Tag Archives: Indiana INTERNnet

Takeaways From Intern Day at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis

Interns and supervisors from around Indianapolis came together on May 31 for Intern Day at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. This event was the first of five summer intern engagement events hosted by Indiana INTERNnet in partnership with local organizations.

The event kicked off with a networking game, designed to get interns mingling. The objective? Get to know two new people from outside of each one’s organization and be entered to win tickets to the museum’s exclusive collections tour. Afterwards, the attendees filed into the Lilly Theater for the event’s career development program, presented by Samantha Martin, assistant director of the Career Services Center at Ball State University.

Martin emphasized the power of storytelling, an uncommon notion in most professional development talks. She understands that networking is not easy, and often young professionals are not sure how to approach situations where they’re asked the dreaded, “Tell me about yourself.” That …

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How To Handle Feedback Like A Pro

Being an intern can be hard. You’re juggling school work, internship work, along with the other aspects of being in your 20s. Sometimes you’re doing so many things you question if you’re doing them right.  This is why feedback is the most important aspect of your internship, but sometimes it can be hard knowing what to do with it. Below I’ve included three strategies to use feedback to its fullest potential.

Take it and run.

Feedback from your supervisors and peers can be a great asset, especially if it’s in a form of a mid-term review or working feedback. The best thing to do with feedback is to take it and use it. If your supervisor says that your work needs to be double checked, you should make sure to double check your work in the future. This will not only show your supervisor that you value their opinion, but …

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My Journey with Indiana INTERNnet 

My journey with Indiana INTERNnet (IIN) started as a junior at IUPUI, searching for an internship. I was struggling to find an opportunity in the non-profit world that would allow me to remain financially stable. While EARN Indiana is a wonderful program to help students in similar situations, I was ineligible to receive the funds. It was fate that I found IndianaINTERN.net and its internship posting on the day of the application deadline. I immediately applied and came in for interview soon after.   

This was my first and only college internship. While I loved my time with IIN, if I could go back, I would have definitely participated in more internships. It might sound cliché but finding a job after graduation is challenging. Take my advice and try to gain as much experience as possible to increase your chances.  

During my internship, I wrote blog posts, managed social media and assisted with events. Unfortunately, my position came to an …

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Meet Our Spring 2018 Intern!

I’m thrilled to be joining Indiana INTERNnet this semester as the communication and special events intern! I am currently a junior at IUPUI studying journalism with a concentration in public relations. I’m originally from #TheRegion (Northwest Indiana), but have since transplanted to Indy and instantly fell in love. One of the best things about going to school at an urban campus is that there are SO many opportunities for professional development and growth.  Not only do I get to learn about interesting topics in school, but I also get to directly use those skills in my work environment.

Interning has been the theme of my college career. In the past three years, I’ve held seven positions with experiences ranging from IT/technology support, graphic design and even event planning. Through these internships, I’ve learned what I love, what I don’t love, and the ins and outs of so many different areas. …

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Meet Our New Assistant Director

Indiana INTERNnet is pleased to announce Kristan Pfeifer has joined our team as assistant director! She will serve as the liaison between employers and Indiana INTERNnet as it pertains to work-based learning and career/technical education.

Hailing from Portland, Indiana, Kristan received her bachelor’s degree in telecommunications (sales and marketing) from Ball State University and a master’s degree in business administration from Indiana Wesleyan University. While pursuing her undergraduate degree, Kristan completed a sales internship with a local television station in Fort Wayne. That internship helped jumpstart her career and led to her moving to Fort Wayne.

After several years in pharmaceutical sales and the health care industry, Kristan decided to pursue a different career path and became the assistant director for employer connections and internships at Ball State University’s Career Center. She thrived on assisting employers with internship programs and working with internship coordinators throughout the campus. Kristan wanted to …

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Interns Connect for Indy’s Future

Last Friday, the Indy Chamber hosted Indy Intern Connection in partnership with Indiana INTERNnet at the Fountain Square Theatre Building. Employers and interns from all over the city were invited to hang out on the rooftop garden, play duckpin bowling, and network.

The Director of Policy & Civic Engagement at the Indy Chamber and Indiana INTERNnet Board of Directors Member, Matt Impink, played a big part in organizing the event. He said that one of the main goals of the event was to encourage connections between interns, who will ideally be the future professionals of Indiana. He, and many other groups in Indiana, hope to encourage young Hoosiers to continue to live and work here. This combats the “brain drain” issue—that many of Indiana’s best and brightest leave Indiana to work elsewhere.

Many interns were from Indiana, but there was a decent handful who weren’t. In addition to encouraging current Indiana …

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Meet the New Intern!

Hi, all! I’m so excited to be the marketing and videography intern this summer at Indiana INTERNnet! I’m going into my senior year of college at Indiana University, where I study journalism and Spanish. I was born and raised in Indianapolis. I love this city, and am thrilled to be working right downtown.

I’ve been creating videos for fun since high school, but I never thought about making it into a career until an IU student organization I’m involved with, RUF, asked me if I would make videos for them.

This is the first time that Indiana INTERNnet has taken on a marketing and videography intern, and I’m so glad they did! But why hire a videography intern?

In our Internet-immersed culture, video can make a huge impact! Take it from the countless viral videos floating around on social media these days—people love a good video, and a good video will …

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Make a Great First Impression on IndianaINTERN.net

When I think of first impressions, I often think of face-to-face communication. However, first impressions happen every day on IndianaINTERN.net (IIN)! When you apply to internships on IIN, employers utilize your resume, cover letter and your student profile to see if you’ll make a great fit. If you don’t apply to internships on the site, employers are still able to view your profile and resume. With all of these opportunities to stand out, there shouldn’t be any excuse to leave your IIN profile bare!

When you apply to an internship without completing your profile or attaching your resume, employers have to reach out to ask for more information. That takes time, so sometimes employers completely ignore those applicants.

So, if you don’t want that to happen to you
complete your profile! Here are some steps to make your profile stand out:

In your dashboard, click “Manage Your Profile”

Verify that the …

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Evolution of an Intern

As my time with Indiana INTERNnet is coming to an end, I wanted to extend my genuine gratitude and share the best parts about my evolution as an intern with everyone! I’ve had such a rewarding and educational experience working with some of the best minds in Indiana’s workforce development and non-profit sectors. Indiana INTERNnet showed me not only how influential internship programs are for future students, but also showed me a deeper part of myself that values mentorship and personal development.

Diving into a new internship post-graduation was one of the easiest decisions I’ve ever made. Unlike my peers from college, I didn’t graduate with a gleaming full-time offer from one of my favorite companies. I honestly wasn’t sure if that was what I wanted since I graduated college a semester early, and that was OK! But what I did have was a B.A. in Telecommunications and resume I …

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High School Internships & How To Get Involved

1. If you are a high school student, take time during every week of school to meet with your teachers, discuss topics that excite you, learn a new hobby and make new friends. Audition for the school play or try out for the soccer team. These experiences will stick with you throughout college.

2. Talk to your guidance counselor about how you can shape your future classes into a schedule that suits you and your career goals. There is nothing more important than learning to articulate your passions with the leaders who can help you get on the right path. You’d be surprised when you find that the classes you took in high school directly correlate with your major in college and even after graduation!

3. Ask teachers about internships and work-and-learn initiatives at your school. If your school doesn’t have an internship program, encourage your guidance …

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High School Internships Blaze Career Paths

Career-development activities aren’t just for college and graduate students anymore. As labor and learning initiatives grow with the needs of our shifting economy, educators and employers are beginning to emphasize the importance of internships and work-and-learn experiences for the younger demographic.

High school students should be considered as young professionals. When you factor in the multi-tasking of their studies, athletic activities, managing relationships with friends and family, and acing their SATs for the hopes of attending their dream university, they truly understand how to balance work with play. Navigating through the occasional drama and misfit adventures, students graduate high school with a better understanding of their self-worth. But do they have a better understanding of a future career path? These students are the key demographic who need expert career guidance, in order to ensure professional success beyond the classroom.

These young students have the potential to take charge of their …

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Local Interns Receive Royal Treatment from the Intern Queen

Lauren Berger is changing the game when it comes to connecting and engaging young professionals with career development and internship opportunities across the country. She is not only the CEO and founder of her multi-faceted brand, Intern Queen, but is also a national best-selling author, public speaker, and “arguably the most in-demand career and internship expert.”  She also has a new self-titled site, LaurenBergerInc.com, where you can find anything from career tips, entrepreneurial training and even fashion advice.

Back in 2009, Berger realized there was a great need for a more personalized way to connect students with internship opportunities so they could have a better chance of landing their dream job and creating a fulfilling professional life for themselves.

For these reasons, it’s clear why the Indiana INTERNnet team was thrilled to host a question and answer session here at the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. We  invited local interns from …

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Top 5 Interview Horrors

It’s that time of year again. Leaves are starting to fall and there’s a cold bite in the morning air. The sunny days are dwindling as our nights get longer and darker. While your friends are looking for a costume of Harley Quinn and that girl from Stranger Things (where’s my Eggo?), you are spending Halloween alone at home preparing for a job interview. What a terrifying sight! But don’t you fear, we’ve mapped out the top five interview horrors to avoid and come out of the interview alive (and employed)!

1. Surely you thought making a pit stop at McDonalds before your interview was a great idea, but now your pressed shirt is covered in ketchup. Or is that blood?

2. You got lost in the company building and can’t find where you’re supposed to go. The email said room 666 in Building B, but you’re only seeing rooms …

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enFocus Guest Blog Series: Part 2

In 2015, Indiana INTERNnet (IIN) began working with four regions in the state to enhance our statewide efforts. These regions were selected based on opportunity and previous interest in partnerships with IIN and educational institutions in the selected area. The selected regions include Northwest Indiana, North Central Indiana, Indianapolis and surrounding counties, and Southwest Indiana. enFocus, a non-profit organization focused on innovative ways prevent brain drain, is IIN’s North Central Indiana partner.

When I tell people that I moved from Chicago to South Bend I often get confused looks and questions as to why. However, in my past two years here I have grown to appreciate all that South Bend has to offer. Leaving Chicago pushed me to get out of my comfort zone and pop the ‘bubble’ that surrounded me from my hometown into college, fifteen miles north from where I grew up. Working with enFocus has provided …

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enFocus Guest Blog Series: Part 1

In 2015, Indiana INTERNnet (IIN) began working with four regions in the state to enhance our statewide efforts. These regions were selected based on opportunity and previous interest in partnerships with IIN and educational institutions in the selected area. The selected regions include Northwest Indiana, North Central Indiana, Indianapolis and surrounding counties, and Southwest Indiana. enFocus, a non-profit organization focused on innovative ways prevent brain drain, is IIN’s North Central Indiana partner.

I’ve come a long way since my first footsteps with enFocus. Back in 2013, I was finishing up my degree at the University of Notre Dame and scrambling to get real-world experience. Up to that point, I had spent my summers dipping a toe into the waters of education – both as a teacher’s aide and a substitute teacher. While I enjoyed being in front of students, I couldn’t help but wonder if I could use my talents to …

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