Tag Archives: Social Media

It’s no secret that social media has slowly become a part of our everyday lives. Between snapping pictures and finding new memes, social media can hold a lot of power when it comes to finding your next internship or job.

It’s important to keep your profiles clean because you never know who could come across what you’re posting. You need to realize that companies want the right people representing them. This means watching what you say, being aware of who you follow and interact with, and being careful about what types of pictures you’re posting. Some people think making fake profiles under different names is safe, but the accounts can still be connected back to the real owners.

While it might seem fun to make that post now, it could cost you a job offer in the future. It’s okay to enjoy your youth and have fun, but some activities …

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By now, everyone has heard the cautionary tale of the NASA intern who was fired because of two profane tweets. Homer Hickam, a former NASA engineer, had tweeted a warning to the now-former intern about her language use, but she was unaware of his identity and used profanity in her reply to him. While the story was certainly cringe-inducing, many people may think the same situation may never happen to them. But chances are, employers will look at your social media. You just won’t be lucky enough to get a warning.

Social media is fun and engaging, and many of us have the habit of posting anything and everything we do. But more employers use social media in the hiring process than ever before. A 2017 survey by Harris Poll found that 70 percent of employers used social media to screen candidates.

This is both your greatest advantage and disadvantage.

This doesn’t mean you should delete your accounts. …

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If you’re a college student, there’s no doubt you’ve heard of LinkedIn. The professional social network is extremely popular, and I’m sure more than one professor, career counselor or mentor has told you to join it.

LinkedIn can be intimidating to use at first for inexperienced students, but a solid LinkedIn profile can go a long way in your internship and post-grad career search. According to LinkedIn, 9 in 10 companies use LinkedIn to recruit new hires. Additionally, you can apply for many jobs and internships directly through LinkedIn.

Here are five suggestions for students to polish their LinkedIn profiles.

Add a (good!) photo.

This one is more important than you might think—according to LinkedIn, profiles with pictures get viewed 14 times more than those without! Use a clear, high-quality photo of you in appropriate clothing. No grainy shots, cropped group pictures or crazy expressions. A simple smiling photo is …

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Summer is finally here!

For students, this time of year calls for vacations, sun burn and poolside fun, not to mention a luxurious break from classrooms and exams.

Summertime is also the perfect time to dive into the workforce and build professional and personal skills. This summer, I chose to pursue a marketing internship with Indiana INTERNnet. I recently graduated from The Media School at Indiana University with a Bachelor’s degree in Telecommunications. With the help of IU’s amazing career services, every summer since I was a freshman I have been fortunate to have internships in Indianapolis with some great employers.

Throughout my collegiate experience at IU, I used every summer to my advantage. I was a summer camp counselor as a freshman, an intern at the Indy Hostel as a sophomore and a marketing and promotions intern for Do317 as a junior. Even though some opportunities might not have been the most …

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Geneva Heerschap is currently enrolled at Butler University where she is studying Marketing. In 2015, she spent a semester abroad in the Netherlands. Heerschap is the spring marketing and public relations intern at Crossroads of America Council, Boy Scouts of America. 

As person that likes to be the one who knows it all, it can be rather frustrating to come into an internship and realize you know less than you thought. The purpose of an internship is to grow and become more knowledgeable about a chosen field of interest. Facing the reality that you know less than what you thought can be hard to grasp.

For one my first projects, I had to write a press release. Once completed, I felt confident in my work, but when I got it back I realized I still had more to learn. It was a bit shocking at first since I hadn’t met this …

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Admittedly, when I first considered applying to work with Indiana INTERNnet, I thought I was a bit aged to take on an internship.

That is until I watched the trailer for the upcoming movie “The Intern.” I am nowhere near 70, the age of the intern character played by one of my favorite actors, Robert De Niro. But I did wonder how I would compete against traditional college students. It goes to show that no matter your age, if you’re willing to learn, you can find opportunities.

I call this a non-traditional movie review for two reasons. First, non-traditional (a 37-year-old parent who works while attending college) is the type of student I am, and second, I’ve yet to see the movie, which is set for release Sept. 25. Based on the trailer, however, I expect to experience more than a few laughs and maybe even learn a life lesson …

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“Do what you are afraid of.”

These are the words of Caryl Auslander, VP of Education and Workforce Development Policy at the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. When she said this, she didn’t know I accepted this internship at Indiana INTERNnet for that very reason.

Prior to joining this team to help increase talent retention, I was a student plagued by writer’s block, and I had very little social media experience. I decided I wanted to face this head-on.

I was that guy, probably like your parents, who used Facebook just to see who wished me a happy birthday once a year. As far as I was concerned, hashtags were never the character displayed in front of a word to loop a post into a larger conversation. It was always just the number/pound sign to me.

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“This kind of growth could not be found in …

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It’s party time because you’ve almost made it through your summer internship! You’ve learned new things and grown professionally. You’ve become a significant part of the team. Whether you are sad to skedaddle or ready to roll, how you leave is just as important as how you arrived. Here are some tips for wrapping up your internship in a professional manner! What will they do without you?

Reflect

Internships are like swimming in the kiddie pool. It’s the same water the professional swimmers use, only it’s specifically constructed for learning. In other words, internships are the time to test the waters and even pick up some new strokes. After “splashing around,” perhaps you know that you are in the right area, or maybe you need to explore another career path.

Make a list and reflect on things you liked about your experience and things you didn’t. What did the …

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Do you know how depressing it is to spend a summer at an internship that’s not right for you?

Fortunately for me, I don’t have the answer to this question because I truly enjoyed my past internship experience. I have found something that I hope every intern finds this summer – internship happiness.

Last summer I was an intern for Building Tomorrow, an Indy-based non-profit that continues to have big impact in East Africa by supporting access to quality education.

My assignment: the 2nd Annual Indy Burger Battle. This would be the epic event where nine restaurants duke it out to be crowned the best burger in Indy.

I’ll be the first to admit that sunshine, live music, drinks and juicy burgers at an exclusive venue can cloud your view of what it is to be truly happy at your internship. Still, I realize the true key to internship …

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If I were given the chance to be everything I wanted to before I leave this Earth?

I wouldn’t mind being on the Today Show, or perhaps Late Night with Jordan Patterson. I would want to design BMW’s next flagship sedan and also be the leading architect in designing the perfect addition to Indy’s skyline. I would write and produce music for talented artists that would win me a record number of Grammy awards. Oh, and voice acting in a Pixar film would be awesome!

One might see why the question “Where do you see yourself in 10 years?” poses a challenge to a guy like me with many ambitions. I have a hunch that I am not alone. When giving campus tours at Butler University, I always ask the question to perspective students, “How many of you know what you want to do with your life?”

Of course, …

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“Social” often describes millennial interns. Plenty of studies and begrudging comments from adults note that Gen-Y can hardly take a step without tweeting about it. Rather than being born into the social media era, we grew up with it, and are therefore more likely to embrace new platforms of telling people what we are doing and with whom.

For young interns, “social” must take on a second meaning in the workplace. Clearly, it is important to be friendly with coworkers, but our social media presence must evolve as well. A recent article from Careerealism (http://bit.ly/1p78WQa) boldly claims that while social media cannot replace your resume, it is an additional virtual component that employers look at.

Toward this end, make sure your Twitter account is professional. While it may be fun to livetweet the latest episode of “The Bachelorette” (guilty), use your professional twitter to engage in conversations about your field …

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Indiana INTERNnet celebrated internship excellence on Feb. 5, 2014, at the 8th Annual IMPACT Awards luncheon. Though the event is over and the winners have been announced, we are continuing to celebrate the nominees’ successes.

This is a blog post by Kristen Hay, student at the University of Indianapolis. She was a social media intern with a writing focus at BLASTmedia.

BLASTmedia (BLAST) is not your typical internship experience—it’s above and beyond.

I started and completed the summer of my senior year at the University of Indianapolis as the social media intern with a writing focus on the social media team at BLAST.

Along with a great team, work environment and job tasks, I spent the summer working as a cashier at a retail job and tutoring in my school’s writing lab. While BLAST provided fun in the form of company outings, it also gave me the learning experience …

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Stop and think for a moment.  When a potential employer is browsing your resume, what impression are they forming about you? What about in person, in the interview?

We all know first impressions mean a lot and developing your personal brand can help achieve a good, and hopefully lasting, impression. According to Forbes, “Your personal brand is all about who you are and what you want to be known for.” Personal branding is an ongoing process of forming an image about you.

Let’s discover how to develop your brand so that you can be assured what you have to offer shines.

Define who you are and who you want to be.

You know yourself and where you want to end up in life better than anyone. Remember those things during an interview and when you are networking. Let yourself and your passions shine!

What makes you unique?

…

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The first time I walked through the office doors, I didn’t notice much about my surroundings. Like any new grad, I was headed for an interview and my focus was directed at the person I was about to shake hands with and the questions they had in store for me.

This morning, the elevator carried me to a positive and supportive work environment, to people I have come to respect and admire. Ten months after that first meeting, the interviewer is now my mentor, and the questions made room for new ones. My view of the office is still narrow this time around as the superimposed emotional and psychological lens tries to concentrate on the people and the memories that remain.

I know. This sounds too reflective, too nostalgic. This is exactly the state I find myself in on the last day of my internship. The projects are all wrapped …

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Between the snowmen, reindeer and egg-nog, you may be thinking of the holidays as a time to relax for a moment (or at least appear to relax), right? After all, you’ve just finished your finals, wrapped up an entire college semester, slipped into your festive jammies and reclaimed your spot on the couch. You’ve earned this mental break.

You might be cozy by the fireplace – chowing down on sugar cookies and catching up on your favorite TV shows, but don’t let your internship hunt take a hiatus. Here’s how to make the most of being home for the holidays:

Update your resume to include leadership positions, volunteer activities and jobs you had during the past semester. The information is fresh in your mind. Just type it up and proofread it. Put your resume out there on internship/job sites; consider your university’s career site and www.IndianaINTERN.net (shameless plug: 800+ active …

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