnership of the Indiana Economic Development Corp., Indiana Commission for Higher Education and Indiana Business Journal (IBJ) media, wants to feature me on the cover of their annual issue. Apparently, one of my blog posts caught their attention. Flabbergasted, I nodded my affirmation. How could I turn down such an opportunity?

“How could I turn down such an opportunity?’

This was not my first encounter with the statewide, higher education publication. As a matter of fact, I remember picking up a copy in the career center at Anderson University my junior year and flipping through its pages for some valuable advice …

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Speak Up

“Speak Up” is a guest blog post by Hanover College‘s third-year English Studies student, Alyssa DelPrete, who dreams of making it in the publishing industry. She left her comfortable small-town life and traveled to Philadelphia for the fall semester, obtaining an internship in editing and being immersed in the world of publishing through The Philadelphia Center (TPC). “This experience is already changing me, and I can’t wait to see how I transform over the course of the semester,” says Alyssa.

This past Thursday, I had a meeting with both my TPC advisor and my internship supervisor. Not knowing exactly what to expect, I found myself standing nervously beside Mark, my TPC advisor, as we waited for my supervisor to return to her office. As Mark flipped through the recent issues of Book Business and Publishing Executive, the two publications done by the group at NAPCO that I’m interning with, …

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It’s The Final Countdown (For IMPACT Awards Nominations)

I can hear you humming that eighties song already. And, it’s true. We’re counting down to the deadline for IMPACT Awards nominations – and we cannot believe October 22 is almost here!

If you haven’t heard of the IMPACT Awards, it’s the internship equivalent of the Oscars. Imagine your favorite intern finally getting recognized for their excellent work this past year. The difference is that you get to play a first-hand role – not just in celebrating them, but also in nominating them.

“It’s the internship equivalent of the Oscars.”

Just like the Academy Awards, the IMPACT Awards take place in February and include multiple categories: Intern of the Year (High School, College and Non-Traditional), Employer of the Year (For-Profit and Non-Profit), and Career Development Professional of the Year. Don’t worry, you don’t have to wear a fancy cocktail dress to this event – or get anxious about Meryl Streep …

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Looking Back at Last Year’s IMPACT Awards Winners

As fall internships are in high gear, we want to remind you of an opportunity to recognize the rock star you had the pleasure of working with this past year. Whether it’s the intern who exceeded your expectations or the employer or career coach who’s served as a great role model, we want to hear your success stories!

Indiana INTERNnet would like to recognize these overachievers at the annual IMPACT Awards luncheon which will be held on Feb. 5, 2014, at the Ivy Tech Culinary Center Ballroom. We are now seeking nominations for these awards (Deadline: Oct. 22). More information on the IMPACT Awards is available here.

Several great stories from last year’s IMPACT Awards remind us of the gems in the workplace:

College Intern of the Year Cody Adams made significant contributions to Roche’s HR department. He was instrumental in the development of first annual summer …

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Ending on a Sweet Note

This is a guest blog by Armenda Boyer, a sophomore at Purdue University. She is currently working toward a dual major in Agricultural Communication and Agricultural Economics. This past summer, she was an education intern for the Indiana State Fair Commission.

I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I accepted an offer to work as an education intern at the Indiana State Fair. Of course, I expected to have the opportunity to work with children and to share my love of all-things agriculture. And I was able to do just that! What I didn’t expect to do involved 6,500 pounds of caramel corn and a national television show…

The World’s Largest Popcorn Ball tipped the scales at 6,510 pounds. Check out my last post to see how this massive sphere of popcorn and sugar came together to break a world record! The popcorn ball …

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That’s Not A Barn – It’s Not Red!

This is a guest blog by Armenda Boyer, a sophomore at Purdue University. She is currently working toward a dual major in Agricultural Communication and Agricultural Economics. This past summer, she was an education intern for the Indiana State Fair Commission.  

“Where are we going?” asked a wide-eyed little boy as I led his summer camp group to the Mac Reynold’s Barn at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.

As an education intern for the Indiana State Fair Commission, my team and I often hosted student field trips. My favorite days working at the fair were the days when children flooded the Fairgrounds to learn about agriculture. This summer, I realized that helping children learn is one of the most fulfilling things I can do. When that learning is regarding agriculture, an industry I am passionate about, I am even more excited to share information.

I answered the eager …

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Millenials: A Lost Generation? No way!

This is an infographic submitted by Heidi Thompson discussing the positive characteristics Millenials have to offer.

How to Wrap Up Your Internship (And Eat Your Cake Too)

The last week of my internship with Indiana INTERNnet was bittersweet. On one hand, I am sad to leave this great environment of supportive people. On the other hand, I am excited for the next step in my career. Before I go, I wanted to leave you with a few tips on successfully wrapping up an internship.

1)      Connect with Mentor

From the moment I walked through the door, Janet has been there for me. She answered questions, assigned projects and gave feedback. As I mentioned in a previous blog post, the No. 1 perk of an internship is having a mentor throughout the experience.

As I wrapped up my internship, Janet and I connected to assess my progress and make sure my goals were met. In the last section of the Employers’ Guide , the intern is recommended to provide feedback to the organization. I appreciated the chance to not …

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Internship Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have some unresolved questions about internships? Whether you’re a college student wondering if internships are the best next step for you – or you’re an employer curious about setting up an internship program at your organization, here is a compiled list of internship frequently asked questions with answers by our internship experts:

What is the point of interning?

Employers: A New Age of Internship Possibilities Students: Internship Experience May Increase Your Salary Discovering your career path Why Intern? Mind the Employment Gap No. 1 Perk of an Internship

Are internships truly a stepping stone into a full-time job?

From Intern to Full-Time Employee Considering an intern as a full-time employee

I hear a lot of myths about internships. What are some truths?

Five Simple Truths About Internships

I keep hearing about virtual internships. What are they all about?

The Potential of Virtual Internships Virtual …

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Meet Our New Program Manager

The chicly-dressed new program manager at Indiana INTERNnet might not look like it, but Ann Mears is a born and raised farm girl. Hailing from Delphi, Indiana, Ann grew up on a small cattle farm just east of town. When she was old enough to gather eggs from the chickens, she quickly found a way to make a return on her investment in this least-liked chore by selling the eggs to her grandparents and neighbors.

When it came to deciding on a major at Purdue University, Ann started out in Agricultural Economics, but quickly realized that her calling was in Hospitality and Tourism Management. To solidify her choice of studies, she dived into multiple internships throughout her college career.

Ann’s internship experience began with Indiana Packers Corporation, where she excelled at her human resources internship and eventually became the intern to the executive assistant. As the events intern with the …

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The Alumni Networking Solution

This is a guest blog on tips to connecting during a job search by John Muscarello, Founder and CEO of Start Networking Today.

Looking for an excuse to spend even more time on social media?

LinkedIn has proven to be a great professional networking tool. According Jobvite, “Employees hired through referral are hired 55% faster than those who come from a career site.”

I have personally used The Alumni Networking Solution to find leads and get interviews that lead to job offers.

What exactly is The Alumni Networking Solution?

The Alumni Networking Solution is a 5-step networking tool designed to introduce yourself to college alumni and develop relationships that lead to referrals. This means actually getting to know the person- and asking for his or her advice, instead of a job. I used these five simple steps – in about 10 minutes per connection – to find …

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Honing writing skills through a virtual internship

This is a guest post by Stephanie Dolan, an online student at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. She is studying journalism and recently completed a virtual internship with {C} Magazine.

As a journalism and media studies major, an internship is integral to finding one’s niche as a writer. I’m thankful that writing allows me more freedom than being locked into one field of expertise; however, occasionally focusing on one area at a time can assist in narrowing down a writer’s strengths and preferences.

My first internship came during the winter semester. I was a newsletter writer focusing on news specific to one organization’s interests. This summer in my second internship, I was a contributing writer for an online entertainment publication, {C} Magazine.

Both of my internships have been virtual experiences, and – as an online student – maintaining a virtual presence was essential for me so that I wouldn’t have to …

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No. 1 Perk of an Internship

In the summer of 2012, I had just graduated with my MBA and was looking for my first big-girl job. I sent in my résumé to every job posting that I found online that fit my criteria. After a few months, I realized my efforts were futile. I had little marketing experience to penetrate the job market. I needed a place that would give me a fresh start and some hands-on training.

I was aware that internships are the new interview for a full-time job. I knew this applied to perhaps a larger company. In a small non-profit, I wasn’t as sure about the degree of this truth. Nonetheless, I knew the experience would be valuable no matter the size of the organization.

“I thought that building up my portfolio…was as good as it gets. Turns out, it gets better.”

When I started at Indiana INTERNnet in April 2013, …

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