Category Archives: Young Professionals

Interns from Central Indiana arrived at Interactive Intelligence to hear Pete the Planner share his words of wisdom. Pete broke down the secrets to good credit, how to pay off debt, three keys to budgeting, and ten ways to create financial momentum. Check out his website for more information, or even invest in one of his books—you won’t regret this purchase. He managed to fit in a toilet paper analogy, what the heck a 401k is, and what your parents have been wrong about all in a one hour.

If you couldn’t attend and you’re looking for a real takeaway, check out Pete’s ideal budget. It’s simple! If you spend less than the allocated percentage in one category, you can reallocate that money to another category (whether it is paying student loans or the new pair of shoes of you’ve been eyeing).

Thanks to Indiana Council …

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Ali Turner is a professional writer and career blogger.  She’s also the managing editor of Campuses to Careers, a blog that helps young people make informed career and education decisions.  Topics covered on the blog include careers for shy people and how to follow up on a job application.

I am now proud to say that I was a 24-year-old intern.  But I didn’t always feel that way.  After graduation and struggling to find job prospects in this dismal economy, I decided to take an unpaid internship at an international non-profit.  I knew that I needed more experience, and I decided that an internship related to public relations, the field I wanted to get into, was better than something completely random.

My admission to being a post-graduate intern was met with a little shock and even some snickering and eye-rolling.  This negativity mostly (but not always) came from members of the older …

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This is a guest post written by Allison Barber, the Chancellor of WGU Indiana, the state’s accredited, non-profit, online, competency-based university. WGU Indiana is celebrating its two-year anniversity. The university has helped more than 2,600 students either finish their bachelor’s degree or earn a master’s degree. During the past two years, WGU Indiana has had students or gradutes in 90 counties of the state.

In this piece, Chancellor Barber reflects on some of the most common questions she’s heard in the last year years about WGU Indiana.

1. Why do you drive that crazy “WGU” car?

I decided in the middle of our first year to have a car wrapped in our university logo. It’s the equivalent of driving a billboard! I drive that car all across the state and up to 1,000 miles a month. No matter where I travel folks often come up to me to ask about WGU …

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Always wondered what a 401(k) is? Have you struggled with creating—and sticking to—a budget? What about the looming thought of paying off student loans and saving after you graduate?

Join us for Indy Interns’ Financial Wellness Workshop with “Pete the Planner.” He hosts a popular financial planning segment on Indy’s 93 WIBC FM and regularly appears on national news outlets; he’s an award-winning comedian and author of What Your Dad Never Taught you About Budgeting.

Who: Interns from Central Indiana

Date: Thursday, July 19, 2012

Time: Check-in at 6 p.m.; Pete the Planner workshop from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Where: Interactive Intelligence, 7601 Interactive Way Indianapolis, IN 46278 (FREE parking!)

Special Information: Please let us know if you’ll be attending Pete’s workshop by contacting Courtney Arango at csampson@indianachamber.com. We’ll have refreshments available for attendees, and Pete will have his books available for purchase at the event.

Indy Interns provides …

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What did you do last Saturday? Maybe you caught up on How I Met Your Mother or just slept the day away. Maybe you thought about doing something productive, but it just seemed too tiring after a full week of work. On the other hand, maybe you were one of the interns who explored downtown Indianapolis—discovering the nooks and crannies of our hometown.

Indy Interns kicked off the summer with a downtown scavenger hunt—searching the city and meeting fellow interns from across the area. Interns represented various organizations including Aprimo, ExactTarget, Interactive Intelligence, Mayor Ballard’s Internship Program, the Mental Health Association, Roche Diagnostics, Rook Consulting, and The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis.

Interns trekked all over downtown; they stopped by The Slippery Noodle Inn and the City Market, to the NCAA Hall of Champions and back to Scotty’s Brewhouse for a well-deserved recovery. Interns were challenged with tasks ranging from “take …

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This is a guest post written by Collin LaMothe. Currently, he interns for the Wellness Council of Indiana. He recently graduated from Ball State University with a degree in Creative and Professional Writing. He hopes to find a job where he can expand creatively—traveling, meeting new people, and writing about his own experiences.

My name is Collin LaMothe, and I am a cubicle intern.

This wasn’t my first intern gig. When I was accepted at the Wellness Council of Indiana, I couldn’t help but wonder what an out-of-shape guy like me was doing in an organization promoting health. I suppose it felt a little ironic, but my background in creative writing and design qualified me to lend some help with the main website redesign. So I signed-on for the summer, with the terms laid out plainly from day one.  I was here to assist and, most importantly, renovate http://www.wellnessindiana.com before August …

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This is a guest post written by Elizabeth Newkirk, Asian Learning Center of Indiana intern.

On Day 1 of my internship at the International Center, I attended orientation. On Day 2, I  represented the Asian Learning Center of Indiana (ALCI) at Sunnyside Elementary’s International Night.

Sunnyside Elementary School of International Studies is one of the 18 schools in Indiana participating in the ALCI’s School Pilot Program. These schools have a vested interest in educating their students about Asia and generally preparing them to be globally conscious citizens. The goals and methods of implementation of each school vary, but they serve a mutual purpose for the ALCI: to identify good practices in schools, build on successful models for other schools to adopt, and implement the best practices for teaching Asian studies at Indiana schools.

On May 17 (a.k.a. Day 2), Sunnyside Elementary hosted an event called International Night for its …

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Virtual internships. They’re the bee’s knees, the cat’s pajamas, and the tiger’s spots. Virtual internships are not always considered by students or employers, but the obvious benefit is that it allows interns to work from anywhere. Interns who work remotely could be ideal for organizations that may not have the office space or personnel need for supervision.

What’s not to love? Some advantages of virtual internships include: flexibility, less limitations and more opportunities, and the chance to find a field which best suits you. If you’re a student interested in an internship, virtual gigs are perfect for someone with a part-time job, classes, or other obligations. Virtual internships give you flexibility to do your work when you want—as long as you know how to manage your time and are self-motivated. These internships may even save you money. You don’t have to dress up for work or use …

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Here’s a quick survey for you:

Are you an intern in the Central Indiana area? Do you work long, grueling days at the office (or sit at a desk all day with little sun exposure and minimal opportunities to move around)? Have you had a boring “social calendar” this summer—away from school, living with your parents, or just missing your friends? Do you want some fun and free opportunities to meet new friends and fellow interns?

If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, you’re invited to attend Indy Interns’ first 2012 summer event! These are events planned and coordinated by fellow interns from companies throughout Central Indiana. (We do need you to RSVP, so read on for more.)

This series of both social and professional opportunities is available to any Central Indiana area interns—so bring your fellow interns and friends. Don’t let the summer waste away. …

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According to Online Colleges Columnist Michael Lemaire, 37% employers use social media to research job candidates. Let that sink in. I’m talking Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other social media sites such as the popular Pinterest or even YouTube. Why should this scare you a little? Well, hiring managers say they’re using social media to discover more than what is usually revealed during a traditional interview.

Allow me to attest for the majority of college students out there regarding Facebook and Twitter—employers, on many occasions, will be seeing the things potential employees actually try to hide in interviews. Even more serious for us students—65% of employers use social media sites to see if the candidate presents himself/herself professionally. Professionally? This calls for some editing.

However, this study also reports that 79% of college students are likely conformable with their online profiles being reviewed because they’ve cleaned up their pages and created …

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This is a guest post written by Sara Hess, Campaign Coordinator and Editor at Learn More Indiana

Career success means different things to different professionals. Whether your industry defines success as products sold, media markets reached or something else entirely, there are smart steps students—in high school or college—can take to ensure success in their chosen field.

The KnowHow2GO Indiana 2012 campaign kicks off this summer with tips, step-by-step guides and goals for students of all ages to prepare them for college and career success. There’s even a fun contest to help you win $100 for college expenses!

Of course, one of the smartest things students can do to prepare for their future careers is to intern or job-shadow a professional. While interning will give you a deeper perspective on whether you’ll enjoy a specific career path, job-shadowing for just a day or afternoon can also give you a glimpse …

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So, maybe you’ve never had an intern at you organization? You’re not sure what they would do. Do you have enough project work? What about space and a computer? How do I find the best interns? Let’s face it: you’re scared it’s glorified babysitting. Well, we have the perfect solution for you: Indiana’s Employers Guide to Internships.

And here’s the perfect opportunity for a test run with anintern. DePauw’s Winter Term program  is the perfect opportunity for both students and employers to engage in a short internship. From January 3 to January 25, 2013, you have the chance to host an intern. Sound too good to be true? It just might be. I may be biased as a DePauw student myself, but DePauw has some excellent, driven students that fight tooth and nail for internships. Really, I’ve had to claw my way into my own internship—DePauw students really do jump …

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The “young professional.” To the rest of the workforce, it’s a cryptic—even daunting—term and generation. Who are they? What do they want? What do they value?

To me, it seems simple. They don’t want your job; they want to help you do your job! The “young pro” wants to learn, assist, and prepare for the day they have their own job. Young professionals are recent college graduates or currently-enrolled college students. They seek new employment opportunities or internships. This group is young and energetic. They have experience with social media and new forms of technology you didn’t even know existed. They’re driven and creative. They all have different skills, talents, and interests. But, the bottom line is they are willing to work, and they want to learn. Young professionals are the future after all.

As supervisors and managers, don’t you want your future to be ready? If you answered …

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Jose Fregozo is not your typical high school student. A senior at Evansville North High School, he balances a full class schedule, works 30 to 35 hours weekly as a Papa John’s assistant manager, interns at architecture and engineering firm Three I Design, competes on cross country and track teams, and takes part in a variety of philanthropy events. In a nutshell, Fregozo is one of North High School’s shining stars, and he has a humble spirit, too.
              
Many employers may not traditionally consider a high school student for their internship program, but Three I Design was open to the concept after communicating with Andy Beadles, Fregozo’s teacher at the Southern Indiana Career and Technical Center (SICTC). The facility provides high school students with classroom and hands-on training in 18 diverse areas of study using the latest emerging technologies and equipment.

The management team at Three I …

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          Today, society expects students to know their major and future career plans long before entering college. This puts a lot of pressure on students to pick a field of study, often times without fully getting to explore their options. The truth is over half of college students change their majors at least once before graduation. I was one of these students who thought I knew what I wanted, but ended up changing my mind. I recently found Indianacareerexplorer.org, which is made for students trying to decide what they want and what careers best suit their skills and values.

After registering for the site, the first step is to take three assessment tests. The first, Kuder Career Search with Person Match, gives you sixty sets of three activities. You are asked to rank which activity you would prefer to do first, second, and third. Then, you are given results about …

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