Tag Archives: Internships

We’ve all been there–the new kid, the freshman, first day of your first job.

No matter who you are, you experience being the bottom rung of the ladder at some point.

One of the most common stereotypes surrounding internships is that you are designated all the grunt work. We see evidence of this in popular tv shows, movies, and even books, so it has to be true, right? Well– yes it is kind of true, interns are given the jobs that other employees don’t care to do, but this is not necessarily a bad thing. We all have to start somewhere, and there’s no better way to learn than to start from the bottom.

The advice I would give to an intern who does not appreciate getting the grunt work is this: perspective is everything. You must always remember that scanning through documents and running errands are some of the …

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Over the spring and summer, Indiana INTERNnet  surveyed employers to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected their summer 2020 internships. You may view March’s executive summary here, April’s here and July’s here. As we end 2020, Indiana INTERNnet wanted to better understand employers’ plans to host interns in 2021. 

Indiana INTERNnet distributed the survey to all registered employers on its web site. Also, Indiana colleges/universities and economic development organizations shared it with their employer networks. A total of 154 responses were received from November 4 to November 18. 

Of those surveyed, 56% (86 employers) indicated that prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, they typically hired spring interns. Nine percent (14 employers) indicated that they were unsure if their company typically hired interns.  

With their current knowledge of events surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, 64% (64 employers) of the 100 employers who either typically hire spring interns or were unsure, said they still plan on hiring spring interns. Of that 64% who still plan on hiring, 34 employers said they still plan on hiring interns without changes to plans. Thirty employers said they plan on hiring spring 2021 interns, but with changes to plans. 

…

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Shoutout to the finance interns who understand portfolio diversification much better than I do! Here, we’re talking about diversifying a different kind of portfolio: your internship portfolio. This is a compilation of the work you’ve completed as an intern for one or several companies. It can be a formal, physical, or digital collection – or, it can be a more informal mental list. Either way, it’s helpful to have more than one type of internship experience to put on your resume and talk about during interviews. So, what are some major classifications of experience to consider?

Type

Whether they planned to or not, many students have recently added a virtual internship to their portfolio. If you’re not one of them, don’t worry! As employers become more comfortable hosting interns virtually, more opportunities will become available. This is a valuable experience to have, especially as work continues to move home. At …

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In March, Indiana INTERNnet surveyed employers to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected their summer 2020 internships. You may view the executive summary here. Since this has been an extremely fluid situation, Indiana INTERNnet sent another survey in April to see if – and how – anything has changed.

The survey was distributed to all employers registered on IndianaINTERN.net. In addition, it was shared with employer networks by Indiana colleges/universities and economic development organizations. A total of 181 responses were received.

Forty-six percent (84 employers) revealed they completed Indiana INTERNnet’s March survey. Of those 84 employers, 62% (52 employers) said  their answers had changed from the March survey.

Of those surveyed, 86% (156 employers) indicated that prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, they were planning on hiring interns for summer 2020.

When those 156 employers were asked what types of interns their company plans/planned on hiring, here’s how they responded …

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Since Thanksgiving is almost here, the Indiana INTERNnet team thinks on what they’re grateful for.

Kayla Walke, Intern: I am thankful for everyone here at Indiana INTERNnet. This has been the best place to start off my professional career. From the people I have met to the opportunities I have been exposed to, I am so incredibly grateful for this opportunity to be able to grow and learn in such an amazing atmosphere. To everyone at the Chamber and the whole INTERNnet team, thank you for the constant support, advice, and kindness throughout these past couple of months. From board meetings to events, I have been able to learn so much knowledge that is not taught in the classroom.

Angela Taylor, Program Assistant: I’m thankful this year was full of change, good and bad, because with change comes growth. I love working with a team of fun, food-centric people. My …

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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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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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Last week Indiana INTERNnet hosted the final Summer Engagement Event of the summer at the Indiana State Fair. The event allowed interns from all over the state to come and network while enjoying an iconic Indiana event. It was a day full of networking, prizes, games, and a lot of fun.

The event started off with hearing from a returning State Fair intern, Mary O’Connor. It was a great chance for interns to hear about the importance of internships. She also talked about how helpful they can be when trying to find what the future holds. Mary’s current area of study is in a science-based field, but her internship is in HR. She highlighted that there are still many learning opportunities with internships that can be used in any career path.

Interns in attendance were also able to hear from Julie Schrader from Butler University. She gave helpful tips on …

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For most people there is a clear picture of what comes to mind when hearing the word “intern.” The scared, intimidated college student that brings coffee when needed, and stands by the copier making copies for everyone in the office. I thought the same thing for the longest time. Now I know there is so much more than just coffee and copies.

Internships give students an opportunity to get real life experience in a field they are interested in. internships allow for students to gain professional experience before they graduate from college and prepare them for when it is time to look for full-time employment.

More and more internships are allowing interns to choose projects to work on throughout their time at the company. This allows for the student to walk away with an excellent resume builder. With help and guidance along the way, interns can create great projects and …

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Indiana INTERNnet celebrated internship excellence on February 26, 2019 at the 13th 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.

Sally Wolf graduated from Miami University in the Spring of 2018 with a degree in psychology. She completed two internships in the summer of 2018 with the Indiana Department of Workforce Development on the Youth Initiatives.

Indiana INTERNnet: What made you interested in pursuing a master’s degree?

Sally Wolf: I’m currently in a Master of Arts program in Social Sciences, focusing in Psychology, at the University of Chicago. I’ll graduate this June. I graduated from Miami University with a double major in Psychology and French and a minor in Art History in May 2018. I completed two summer internships with the Indiana Department of Workforce …

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You got the summer internship. It’s relevant to your skill set, works with your schedule, and (BONUS!) it’s paid. It is an excellent opportunity for your professional development, and you’re super excited for the first day. The only problem? You don’t know what to wear. Outside, the humidity will turn you to an exasperated blob of moisture and inside, the office air conditioner will freeze you solid.  Here’s what you do:

1. Ask your supervisor

If you haven’t already, it is important that you familiarize yourself with the company’s dress code. Every office has its own idea of what’s appropriate, and business casual can mean a lot of different things. If you haven’t started the position yet, send your new boss a polite email asking them to clarify what the appearance expectations are. For example:

Good morning [Name],

I am looking forward to my …

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College students hear it again and again – network, network, network! However, building and maintaining professional relationships is often not high on a student’s list of priorities. The thought of initiating a conversation can be intimidating. Even once introductions and connections have been made, it is difficult for individuals to keep in touch. Schedules are typically overflowing with academic, financial, and personal responsibilities, which does not leave a lot of room for attending networking events. It can be easy to put off networking and ignore event opportunities, with the hopes your schedule will be less full later. That is not the case. Forty-nine percent of today’s professionals say that it is difficult to maintain relationships with their network due to a lack of free time, according to a 2017 LinkedIn survey.

Ignoring networking events and failing to create connections is a much easier route, but the truth is that taking …

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Indiana INTERNnet celebrated internship excellence on February 7, 2018 at the 12th 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

Emma Fort is a recent graduate at IUPUI double majoring in Biology and Forensic & Investigative Science. She completed an internship with The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis.

Indiana INTERNnet: Describe your experience with The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis (TCM). What were your favorite aspects?

Emma Fort: I interned with The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis in the STEMLab and SciencePort area as a science programs intern, where I designed a program to teach kids about medical diagnostic testing. Easily one of my favorite aspects was the wonderful people I got to meet and work with during my time at The Museum. In addition, I loved how much freedom I had on the project …

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Indiana INTERNnet celebrated internship excellence on February 7, 2018 at the 12th 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 storiesKaitlin Carroll is a senior at Ball State University studying Natural Resources and Environmental Management with a minor in Communications.  She completed an internship with Bowman Creek Educational Ecosystem in South Bend, IN.

Indiana INTERNnet: What made you interested in pursuing Natural Resources and Environmental Management?
Kaitlin Carroll: I am majoring in Natural Resources and Environmental Management and minoring in Communication. I’ve always loved being outside and as I got older, I realized I could make a career out of protecting Indiana’s beautiful resources. I also love people, which is why I pursued a minor in Communication.

IIN: Describe your experience with BCe2.
KC: Interns, including myself, worked on various sustainability projects …

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Indiana INTERNnet celebrated internship excellence on February 7, 2018 at the 12th 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

Rachel Moore is a sophomore at DePauw University in Greencastle, IN.  She is studying Environmental Geosciences.  Rachel completed an internship during the summer with the Indiana State Fair in their Entry and Competitions Department.

Indiana INTERNnet: What was your experience like with the Indiana State Fair? What were your favorite aspects?

Rachel Moore: Throughout this experience, I was able to meet and network with many young professional college students like myself and build relationships. From this internship, I gained a better understanding of event planning skills, customer relations, as well as the ability to keep pushing through hard times no matter what. The overall takeaways I earned from this internship is an increase …

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