2014: The Year for Internships

The spring semester has kicked off on our campus, and we’ve already seen many students interested in completing an internship during 2014. We also have students interning in a variety of fields already this semester. Even better, we’ve had contact from new employers, interested in talking with our students about internship opportunities.

According to poll results from internships.com, there’s a huge growth in interest for internships in 2014- both from students and employers. As you can see from the infographic, internships are mutually beneficial. Larger companies use internships to find potential full-time employees, and smaller companies look forward to having interns help them complete projects that may not be done without their help. Students look to their internships to gain work experience, apply skills from the classroom, and expand their network. The link will take you to an article which gives other wonderful statistics and information, but there is one other important thing to consider: 84% of employers say having an intern with their company was a positive experience, while 87% of student interns say that their experience was positive. What are you waiting for? Find an internship and have a positive experience, too!

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More Than Just Bullet Points!

More Than Just Bullet Points!

A common problem our students face is that they doubt their skills set and accomplishment statements.  With only their college experience, it can seem to them that their resume is the same information over and over again.  Maybe they’re accounting students, who completed two internships, but they did tax accounting at both places.  Or they’re communications students who write for every publication on campus.  “But there’s only so many ways to say that I write!” they point out.  It’s a very valid point.  This article from Careerealism can be extremely helpful for many students who are facing that issue.  Your resume, as with numerous other things in life, is a point where quality is better than quantity. You can write for five different newspapers and magazines, but what qualities did you gain from each of them? What challenges did you face, and how did you solve them?  What accomplishments did you gain at the magazine versus the newspaper?  Your resume is more than just listing skills.  Use your resume to show growth and how you stretched your boundaries!

“Thanks for the Interview”… Then What?!

“Thanks for the Interview”… Then What?!

Our office is in the middle of On Campus Recruiting, which makes it easier for students and employers to connect.  We talk with our students about what to wear and how to prepare for the questions they may be asked during their interviews.  We also stress the importance of following up with the employer after the interview- by email, snail mail, or both.  Many students know that they should thank the interviewer for coming to campus and taking the time to meet with them but what to say and how to say it can sometimes be a struggle.

 

This article from Careerealism addresses some of the things you can include in your thank you note.  You don’t want to send the same generic note to everyone, so these suggestions are perfect for ways you can tailor each note to each interviewer.  The interview doesn’t end when you walk out the door!  Your thank you note is a perfect opportunity to re-affirm that you are the perfect candidate for the job.  Plus, it’s a strong lasting impression to show you are serious and committed to the position by taking the time and paying attention to the details.

Dan McGurl – Legislative Fellowship Program

Moved In and Ready to Go!

Well after weeks of searching Craigslist, talking to landlords, signing leases and hounding professors for my school paperwork; I am finally here, in my apartment and ready to go. While my formal internship doesn’t start until Monday (can you tell I’m ready?) I have been telecommuting classes back at Albright for the last three weeks. I am anxious to meet my new coworkers and other interns but mostly I am excited to get of my couch and have something to fill my time. While having an extended summer has been great I am ready to return to the real world and be productive.  While I’m not quite sure what exactly I will be doing for the next 13 weeks I do know that I will be working out of the office of Representative Rosita Youngblood from Philadelphia and I will be assisting the Gaming Oversight Committee which handles legislation on gambling and small games, so it should be pretty interesting. Last night I walked around Harrisburg for a few hours trying to get a lay of the land and I like it a lot, it’s a cool place with a lot to do and a surprisingly vibrant outdoor community.  I can’t wait to see what’s in store.

It’s All About The Mindset!

It’s All About The Mindset!

Every year, Beloit College puts together a Mindset List to help college faculty and administrators better understand the viewpoints of the newest class.  It discusses technology, social interaction style, and the American culture.  For many college staff members, it’s a chance to reminisce and exclaim “WHAT?! They don’t know who that is?!” By the same token, we’re no longer making outdated references to celebrities these students have never heard of.  It’s easier for college administrators to relate to students if we know where the student is coming from and what they understand- their mindset.

 Mindset is important because, as you go through the world, it’s necessary to understand culture and the people around you. Things that may have never impacted you may be a huge influence on the life of someone else. It’s imperative to understand how the past is impacting the present. It’s easier to communicate and establish rapport with someone if you have, essentially, walked a mile in their shoes, and understand a bit about what makes them tick. For example, if you want to study abroad, it may not set a good example if you bring up something negative from that country’s past, or you argue with them about an aspect of their culture without understanding it.  Or, you may be an intern pushing for more social media outreach and automated emails from a company that prides itself in face-to-face, personalized interactions.  Have there been any times when someone didn’t understand your mindset? What about a situation where you really grasped a mindset, and the other person really appreciated it? How did you react? 

5 Reasons to Love Virtual Internships

5 Reasons to Love Virtual Internships

Once again, our friends at Careerealism have posted an outstanding article. We can’t emphasize enough the importance of an internship as a way to get hands on experience in your field. However, sometimes location and time don’t allow for a good fit within your schedule. Have you considered a virtual internship? It’s an internship you do remotely, over the computer and phone. Some people enjoy the flexibility it provides, while others prefer getting experience in the environment.  What do you think? Would a virtual internship be a good fit for you?

Top 20 Internships

Top 20 Internships

Yahoo Finance and Glassdoor joined forces to present the Top 20 Internship locations from across the US. They based their information on pay, company perks, and pros and cons as posted on Glassdoor from real people who interned at each place. Although mainly focused on business and IT, it may help everyone get some insight. It’s up to you to decide what is most important to you at an internship!  So what do you think? What are you looking for in your internship?

Importance of “The Lowly Intern”

We’ve heard time and time again that employers LOVE hiring students with previous work experience. Bonus if it’s related to their field! Yet sometimes students need a little more convincing that internships will be helpful for them. I mean, let’s be real. I’m expected to put out how many hours a week during my already busy semester – or worse, my summer! And all I’m going to to do is make coffee and file papers anyway. What’s the point?

The point is that if all you’re doing is making coffee and filing papers, you’re not in a good internship. Your internship is giving you hands on experience in your field. This way, you can apply everything you learned in your classes to see it work in real life. You also get more confidence. “Oh sure, I know how to use that copier!” “Of course I can run that report.” Once you get into the working world, you’ll be able to adapt more quickly to their environment.

And speaking of getting into the working world, having an internship can help you build relationships and make connections. You can find co-workers or your supervisor on LinkedIn, connect, and then see who they are connected with, too. Maybe they can introduce you or write a recommendation for you. Your internship is an opportunity to collect business cards. This way you can practice writing those professional emails and know exactly who to send your resume to.

If you do your internship early enough, it can also be an opportunity to decide what you DON’T want to do, too. Maybe you’re an education major, and you find out after interning with a day care that maybe being a secondary education major would be a better fit for you.

And if you still need more convincing, it’ll fill in space on your resume when related classes and involvement in clubs just aren’t doing enough. Moreover, it’s an opportunity to see more of the world. If you go to a rural school, then maybe an internship in a city will help you learn more about yourself. Or, maybe you’re at an out-of-state school and can stay over the summer to get experience away from home. These will teach your real-world skills, too, like budgeting your stipend or learning mass transit!

Still need more convincing? If you look hard enough, sometimes you can land a sweet PAID internship, too.