Recent News
Celebrate Internship Excellence at the IMPACT Awards Luncheon
Join Indiana INTERNnet in celebrating internship excellence at the 12th Annual IMPACT Awards Luncheon, sponsored by Ivy Tech Community College. Check-in for the luncheon begins at 11 a.m. on February 7, and the program will run from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
The IMPACT Awards spotlight the importance of internships and applaud the individuals who make these experiences meaningful and successful. Indiana INTERNnet will recognize nominees in the categories of Intern of the Year (high school, college and non-traditional), Employer of the Year (for-profit and not-for-profit) and Career Development Professional of the Year during the luncheon.
 Chris Heeter, award-winning speaker and founder of The Wild Institute, will deliver the keynote address: Guiding the Team to Success.
Featured on The Discovery Channel’s National Geographic Today, Heeter brings decades of leadership experience indoors, working with teams and leaders to recognize that leadership and teamwork doesnât have to be so complicated. She …
Dos and Donâts at the Company Holiday Party
The time of year for company holiday cheer and festivities is here! That means opportunities to network with fellow co-workers, as well as opportunities to possibly embarrass yourself. Follow these dos and donâts to avoid potential damage to your reputation.
Do: participate in holiday activities.
Each organization handles the holidays differently. Some may have activities throughout the season, while others may plan a low-key pitch-in. Whatever the case may be, you should get involved. If thereâs a planning committee (and your internship supervisor approves), reach out to the leader and offer your help.
Donât: be too competitive.
If your organization has games or other competitive activities, remember to stay professional. A little competitive spirit is okay in some situations, but donât go overboard. For example, you shouldnât scream âLoser!â in the vice presidentâs face. That could lead to an uncomfortable conversation with your internship supervisor or …
What to Do When You Donât Know What to Do
Oh, the holidays. Itâs a time for friends, family, food and prying questions about your future. Before I graduated high school, my family members spent some time during our holiday gathering to ask me what I wanted to do with my life. The questioning only intensified after I started college. I would always have an answer, but I honestly didnât know exactly what I wanted to do until the second semester of my sophomore year in college.
Some people know exactly what they want to do and where theyâd like to work. While others may not have any idea, and thatâs OK! Your career path is an extremely important decision that greatly affects your life, so take as long as you need to figure out what youâd like to pursue. Hereâs some resources you can explore to help you weigh your options:
Browse IndianaINTERN.net
Even if you arenât ready …
Video Interview Tips
Step aside in-person interviews, video interviews are becoming increasingly popular in todayâs workforce. This technologically-advanced method is a time and cost saver for interviewers and interviewees. You should treat it as a traditional in-person interview, but with a few variations for before and during the meeting.
Tech Test
In preparation, you should test the technology youâre going to use for the interview far in advance (at least a few hours before). The interviewer will send instructions for joining the meeting, this may include a phone number in place of using computer audio. There are many different options for video conferences, so familiarize yourself with the correct one and download the necessary software installation or updates. If you choose to use your computerâs audio or a headset, be sure to test the microphone and speakers.
Image is Everything
In addition to testing your computerâs microphone and speakers, you should …
Indianaâs Best: Holiday Happenings 2017
With the growth of local pride and demand for “homegrown” products, there are many opportunities to experience true Hoosier culture. Whether it’s restaurants, attractions, shops or anything in between, we’ll showcase some of our favorite gems that make Indiana a great place to live and work.
Itâs time for another installment of Holiday Happenings! As always, the season starts with a big spark at Monument Circle, the Circle of Lights. This tree-lighting tradition starts the day after Thanksgiving and ends on January 7, 2018. While the Soldier & Sailors Monument isnât an actual tree, it does a great job of creating cheer for visitors throughout the holiday season.
There are plenty of other exciting holiday sites to see in the city, keep reading for a few new and traditional must-see events. Some of these organizations are offering internships (search on our site to find out)!
1 . Winterlights
Take a …
Wild about Workforce Development
On February 7, 2018, Indiana INTERNnet will celebrate internship excellence at the 12th Annual IMPACT Awards Luncheon, sponsored by Ivy Tech Community College. The program shines light on the importance of internships and applauds the individuals who make these experiences meaningful and successful.
Chris Heeter â award-winning speaker and founder of The Wild Institute â will deliver the keynote address, Guiding the Team to Success, complementing the luncheon’s Wild about Workforce Development theme. Featured on The Discovery Channel’s âNational Geographic Today,â Heeter brings decades of leadership experience indoors, working with teams and leaders to recognize that leadership and teamwork doesn’t have to be so complicated.
Combining business expertise with hilarious stories from her sled dog team and experience as a whitewater trip guide. Heeter challenges and inspires organizations and individuals toward Wild leadership, compassionate presence and daring authenticity.
Gerry Dick, president/managing editor, Grow INdiana Media Ventures and host, Inside INdiana …
The Indiana INTERNnet Team is Thankful
In celebration of Thanksgiving, the Indiana INTERNnet team would like to share what we are thankful for in our careers.
Allison Gaffney
Iâm thankful for my internship experience at Girls Inc. of Greater Indianapolis. During those three months, I was surrounded by passionate coworkers who were willing to help me develop the skills I needed for success outside of the classroom. I was entrusted to take on large tasks like creating a social media campaign for Giving Tuesday. This gave me a lot of confidence in my work, and Iâve been able to carry that over to my career with Indiana INTERNnet.
Karissa Rector
One thing I regret in my career is only doing one internship, however I am thankful that single experience transitioned to a full-time position. The opportunity has allowed me to further develop my skills and continually grow with Indiana …
Internship Woes? Speak Up!
After weeks of searching, applying and interviewing, you finally receive an internship offer! Youâre super excited about the projects youâre going to complete and the people youâll be working with. However, after the first month of interning, you realize that your role and responsibilities are not what you expected. You might feel like your skills are not being utilized or developed, but what can you do?
Talk to your internship supervisor
Your supervisor is the person who is tasked with providing you with the resources you need to have a successful internship. If youâre unhappy, theyâre the first person you should speak with. Review your internshipâs description, and if it doesnât match up with the work youâre doing, let them know.
Express your eagerness to take on more projects. Then, work with your supervisor to come up with a workplan so you have a structured outline of what you …
Winter Finals Are Coming
Itâs beginning to feel a lot like winter, and finals are coming. Since you donât have dragons like Daenerys Targaryen, youâll have to slay those exams on your own. Fear not, my friends, we have excellent tips to help you survive winter finals.
Prepare for Battle
Gather all of your class notes and study material and actually review it. If your professor provides a study guide, use it as a tool to map out your studies. You should schedule a few times for studying the week before the exam to prevent cramming it in the night before. Find a quiet spot in the library to study alone, or form a study group to divide and conquer the material.
Ask Questions
If you are struggling with a concept or think your notes might be incorrect, ask your professor or a fellow student. Some professors will …
Four Ways to Make Your College Experience Less Stressful
Moira Keating is a human resources marketing/employee engagement intern at Milliner & Associates. She will graduate from Marian University in December 2018.Â
Anyone who has met a college student, knows college can be is stressful. Trying to find the perfect balance between schoolwork, clubs, friends, jobs, athletics, family and more can really take a toll on a person. Most college students do not hesitate to let others know how much homework they have this week or how little sleep they got last night by posting it to all social media platforms. I am not mad about this, since I too have posted about my busy schedule, but I have realized there are ways to avoid these posts.
ACTUALLY PAYING ATTENTION IN CLASS: This should be a pretty simple rule to follow, since most of us are paying to be in that chair, but the constant advancements of technology can …
Networking at Night
Most networking events are held during typical working hours (9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.). However, there are the occasional evening events. While some events may be more casual than others, itâs important to maintain a professional demeanor at all times. Check out these helpful tips for how to rock the room and make connections.
Cards for Contacts
Make sure you bring plenty of business cards, and can easily grab it out of your pocket or purse. You donât want to be fumbling around in your jacket, or throwing things out of your purse to find a card. The business cards that you collect should also be put in an appropriate place.
Pro tip: Bring a pen to write notes about the conversations you had with people. If you donât have a small notepad, you can write on the back of their business cards. Your phone is also a great …
National Staffing Employee Week as an Intern
Moira Keating is a human resources marketing/employee engagement intern at Milliner & Associates. She will graduate from Marian University in December 2018.Â
National Staffing Employee Week was one of the most exciting weeks in my working career thus far! This special occasion was celebrated September 18, 2017 â September 22, 2017, and was my first time meeting my companyâs employees and clients. Milliner & Associates (M&A) was super excited to show appreciation for our #StaffingStars (I used that hashtag a lot the past week!). National Staffing Employee Week was a huge learning opportunity for me as well.
Since beginning my internship with M&A, I have learned an infinite amount of information regarding the staffing industry. Once this internship started, it has been a whirlpool of information regarding such a fast-growing industry. Staffing is projected to reach $142.4 billion in revenue, and that is no surprise considering how thrilling and …
Networking Nightmares
In celebration of Halloween, letâs discuss a few scary things that can happen while networking. These horrors can occur in person, phone, email or social media. Itâs always best to double check any communication youâre sending and be prepared for conversation.
Social Media Scares
Social media can be a great way to network with professionals in your industry. However, you should be cautious with what you post, share and like. If you are posting negatively about a certain organization and then try to network with its employees, they could potentially read your rants. Also, not everyone has the same sense of humor, so be careful posts including jokes. Check your posts using the mom or supervisor test. If they might find it offensive or inappropriate, do not post it.
Freddy vs. Jason
Incorrectly addressing someone in a message can cause a gut-wrenching affect. It could happen accidently; maybe …
Dress to Impress for Less
Earlier this year at one of Indiana INTERNnetâs intern engagement events, Pete the Planner explained that after graduation, youâre going to need to spend quite a bit of money to develop a professional wardrobe. You canât show up to job interviews wearing oversized college sweatshirts, jeans and Converse shoes! But, what if you donât have the money for a snazzy suit? Luckily, there are plenty of ways to find affordable and stylish options.
Thrift Stores
You can find many hidden gems at your local thrift store! Places like Goodwill offer a variety of menâs and womenâs suit separates, dresses, shoes and ties. Since blazers are about $5, slacks are $4 and a full suit is $10, you may be able to afford alterations. Tailoring can totally transform your look and have people thinking you spent hundreds. ShhâŠyour secret is safe with me!
Consignment/Resale Stores
Most of my professional …
Be Aggressive, but Not Too Aggressive
Sofia Grimsgard is a junior at Indiana University in Bloomington, studying Journalism with specializations in broadcast journalism, public relations and graphic communications. She completed an internship with KXAN â a NBC affiliate in Austin, Texas.
Growing up as a naturally motivated individual made me very aware of the effects that my actions would have on my future. I was always thinking about where I wanted to end up, what I wanted to do and what kind of career I wanted to have. I also knew none of my dreams would come true without hard work and persistence â including valuable work experience from a young age. After having three internships so far, I have one piece of advice that seems to have carried more weight than any other: be aggressive, but not too aggressive.
Getting your name out there is of the utmost importance. Tread carefully though: itâs as …