News Archives

2020 is almost here! Can you believe it? Every time we’re approaching a new year, there’s a lot of talk of resolutions. People typically focus on health, money, and other aspects of self-care. One thing that’s typically neglected in resolutions is your professional growth, especially if you’re a college student/young professional. Here are some resolutions you should make for 2020!

Keep an active LinkedIn profile.

It’s easy to neglect using LinkedIn. But you don’t need to use LinkedIn as often as you use Twitter or Instagram. Make a resolution to keep an active LinkedIn , but be specific about it! Aim to engage with two posts on LinkedIn each week, or make one new connection a month. While you may not think LinkedIn is worth your time, it’s still the main social network for professionals. Make sure your profile is up to date, and that you take time to fill …

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For many students, finals week is either here or rapidly approaching. It’s easy to get stressed and overwhelmed with finals. You have an entire semester’s worth of work coming together into one exam or project. No pressure, right? But don’t worry. You can handle it! Here are a few tips for surviving finals week.

Study Groups

It might sound obvious, but utilizing study groups can really benefit you! It gives you the opportunity to go over concepts you may not understand. It’s always helpful to have a few other people around so you don’t feel isolated. But make sure you’re contributing to the group as well. You don’t want to show up without knowing anything and just use your fellow classmates for their knowledge. That just makes them resent you. A great way to participate in a study group is by pretending to teach concepts from the class. It helps …

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Join Indiana INTERNnet and the Indiana Commission for Higher Education (CHE) in celebrating Indiana’s interns! Gov. Holcomb has officially recognized July 25 as Indiana Intern Day. The occasion is modeled after National Intern Day – a movement to honor interns and the employers that provide meaningful internship opportunities.

This day is primarily social media-focused, but if you want to give your interns a break, Indiana INTERNnet and the CHE will host a casual intern meet-up at the Statehouse Market in Indianapolis from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. You can purchase lunch from food trucks and other local vendors. Employers: Send your interns to show them your appreciation. Interns: Network with your peers!

Can’t make it to Indianapolis? Acknowledge your interns by using #INinternday on social media. Complete this pledge form. It’s free to participate. We’ll send you downloadable content to start your Intern Day celebration off right!

If you’re a student, you’ve still got time to apply for summer internships on Indiana INTERNnet, and if you’re an employer, this is still a good opportunity to post your internship! It’s better to start late than never.

Students

It’s a common assumption that by this time, it’s too late to start searching for a summer internship. It’s not! There are still over a thousand open internship positions on our site! Additionally, many employers procrastinate (just like students do). We still have employers posting summer internships every day.

But you do need to move quickly! Head to your school’s career services office and ask someone to look over your resume and make sure you impress employers. Brush up on your interview skills and gather any relevant work pieces from your classes that highlight your skills (like writing samples, design pieces, etc.).

Employers

Many students have final exams and projects to worry about …

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One of the latest hot topics in the business world is how candidates are “ghosting” employers. As you may already know, the practice of ghosting comes from the dating world. Instead of communicating that you’re losing interest, or you don’t like someone, you simply disappear and cease communication with no explanation. This method avoids having a difficult or awkward conversation.

Of course it’s ironic that employers are making a fuss over ghosting. After all, employers are notorious for ghosting their job applicants. You can spend hours cultivating your job application, even going to an interview, only to never receive a response. So employers, this article applies to you too. Don’t ghost your applicants! At the very least, develop a quick email template that you can easily send to your rejected candidates.

But for those of you that are seeking jobs, you shouldn’t ghost employers! It’s a bad practice all around.

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I was never a fan of being overdressed, but it was a problem I consistently encountered growing up. I remember when I was in elementary school, my mother would never let me pick my own clothes for special occasions. While my peers were wearing jeans and t-shirts, I was dressed to the nines, fully coordinated and accessorized. I hated the feeling of sticking out, and I remember being embarrassed. But looking back from where I am now, I’m grateful. When I see pictures from family gatherings and school events, I always look well put-together. It makes the memories nicer, and easier to look at. I didn’t think dressing up mattered at the time, but now I understand.

This attitude is the same one I have when I look back on my internships. I almost always overdressed! I felt like I stuck out like a sore thumb, but overdressing served a …

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If you’re a spring intern, you’re likely just starting your position. As you get into the swing of things, it might be tempting to relax your sense of urgency. You’re expected to arrive at 8:30, but your arrivals start turning into 8:32, then 8:35…don’t let this happen! Spring internships have the potential to turn into something more. After spring comes summer, which means if you play your cards right, your employer could ask you to stay on as a summer intern. For those who are graduating in May, it could turn into an employment offer. So if you relax your standards, it could impact your likelihood of staying on!

“It’s just a few minutes…”

You might think that no one will care if you come in at 9:35 instead of 9:30, but tardiness has adverse effects. “If you’re early, you’re on time. If you’re on time, you’re late. If you’re …

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On February 26, 2019, Indiana INTERNnet will host a gathering of some of the state’s top interns, employers, supervisors and career development professionals in a celebration of internship excellence. The event – which will take place at the Ritz Charles Ballrooms in Carmel – will honor seven winners in the categories of Intern of the Year (high school, college and non-traditional), Career Development Professional of the Year, Employer of the Year (non-profit and for-profit) and Intern Supervisor of the Year.

This year, in lieu of a guest speaker, the IMPACT Awards luncheon will feature a different format: three to four-minute on-stage conversations with each winner led by Indiana Chamber of Commerce Senior Vice President of Communications Tom Schuman.

This format change comes from a desire to emphasize the power of Indiana’s internships, professionals and employers. Everyone in attendance can gain valuable insight into what makes for a winning employer, …

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We’re in the midst of January, but you can still make New Year’s resolutions! Plenty of people want to lose weight, manage their money better, or learn a new hobby. But have you made New Year’s resolutions for your career? Just as you have yearly goals that guide your everyday life, you should make goals for your career. Your goal can be short- or long-term, just don’t let your professional life come to a standstill! Unsure of what resolutions to make? Here are some ideas.

Make one new professional contact per month.

One of the best resources you can give yourself is a network of professional connections. Reach out to professionals on LinkedIn, or just make an effort to get to know people! Whether you’re working in an office or in retail, there’s always opportunities available. In an office setting, you often have access to a network of contacts without …

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An internship is often a student’s first foray into the professional world. Your internship is a big opportunity to make a great impression and gain professional connections. This means you’ll need to follow professional etiquette during your experience. Of course you’ll make some mistakes here and there, which is expected in your first professional experience. But even if you haven’t been paying attention to your etiquette during your internship, always make sure you at least do one thing: write a thank you note at the end!

Thank you notes might seem tedious, but they’re necessary. Your employer took a chance on you, hired you, and gave you real-world experience! A thank you note ensures you go out on a good note, and makes a lasting impression. If you already had your last day at your internship, that’s okay! Mail your note to your employer or supervisor.

Do: Write a sincere …

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Interns actually have a pretty stressful job! They’re navigating what’s usually their first experience in their desired career. There’s a lot of pressure to do well, and once they’re approaching the end of their internship it might feel a little awkward for the both of you! But instead of letting things peter out on a halfhearted note, use one of these gifts for your intern to tell them thank you! If you have an unpaid intern, I would seriously recommend giving them a gift. Not only did they use valuable time to work for you, they did it without pay!

I feel as though gifts for your intern are easier than giving gifts to a coworker or boss. They’re just starting out on their own, and don’t have a lot, especially if they’re unpaid!

Gifts for Your Intern 1. When you want to get them something useful, but not completely …

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During the holidays, you might feel even more compelled to get gifts for your coworker than your boss. After all, they’re the ones you connect with on a daily basis. But some people consider “work friends” to be different from actual friends. How do you distinguish that fine line? What kind of gifts do you give?

Rules for Coworker Gifting

Perhaps one of the most important rules of giving a gift to a coworker is to watch your spending! Don’t spend too much, especially if there’s a spending limit (like in an office gift exchange). It tends to make people uncomfortable when you spend a substantial amount of money. Don’t spend too little either! A low-effort gift tends to look bad in office gift exchanges. Outside of a gift exchange, if you’re going to get someone a cheap trinket it’s probably better to stick to giving them a card. New …

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As you’re finishing up an internship, or maybe just getting settled into a job, the holiday season can feel a little weird. Should you get something for your boss? How much should you spend? What’s appropriate or inappropriate to give? Our gift guide is here to help!

Etiquette

First of all, as an intern you shouldn’t feel obligated to give a gift to your supervisor. Money is tight, especially around this time of year! It’s okay to not buy something. However, you should still make an effort. A handwritten note or card is always a good gesture, particularly when you’re coming up on the end of your internship! But if you do have money to spare, make sure you’re not spending too much. It tends to look tacky, like you’re brown-nosing. Also, make sure you know your organization’s gift-giving policy! Some organizations have them, so make sure you’re in compliance.

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We’re nearly at the end of November. If you’re in school, that means one of the most dreaded times of the year is coming up: finals week. You still have some time to set yourself up for success, and take it from me, you want to start now instead of procrastinating. So, what can you do to make sure your finals go smoothly?

Start preparing early.

You’ve probably heard it a million times, but it still rings true: start preparing for finals now instead of a few days before your exams. It’s so much easier to retain information when studying at a normal pace. Create a study schedule and stick to it! This makes studying far more approachable than trying to tackle everything at once.

How much are your finals worth?

As bad as it sounds, it isn’t worth it to study just as hard for a final that’s worth …

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Now is the time when we start thinking about what we’re thankful for, and why. In this post, the Indiana INTERNnet team reflects on what we’re thankful for in our careers.

Allison Kuehr

I am thankful for my fantastic coworkers. I’m fortunate to enjoy what I do, but I’m even more fortunate to love the people I work with. During my time with Indiana INTERNnet, I’ve made some great friends and mentors. They’re always there to celebrate achievements and birthdays, share a laugh or dish some advice. As I’m still in the beginning stages of my career journey, it’s nice to have an amazing in-office support system guiding me and cheering me on along the way.

Caitlyn Beck

I’m so thankful for my amazing job and my colleagues. I’ve heard so many horror stories of how people dislike their first job out of …

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