Tag Archives: Tips

Common Challenges New Interns Face

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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What I Wish I Knew Before My Internship

So, you landed your first internship this summer, congrats!

Internships are a great way to network and get your foot in the door in the world of the corporate job market, but were you aware of the things you should be doing now? You may be thinking to yourself, “I just started, what could I possibly need to do?” Well, I am here to tell you that by starting now, you set yourself up to have a plethora of key takeaways at the end of your internship experience.

First things first, keep track of your projects! Big or small, doesn’t matter, what matters is having enough pieces to fill your portfolio and resume with, so that future employers can get the best idea for how your skills would fit with their team. The best advice I can give is to start healthy/helpful habits now. Create weekly lists of specific tasks you …

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Diversify Your (Internship) Portfolio

Shoutout to the finance interns who understand portfolio diversification much better than I do! Here, we’re talking about diversifying a different kind of portfolio: your internship portfolio. This is a compilation of the work you’ve completed as an intern for one or several companies. It can be a formal, physical, or digital collection – or, it can be a more informal mental list. Either way, it’s helpful to have more than one type of internship experience to put on your resume and talk about during interviews. So, what are some major classifications of experience to consider?

Type

Whether they planned to or not, many students have recently added a virtual internship to their portfolio. If you’re not one of them, don’t worry! As employers become more comfortable hosting interns virtually, more opportunities will become available. This is a valuable experience to have, especially as work continues to move home. At …

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Dress For Success: Dressing For An Interview

One thing that I always struggle with the day of an interview is the age-old question: “What am I going to wear?” I’ve walked into rooms where I’ve been the best dressed and the worst dressed, although I prefer the latter.  Attire is a problem that affects every professional, even people who have been in the workforce for years.  Here are some important things to remember when choosing that perfect interview outfit.

Make an impression.  Your attire shapes the first impression you give to potential employers, so it’s extremely important to make the right impression. I always like to make sure that my outfit accurately represents the professional I am. I want my outfit to say “I’m competent, qualified, and can make a great impact on your company.” The way you dress should represent the way that you feel about your abilities as a professional. Showing up in jeans and …

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5 Ways to Prepare for the Fall Semester

Get familiar with your schedule

Adjusting to your daily schedule is one of the most essential parts of being a put-together student! I’m sure you’ve already forgotten what classes you registered for, so pull out that schedule and try to envision what this semester will look like for you. When will you have time to study? Work? Exercise? Do extracurriculars? Get a trusty planner and figure it out.

Get organized

Let’s be real, you’ve probably blocked out all thoughts of school this summer—I don’t blame you! Save yourself the stress at the last minute and figure out what needs to be done before you start school again. Do you know what you need for your dorm/apartment? Do you have notebooks, pens, pencils, folders? Are your textbooks ordered?

Get back on a schedule

Unfortunately, your daily schedule at school is probably more demanding than the summer schedule you’re on …

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Setting (and Achieving!) Internship Goals

Whether you’re a student preparing for your first internship or fifth, one of the best ways to begin a new career experience is to set goals.

This may seem like a simple task, but setting aside time to create legitimate objectives can improve your enthusiasm and outcomes during an internship. Breaking down goals into three areas will make it even easier.

Here is a great place to start:

Industry-specific goals These goals are set with the intent to apply theory-based knowledge from your classroom directly to your tasks and projects during the internship. Learn new industry skills and the techniques that other employees know best. Absorb the language of the business and be ready to be a hands-on learner. If you are in marketing, maybe you’ll learn design and Photoshop. If you are in informatics and computing, perhaps you’ll learn Java or coding. If you are learning a new software …

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Internship Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have some unresolved questions about internships? Whether you’re a college student wondering if internships are the best next step for you – or you’re an employer curious about setting up an internship program at your organization, here is a compiled list of internship frequently asked questions with answers by our internship experts:

What is the point of interning?

Employers: A New Age of Internship Possibilities Students: Internship Experience May Increase Your Salary Discovering your career path Why Intern? Mind the Employment Gap No. 1 Perk of an Internship

Are internships truly a stepping stone into a full-time job?

From Intern to Full-Time Employee Considering an intern as a full-time employee

I hear a lot of myths about internships. What are some truths?

Five Simple Truths About Internships

I keep hearing about virtual internships. What are they all about?

The Potential of Virtual Internships Virtual …

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The Alumni Networking Solution

This is a guest blog on tips to connecting during a job search by John Muscarello, Founder and CEO of Start Networking Today.

Looking for an excuse to spend even more time on social media?

LinkedIn has proven to be a great professional networking tool. According Jobvite, “Employees hired through referral are hired 55% faster than those who come from a career site.”

I have personally used The Alumni Networking Solution to find leads and get interviews that lead to job offers.

What exactly is The Alumni Networking Solution?

The Alumni Networking Solution is a 5-step networking tool designed to introduce yourself to college alumni and develop relationships that lead to referrals. This means actually getting to know the person- and asking for his or her advice, instead of a job. I used these five simple steps – in about 10 minutes per connection – to find …

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15 Tips to Avoid the Intern 15 [Infographic]

You know how the people in the Disney-Pixar movie, Walle, look? That is how I feel after a couple of hours of sitting at my desk at work. Some days, it feels like the legend of the Freshmen 15 has come back to haunt me – not that I gained all 15 pounds in college, but you get what I mean.

As any health conscious intern, I began to collect some tips on ways to maintain wellness while at work. Then, I realized the Indiana Chamber of Commerce has among its programs a state-wide Wellness Council. Hence, I went directly to the experts to help me compile a list of time-tested tips. Within five minutes of chatting with Adrienne Luegers, the Program Coordinator, I came to realize there is more to wellness than just the physical aspect.

Not only did Adrienne shed a brighter light on wellness in the workplace, but also …

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