Recent News
Job vs. Career: The Choice is Yours
The path to finding a career winds through many twists and turns, before it brings passionate and successful purpose into your life. Everyone sets out on this path with a distinct plan about how they envision their future. But to their amazement, where they end up is far from where they started. Maybe you didnât get your dream job right after graduation and didnât move across the country like you planned. Donât give up! Remember that your journey is your own. Different opportunities will present themselves along the way, maybe in the form of part-time jobs or a chance to volunteer. Itâs important to know how these different jobs can help you realize your full potential and lead you to a fulfilling career, no matter how laboring it may seem. You should know when to move on and challenge yourself for something greater. There is a distinct difference between a …
Ben Verdi: Making an IMPACT
Indiana INTERNnet celebrated internship excellence on Feb. 3, 2016, at the 10th Annual IMPACT Awards luncheon. Though the event is over and the winners have been announced, we are continuing to celebrate the nomineesâ successes.
These are their stories.
Ben Verdi is a second-year graduate student at Indiana University (Bloomington). He served as a Governorâs Public Service summer intern with the Department of Workforce Development.
Indiana INTERNnet: How did you become interested in government work?
Ben Verdi: I got interested in government for the same reasons I was initially interested in public service. I want to lend every skill and talent I’ve been fortunate enough to cultivate back to my community and country at large. Government work appeals to me as a wonderful way to go about making that kind of a difference in people’s lives, but it’s not the only way. People can be involved in public service …
Ontario Systems Grows Successful Internship Program
Indiana INTERNnet had the opportunity to hear Darla Brown and Andrea Weston present Ontario Systemsâ internship program model to the East Central Indiana HR Association. Ontario Systems is a software company in Muncie.
In the âwar on talent,â Darla Brown, director of talent acquisition and business partnerships with Ontario Systems, says internships are the best way to get students into your organization.
âThey can become your future employees,â she emphasizes. âThey come to love your culture and the work theyâre doing, and they want to stay. Then they share by word of mouth how great your organization is.â
In the fourth year of its internship program, Ontario Systems knows how to provide a great learning experience. The numbers speak for themselves.
40 interns in four years 46% working either part-time or full-time after their internship 110 applicants in 2013 249 applicants in 2016 (increase of over 126%)
Both Brown and …
Learning to Trust Your Abilities
Dylan Radford is a senior at Indiana Wesleyan University, studying Strategic Communication with a concentration in Public Relations. He plans to graduate in December of 2016. He is one of two Marketing & Public Relations interns at the Crossroads of America Council, Boy Scouts of America.
I canât begin to tell you the number of times that Iâve heard, âTake your student status as an opportunity to gain informational interviews, talk to professionals in the workforce and even shadow employers in their work environment. It wonât be as easy once you lose that status.â
Iâm currently more than halfway through my summer internship with one semester left of college. The amount of advice that Iâve received from a number of people in the office here at the Crossroads of America Council (CAC), Boy Scouts of America can sometimes be repetitive, but also rewarding in its own way. Sitting down …
Job-Ready Prep for College Students
Whether you are a bright-eyed freshman or a senior counting down the days until graduation, itâs never too late to learn the best techniques to prepare for the real world. And by real world, I mean the world outside of your dorms, where meal points disappear and your class schedule turns into a full-time work schedule.
When itâs time to transition from campus to career, students should understand that although a college degree can boost your earning potential and improve your resume, it is only a small part of the employment equation. Hiring managers look for applicants who not only have the skills necessary for the job, but also whether the applicant would be a good fit in their company culture. They look for professionalism, confidence, self-motivation and willingness to accept challenges. Many of these qualities arenât a pre-requisite for your diploma, but are learned through practice and experience. Internships, …
Make the Internship Work for You
Allison Gaffney graduated in May 2016 from Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism. She majored in Journalism with a concentration in Public Relations. While at IUPUI, Allison interned with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and Girls Inc. of Greater Indianapolis.
Internships are a great way to develop skills, build your network, make an impact and gain experience working in a professional environment. While it is important to produce quality work during an internship, it is also important to make sure that your internship provides you with opportunities to build your resume and portfolio.
According to Robert Meier, President of Job Market Experts, only the top two percent of applicants make it to the interview stage. Once you reach the interview stage, it is important to stand out. One of the best ways to do this is by having a diverse portfolio of work from internships and …
Sarah Post: Making an IMPACT
Indiana INTERNnet celebrated internship excellence on Feb. 3, 2016, at the 10th Annual IMPACT Awards luncheon. Though the event is over and the winners have been announced, we are continuing to celebrate the nomineesâ successes.
These are their stories.
Sarah Post will graduate from the IU Kelley School of Business-Indianapolis this May.
Indiana INTERNnet: What are some of the projects you did for the Office of Student Employment?
Sarah Post: I came up with content such as pictures, videos, etc. and posted daily on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts. I did this mainly to draw attention to our office and get more students to realize there is an office on campus that will help them find part-time work while they’re in college, and also to advertise all the free services that are available to students, such as resume/cover letter building, job searching, mock interviewing, etc. I really loved …
Career Ready: Strengthening Indianaâs Talent Pipeline
Indiana INTERNnet, Indiana Commission for Higher Education, and Purdue University joined forces to coordinate a session during the HR Indiana Annual Conference. The session, Career Ready: Strengthening Indianaâs Talent Pipeline, occurred on Wednesday, the final day of the conference. Indiana INTERNnet was honored to share the podium with brilliant minds who are shaping and strengthening Indiana’s talent pipeline for career readiness.
A few of Indianaâs esteemed influencers in the world of education, public affairs, workforce policy, and business shared their insights on plans to help Indianaâs economy grow. Teresa Lubbers, the Commissioner for Indianaâs Commission for Higher Education (CHE), discussed invaluable strategies that CHE is pursuing to ensure Indianaâs post-secondary education system is aligned to meet the needs of students and the state. She addressed key values of career alignment, competency and completion that will carry CHEâs goals to the fullest extent of success in our community.
The Indiana …
There is Always a Bigger Picture
Brittany Ulman is currently a senior Creative Writing student at Ball State University with minors in Professional Writing & Emerging Media and Spanish. During her college career, Brittany took online summer classes and held an internship that counted for course credit, so she will be graduating a semester early in December of 2016. This summer, she was the marketing intern for International Floral Distributorâs Executive Director and was in charge of writing several press releases for IFD and its Flower Trends Forecast as well as working on various projects aimed at enhancing distributor services for IFDâs vendor partners.
The immediate effects of an internship are easily known; benefits such as gaining professional experience, learning more about a particular trade, obtaining various technical and communication skills, etc. can all certainly be acquired during an internship and oftentimes are the most common. However, there are also numerous other aspects of an …
Back to School-Internship Balance
The month of August means one thing for students, the start of fall semester. If youâre interning this semester as well, it can be difficult to manage your time effectively. From my personal experience, itâs best to stay calm and organized.
The first step in balancing school and an internship is to create a schedule. Online calendars are a great tool to utilize (Google and Outlook are my personal favorites). If you prefer having a hard copy, there are many planners available for purchase.
Once your school courses are scheduled, youâll need to determine your internship hours with your mentor. It helps to bring a copy of your school schedule to coordinate your availability. Then, you can input the hours of your school courses and internship into your calendar.
If youâre planning to include tasks and deadlines in your calendar, it may be easier to have separate calendars for school …
Nominate Your Awesome Summer Intern for Intern of the Year!
Did you have a rock star intern this summer?
Recognize the great work they did by nominating them for Intern of the Year through Indiana INTERNnetâs IMPACT Awards!
The IMPACT Awards is an annual celebration of internship success stories. We accept nominations from the public in the categories of Intern of the Year, Employer of the Year, and Career Development Professional of the Year. Then, weâll recognize all nominees and unveil the winners at the annual awards luncheon on February 8, 2017 at the Ivy Tech Corporate College and Culinary Center in Indianapolis.
Last yearâs event was full of energy! We had more than 50 nominees with stories of accomplishment that we shared with nearly 400 attendees. Learn more about our nominees and winners in BizVoice magazine and on our blog.
This yearâs luncheon will be a âslam dunkâ with 6â2â hometown basketball legend (and former NBA intern!) Tamika Catchings …
Intern to Employee: I Said Yes to Success!
Many students have the same goal, to obtain full-time employment following an internship — whether that be transitioning from intern to employee with the same organization, or bringing their experience to another organization. In my case, it was a modified version of transitioning from intern to employee.
In January, I started my first college internship as a marketing intern with Indiana INTERNnet. The next few months I learned about the marvels of internships, while gaining first-hand knowledge and experience. As the end of spring semester approached, I was offered the opportunity of interning for the summer. I decided to decline the offer and explore full-time employment opportunities elsewhere. Little did I know, opportunity would soon knock again from Indiana INTERNnet.
Once my internship ended in May, the search for a full-time career was in full swing. Let me tell you, it is tough out there for a recent graduate. In …
Positively Impacting Youth through Scouting Internship
Pete Mackin is a public relations and marketing intern with the Crossroads of America Council (CAC), Boy Scouts of America (BSA). He plans to graduate from Butler University in August.
While I don’t have a particularly strong background in Scouting, I have worked with several youth organizations throughout high school and undergrad that made the transition to this position a little easier.
As part of my duties here at the council, I have the opportunity to assist in planning and execution of the upcoming fall recruitment of new scouts. It is very exciting to be involved in growing Scouting’s membership throughout central Indiana. Though I have only been here a little over a month, it is easy to see the positive impact Scouting can have on the lives of youth, and I hope that my efforts lead to more youth being exposed to the great lessons scouting teaches.
The …
Networking, Financial Guidance and Funnel Cakes
Last Friday, Indiana INTERNnet partnered with the Indiana State Fair to host the third (and final) intern engagement event of the summer. The interns were ready for a full day of fun, which started with a round of networking bingo!
Each player searched for a fellow intern who matched a description on the bingo card. For example, an intern who has studied abroad or one has complete multiple internships. Once a row or column was completed, the player was entered in a drawing for Fair Bucks (dollar-amounted vouchers to be used only at the Indiana State Fair). Janet Boston, Executive Director of Indiana INTERNnet, announced the winners-all three were Salesforce intern- during her welcoming speech.
The entertainment continued with two representatives from the Indiana State Fair making an on-stage appearance. Mark Anderson, Director of Human Resources at the Indiana State Fair Commission, thanked everyone for coming and discussed …
Indiana’s Best: Small Towns Offer Big Flavor
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.
It may be surprising even to native Hoosiers that a quest for fine candies and pastries would include stops in Union City, Winchester and Hagerstown. However, there are hidden gems on the eastern side of the state with fascinating business histories, interactive tours and delicious products that make for a âsweetâ daytrip.
Ghyslain: The art of chocolate (Union City)
Ghyslain Maurais and his wife, Susan, started Ghyslain chocolatier in a farm house in 1998, ultimately choosing Union City (Susanâs hometown) for its current location. Today, Ghyslainâs staff of 25 produces fine French breads and pastries in addition to gourmet chocolates, and the company …