Tag Archives: internship

Entry by Courtney Sampson, Marketing and Communications Intern, Indiana State Fair

Our Great Indiana State Fair is all about food, family, fun, and farmers – I added the farmers. We’re more than just sweet corn and midway rides – although I enjoy both! Education is one of the values the Indiana State Fair holds near-and-dear – the young, the old, and everyone in-between can learn something while attending the fair. I’m 2 ½ weeks into my internship with the fair, and I’d love to share with you some of the things I have learned thus far!

Top Ten Things I’ve Learned Working for the Indiana State Fair

10.) There’s such a thing as deep-fried butter & deep-fried sushi. On the other hand, the Indiana State Fair was the first state fair in the nation to eliminate trans-fat cooking oil.
9.) Horses (and their trainers) are weather-resistant…or maybe weather resilient
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Entry by Pat Patterson

In the June INTERNnetwork, we included an article about virtual internships, hiring on an intern to work outside of your organization’s office. Although there are many benefits associated with hiring a virtual intern (no office space or personnel needed for constant supervision), not every student can excel as a virtual intern.

I included this checklist in the e-newsletter, which identifies some key characteristics of a student who may be more likely to excel as a virtual intern:

Checklist of Ideal Virtual Intern Characteristics Previous internship experience Self-motivated Independent/ability to thrive with minimal supervision Technology savvy Interest in electronic communication Flexible Value/goal driven Trustworthy Timely/ability to meet deadlines More certain of career aspirations

Although this list may not be an exhaustive list of characteristics, and all students are unique, it may be a beneficial reference to use when deciding who you may hire.

With the growth of …

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Entry by Pat Patterson

Intern site visits are a great idea for career services professionals who are interested in the work of their summer interns or who would like to build a better relationship with an employer(s).

A visit does not need to be formal – all you need are a few questions prepared in advance to ask your student and the employer about their experience. You may also choose to take a few photos to include in a story about a student’s experience to highlight in marketing material, your career services’ website, or your school’s blog.

Here are examples of some questions you may ask:

SITE VISIT QUESTIONS

Intern:
Tell us about the work you’ve been doing during your internship experience.
What will you take away from this internship experience?
How has this internship experience influenced future career goals?
What has been the best/most challenging …

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Entry by Ashley Cashen, Talent Acquisition and Retention Coordinator, digitalKnowledge

Several things can lend to a negative experience for an intern – in my opinion, one of the biggest pitfalls can be isolating your intern from the rest of the company. One of the intern’s expectations is to dive deeper into your company and the industry – to get an insider’s look at how your company operates. Companies who treat their interns like temporary employees who come in and work on tasks that quite frankly, no one else wants to do, are neglecting their interns of valuable experiences.

There are several ways that we have chosen to involve Bart in the company and allow him to feel like he is a true member of the dK team. The first being very simple, but important – his location in the office. A lot of the work that Bart is participating in …

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For all students who have not yet registered with Indiana INTERNnet, here is a video tutorial, which will walk you through the registration process.

Entry by Courtney Sampson, Marketing and Communications Intern, Indiana State Fair

Between researching and writing press releases, blogging about Indy Premier Cage Fighting, engaging with the community via social media, attending various meetings, and learning about mission and vision statements, I built a house. Yep, you heard me – a real-life, five-bedroom, two-bathroom home.

OK, for all you skeptics out there, I didn’t exactly build the house with my own two hands, but I did work up a sweat by hammering some nails, dragging a few 2 x 4’s, and helping to carry the “walls.” Last week, Indiana State Fairgrounds commission, board, and staff members, along with hundreds of volunteers from sponsor companies, helped construct a Habitat for Humanity Ag House.

Several Indiana agriculture businesses and organizations have stepped up in a BIG way to make Tamika Allen’s dream of home ownership a reality, showcasing the impact of Indiana’s agriculture, …

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For all employers who have not yet registered with Indiana INTERNnet, here is a video tutorial, which will walk you through the registration process.

What exactly is Indiana INTERNnet?

Indiana INTERNnet is an internship-matching program linking employers, students, high schools, colleges and universities by providing both high-tech and high-touch support. It is a powerful high-tech Web-based search, matching and reporting system coupled with “high touch” personal assistance, a toll-free hotline to answer questions and provide internship guidance, resource materials, creating or expanding high quality internship opportunities within the state.

Entry by Pat Patterson

At this point, I am sure most, if not all of you are aware of the Department of Labor Guidlines concerning internship compensation. Although these guidlines may not seem that “new,” it is always good to share our thoughts.

According to The Department of Labor, the following six legal criteria must be applied when making a determination if an internship is required to be paid:

1. The internship, even though it includes actual operation of the facilities of the employer, is similar to training which would be given in an educational environment.
2. The internship experience is for the benefit of the intern.
3. The intern does not displace regular employees, but works under close supervision of existing staff.
4. The employer that provides the training derives no immediate advantage from the activities of the intern; and on occasion its operations may actually …

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Entry by Ashley Cashen, Talent Acquisition and Retention Coordinator, digitalKnowledge

Founded in 2003, digitalKnowledge is a smaller, but mighty IT consulting firm. Last fall it became very apparent that digitalKnowledge was missing out on a great opportunity – hosting an intern. When the idea first began circling the office, it made perfect sense. We are a smaller company, but that lends to our unique office culture – a culture that is a perfect educational environment for an undergrad intern.

Several months later, here we are, with the first dK internship program well under way. The process to get here consisted of a lot of research and conversations pondering that never-ending question, what if? What if we don’t have enough work to keep the intern busy? What if we can’t pay the intern enough? What if we don’t have the staff to oversee the intern? And so on, and so on.

…

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Entry by Pat Patterson

As all students may not understand the value of internship experience, not all employers may be aware of the benefits of hiring an intern or even how and where to find one. To help all employers with their internship apprehension and intern search, I provided a list of frequently asked questions with answers to such concerns in our February INTERNnetwork e-newsletter. The article is reprinted below. To subscribe to our monthly e-newsletter, click the link at the bottom of the page: https://www.workandlearnindiana.com/newsletters.asp. Please feel free to add any comments or questions.

1. How will my company benefit from hiring an intern?

An internship is a unique opportunity for your company. It allows you to bring fresh ideas and talent, the latest technologies, and energetic students into your company. This increases exposure to the most innovative concepts circulating in your specific market. In addition, internships are becoming …

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Entry by Courtney Sampson, Marketing and Communications Intern, Indiana State Fair

I’d like to consider myself a “research queen.” Really, I love reading and surfing the Internet; this trait bodes well for me when researching potential internships or future jobs. When I stumbled across the Publicity/Media Relations internship for the Indiana State Fair, I learned that it is the “Year of Pigs.” I’m a Hoosier gal, so the idea of celebrating pork didn’t faze me much. After all, Indiana pork production contributes $3 billion to Indiana’s economy annually! See – told you I like research. Needless to say, my first day on the job really brought the “Year of Pigs” to life…so-to-speak.

One of my responsibilities is to assist Andy Klotz, Director of Publicity & Media Relations for the State Fair, escorting the media to various events at the fairgrounds. My first day coincided with the Indiana …

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Entry by Pat Patterson, Chief Blogger

Welcome to Indiana INTERNnation, a blog dedicated to decreasing the “brain drain” in Indiana!

As Indiana INTERNnet launches its blog, I feel that there are still some students who are unaware of the value of internships or who may be unsure where to find one. That being said, perhaps highlighting the importance of internships and describing how to acquire one through IndianaINTERN.net is an appropriate starting point for our blog.

To help all students with their internship apprehension and search, I provided a list of frequently asked questions with answers to such concerns in our February INTERNnetwork e-newsletter. The article is reprinted below. To subscribe to our monthly e-newsletter, click the link at the bottom of the page: https://www.workandlearnindiana.com/newsletters.asp. Please feel free to add any comments or questions.

1. Why are internships important?

As a student, it is easy to become preoccupied with …

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