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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 …
Preparing for the End of Your Internship: Takeaways from the Indiana State Fair Event
Last Friday, the Indiana INTERNnet team joined over 50 interns at the Indiana State Fairgrounds for another summer intern engagement event.
Attendees played a round of trivia for a chance to win donated prizes â it was the perfect way to make sure everyone was wide awake and engaged. After buzzing in for questions about Indianapolis, Indiana and the State Fair, the interns were fired up and ready for the morningâs career development session.
Samantha Martin, assistant director of the Ball State University Career Center, was eager to take the floor and keep up the energy in the room. To start, she had participants split into groups for a unique networking game where everyone was asked to make a chain of facts that each of their internships had in common. The winning team took home âFair Bucksâ and Crew Car Wash coupons for connecting 66 facts into a story about …
Tips to Become an Intern-to-Hire Success
At Indiana INTERNnet, we love a good intern-to-hire story. Weâre always on the lookout for tales of individuals around the state who were able to turn their internship into a full-time job offer. As a senior in college, I enjoy these stories on a personal level for the hope that they bring me. Throughout this summer, Iâve heard of several different people who were hired after their internship was over, and itâs made me wonder â what could I do to help make that happen? So, for both your benefit and my own, here are some tips to help all of us interns (hopefully) get hired:
Take Initiative
It is not unusual for interns to run out of things to do at work. Rather than give in to the temptation of playing on your phone or doing other non-work-related activities on your down time, find ways to be productive. If …
Shaping Futures by Improving a Local Community
Katie McGinnis is an incoming senior at Indiana University Bloomington graduating in May of 2019. She is majoring in Media Advertising with a minor in Marketing. Katie is currently working at Helmer Scientific as a Marketing Communications Intern for her second summer with the company.Â
On Saturday, July 28th, I joined other interns and Helmer Scientific team members to volunteer with the Indianapolis Intercollegiate YMCA volunteers and staff to transform the Laurelwood Community in Indianapolis. The Intercollegiate YMCA works with four universities to provide experiences that enhance students overall. They especially focus on leadership development programs for the students they work with.
The Laurelwood Community in Indianapolis consists of around 160 units in a low-income neighborhood. Before the Indianapolis Intercollegiate YMCA began their efforts in the community, Laurelwood had been long considered one of the roughest communities in Indianapolis. After ten years of partnering with the YMCA, the community …
The Benefits of Socializing with Co-Workers
Depending on how much you enjoy your co-workersâ company, you may or may not find the idea of hanging out with them appealing. However, taking the time to get to know fellow employees while youâre all away from your desks can improve everyoneâs work performance and bring the team closer together. An article from SUCCESS Magazine says that socialization among employees creates a âculture of connectivityâ that regular work days do not necessarily foster.
There are certain precautions that you should take when spending time with your co-workers outside of the office. After all, youâre going to see them every day when you come into the office, so you need to be mindful of how you carry yourself and what you say â even if youâre just swapping stories on your own time. Avoid oversharing to prevent your new friends from feeling uncomfortable and avoid speaking negatively about your …
Should I have a Mentor?
Although the idea of having a career mentor is not new, the notion has grown in popularity in recent years. I had heard the word thrown around before, but I wasnât quite aware of the popularity of this tactic until I read Sheryl Sandbergâs book, Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead, last year. Successful professionals from a variety of backgrounds have endorsed mentorship and credited these types of relationships for a portion of their achievements.
So, what purpose does a mentor serve?
The Balance defines a mentor as someone who âbecomes a source of wisdom, teaching, and supportâ for young professionals seeking guidance. Ideally, this would be a person that you could go to and ask for advice when facing work-related dilemmas and they could guide you based on their own experiences. While not completely necessary, it helps if this person works or has worked in the …
2019 IMPACT Awards FAQs
Indiana INTERNnet is now accepting nominations for the 13th annual IMPACT Awards, an annual celebration of internship excellence. We encourage you to complete the online nomination form and share how a person or organization has made an impact by committing to internship excellence. The deadline for nominations is October 31, 2018.
Have a question about the nominations process or awards luncheon? Check out the answers to our frequently asked IMPACT Awards questions. If you canât find the answer youâre looking for, contact INTERNnet@indianachamber.com.
What are the awards categories?
Intern of the Year (3) High School College Non-Traditional *High school and college interns must be enrolled in school during the time of their internship in 2018. The non-traditional category is for an intern who was not an enrolled student at the time of the internship or was 26 years old or older during the internship. Career Development Professional of the Year (1) *This individual must be a …
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 …
From Intern to Founder: Wyatt Wells
Wyatt Wells is co-founder and chief marketing officer at The Bee Corp, an AgTech startup in Bloomington. Wyatt graduated from Indiana University in 2016.
âWhat do you want to be when you grow up?â
If you asked me this question 10 years ago, I wouldâve replied, âIâm going to play third base for the Boston Red Sox.â If you asked me three years ago, my answer wouldâve been, âLet me get back to you on that.â
Itâs the clichĂ© question nearly all students dread hearing. Responses tend to fall into three categories: the vague (âI want to work in [medicine/software/sales]â), the naĂŻve and oddly specific (âIâm going to be a senior cloud systems engineer at Facebookâ) and the aimless (âI just want to do something that makes me happyâ).
Flashback to 2015
Entering my senior year at IU, I belonged under the aimless category. I became an expert at …
Nominations for the 2019 IMPACT Awards Are Open
Indiana INTERNnet focuses on talent retention through increased work-and-learn experiences. More than a decade ago, it began the tradition of celebrating internship excellence by launching the annual IMPACT Awards. Each year, the program continues to grow in size and success.
The IMPACT Awards, presented at an annual luncheon, have traditionally honored three categories: Interns of the Year, Employers of the Year and a Career Development Professional of the Year.
Intern of the Year Awards recognize individuals who have had a positive impact on the organization for which they intern. Three interns will receive this award, one for each of the following sub-categories: high school, college and non-traditional. High school and college interns must be enrolled in school during the time of the internship for which they are nominated. The non-traditional category is for interns who were not students at the time of their internship or were 26 years old or …
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 …
Hands-on Learning
Betsy Adams is currently serving as the talent acquisition intern at Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance (IFBI)Â in the talent management department. She is a rising senior at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana studying human resource management and business. She will graduate in May of 2019 and is anxiously looking forward to kick starting her career in human resources.
On Wednesday, June 27, I had the opportunity, with the other 24 IFBI interns, to spend my afternoon at Gleanerâs Food Bank of Indiana volunteering and serving the Indianapolis community. Our internship program provides us with a number of off-site field trips as opportunities to spend time outside of the home office to better understand the impact of the company and serve the community in a hands-on way.
It was fascinating to see our work dynamics come together in both a competitive and fun way. The healthy spirit of competition allowed us …
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 …