Tag Archives: Career

Intern-to-Hire: Christina Heberer

Christina Heberer recently earned her master’s degree in Wellness Management from Ball State University. After a semester-long internship with the Wellness Council of Indiana, Christina was hired as the full-time program coordinator. The Wellness Council is an affiliated program of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce.

Indiana INTERNnet: How did you become interested in wellness management?

Christina Heberer: I get asked this question a lot since many people have not heard of this field! I was attracted to wellness management because of its blend between health and business and thought this would give me a solid foundation for impacting the health and wellbeing of employees. I was also drawn to the wellness management program at Ball State because they looked beyond exercise and physical nutrition and indicators of health and considered how an individual’s community, financial situation, social support systems, and life’s purpose impact a person’s wellbeing.

IIN: Why is …

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Intern-to-Hire: Ben Gerig

Ben Gerig is a 2015 graduate of the University of Notre Dame and a mechanical engineer at Elkhart Brass Manufacturing Company. He completed several internships with the firefighting and fire protection equipment manufacturing company before being hired full-time upon graduation.

Indiana INTERNnet: What attracted you to intern at Elkhart Brass?

Ben Gerig: My girlfriend’s father at the time (now father-in-law) worked at Elkhart Brass as the Production Control Manager. After my freshman year in college, he offered me a paid internship position with the promise that after interning in his department that year, I would be able to intern in the engineering department the following year.

IIN: What learning experiences and projects did you have during your internships?

Gerig: While interning in Production Control the first year, I learned a great deal about how a company runs and how the different departments within a company interact. My major responsibilities …

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The Transition from College to Career

As a recent college graduate from a Big 10 university, I know how stressful and exciting those last few months of campus life can be. It’s a whirlwind of emotions.

In the middle of trying to take in all the sights and scenes before I left a place I called home for the last four years, I had to stop and consider what the next step was. Once I received my diploma, I was faced with the decision of whether to immediately start my career, attend grad school or take time to travel the world. But transitioning from a free-spirited undergrad to a professional with a bachelor’s degree was tougher than I thought!

My senior semester was dedicated to a lot of job applications and cover letters, but I didn’t have a full-time job waiting for me once I left Bloomington. I learned quickly that I didn’t have enough …

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Making an IMPACT: Sara Jones

The IMPACT Awards Employer of the Year is netlogx! We had a chance to interview one of the employees of netlogx, Sara Jones. Sara started as an intern with the organization and made her way to becoming a full-time consultant. She is a true story of a successful internship!

Indiana INTERNnet: What attracted you to intern at netlogx?

Sara Jones: When I started as an intern at netlogx, I did not have a very deep understanding of netlogx services, but I did know that netlogx was a growing small business with a great culture, which really appealed to me.

IIN: What learning experiences and projects did you have during your internship?

SJ: During my internship, I was able to take ownership of several internal administrative initiatives, but also was assigned part-time to a client project. Being part of the project team was incredibly valuable because it gave me the …

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Internships increasingly important in post-graduation job search

A new report from Grace College found that unemployment has fallen about 7% for 20- to 24-year-olds. There are many reasons for upcoming college graduates to be optimistic about their job searches, but there are also noteworthy trends that should keep expectations in check and even inspire extra effort. Internships and other work-and-learn opportunities continue to be a step toward work readiness and, in many cases, job offers.

The Class of 2015 has planned ahead for the future. According to Dan Kadlec of Time, 82% of current seniors considered the availability of jobs in their field before choosing a major – a 7% increase from 2014. The Accenture Strategy 2015 U.S. College Graduate Employment Study backs this up: 63% of 2015 grads were encouraged to pursue a STEM degree (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math), compared to 52% of grads from 2013 and 2014. Jobs in STEM fields are often high-wage and high-demand, …

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Finding Yourself beyond the Classroom

If I were given the chance to be everything I wanted to before I leave this Earth?

I wouldn’t mind being on the Today Show, or perhaps Late Night with Jordan Patterson. I would want to design BMW’s next flagship sedan and also be the leading architect in designing the perfect addition to Indy’s skyline. I would write and produce music for talented artists that would win me a record number of Grammy awards. Oh, and voice acting in a Pixar film would be awesome!

One might see why the question “Where do you see yourself in 10 years?” poses a challenge to a guy like me with many ambitions. I have a hunch that I am not alone. When giving campus tours at Butler University, I always ask the question to perspective students, “How many of you know what you want to do with your life?”

Of course, …

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Thank you very much!

The importance of a simple thank you – it may seem nominal, but the more I read about job interview follow ups, the more I understand why it is essential.

There are a lot of people that take time out of their schedules for interviewing purposes: the person that has to filter through the resumes, the person that conducts the phone interviews and the people that conduct the actual interview, and don’t forget the individual that you may have networked with to learn of the open position. The least we can do is say thanks.

Thanking the interview team

The general rule of thumb is to send a thank you note within 24 hours after your interview. The thank you note could be a simple thank you, but it could also be used to reiterate your interest in the company and position, remind the interviewer who you are or mention …

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Time for some spring cleaning

Spring has sprung. Finally!

After my battle with the winter weather, I couldn’t be more excited about spring. Besides enjoying the warmth, we all know that spring is a busy time with cleaning and making way for new things by getting rid of the old.

It’s also the time of the season where some college students will be graduating soon or closing in on the last day of their internship. If you’re like me, you are going through both of these. So, there’s no better time than now to start sprucing things up a bit for the job search. You know, spring clean it.

Where to start? What needs to be done? Here are some things we all can do.

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Tidy up the résumé

Remove all of the unnecessary items. Make sure your rĂ©sumĂ© fits the position that you are applying for. And remember, …

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Who are you? Who? Who? Who? Who?

Stop and think for a moment.  When a potential employer is browsing your resume, what impression are they forming about you? What about in person, in the interview?

We all know first impressions mean a lot and developing your personal brand can help achieve a good, and hopefully lasting, impression. According to Forbes, “Your personal brand is all about who you are and what you want to be known for.” Personal branding is an ongoing process of forming an image about you.

Let’s discover how to develop your brand so that you can be assured what you have to offer shines.

Define who you are and who you want to be.

You know yourself and where you want to end up in life better than anyone. Remember those things during an interview and when you are networking. Let yourself and your passions shine!

What makes you unique?

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Goodwill intern puts classroom knowledge to work

Victoria is a junior studying journalism and public relations at Indiana University. She is a member of Alpha Chi Omega sorority and is also the director of the Canvas Creative Arts committee on IU’s Union Board. In her free time, Victoria enjoys running and writing.

Last year, I worked as a student ambassador for Goodwill Industries of Central Indiana. As a student ambassador, I worked on marketing Goodwill to students at Indiana University and members of the Bloomington community. My work consisted of hosting events, utilizing social media and a lot of crafting.

Goodwill Industries of Central Indiana focuses largely on giving back to the community. They do this through donations at their stores as well as working to educate people at the Indianapolis Metropolitan High School and The Excel Center, a tuition-free charter school for adults.

At Indiana University, my educational focus is journalism and public relations. This student …

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8th Annual IMPACT Winners Part II

We recognized six individuals and organizations that dedicated their energy and expertise to successful internships in 2013 during the 8th Annual IMPACT Awards luncheon, sponsored by Ivy Tech Community College. These are the second in a two-part series on winners.

Claudine Meilink

Career Development Professional of the Year

Since 2006, Claudine Meilink has played a key role in facilitating student-employer connections at Purdue University. She wears many hats within the Center for Career Opportunities (CCO), including career counselor, employer coordinator and data collector.

Meilink volunteers as a Faculty Fellow and has served on search committees for various departments on campus. She also serves as an at-large board member with the Career Development Professionals of Indiana and also held leadership positions with Midwest ACE (Association of Colleges and Employers), even chairing two of its conferences.

“Claudine is one of those people who makes working in career services at …

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Surviving the Unknown

 

Nothing is more nerve wracking than the unknown. Not knowing what to wear. Not knowing what time to wake up. Not knowing what to eat. Not knowing what time to leave your home.  All of these, plus some, went through my mind during the days leading up to my new position as the Marketing and Special Events intern for Indiana INTERNnet.

The unknown consumed my first day. Having to drive a little over an hour with Indiana’s unpredictable weather would pose a challenge. And it did. But who would have thought that I would begin my internship during the second round of the Polar Vortex? Because of the weather, I was nearly 2 hours late on my first day. I did not see that coming. Luckily, I am working with a group of caring and understanding people that admire the fact that I even drive as far as I do every day. However, it …

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Legendary Intern’s Last Day, New Gig

The first time I walked through the office doors, I didn’t notice much about my surroundings. Like any new grad, I was headed for an interview and my focus was directed at the person I was about to shake hands with and the questions they had in store for me.

This morning, the elevator carried me to a positive and supportive work environment, to people I have come to respect and admire. Ten months after that first meeting, the interviewer is now my mentor, and the questions made room for new ones. My view of the office is still narrow this time around as the superimposed emotional and psychological lens tries to concentrate on the people and the memories that remain.

I know. This sounds too reflective, too nostalgic. This is exactly the state I find myself in on the last day of my internship. The projects are all wrapped …

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Internship Reflection: Parke County Community Foundation

Sarah Melvin, a 32-year-old mother of two, attended Franklin College out of high school and withdrew her senior year to join the US Navy. After living in Hawaii for eight years, she moved back to the mainland to raise her children near family. Sarah is currently a junior at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College seeking her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.

I recently served as a Marketing/Support Intern for the Parke County Community Foundation (PCCF). I was curious as to what the organization was and visited the Foundation last summer to perform informational interviews with the staff members. My intentions were to gain insight on how nonprofits operated, and if I would be interested in pursuing a career in the field. Before I left, the executive director offered me the internship position that I recently completed.

The PCCF is a local nonprofit whose mission is to aid …

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Talking Career Options (& Internships) with High School Students

Jack Hope (Hope Plumbing) presenting on the skills gap at Perry Meridian High School

We had the pleasure of presenting Indiana INTERNnet (and Indiana Skills) to eight classes of Perry Meridian High School students last Friday. It was great to see the attention students paid to these important topics – we had students ask us about training for jobs in sonography, truck driving and public safety.

“…many students don’t understand their post-secondary options outside of four-year college.”

We talked with the students about the importance of experiential learning no matter what career track you are on.

We had the added pleasure of being joined by Jack Hope, owner of Hope Plumbing in Indianapolis. Hope has become a terrific partner to Ready Indiana with his dedication to encouraging students to consider middle-skill careers. We know the demand and the rewards are there, but we find that many students don’t understand their …

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