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Allison Gaffney graduated in May 2016 from Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism. She majored in Journalism with a concentration in Public Relations. While at IUPUI, Allison interned with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and Girls Inc. of Greater Indianapolis.

Internships are a great way to develop skills, build your network, make an impact and gain experience working in a professional environment. While it is important to produce quality work during an internship, it is also important to make sure that your internship provides you with opportunities to build your resume and portfolio.

According to Robert Meier, President of Job Market Experts, only the top two percent of applicants make it to the interview stage. Once you reach the interview stage, it is important to stand out. One of the best ways to do this is by having a diverse portfolio of work from internships and …

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Indiana INTERNnet celebrated internship excellence on Feb. 3, 2016, at the 10th Annual IMPACT Awards luncheon. Though the event is over and the winners have been announced, we are continuing to celebrate the nominees’ successes.

These are their stories.

Sarah Post will graduate from the IU Kelley School of Business-Indianapolis this May.

Indiana INTERNnet: What are some of the projects you did for the Office of Student Employment?

Sarah Post: I came up with content such as pictures, videos, etc. and posted daily on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts. I did this mainly to draw attention to our office and get more students to realize there is an office on campus that will help them find part-time work while they’re in college, and also to advertise all the free services that are available to students, such as resume/cover letter building, job searching, mock interviewing, etc. I really loved …

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Indiana INTERNnet, Indiana Commission for Higher Education, and Purdue University joined forces to coordinate a session during the HR Indiana Annual Conference. The session, Career Ready: Strengthening Indiana’s Talent Pipeline, occurred on Wednesday, the final day of the conference. Indiana INTERNnet was honored to share the podium with brilliant minds who are shaping and strengthening Indiana’s talent pipeline for career readiness.

A few of Indiana’s esteemed influencers in the world of education, public affairs, workforce policy, and business shared their insights on plans to help Indiana’s economy grow. Teresa Lubbers, the Commissioner for Indiana’s Commission for Higher Education (CHE), discussed invaluable strategies that CHE is pursuing to ensure Indiana’s post-secondary education system is aligned to meet the needs of students and the state. She addressed key values of career alignment, competency and completion that will carry CHE’s goals to the fullest extent of success in our community.

The Indiana …

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Brittany Ulman is currently a senior Creative Writing student at Ball State University with minors in Professional Writing & Emerging Media and Spanish. During her college career, Brittany took online summer classes and held an internship that counted for course credit, so she will be graduating a semester early in December of 2016. This summer, she was the marketing intern for International Floral Distributor’s Executive Director and was in charge of writing several press releases for IFD and its Flower Trends Forecast as well as working on various projects aimed at enhancing distributor services for IFD’s vendor partners.

The immediate effects of an internship are easily known; benefits such as gaining professional experience, learning more about a particular trade, obtaining various technical and communication skills, etc. can all certainly be acquired during an internship and oftentimes are the most common. However, there are also numerous other aspects of an …

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The month of August means one thing for students, the start of fall semester. If you’re interning this semester as well, it can be difficult to manage your time effectively. From my personal experience, it’s best to stay calm and organized.

The first step in balancing school and an internship is to create a schedule. Online calendars are a great tool to utilize (Google and Outlook are my personal favorites). If you prefer having a hard copy, there are many planners available for purchase.

Once your school courses are scheduled, you’ll need to determine your internship hours with your mentor. It helps to bring a copy of your school schedule to coordinate your availability. Then, you can input the hours of your school courses and internship into your calendar.

If you’re planning to include tasks and deadlines in your calendar, it may be easier to have separate calendars for school …

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Did you have a rock star intern this summer?

Recognize the great work they did by nominating them for Intern of the Year through Indiana INTERNnet’s IMPACT Awards!

The IMPACT Awards is an annual celebration of internship success stories. We accept nominations from the public in the categories of Intern of the Year, Employer of the Year, and Career Development Professional of the Year. Then, we’ll recognize all nominees and unveil the winners at the annual awards luncheon on February 8, 2017 at the Ivy Tech Corporate College and Culinary Center in Indianapolis.

Last year’s event was full of energy! We had more than 50 nominees with stories of accomplishment that we shared with nearly 400 attendees. Learn more about our nominees and winners in BizVoice magazine and on our blog.

This year’s luncheon will be a “slam dunk” with 6’2” hometown basketball legend (and former NBA intern!) Tamika Catchings …

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Many students have the same goal, to obtain full-time employment following an internship — whether that be transitioning from intern to employee with the same organization, or bringing their experience to another organization. In my case, it was a modified version of transitioning from intern to employee.

In January, I started my first college internship as a marketing intern with Indiana INTERNnet. The next few months I learned about the marvels of internships, while gaining first-hand knowledge and experience. As the end of spring semester approached, I was offered the opportunity of interning for the summer. I decided to decline the offer and explore full-time employment opportunities elsewhere. Little did I know, opportunity would soon knock again from Indiana INTERNnet.

Once my internship ended in May, the search for a full-time career was in full swing. Let me tell you, it is tough out there for a recent graduate. In …

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Pete Mackin is a public relations and marketing intern with the Crossroads of America Council (CAC), Boy Scouts of America (BSA). He plans to graduate from Butler University in August.

While I don’t have a particularly strong background in Scouting, I have worked with several youth organizations throughout high school and undergrad that made the transition to this position a little easier.

As part of my duties here at the council, I have the opportunity to assist in planning and execution of the upcoming fall recruitment of new scouts. It is very exciting to be involved in growing Scouting’s membership throughout central Indiana. Though I have only been here a little over a month, it is easy to see the positive impact Scouting can have on the lives of youth, and I hope that my efforts lead to more youth being exposed to the great lessons scouting teaches.

The …

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Last Friday, Indiana INTERNnet partnered with the Indiana State Fair to host the third (and final) intern engagement event of the summer. The interns were ready for a full day of fun, which started with a round of networking bingo!

Each player searched for a fellow intern who matched a description on the bingo card. For example, an intern who has studied abroad or one has complete multiple internships. Once a row or column was completed, the player was entered in a drawing for Fair Bucks (dollar-amounted vouchers to be used only at the Indiana State Fair). Janet Boston, Executive Director of Indiana INTERNnet, announced the winners-all three were Salesforce intern- during her welcoming speech.

The entertainment continued with two representatives from the Indiana State Fair making an on-stage appearance. Mark Anderson, Director of Human Resources at the Indiana State Fair Commission, thanked everyone for coming and discussed …

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With the growth of local pride and demand for “homegrown” products, there are many opportunities to experience true Hoosier culture. Whether it’s restaurants, attractions, shops or anything in between, we’ll showcase some of our favorite gems that make Indiana a great place to live and work.

It may be surprising even to native Hoosiers that a quest for fine candies and pastries would include stops in Union City, Winchester and Hagerstown. However, there are hidden gems on the eastern side of the state with fascinating business histories, interactive tours and delicious products that make for a “sweet” daytrip.

Ghyslain: The art of chocolate (Union City)

Ghyslain Maurais and his wife, Susan, started Ghyslain chocolatier in a farm house in 1998, ultimately choosing Union City (Susan’s hometown) for its current location. Today, Ghyslain’s staff of 25 produces fine French breads and pastries in addition to gourmet chocolates, and the company …

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Johnny Slivka is an HR/Business Development Intern with Milliner & Associates. He will graduate from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business this year.

Following my senior year in high school, as some may say, I entered the real world. The first Saturday of the summer is where it all started.

My first day of work – not sports, not school – but real work. On this day instead of strapping up my cleats or tying my shoe laces, I was lacing up my boots and was ready to get after it. I was working as part of an installation crew planting trees. Some may not understand the process of planting a tree, but it’s very hard work. From digging the hole to moving the tree to cleaning up, it is all physically demanding.

Fast forward four years later and every day I can I’m lacing up my boots …

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Internships aren’t just for gaining real-world experience in your desired field. They are more than just programs to receive college credit, too.

Interns have an especially advantageous position within a company that has potential to turn into a full-time offer. It’s best for interns and employers to sit down at the beginning of their experience to discuss some goals they wish to accomplish with each other. If full-time employment is a possibility at the end of the internship, interns can treat their 10-12 weeks as an ongoing interview. Here is some more advice on how you can be remembered as the rock star intern who turned into their next full-time employee.

Be dependable. Employers want to see that you are arriving on time to work, successfully hitting your deadlines, and ready to help out whenever needed. Pay attention to detail and do your work consistently well. Network with your co-workers. …

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Brittany Ulman is a senior Creative Writing student at Ball State University with minors in Professional Writing & Emerging Media and Spanish. Currently, she is the marketing intern for International Floral Distributors (IFD). She will write press releases for the company and its Flower Trend Forecast, as well as work on projects to enhance distributor services for IFD’s vendor partners.

My internship at IFD has definitely been a whirlwind to say the least.

Even though I was not completely prepared for the way in which I was propelled into the previously foreign world known as the flower industry, that exact phenomenon is one of the reasons why I have enjoyed my time at IFD.

There is something about not knowing all of the details and the need to learn more about those unfamiliar technicalities that makes this internship so valuable. Simply put, my college education, though wonderful and well-rounded, cannot teach me as much …

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August is slowly creeping around the corner.

Instead of being bummed out about school starting, get excited for what lies ahead! For students, this is prime-time career fair season. During the fall months as you prepare to head back to campus and get situated, it’s important to iron your blazers and dust off your networking skills.

When I was in school at Indiana University, whether I was a freshman or senior, I took advantage of career fairs every semester. I learned about job opportunities that were offered in my community and made valuable connections. A few even landed me a part-time job on campus.

Whatever you are looking for, career fairs are a great place to start. Here is a rundown of some do’s and don’ts to keep in mind:

DO:

Your research! Look at what companies are attending the career fair first and narrow your options down to maximize …

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Indiana INTERNnet celebrated internship excellence on Feb. 3, 2016, at the 10th Annual IMPACT Awards luncheon. Though the event is over and the winners have been announced, we are continuing to celebrate the nominees’ successes.

 These are their stories.

Katy Robinson is a student at Butler University studying Strategic Communications: PR & Advertising and minoring in Digital Media Productions. She plans to graduate in 2017. Learn more about her internship with the Wayne County Area Chamber of Commerce.

Indiana INTERNnet: You produced marketing materials for several Chamber events and initiatives. How did it feel to be given that responsibility as an intern?

Katy Robinson: The Chamber gave me a lot of freedom and independence to use my own skills, which allowed me to get creative and think outside of the box. Because of this freedom, I was able to improve my time management and communication skills. I would send …

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