Tag Archives: intern

Internship offers experience to students of all backgrounds

This is a guest post by Amy Laznik, former intern at Target Marketing. She is a student at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College.

Target Marketing is a marketing agency located in Terre Haute, Ind. They specialize in all aspects of marketing. They design flyers, ads, logos, websites and postcards, and they produce television and radio commercials. They create all of their designs and production in-house.

Throughout my internship experience, I have grown as a designer and a person. I have created ads and billboards for major companies, worked on websites, and I am in the process of learning production. I have learned how to meet deadlines and work with clients. I have also learned great communication skills, organization skills and how to transition from a college student to a professional in the work force.

During my time at Target Marketing, I have faced many challenges, but I have also experienced some wonderful …

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Quiet but Mighty, Part IV

Finding the right role in the theater of business

This is a guest post by Kaleb Lantrip, a student at IUPUI and a self-proclaimed introvert. This is Part IV in the five-part Quiet but Mighty blog series exploring ways introverts can remain true to themselves and still experience a satisfying professional life.

If all the world is a stage, and all the men and women merely agents, then how does one who likes performing background and scenery work to be noticed?

I have met individuals who possess better qualifications and instincts for the stage of business, but I have my own skills and values to offer. I am a shameless introvert. I am not ambitious, but I am willing to provide a hard day’s work for a noble production. The trick is getting myself behind the curtain. Establishing myself as a trustworthy and able worker is key.

There is a narrow window of …

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Quiet but Mighty, Part III

Maintaining Balance: Working effectively, managing office presence

This is Part III in the five-part Quiet but Mighty blog series exploring ways introverts can remain true to themselves and still experience a satisfying professional life.

Life is an exercise in balance in many capacities, including within your internship or job. As an introvert, it’s important to learn how to cater to your personal work preferences as well as how to stretch yourself. Below are a few thoughts as you begin developing into the best worker you can be.

 

Create your best working environment

As an intern, you probably don’t have much choice when it comes to the location and set-up of your workstation. However, there are little things you can do with the resources provided that can make you more comfortable and productive.

To avoid distractions, situate your computer or work materials to face away from a heavily-traveled walkway. …

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Internships: A Constant State of Arrival

Last Monday, I arrived at the doorstep of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, ready to begin my internship with the Indiana INTERNnet, with a combination of anxiety and excitement. Is that not true of any adventure one is about to embark upon: knowing that nothing holds you back from failing; nothing holds you back from succeeding? The thrill of approaching the edge of a cliff in anticipation of jumping is suddenly contrasted by the gut feeling that claws you back to safety. Fortunately for me, this was not my first internship, and I did not have to fight that instinct too strongly for too long, but rather used it to propel me forward.

From the moment I walked in, I was greeted not only with smiling faces, but also with a finely choreographed office set up. Whether it was the signs that welcomed me onto the team or the cubicle …

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Quiet but Mighty, Part I

NetWORK: ‘doing’ rather than ‘talking’

This is Part I in the five-part Quiet but Mighty blog series exploring ways introverts can remain true to themselves and still experience a satisfying professional life.

May I be frank? I hate the word “networking.”

Especially as an introvert, and especially as someone who is easily frustrated by the formalities of corporate America. Not to mention, I’m flat-out bad at what most people consider “networking.”

There are a lot of great tips from career counselors you should employ. But have you ever noticed that career advice is often geared toward the extroverted population – networking advice in particular? So, this post (and this entire series) is designed to serve as an alternative voice for those quiet, task-oriented worker bees thirsting for customized and workable career-building ideas. As we go through the week, I invite you to share your thoughts in the comments section.

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The value of proactivity prior to graduation

One quality you’ll see employers calling for in many job descriptions is “self-starter.” If you’ve completed a couple internships, you’re likely qualified in that regard.

But what if you went a step further and started your own internship of sorts, where you are both the supervisor and the intern?

If you’re looking to add more “meat” to your portfolio, speculative work (or “spec work”) is a great way to learn-while-doing, and you’re completely in control. I’m not referring to the controversial spec work in the graphic design field. The spec work I’m advocating is where you come up with an idea from scratch, plan the project, complete the tasks and evaluate the work all on your own time. You aren’t working within the limits of company protocol or a class rubric and you aren’t answering to a supervisor or professor. You can tailor the project to fill any holes you …

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Virtual internships: a case study

This is a Q&A with Ativio Executive Vice President Susan Nierste about how their company benefits from virtual internships. Be sure to also check out our blog about the potential of virtual internships.

1.  How long has Ativio been offering virtual internships? How many interns do you typically work with at one time?

We started in Fall 2011. More than 500 United States (domestic and foreign), African and Indian students have participated in the internship. The number of students working at the same time on teams varies. Our team sizes range between 8 – 12 on a team, plus team management.

2. Can you briefly explain how your virtual internships work? What work do your interns complete?

We have different levels of participation within the virtual team environment. We start out by teaching a class on how to work within international virtual team environments at area Indiana universities. In the classroom, the team works on a static project with …

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‘Never too old to learn’

This is a guest post by Marie Dunlap, former intern at Stone City Counseling. She was a psychology student at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College who graduated on Dec. 15, 2012. She is 63 years old.

As a psychology major considering a career in mental health, I was able to do my internship at Stone City Counseling Center, in my hometown of Bedford, Ind. Stone City Counseling (SCC) is a small, private practice.

My internship supervisor was Becky Kleihege, who holds a bachelor’s degree from Butler and a master’s degree from Indiana University Bloomington. Over the course of my internship I became familiar with hers and the other therapist’s credentials. More than that, she was a wonderful mentor, which seems a little strange, considering I’m senior to her by quite a few years!  But we’re never too old to learn.

Becky held several positions before coming to SCC.  Because of that she …

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The potential of virtual internships

Are you an employer low on office space? Do business nationally or internationally? Office located far away from major cities or college towns?

Are you a student with an academic course load that doesn’t lend itself to an office internship? Can’t find any internships near your campus?

If you answered “yes,” a virtual internship could be a great option for you. It’s a trend that is picking up steam because the benefits are numerous. In 2012, there were 58 new virtual internship positions posted to our website.

Virtual internships are a great way for employers to nurture talent in soon-to-be professionals and for students to secure full-time employment post-graduation. Take it from our friends at Ativio, an information technology and business process outsourcing solutions company in Indianapolis.

“We work in virtual environments all the time,” said Susan Nierste, vice president of business affairs. “We know what we need as a …

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Internship tips from a Journalism-major-turned-English-major

This is a blog post from Kelli Vorndran, the Communications and Media Intern for EmployIndy. Kelli will graduate from IUPUI in the spring with a bachelor’s degree in English with a concentration in Creative Writing.

Most of today’s college students understand the value of an internship. Interning has become so commonplace that many employers actually expect to see this kind of experience on a college grad’s resume. In addition to this newer idea of a “required” internship, I was eager to enter the professional world as an intern just to gain experience.

One thing that may turn students away from an internship is the idea that it is all work­—with no pay. This is never the case! As clichĂ© as it sounds, an internship pays you in experience, if not only as a rĂ©sumĂ© booster. If you are lucky enough to land a paid internship, hooray! Bask in it for a …

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National Group Names IUPUI Senior ‘Intern of The Year’

This story was posted on Inside INdiana Business.

The largest group of engineering educators in the world has selected Kirk Barber, a School of Engineering and Technology student at IUPUI, as its intern of the year. Barber received a $500 cash award and a recognition plaque, and he attended the American Society for Engineering Education‘s Conference for Industry and Education Collaboration in Mesa, Ariz.

Barber, who is expected to graduate in May with degrees in mechanical engineering and motorsports engineering, has completed three internships, including two consecutive summer internships at Allison Transmission Inc. in Indianapolis.

“Kirk is very capable and can achieve anything he sets out to do,” Bill Klenk, executive director of off highway and hybrid operations at Allison Transmission, wrote in a letter nominating Barber for the American Society for Engineering Education’s Intern of the Year Award. “He has an extremely high level of self-motivation and a strong …

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Feeling the IMPACT, Part II

Indiana INTERNnet hosted the seventh annual IMPACT Awards Luncheon on Feb. 6 at the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art. This year, we received more nominations than ever before, and it was a sold-out crowd. This is the final recap blog, focusing on the inspiring keynote address from Caroline Dowd-Higgins, particularly her words to employers. If you didn’t join us this year, we hope to see you in 2014!

Each year, the IMPACT Awards Luncheon is our opportunity to celebrate the significance of internships and spotlight the success stories. The focus is on the interns and how they are working to become the best and brightest in Indiana’s workforce. We were inspired by each story of accomplishment and believe our “Rock Star Interns” theme couldn’t have been more fitting.

This year in particular, though, we were reminded that it’s not only up to the interns to be rock …

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Feeling the IMPACT, Part I

Indiana INTERNnet hosted the seventh annual IMPACT Awards Luncheon yesterday at the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art. This year, we received more nominations than ever before, and it was a sold-out crowd with 250 attendees. We’ll recap the event over the next few days. If you didn’t join us this year, we hope to see you in 2014!

Gerry Dick, host of Inside INdiana Business and IMPACT Awards emcee, tweeted us immediately following the event yesterday: “Don’t think there’s talent out there? Should have been at the IMPACT Awards. Wow. Impressive young professionals.”

We couldn’t agree more. Indiana is a hotbed of intelligence and talent, and that’s exactly what we celebrate every year at the IMPACT Awards Luncheon. This year, we were blown away by our rock star interns, employers and career development professionals.

College Intern of the Year Cody Adams made significant contributions to Roche’s HR …

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Intern Insight—Week One on the Internship

As I begin my new journey into my internship with Indiana INTERNnet, I am most excited about creating content that will be useful to other interns and employers. I must reflect and admit that this wasn’t where I thought I would be six months ago, but I am so thankful that this is where I am today. After finally graduating in August 2012, I was ready to embark on my journey of “life after college.” I landed a job with the Indiana Department of Homeland Security after I had interned with them. I was funded by a grant, and found out that I would be losing my job at the end of the year, so I decided to explore other career opportunities. I actually created a profile through the Indiana INTERNnet website and began searching for internships.  I was very excited about applying for the Marketing/Special Events coordinator position and …

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Internship pulls one student out of comfort zone

This is a guest post by Sara Hollinshead, former intern at Pace Community Action Agency. She is a student at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College.

This semester I had the privilege to be a marketing intern at Pace Community Action Agency’s corporate office in Vincennes, Ind. Some of my responsibilities were to provide new marketing and advertisement strategies for Pace. Pace is a local not-for-profit Community Action Agency that offers services in three counties – Knox, Sullivan and Daviess.  Because Pace is a Community Action Agency, it supports area programs that are beneficial to the community. Underneath this Pace organization umbrella are several programs including Head Start, WIC, Energy Assistance, Neighborhood Stabilization, and even for profit businesses like CaptTech Consulting.

One of my duties at this internship was to come up with different marketing strategies for various events that Pace was sponsoring and implement those strategies. One area where I thought Pace …

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