Tag Archives: career advice

We’ve all been there–the new kid, the freshman, first day of your first job.

No matter who you are, you experience being the bottom rung of the ladder at some point.

One of the most common stereotypes surrounding internships is that you are designated all the grunt work. We see evidence of this in popular tv shows, movies, and even books, so it has to be true, right? Well– yes it is kind of true, interns are given the jobs that other employees don’t care to do, but this is not necessarily a bad thing. We all have to start somewhere, and there’s no better way to learn than to start from the bottom.

The advice I would give to an intern who does not appreciate getting the grunt work is this: perspective is everything. You must always remember that scanning through documents and running errands are some of the …

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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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It’s that time again! School has been in session for a little bit now, you are in a routine, and things seem okay. Then, it hits you. The smell of free swag, pamphlets, and the feeling of uncomfortable conversations overcome you. Yep. That’s right. It’s career fair time. It’s no secret that a lot of people try to avoid career fairs because they either don’t want to put in the effort of dressing professionally, networking, or just going through the whole process of what a career fair really entails. I am here to prove that myth wrong.  Fun fact: career fairs can be used for more than just class credit and free stuff!  Career fairs are a really great way to see amazing possibilities that could lead to future careers. It is a time to network in an environment designed for you.

Career fairs can be scary, but I have …

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If you’ve been keeping up with my blog posts throughout the summer (and now into the fall) you’ll see that I often mention how so much learning happens outside of the classroom. Internships, for example, allow students to be a part of the workforce and get hands-on experience before they graduate. While I understand the important roles school and education play in our lives, it should be noted that learning doesn’t just happen in the classroom.

You’re dressed, but is it to impress?

While in college you’re basically able to show up in whatever you want. Interning is different. You don’t get to have comfy days with t-shirts and sweatshirts. While you’re at work, you must follow the dress code every day. This also applies for interviews and beyond. Make sure that everyone who sees you can tell that you’re there for a reason.

The handshake

It wasn’t until …

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Fridays are exciting because they mean you survived another week and you get two days to rest. Sometimes I get in that weekend mindset a little too early and I’m not as productive as I could be on Fridays. To save you from making the same mistakes, I’ll share some of my best tips for making it through Friday.

Reflect on the week

On Fridays, I like to look back on the week to see what I accomplished. During this time, I like to see what I did and what I need to do to make sure that everything is how it should be.

Stay on top of your to do list

I know it might seem easy to push things to the side, but I promise getting them done now instead of waiting until Monday will set you up for a much better week. The busier you stay the …

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With this being my first professional job, I have never had to experience the struggle that is the nine to five routine. It was an extremely hard task for the first couple of days. It took time getting used to waking up early and working all day. My past retail jobs offered me a few experiences of working an all-day shift, but it was never very consistent. I wanted to share some tips that I have come across when it comes to getting used to working a full day for the first time.

Get some rest

Even though it might be the summer right now, going to bed early is the biggest piece of advice I can give. Instead of staying up all night watching Netflix, putting your phone down earlier can help. The eight-hour sleep theory is true, and I have experienced it firsthand. Making sure you are fully …

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In June, interns from around the state attended Indiana INTERNnet’s first engagement event of the summer. Interns came together at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis to network, explore, engage in a personal development seminar, and hear from a panel of past and present Children’s Museum interns.

Panelists shared their stories, while attendees asked questions regarding career paths and entering the workforce.

The future
One of my biggest takeaways was that it’s okay to not know what you want to do. Taking everything one day at a time was a large focal point that the panelists hit on. They all spoke of their past experiences and how they got to where they are today.

It was interesting to hear the different ways they wound up at the museum. Something they had in common: All had reached a point where they had no idea what they wanted to do or where …

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Earlier this week we had the opportunity to interview a current employee of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. Brett Hulse is the Director of Membership Strategy for the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. He has been with the organization since 2012. He started out as a Membership Development Manager, and became the Director of Membership Strategy recently. We asked him about his career experience and what is important in the early stages of professional development.

Indiana INTERNnet: Can you gives a brief background about your early career development?

Brett Hulse: I grew up as the son of a golf professional and spent most of my early years at the golf course. From an early age, I was confident that I would follow in my father’s shoes. For 5 years I worked in this capacity, but eventually the lack of work-life balance made this career undesirable. I …

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Earlier this week we had the opportunity to interview a current employee of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. Tim Brewer is the BizVoice® Advertising Sales Director for the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. He has been with the organization since 2000, and first started in the Membership department as a representative. Then he worked his way up to become the Vice President of Membership. We asked him a series of questions about his career experience and what is important in the early stages of professional development.

Indiana INTERNnet: What did you look for when applying for full-time jobs?

Tim Brewer: There are many things to look for when applying for full-time jobs. But you must ask yourself, “what is most important to me?” When applying for jobs it all depends on the individual. What I was looking for was flexibility, stability, balance, and it being enjoyable. You must …

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Alexandra Forsythe is a student at Indiana Tech. She is a double major in electrical engineering and computer engineering with minors in CS and math. Alexandra is currently working as a year-round intern for Ultra Electronics USSI. 

Hi! I’m Alexandra (“Alex”) Forsythe. I’ve been fortunate to have worked as an intern for NASA, Raytheon, and Ultra Electronics USSI. I designed a mission critical circuit board for NASA that will be used in an upcoming launch. For Raytheon, I programmed artificial neural networks. I’m a year-round intern for Ultra Electronics USSI, where I have been placed in charge of a new innovative product, and I’ll be an FPGA/ASIC design engineering intern for Intel next summer. At Indiana Tech, I’m a double major in electrical engineering and computer engineering with minors in CS and math, and I’m an officer in four student organizations.

You need an internship, but what else should …

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At Indiana INTERNnet, we love a good intern-to-hire story. We’re 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, I’ve heard of several different people who were hired after their internship was over, and it’s made me wonder – 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 …

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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 wasn’t quite aware of the popularity of this tactic until I read Sheryl Sandberg’s 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 “becomes a source of wisdom, teaching, and support” 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 …

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Athletes endure years of training to prepare for the Olympics; students do the same for their future careers. Through classes, homework and internships, you are improving your skills to advance in your industry. Here are some tips to help you score a gold medal in your career.

Pick the right sport.

If you’re afraid of heights, ski jumping probably isn’t the sport for you. There will be majors/fields that won’t be a good fit as well. You should determine what you like/dislike, the skills you have and research your options.

From my experience, I wanted to work in the healthcare industry, however science and math were not my strongest subjects in grade school. Once I started the coursework for radiology technology, I realized I needed to pursue a different major that better suited my skills. Writing was always my favorite subject; therefore I switched …

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I went to a small high school with extremely limited class choices. The only language available to take was Spanish, and the electives didn’t go much beyond drama or choir. When I decided to go to Indiana University, I was so excited to have a variety of options. IU is huge—I could learn anything I wanted to! I could learn how to write code, then turn around and read about famous Mexican muralists, then get some advice from a Pulitzer-winning journalist. (All things I’ve done, by the way. Thanks, IU!) The possibilities were endless.

As I progressed in my college career, I realized how difficult it is to master more than a few skills or subjects. It seemed like every job opportunity I came across wanted me to have infinite abilities—writing, editing, graphic design, social media, videography, photography, web design, event planning, marketing, and the list goes on. Overwhelmed by …

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Completing projects at your internship is one thing, but adapting to office life is a whole different story. It may seem like such a tiny detail in the bigger picture of your internship, but the small skills you learn through working in an office like communication, teamwork and time management will help you in your future career. Here are some tips and gifs from The Office to get you excited about living the office life!

There will be days that feel longer than others

Sitting at a desk for four to eight hours per day is a lot different than sitting in hour and a half lectures throughout the week. Some days will fly by, while others will drag on for a what feels like an eternity. If you find yourself getting distracted or burnt out, get up from your desk for few minutes. Taking a short break from …

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