Tag Archives: intern

From Inside INdiana Business

It’s easy to list specific reasons why an organization should start an internship program: increased productivity, enhanced creativity, effective recruitment – to name a few. But it’s the coveted notion of saving time and money while getting quality results that’s music to the ears of any employer.

In fact, these days when hiring for a full-time position, some organizations may not have the time or financial resources to recruit a seasoned individual. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers’ (NACE) 2010 Internship and Co-op Survey (based on 235 employer responses), 83% of employers said that they use internship programs as a tool for recruiting entry-level talent, an increase of approximately 5% from 2009.

NACE’s survey also indicated that 44.6% of respondents’ full-time entry level hires from the class of ’08-’09 were from their internship programs, an increase of approximately 10% from the prior year.

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Entry by Pat Patterson

Before you host your interns this summer, make sure you are prepared – appointing an individual as an intern supervisor will enhance the internship experience for both your organization and your interns. 

An intern supervisor will familiarize interns with your organization, provide assignments and serve as a “go-to” person for questions.  It is best if the intern supervisor is connected with the type of work the intern will perform (e.g., the marketing director supervising a marketing intern) to provide appropriate guidance for the intern’s assignments.

As a general guide, an intern supervisor’s responsibilities will include:

taking part in an intern’s application, screening and interview process; conducting an intern’s orientation; developing an intern’s work plan; periodically meeting with an intern to evaluate performance and if needs/goals are being met; and assessing the internship program’s success.

Are you …

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Entry by Jennifer Weinmann, Student Employment Consultant for the IUPUI Office of Student Employment in Indianapolis, IN

While working at a University, I have the opportunity to learn from both students and staff.  Since many on-campus staff are also student employers, I hear about a variety of things that occur in the workplace.  Because a part-time job or internship can often be the gateway to full-time employment, it is important that a student employee be aware of the way he or she behaves in the workplace. 

For many students, they know that getting a job can be a challenge, but they don’t often think beyond this first step.  Once they have secured a position, they may be at a loss for the next steps to take in their newly found position.

Here are a few things I have determined will make you stand out and show how …

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Entry by Pat Patterson

Aside from the usual interview preparation – researching the organization and opportunity, preparing answers to questions, dressing in appropriate professional attire, etc. – the key to performing your best at your next internship interview is to get enough sleep the night before, so be prepared to catch some zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzs………

According to studies discussed in Brain Rules, a book by molecular biologist Dr. John Medina, sleep helps our brains function at peak performance:

To highlight this, Medina refers to a study in which math graduate students were given a problem and told the way to solve it. 

“It was a bonehead solution,” Medina says. “Unbeknownst to students, there was a much more elegant way to solve the math problem.”

The researchers, who wanted to study the effect of sleep on cognition, broke the students into two groups, Group A and Group B. With 12 …

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Indiana INTERNnet announced today the arrival of Janet Boston; she most recently was the director of marketing/director of regional services for the Arts Council of Indianapolis. Boston has a bachelor’s degree in business from Indiana University and an MBA from Butler University.

Boston brings extensive management, communications, marketing, planning and fundraising skills to the executive director position, according to Indiana Chamber President Kevin Brinegar. The Indiana Chamber has managed the Indiana INTERNnet program, which is funded by a grant from Lilly Endowment, since January 2006.

“In particular, we believe Janet’s track record of leadership and relationship-building in the community, non-profit and corporate worlds are ideal for working with the various interests involved in Indiana INTERNNet – be it the students, businesses or universities.”

Indiana INTERNnet was formed in 2001, shortly after a series of studies done in collaboration with the Indiana Chamber, the Indiana Commission of Higher Education and the …

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Entry by Jennifer Weinmann, Student Employment Consultant for the IUPUI Office of Student Employment in Indianapolis, IN

As a Student Employment Consultant, one of the biggest issues I come across is students who are uncomfortable networking.  Whether it’s a part-time position, internship, or full-time position, networking is increasingly the best way to make connections that could land you a position.

If you’re like me, you may not consider yourself an extrovert…and that could mean anxiety at the thought of attending a networking event.  For those who shy away at the thought of meeting and greeting in a room of strangers, I’d like to suggest a “baby step” to a public gathering: LinkedIn.com

Many of you may know of the site.  For those who are not familiar, the main objective of the site is to bring professionals together and provide an online environment for networking.  …

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From the Indiana Chamber

(INDIANAPOLIS) — Indiana INTERNnet, the statewide resource for internship opportunities from the Indiana Chamber, recognized achievements in internships and mentoring today at the 2010 IMPACT Awards Luncheon. The honorees are:

Outstanding Employer of the Year (not-for-profit) – International Center of Indianapolis
Outstanding Employer of the Year (for-profit) – ExactTarget
Career Services Professional of the Year – Jeremy Podany, School of Informatics and Computing at Indiana University – Bloomington
Outstanding Intern of the Year (High School) – Emily Miller, Brownsburg High School
Outstanding Intern of the Year (College) – Fangfang Li, University of Indianapolis
The awards were presented during the annual luncheon event in downtown Indianapolis.

Students who intern at the International Center of Indianapolis (ICI) participate in foreign dignitary visits. They help plan prestigious galas and accompany leaders from around the world to local events. Participants receive assignments …

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Entry by Pat Patterson

Let’s say you are a basketball player and would like to take your game to the next level. Now, let’s say you have an opportunity to practice your jump shot on a regular basis with Larry Bird as your coach. Would you pass up that opportunity? Of course not.

Now, apply that same logic to your career. It doesn’t make much sense to pass up an opportunity to learn from a professional who has the career you aspire to have one day. That’s where mentors come into play.

Mentors provide career and personal growth coaching. If you want more information about a particular industry or are hesitant about pursuing a certain career, you can benefit from working with a mentor.

A mentor can assist you in the following areas:

Identifying career interests and goals Assessing your strengths and weaknesses Understanding a particular industry …

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Entry by Pat Patterson – from the January 2011 INTERNnetwork

You never know when opportunity may come knocking on your door. Nick Ewing is a great example. A few days before graduating from Columbia City High School, Ewing received an unexpected call. Working at a Dairy Queen with no intention to attend college, Ewing received an internship offer that would soon alter the course of his life.

As a student at Columbia City High School, Ewing was involved with numerous video projects, as he completed more than 10 video related courses and worked as a lead anchor for his school news. When the Whitley County Community Foundation needed an intern familiar with video, Ewing’s name was mentioned, and the director of the Foundation was impressed with his work that she viewed on YouTube.

When Ewing was introduced to the Whitley County Community Foundation’s opportunity, he did not know too much …

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Entry by Pat Patterson

The Indiana Department of Education is currently reaching out to Businesses and Industries throughout the state to create awareness of College and Career Pathways.  College and Career Pathways are an aligned sequence of courses that prepare high school students for college and career success.

The pathway plans focus on easing a students’ transition from high school to community college; from pre-college courses to post-secondary programs; and from community college to university or employment.

The Indiana Department of Education is also providing opportunities for companies to review the curriculum that has been developed.  Their goal is to ensure the pathway plans designed for Indiana students meet employer needs in a growing and changing economy.

Input of business and industry representatives who understand the type of courses/content that will prepare our Indiana students upon graduation from high school is essential to their goals.

If you would like to …

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Entry by Pat Patterson

The “dead fish handshake” – Always shake your interviewer’s hand firmly and confidently (just make sure you don’t over do it). 

The “poker face” – When you answer questions, do so with a smile on your face and at least appear as if you are enjoying yourself.  A pleasant attitude is contagious, and your interviewer will remember you as a positive person if you are pleasant. 

Forgetting to breathe – I don’t mean literally forgetting to breathe and passing out (I hope no one is that nervous during an interview) – I mean try not to talk too quickly.  Take some deep breaths and slow your speech enough to be understood.  If you think you may be speaking too quickly, there is a good chance that you are.  Practice answering questions with a friend to gauge a good talking speed. 

“Thanks Tom, uhh…I …

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Entry by Pat Patterson – from the January 2011 INTERNnetwork

Non-traditional Interviews

Virtual Interview
With today’s technology, interviews do not necessarily need to be face-to-face. If you are unable to meet with students for interviews or vice versa, conducting an interview via video/audio equipment may be a viable option. Many career services offices have webcams and Skype accounts to accommodate students and employers for virtual interviews. If your organization typically conducts preliminary phone screening interviews, you may even consider a virtual interview as a substitute.

Meal Interview
If you have a client-focused organization that regularly involves interacting with different individuals, including lunch or dinner meetings, consider interviewing students over lunch or dinner. By doing so, you may be able to gauge a student’s social skills and mannerisms in a more relaxed setting. Even if you are not a client-focused organization, conducting interviews over meals may …

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Entry by Pat Patterson

Don’t miss out on your last chance to earn six Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI) credits at one of three upcoming internship management workshops.  Indiana INTERNnet has partnered with Intern Bridge, the nation’s leading college talent consulting and research firm, to deliver the Total Internship Management Roadshow in Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, and Evansville.

The Total Internship Management Workshops will provide national internship best practices to Indiana employers, strengthening the state’s mission to reduce the “brain drain.”  Based on just-released data from over 100,000 students attending 500+ universities nationwide, the workshops will provide key data and metrics surrounding topics such as supervisor selection, work structure, compensation, working with universities, legal issues and much more.

All participants earn six Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI) credits and receive a copy of Total Internship Management (a $40 value).  To learn more, visit the following location specific web …

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Entry by Pat Patterson

From the January 2011 INTERNnetwork:

In internship interviews, employers commonly ask behavioral interview questions that focus on past events in your life and your responses.  Since a student will typically not have much work experience, behavioral interview questions are open-ended questions that focus on past performances to assess behavior – in particular, how you may respond to similar situations in the future.  “Can you tell me about a goal you accomplished at a previous job?” is an example of a behavioral interview question.

Since behavioral interview questions are open-ended, they can be difficult to answer.  Therefore, you need to be prepared.  The S.T.A.R. technique for interviewing is a method for thoroughly answering behavioral interview questions.  Using the S.T.A.R. technique, you describe your actions in past situations to answer behavioral questions. 

S.T.A.R. is an acronym for Situation, Task, Action, Result.

Situation – Provide some …

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Entry by Nicole Goble, Director of Recruiting and Development in the financial services industry in Zionsville, IN

It is that time of year again; spring, campus career fairs are right around the corner.  If you are still in the hunt for a summer internship, making the best of your time at each one is highly important.  I have drilled down on research, research, research so it won’t be mentioned (but please do research 🙂 ).  Here are a few things to separate you from the sea of students in line at company booths:

1. Go Alone.
It is ok to say hello and shake hands as you meet fellow classmates; however, steer away from going with a friend.  This time is about talking with employers and company’s about what interests you.

2. Dress to Impress.
This is easier said than done from my experience.  For …

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