Tag Archives: employer

Micro-Internships Bring New Changes to IndianaINTERN.net

In order to combat the spread of COVID-19, many Indiana colleges and universities moved to eliminating fall and spring breaks while extending winter breaks. While a longer break can provide a much-needed period of relaxation for students, it also can be the perfect time to explore micro-internships.

Micro-internships are short-term, project-based experiences that provide individuals opportunities to increase their skills, explore new career paths and build their networks. They’re an excellent opportunity for employers to hire students specifically for the purpose of completing a singular project. It’s important to note, however, that micro-internships are not eligible for the EARN Indiana program.

Unlike traditional internships, micro-internships take place over a range of hours as opposed to a set timeframe. They typically last from 10 to 80 hours of work with most projects due within a week to a month after assignment. Their short timeframes make micro-internships a great fit for this …

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What to Really Look for In Your Next Intern

We recently started screening every single internship posted on IndianaINTERN.net. We quickly realized this is a time-consuming process. But it truly increases the quality of internships we share with students. I noticed, however, a common trend: Employers were putting a lot of emphasis on experiences as opposed to desired skills from potential applicants.

I see a lot of internship postings requesting specific qualifications. The employer limits its search to juniors or seniors, a student with a certain GPA, number of courses completed and/or total years’ experience. There are plenty of other attributes that should be considered when trying to find your next intern.

Applicants’ skills

When you review an applicant’s resumĂ©, it’s easy to hone in on how many internships they have or have not completed. Instead of looking solely at quantity, focus on abilities developed during their professional experiences.

If the applicant doesn’t have an internship background, avoid discounting them. …

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2019 IMPACT Awards Luncheon Recap

Many employers are seeking talent and want high quality candidates to employ in Indiana. Part of Indiana INTERNnet’s goal is to connect employers with talent to retain and develop Indiana’s workforce. Internships are becoming more relevant in today’s workforce and provide students with valuable experiences. Indiana INTERNnet connects employers with talent and connects students with internship opportunities.

Every year we recognize the hard work and contribution to communities by interns, employers, and various professionals with our IMPACT Awards Luncheon, and this year we had a record-breaking number of nominations! The 13th annual IMPACT Awards Luncheon was held on Tuesday, February 22. Individuals and companies were recognized in the following categories: Intern of the Year (College, High School, and Non-Traditional), Intern Supervisor of the Year, Career Development Professional of the Year, and Employer of the Year (For-Profit and Non-Profit).

We recognize these categories because they all contribute to internship excellence. Various types of …

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Is My Company Ready for an Intern?

Even though it’s only January, many companies are already starting to think about summer intern recruitment. In fact, if you scroll down this page and look at our live numbers, you can see that summer internships are quickly getting posted to IndianaINTERN.net. Feeling a bit of FOMO (fear of missing out)? Think you need an intern? You may want to pump the brakes before posting.

I’m all about increasing the number of available internships for students. With the addition of interns, employers can accomplish additional tasks, introduce fresh perspectives and help train/mentor the future workforce. At the same time, students can increase their skills outside of the classroom, network and explore career interests. It’s a win-win!

There’s a danger, however, in poorly-executed internships: Already understaffed employers hire interns and can’t provide them with training or feedback. They don’t put much thought into tasks and projects their intern will be accomplishing. Or …

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Developing your Company’s Talent Pipeline

Each IMPACT Awards season, I am always impressed to see the number of Intern of the Year nominations that either mention the employer offering the intern a full-time position, or that the employer plans to offer the intern a permanent position after they graduate.

From the intern who strove to finish his case study with zero errors, to the intern who helped complete a large IT project two months ahead of schedule, employers are realizing that some of their best talent lies within their internship program. And, with Indiana’s unemployment rate being close to zero, this couldn’t be a better time for that realization.

According to Glassdoor, it takes the average U.S. employer 24 days to hire a new employee. By using an internship program as a talent pipeline, companies wouldn’t have to worry about that waiting period to fill entry-level positions. Plus, internships are a trial period that can …

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Should You Hire an Intern?

So you’re wondering if you should hire an intern. It can lead to a mutually beneficial relationship and a great experience! But instead of jumping right in, take time to really contemplate if hiring an intern is the right course of action.

What Does an Internship Entail?

Before you get started, you need to clear any assumptions or misconceptions you have about interns. It might seem like an attractive idea, but an intern’s purpose isn’t to be your personal coffee delivery service, run your errands or be a cheap/free substitute for a full-time employee.

If you’re assigning interns tasks that are on the same responsibility level as a full-time employee, they’re probably going to feel overwhelmed or exploited. There’s also nothing wrong with assigning somewhat menial tasks, but if their entire experience is filing and making copies, you’re missing the point! Internships exist to offer students or young professionals an …

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Timing is Key When it Comes to Posting an Internship

Can you believe that summer internships are already being posted on IndianaINTERN.net? Some employers may be thinking this is way too soon, but it’s the perfect time. Unlike recruiting full-time employees, interns have multiple things to consider like short-term housing, class schedules and receiving college credit before being able to accept. That’s why it’s so important for employers to give themselves plenty of time to recruit internship candidates.

According to Indiana INTERNnet’s Employer Guide, students often apply to summer internships in February or March. However, highly competitive programs start recruiting in the fall prior.

During the summer, some students may be interested in interning at a company that’s far from their hometown. Since this will require them to set aside time to find short-term housing, they start searching for internships early. That way, if they receive an internship offer, they’ll have ample time to figure out their housing situation.

This …

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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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IMPACT Awards – Have you nominated?

Do you work alongside a career services colleague who goes above and beyond for students? Do you advise a student who shined during an internship this year? Do you collaborate with an employer who manages a stellar internship program?

Indiana INTERNnet is saluting achievements in internships and mentoring. Check out this post celebrating last year’s winners.

The IMPACT Awards Luncheon, sponsored by Ivy Tech Community College, is not until February; however, the deadline for nominations is quickly approaching. We need your help so we can recognize those who are making a difference in the internship community. We are accepting nominations until Oct. 22 for Indiana employers, interns and career development professionals. You can visit the IMPACT Awards web page by clicking here.

Individuals are invited to submit more than one nomination in any or all of the award categories:

Outstanding Intern (high school, college and non-student): contribution to employer’s business; …

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Wabash College Students Intern with Innovative IT Firm

This is a press release from Sara Palmer, senior technical writer at Leonard-McDowell.

Leonard-McDowell, an Indianapolis-based IT and business development firm, welcomes two bright new interns from Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Ind.

“Hiring interns injects fresh ideas not only into our company, but also into our clients’ companies,” said Frank Leonard, managing partner of Leonard-McDowell and 1986 graduate of Wabash College. “We give them the professional experiences they need to have their resumes stand out and they give us a different perspective on business, technology and culture.”

Tyler Owensby, a junior majoring in economics, brings a strong work ethic and a forward-thinking approach to his position as a business development and sales intern. His strengths pull from his natural ability to analyze, minimize and eliminate risk.

“I enjoy evaluating business practices and indicating the areas that can be made more effective to reduce risk,” Owensby said. “No matter what industry …

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Mind The Employment Gap

From “what are you going to do when you grow up” to “what are you going to do after graduation” to even “what’s next for you,” life seems to be one never ending string of career questions. These questions assume that one is continually equipping one’s self with the tools needed to proceed onto the next career milestone. Up until my graduation from college in May 2011, I thought I was ready to take on “the real world” – to do whatever I was going to do when I grew up. However, like many of my generation, I faced a reality that I was not expecting: the student employment gap.

A labor shortage is a stark realization as the Baby Boomer workforce retires, heating up the competition for emerging talent. However, a striking contrast exists bewteen what employers require and what college students bring to the table. As reported …

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