News Archives
My top 5 favorite things about working for Indiana INTERNnet
This week is unfortunately my final week as a member of the Indiana INTERNnet team. There have been so many great things about this experience, so for my last blog post I have decided to reflect on my top five favorite parts of my summer internship:
5. Doing Research
Coming up with blog and social media content every week isnât easy â it required a lot of research and reading. Luckily, I enjoy those two things when it comes to career development! As a young professional myself, each time I would tweet an article or pull from one for a blog post, I was taking that advice as well. During the school year, I am not able to be as proactive about my career as I would like. This experience has allowed me to devote time every week to reading about the latest trends in resumes, cover letters and more, …
Should You Negotiate Your Internship Salary?
Receiving an offer for an internship can be exciting, but what happens if youâre not sure you can afford to accept it? As was discussed in a previous blog post about how to choose between multiple internship offers, you shouldnât accept a position that doesnât fit you financially. However, you may be able to negotiate with a potential employer so that the internship opportunity works with your budget.
Although unpaid internships are becoming less common, plenty of these programs still exist. Itâs important to note that if a company posted the internship as unpaid, you will likely not be able to convince them to change their minds. If you know that an unpaid position wonât work for you, you should be transparent with them â just donât expect the company to comply. You may need to accept that itâs not a good fit.
Negotiating for a higher internship salary can …
Preparing for the End of Your Internship: Takeaways from the Indiana State Fair Event
Last Friday, the Indiana INTERNnet team joined over 50 interns at the Indiana State Fairgrounds for another summer intern engagement event.
Attendees played a round of trivia for a chance to win donated prizes â it was the perfect way to make sure everyone was wide awake and engaged. After buzzing in for questions about Indianapolis, Indiana and the State Fair, the interns were fired up and ready for the morningâs career development session.
Samantha Martin, assistant director of the Ball State University Career Center, was eager to take the floor and keep up the energy in the room. To start, she had participants split into groups for a unique networking game where everyone was asked to make a chain of facts that each of their internships had in common. The winning team took home âFair Bucksâ and Crew Car Wash coupons for connecting 66 facts into a story about …
Tips to Become an Intern-to-Hire Success
At Indiana INTERNnet, we love a good intern-to-hire story. Weâre always on the lookout for tales of individuals around the state who were able to turn their internship into a full-time job offer. As a senior in college, I enjoy these stories on a personal level for the hope that they bring me. Throughout this summer, Iâve heard of several different people who were hired after their internship was over, and itâs made me wonder â what could I do to help make that happen? So, for both your benefit and my own, here are some tips to help all of us interns (hopefully) get hired:
Take Initiative
It is not unusual for interns to run out of things to do at work. Rather than give in to the temptation of playing on your phone or doing other non-work-related activities on your down time, find ways to be productive. If …
The Benefits of Socializing with Co-Workers
Depending on how much you enjoy your co-workersâ company, you may or may not find the idea of hanging out with them appealing. However, taking the time to get to know fellow employees while youâre all away from your desks can improve everyoneâs work performance and bring the team closer together. An article from SUCCESS Magazine says that socialization among employees creates a âculture of connectivityâ that regular work days do not necessarily foster.
There are certain precautions that you should take when spending time with your co-workers outside of the office. After all, youâre going to see them every day when you come into the office, so you need to be mindful of how you carry yourself and what you say â even if youâre just swapping stories on your own time. Avoid oversharing to prevent your new friends from feeling uncomfortable and avoid speaking negatively about your …
Should I have a Mentor?
Although the idea of having a career mentor is not new, the notion has grown in popularity in recent years. I had heard the word thrown around before, but I wasnât quite aware of the popularity of this tactic until I read Sheryl Sandbergâs book, Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead, last year. Successful professionals from a variety of backgrounds have endorsed mentorship and credited these types of relationships for a portion of their achievements.
So, what purpose does a mentor serve?
The Balance defines a mentor as someone who âbecomes a source of wisdom, teaching, and supportâ for young professionals seeking guidance. Ideally, this would be a person that you could go to and ask for advice when facing work-related dilemmas and they could guide you based on their own experiences. While not completely necessary, it helps if this person works or has worked in the …
2019 IMPACT Awards FAQs
Indiana INTERNnet is now accepting nominations for the 13th annual IMPACT Awards, an annual celebration of internship excellence. We encourage you to complete the online nomination form and share how a person or organization has made an impact by committing to internship excellence. The deadline for nominations is October 31, 2018.
Have a question about the nominations process or awards luncheon? Check out the answers to our frequently asked IMPACT Awards questions. If you canât find the answer youâre looking for, contact INTERNnet@indianachamber.com.
What are the awards categories?
Intern of the Year (3) High School College Non-Traditional *High school and college interns must be enrolled in school during the time of their internship in 2018. The non-traditional category is for an intern who was not an enrolled student at the time of the internship or was 26 years old or older during the internship. Career Development Professional of the Year (1) *This individual must be a …
Resources for Young Professionals
There are a lot of different tools out there to help students better their careers during and after college, but sometimes you may not know where to start. Each of the resources below can help you find experiential opportunities, expand your network or prepare for graduation.
Career Services Offices
If youâre still in college and preparing to graduate, itâs a good idea to connect with someone at your universityâs career center if you havenât already. These offices can provide multi-faceted assistance with your post-graduation job hunt. A representative can look over your resume or cover letter for free and give you feedback. Sometimes, universities will offer a mock interview service so that you can practice answering tough questions and become more aware of your interview behavior. If you feel nervous about the job search process or want to brush up on your skills, career services is a good place to …
Nominations for the 2019 IMPACT Awards Are Open
Indiana INTERNnet focuses on talent retention through increased work-and-learn experiences. More than a decade ago, it began the tradition of celebrating internship excellence by launching the annual IMPACT Awards. Each year, the program continues to grow in size and success.
The IMPACT Awards, presented at an annual luncheon, have traditionally honored three categories: Interns of the Year, Employers of the Year and a Career Development Professional of the Year.
Intern of the Year Awards recognize individuals who have had a positive impact on the organization for which they intern. Three interns will receive this award, one for each of the following sub-categories: high school, college and non-traditional. High school and college interns must be enrolled in school during the time of the internship for which they are nominated. The non-traditional category is for interns who were not students at the time of their internship or were 26 years old or …
How to Overcome the Afternoon âWallâ
I am always at my most productive in the morning. Armed with a hot cup of coffee and a delightfully full to-do list, I can sit down and start tackling tasks left and right. It feels great to cross multiple things off my list before lunchtime! Without fail though, I come up on an anti-productivity wall in the afternoon. Sometimes even by 2 p.m., my creativity feels used up and Iâm craving a refill in my coffee mug (which is not necessarily a healthy solution). Based on my experience and research, Iâve come up with a few things that make it easier to overcome âthe wallâ.
Move!
When your work requires that you be seated at a desk in front of a computer, itâs important to take time to get up every once and a while. Taking a lap around the office can …
One Thing My Internship Has Taught Me
Recently, a fellow public relations student that I follow on Twitter posed the question: Whatâs something youâve learned at your summer internship so far? It was an opportunity to spark discussion among everyone in his following about the benefits of being an intern, and I found it intriguing. Iâve been with Indiana INTERNnet for just over a month now, but it feels (in the best way) like Iâve been a part of the team for a long time. In the last month, Iâve learned several things, and I continue to learn every day, but whittling all my experiences down into one lesson seemed difficult. Then it dawned on me â speak up.
I could tell you a handful of things that are highly specific to my internship and my industry, but the best advice I can give that is applicable to interns in any field is to not be …
Factors to Consider When Choosing Between Two Internships
There will be a multitude of points in your career where you will have to make difficult decisions, including throughout your college years. If youâve applied to many internships, for example, you might be faced with having to choose one position over the other. A number of factors should be evaluated before you make your decision, and each of them weighs differently for everyone. Here a few things to think about if youâre currently facing this dilemma:
Your Resume
Review the job descriptions for each opportunity. Is one or the other more likely to bolster your resume or portfolio? For example, if the main task for an internship is to schedule one social media post every day for the company, but you already have experience orchestrating entire social media marketing campaigns, it might not be the best move for you. On the other hand, if youâre qualified for …
Common Interview Questions & How to Answer Them
Interviews are often the deciding factor for whether you get a position, no matter how well-qualified you may appear on your resume. It is very normal to feel nervous before your interview, especially since a lot of the common questions asked can feel like trick questions. The best way to excel in an interview is to come across as confident. To accomplish that, you should prepare for the interview as much as possible. Start out by simply considering what your answers might be to common questions like the ones below.
âSo, tell me about yourself.â
Almost every interview will start off with this type of prompt; do not be thrown off by the apparent open-endedness of it. Employers want to understand why youâre there, sitting before them. An easy way to answer this question is to backtrack: start off with the earliest fact about you that is still relevant to …
Keep in Touch: A Guide to Following Up
You faced your fears and attended a networking event â perhaps it was one of Indiana INTERNnetâs summer engagement events â and made a great connection. You feel as though you navigated the conversation successfully, kept your stories relevant, and bonded with the person. You even went so far as to remember to ask for their card, so you have all the information necessary to follow up with them. How do you go about doing it?
Following up with someone, whether it is a stranger you met at a conference or a past supervisor you had for an internship, does not have to feel awkward. It can seem daunting to put yourself out on a limb and reach out to someone that you donât know well or that you havenât spoken to lately. The main thing that will help in either of those situations is to be confident in what …
How to Dress for Your Summer Internship
You got the summer internship. Itâs relevant to your skill set, works with your schedule, and (BONUS!) itâs paid. It is an excellent opportunity for your professional development, and youâre super excited for the first day. The only problem? You donât 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. Hereâs what you do:
1. Ask your supervisor
If you havenât already, it is important that you familiarize yourself with the companyâs dress code. Every office has its own idea of whatâs appropriate, and business casual can mean a lot of different things. If you havenât 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 …