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How to Succeed in an In-Person Interview

When starting off your professional career, interviews are going to become a lot more common than you would hope for. Preparing for an interview and knowing how to set yourself up for success isn’t as easy as everyone makes it out to be. Here are some steps to take when preparing for an interview. 

A few days before 

Interview preparation should start as soon as possible. You should start with researching the company. This is a great way to get ideas about what the company is doing and where they are headed. Bringing up some key elements during the interview will really help set you apart from other candidates. Start with the company’s website. Learn about the goals, missions, and future plans for the company, which will help you get an idea of what you could be getting involved in. Now is also a good time to prepare for how …

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How to Dress for Your Internship

It can be challenging starting off your professional career and knowing what the dress code is for every event or meeting. What you wear to interviews, meetings and even daily in the office can make an impact on how others view you. Navigating what is appropriate and expected isn’t always the easiest which is why I am here to help give you advice most people don’t think about.

Interviewing and starting your job

Most know that you should dress for the job you want. This means looking the part for the interview. Walking in with a nice and professional outfit will not only help you make a great first impression but will help you create a strong reputation within the office. Take note on your first couple of days to see what other people are wearing. It’s important to look nice, but you should avoid standing out for looking too …

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How to Come Back Productive After a Break

Whether it’s a three-day weekend or a full week off, breaks during school are always needed and always celebrated. Breaks throughout the semester are great ways to regroup and relax, but getting back into a school routine can get pretty tough. Learning how to come back after a break and staying on top of things is important. While you should reward yourself and take a few days off, when it gets closer to class starting back up again, you should start getting in the right mindset.

Relax and reward yourself

Every break is a chance to release some of the stress from school and give yourself time to relax. Make sure to take the time you need to unwind and refresh. It could be staying in bed all day or spending the day shopping, do something that you have been wanting to do. Taking enough time off will actually have …

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Things to Do in Indiana This Fall

It’s currently my favorite season and I know a lot of others’ around the office. The air is crisp, closets are in need of an upgrade, and the leaves are changing. While a lot of these blogs are based on tips and advice when navigating the workplace as an intern, we are still young which means we need to have some fun every once in a while. Indiana has some really fun activities that you can do throughout the fall. I thought I would do the research for you and create a list of everything you need to do this fall.

You’re welcome in advance.

Spooky Meter:

Not spooky: 👻

Spooky but not too spooky: 👻👻

Feeling very spooky:👻👻👻

Anderson Orchard: Mooresville, IN 👻

Anderson Orchard is the perfect place to spend some time with the family or even a special someone. Pick fresh fruit including raspberries, apples, and of …

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Online Internship Fair: A New Way to Meet Employers

Some internship fairs can get too hot, too awkward and just all-around exhausting. That is why Indiana INTERNnet is so excited to host another online internship fair! This experience serves as a great way for students to network and learn about so many amazing opportunities out there. Now is a great time to start looking at positions for spring, summer or fall. If you were on the edge about signing up, I have some reasons as to why you should join us for the fair.

How to get started

Make an IndianaINTERN.net account and complete your profile on CareerEco. This profile allows you to upload your resume, add your education background and indicate when you are looking to intern. Setting up your profile beforehand can allow for employers to look at your resume before the fair even begins.

How it works

The fair will take place from 10 a.m. – …

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Indiana INTERNnet’s Online Internship Fair: A New Way to Recruit Talent

Join Indiana INTERNnet at its second online internship fair on October 30! The event takes place virtually through CareerEco which means you will be able to connect with students around the state from the comfort of your office. It is the perfect opportunity to find your next spring, summer or even fall 2020 interns!

Like a traditional internship/career fair, employers can connect directly with potential interns. However, unlike a traditional fair, everything takes virtually place within a chat room. Registered employers have their own chat room with the option to host private text, video or audio chat sessions.

Here are some more benefits of the online internship fair:

Eliminate travel costs and costs associated with ordering promotional items

Since the fair takes place online, there are absolutely no travel costs associated with attending. Employers can take part in the fair from their home, office, coworking space, coffee shop, anywhere!

Travel isn’t the …

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How to Recover After a Bad Grade

Not every test you take is going to give you the grade you wanted or expected. Life can get crazy, and sometimes not everything goes as planned. When you receive a grade that isn’t what you were hoping for, it can seem like everything is going wrong and that you will never be able to bounce back. I am here to debunk that myth and give some tips on how to overcome a bad grade.

Learn from it

The biggest take away from getting a bad grade is that you can learn so much from it. If you studied and still got a bad grade, maybe its time for some new study habits. If you are in need of some study tips you can check out my past blog here. This grade also gives you an insight into where you need to focus more time.

Don’t dwell

Getting a bad …

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How to Survive Midterms

It’s that time again
midterms! I know no one is ever excited about all the projects and exams coming up, but going in with a clear mindset can help you make the best of what is to come. Whether this is your first college midterm season or last, you can never be too prepared.

Stay healthy

This might just be something that is common at my university but by the time midterms come around, everyone is super sick. It might just be the weather or how stressed everyone is, but it feels like you can’t take an exam without 10 people sneezing and sniffling every 15 seconds. There is nothing worse than trying to take a challenging exam when all you want to do is go back to bed because you don’t feel good. Make sure you are doing all the precautions like washing your hands, eating healthy, getting enough sleep, …

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What To Do If Your Internship Isn’t The Best

Recently, Allison wrote a blog post about what to do if an intern isn’t doing their best. I think we should also talk about what to do if your internship experience isn’t the best. Unfortunately, even though every internship posted on our site must be approved by a staff member, some internships are not what you were hoping they would be.

Remember it’s temporary

Internships are great because they are only temporary, which allows you to see what work environments you do or don’t like. Some days will be harder than others, but remember that you don’t have to be there forever. Take every opportunity you can to learn and network as much as you can. Just because you don’t like the place you are at doesn’t mean the experience is a waste of time.

Don’t burn any bridges

You might think that because you’re “just an intern” you can …

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Intern Spotlight: Laura Knight

Hello, my name is Laura Knight. I am a senior at Indiana University, majoring in Policy Studies with a focus in Criminal Justice. I previously majored in Social Work at Ivy Tech Community College before transferring to IUPUI. My current major will allow me to pursue policy advocacy and research, while keeping the door open to graduate school or law school.

Before Ivy Tech & IUPUI, I attended high school in Wapakoneta, Ohio. This is a small town nestled in northwestern Ohio, where Drive Your Tractor to School Day was a regular, yearly event. During this time in my life I was involved in French club, Spanish club, cross country and track, and a rabbit breeder with 4-H. After high school I attended Ohio Dominican University for a short while, quickly recognizing collegiate studies was not a focus for me in 2008.

As a non-traditional student, I’ve …

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Study Tips for Fall Semester

While the semester might seem like it’s going alright at the moment, you know that feeling never sticks. Class has been in session for a few weeks now and most people have gotten into a routine. Then, something happens: you’re aware of an upcoming exam and don’t have the slightest clue how to study because you took the summer off. This is where I come in. Now that I’m in my sophomore year, I’ve gained my fair share of good and bad grades, which is why I want to encourage habits that will improve your grades.

DON’T put it off

You might think two weeks until an exam is a lot of time – it isn’t, I promise. When you consider other classes, homework, and life in general, studying for a future exam always seems to end up on the back burner. As soon as you know you have an …

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Career Fair Survival Guide for Students

It’s that time again! School has been in session for a little bit now, you are in a routine, and things seem okay. Then, it hits you. The smell of free swag, pamphlets, and the feeling of uncomfortable conversations overcome you. Yep. That’s right. It’s career fair time. It’s no secret that a lot of people try to avoid career fairs because they either don’t want to put in the effort of dressing professionally, networking, or just going through the whole process of what a career fair really entails. I am here to prove that myth wrong.  Fun fact: career fairs can be used for more than just class credit and free stuff!  Career fairs are a really great way to see amazing possibilities that could lead to future careers. It is a time to network in an environment designed for you.

Career fairs can be scary, but I have …

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How to Handle a Not-So-Great Intern

I’ve been with Indiana INTERNnet for almost three years, but every once in a while, I make a mistake. It may be a small typo in an email, forgetting to follow up with a voicemail or messing up the formatting in a PowerPoint presentation. Humans aren’t perfect! I quickly own up to the mistake, correct it and move on.

That’s why when interns make mistakes, it’s very important to realize that no one, not even yourself, is capable of delivering perfect work 100% of the time. For most interns, an internship is their very first experience working in a professional setting. Many things are new to them, so they need the freedom to learn and grow from their mistakes. However, what should you do when your interns mistakes become a bigger issue? Here are some examples:

You noticed your intern posting inappropriate things on their social media channels
You …

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What I’ve Learned Outside the Classroom

If you’ve been keeping up with my blog posts throughout the summer (and now into the fall) you’ll see that I often mention how so much learning happens outside of the classroom. Internships, for example, allow students to be a part of the workforce and get hands-on experience before they graduate. While I understand the important roles school and education play in our lives, it should be noted that learning doesn’t just happen in the classroom.

You’re dressed, but is it to impress?

While in college you’re basically able to show up in whatever you want. Interning is different. You don’t get to have comfy days with t-shirts and sweatshirts. While you’re at work, you must follow the dress code every day. This also applies for interviews and beyond. Make sure that everyone who sees you can tell that you’re there for a reason.

The handshake

It wasn’t until …

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Achieving Work-Life Balance

At 19, I didn’t think I would have to understand what this whole “work-life balance” thing really is. But I’ve learned not every day is a piece of cake. It’s better to know that now, instead of thinking everything is going to be exactly how you want it to be. Some days are easier than others, but that’s just how life goes. Balancing 18 credit hours, an on-campus job, and an internship hasn’t been the smoothest thing, but I’ve slowly established a routine. I know I’m not the only student going through something similar and wanted to share some lessons I learned throughout this process.

Accept the Bad Days

Sometimes life just gets in the way and nothing is how you planned. That’s okay! There are two things I like to remember on bad days. First, you’ve survived 100 percent of your previous bad days. Second, you never have to …

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