Throughout the course of your college career, internships will help provide the experience needed to increase your skill set and gain professional experience. Internships are great opportunities to gain professional experience while in college and also provide networking opportunities.
In some industries and businesses, internships can be highly competitive and the interview is important. The interview can make or break an opportunity and below are some tips on how to prepare for the interview:
1) Do Research on the Organization Beforehand - You will be surprised how many people will walk into an interview without doing any research beforehand. Not doing any research beforehand will give the impression you don't care about the organization or you are unwilling to learn. Most internships managers are looking for people who can help his or her organization and have a strong desire to learn. Not doing your research beforehand will be a turnoff.
2) Look Presentable During the Interview- Dress professionally and look presentable. Leave the cut off jeans, t-shirts and casual clothes at home. Prove to your potential internship manager that you will dress professionally when coming to intern for his or her organization.
3) When the Interviewer Asks "Do You Have Any Questions?", Ask Questions - This will show you paid attention during the interview and are interested in learning more about the organization
4) Thank You Notes - Make sure to send a handwritten thank you note to the person you interviewed with. Not many people do this and it will set you apart in a positive way
Showing posts with label internships. Show all posts
Showing posts with label internships. Show all posts
Friday, February 24, 2012
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Internship Advice: Take Time To Say Hello to Others
As a college student, getting the most out of your internship will be key. When you go to get experience and work for someone during this time, it's best to get to know the person you will be working for and the other people at the organization. One of the best ways to get to know others is to say hello and get to know these people.
When you are interning, it is easy to go in everyday, do what you need to accomplish, and then walk out everyday, however, that won't accomplish much. It won't give you the opportunity to meet others within the organization, will come across as if you aren't interested in meeting others and may make it hard for people to remember you.
During your internship, take time to not only say hello to the person you will be working for but the people he or she works with as well. It doesn't hurt to say good morning or good afternoon (depending on when you go in) to the other people in the organization. It shows you are interested in getting to know others in the organization, makes you a friendly face and more opportunities may arise from it later on.
By meeting others within the organization you are interning for, you may open up more opportunities later on. These people could become network contacts, references or may be able to provide different contacts within your industry. People are connected and the friendlier you are with those you will be working with, the easier it will be for these people to become network contacts later on. By taking moments to say hello and getting to know these people, more doors may open later on.
College internships are key but taking time to know the people in the organization is even more important. By saying hello and getting to know others, you never know what doors and opportunities may open up later on.
When you are interning, it is easy to go in everyday, do what you need to accomplish, and then walk out everyday, however, that won't accomplish much. It won't give you the opportunity to meet others within the organization, will come across as if you aren't interested in meeting others and may make it hard for people to remember you.
During your internship, take time to not only say hello to the person you will be working for but the people he or she works with as well. It doesn't hurt to say good morning or good afternoon (depending on when you go in) to the other people in the organization. It shows you are interested in getting to know others in the organization, makes you a friendly face and more opportunities may arise from it later on.
By meeting others within the organization you are interning for, you may open up more opportunities later on. These people could become network contacts, references or may be able to provide different contacts within your industry. People are connected and the friendlier you are with those you will be working with, the easier it will be for these people to become network contacts later on. By taking moments to say hello and getting to know these people, more doors may open later on.
College internships are key but taking time to know the people in the organization is even more important. By saying hello and getting to know others, you never know what doors and opportunities may open up later on.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
College Students: Be Aware of Opportunities that Present Themselves!
During your college years, getting internship experience will be valuable for getting an entry level position when you graduate. Being able to get enough professional experience through your internships will help boost your resume and give employers a reason to bring you in for an interview.
Whenever you are interning for a company or even working part time, be aware of other opportunities to explore and take advantage of. These opportunities may be out of the ordinary for you, however, the experience can lead to more possibilities down the road. These experiences can help pave the path for more career options and give you more opportunities.
For example, during my senior year of college, one of the best opportunities I took advantage of happened when I was hired in as a part-time producer at a local radio station. My job description was to help run the shows the station aired on Saturday morning but another opportunity presented itself a week after I had been hired.
While doing some training in the main studio during my first week there, the sales manager walked in with a copy of my resume and asked to see me in his office afterwards. I'll admit I was a little baffled as to why this sales manager wanted to talk to someone whose job was to push the buttons on the board, screen phone calls, air the commercials and keep the station on the air. I couldn't quite see the fit at first but eventually found out.
When I went into his office, the sales manager brought out a copy of my resume and asked me about some of the other internships I had done. He saw that I had done a sales internship at another station and a marketing/promotions internship at another. The Program Director (who hired me as a part-time producer) had told him I was really personable during the interview and that caught his attention.
After a few minutes, the sales manager asked me a question I didn't quite expect:
"Jeff, have you ever thought about learning how to do sales?"
I mentioned I had briefly and agreed to come in an extra day or two a week to learn under his wing. This sales manager taught me how to cold call, handle objections, listen to the customer and several other skills that paid off later on. There was a bit of a learning curve involved with this transition but this experience eventually paved the way for my first job out of college and opened up more doors and opportunities after that.
Had I not taken advantage of this opportunity to learn sales, I would not have had more options available to me after college and beyond that. Taking a couple days a week from someone who was willing to teach me how to do sales helped open other career opportunities for me and find my career path. This experience helped open up more opportunities for me and it was worth taking extra time to learn.
If another opportunity presents itself, take to explore it and let it grow. You never know where it might take you in the end.
Whenever you are interning for a company or even working part time, be aware of other opportunities to explore and take advantage of. These opportunities may be out of the ordinary for you, however, the experience can lead to more possibilities down the road. These experiences can help pave the path for more career options and give you more opportunities.
For example, during my senior year of college, one of the best opportunities I took advantage of happened when I was hired in as a part-time producer at a local radio station. My job description was to help run the shows the station aired on Saturday morning but another opportunity presented itself a week after I had been hired.
While doing some training in the main studio during my first week there, the sales manager walked in with a copy of my resume and asked to see me in his office afterwards. I'll admit I was a little baffled as to why this sales manager wanted to talk to someone whose job was to push the buttons on the board, screen phone calls, air the commercials and keep the station on the air. I couldn't quite see the fit at first but eventually found out.
When I went into his office, the sales manager brought out a copy of my resume and asked me about some of the other internships I had done. He saw that I had done a sales internship at another station and a marketing/promotions internship at another. The Program Director (who hired me as a part-time producer) had told him I was really personable during the interview and that caught his attention.
After a few minutes, the sales manager asked me a question I didn't quite expect:
"Jeff, have you ever thought about learning how to do sales?"
I mentioned I had briefly and agreed to come in an extra day or two a week to learn under his wing. This sales manager taught me how to cold call, handle objections, listen to the customer and several other skills that paid off later on. There was a bit of a learning curve involved with this transition but this experience eventually paved the way for my first job out of college and opened up more doors and opportunities after that.
Had I not taken advantage of this opportunity to learn sales, I would not have had more options available to me after college and beyond that. Taking a couple days a week from someone who was willing to teach me how to do sales helped open other career opportunities for me and find my career path. This experience helped open up more opportunities for me and it was worth taking extra time to learn.
If another opportunity presents itself, take to explore it and let it grow. You never know where it might take you in the end.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
The Holidays Are Coming Up Soon So Give Thanks!
It's the first weekend in November but in just a few weeks Thanksgiving will arrive and then the holiday season. The holiday season can be stressful at times for many people but opens up an opportunity to give thanks as well. It's the end of the year and it's a great time to take a few moments to send those who have helped you get through the year or have become good friends a simple thank you.
Taking time to say thank you during that time of year will mean a lot to the people you are expressing gratitude towards and below are some tips on how to give thanks:
Taking time to say thank you during that time of year will mean a lot to the people you are expressing gratitude towards and below are some tips on how to give thanks:
- Send Holiday Cards - writing these cards out can be time consuming but will mean a lot to someone who receives them in the mail. Getting a holiday card during a time of year that is synonymous with celebrations can be very meaningful to a person and appreciated as well. You can simply purchase your own cards or get creative and make them yourself!
- Send Holiday E-Cards- for those of you who prefer to send cards electronically, this idea is for you! More and more card companies are allowing users the ability to send cards through e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, and other forms of social media. Sometimes these companies allow users to design their own cards and provides a more personal touch
- Bring in a treat for the office and co-workers to enjoy - this typically goes over pretty well and can be a nice little surprise for the people you work with. One example of this going over well was when I did an internship over a long winter break in December during my college years. As we got closer to Christmas, I was trying to figure out something to bring in for the people who I worked alongside during this internship and an idea came to me; candy canes! When I walked in the door that morning with packages of candy canes for these people, it meant a lot that someone took the time to bring these into the office for others to enjoy. It showed I cared and was a way for me to say thank you and Happy Holidays.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
College Seniors: Take Advantage of Opportunities, Take Time To Help Others and Enjoy the Ride
For many of you who will be graduating college soon, the thought of leaving a fun environment for the so called "real world" can be intimidating. Leaving what is comfortable and joining the work force to start your career is scary and difficult but not impossible. Being able to adjust to your life outside of college can start with the internships, networking and friendship you make during your senior year.
In several months, many of you will have to venture out and find your first job. There will be job interviews, resumes, handshakes, and lots of different pieces that play part in the job seeking process. Finding a job right out of college can be difficult but isn't impossible.
During your senior year, take time to intern and network with professionals in the area. Internships provide valuable real life experience that can put you a step ahead of others in the job search process. This also provides you an opportunity to become friends and meet mentors who can serve as references and guides later on during your search. Some campuses hold different networking events where you can meet professionals from the area. Taking advantage of these events can help you meet people who can help mentor your along the way and may even have a position available when you graduate. When presented the opportunity, take the time to intern and network with professionals who can guide you down your path of success.
In addition to networking, take the opportunity to mentor younger students in your field of study. At this point, you've had almost four years to develop the talents you had when you came in as a freshman and taking the time to help others will help develop relationships and teach you to be a team player. Many of the freshmen and even sophomores appreciate a senior taking the time to share knowledge, expertise and advice. Many of them have goals like you have at one point or another and they will never forget the friend who took the time to help them along the way.
By taking the time to mentor, it will also provide you with friendships and a reason to keep in touch with others as you make the transition into your professional career. Being able to talk to these friends on the phone, online, on Facebook, etc. will help relieve some of the stress and anxiety you might be feeling from leaving college. It also means a lot to these people that someone is taking time out of his or her day to keep tabs on how they are doing and it will be appreciated in the long run.
During your senior year, you will have opportunities to intern, network and mentor so take advantage. The relationships you build through interning, networking and mentoring others can help make the transition easier and prepare you for life outside of college.
In several months, many of you will have to venture out and find your first job. There will be job interviews, resumes, handshakes, and lots of different pieces that play part in the job seeking process. Finding a job right out of college can be difficult but isn't impossible.
During your senior year, take time to intern and network with professionals in the area. Internships provide valuable real life experience that can put you a step ahead of others in the job search process. This also provides you an opportunity to become friends and meet mentors who can serve as references and guides later on during your search. Some campuses hold different networking events where you can meet professionals from the area. Taking advantage of these events can help you meet people who can help mentor your along the way and may even have a position available when you graduate. When presented the opportunity, take the time to intern and network with professionals who can guide you down your path of success.
In addition to networking, take the opportunity to mentor younger students in your field of study. At this point, you've had almost four years to develop the talents you had when you came in as a freshman and taking the time to help others will help develop relationships and teach you to be a team player. Many of the freshmen and even sophomores appreciate a senior taking the time to share knowledge, expertise and advice. Many of them have goals like you have at one point or another and they will never forget the friend who took the time to help them along the way.
By taking the time to mentor, it will also provide you with friendships and a reason to keep in touch with others as you make the transition into your professional career. Being able to talk to these friends on the phone, online, on Facebook, etc. will help relieve some of the stress and anxiety you might be feeling from leaving college. It also means a lot to these people that someone is taking time out of his or her day to keep tabs on how they are doing and it will be appreciated in the long run.
During your senior year, you will have opportunities to intern, network and mentor so take advantage. The relationships you build through interning, networking and mentoring others can help make the transition easier and prepare you for life outside of college.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Believing in Yourself is a Key Part of Success
"Yes I can!"
How difficult is it to say those three words?
"Yes I can!"
To reach your goals in business and in life, you have to believe that what you are striving for can be attainable. Not all goals are easy to attain but not believing you can reach for what you want can hinder your progress. In order to earn what you want to achieve, you have to believe in yourself and know you can tackle any obstacle that stands in the way.
In many different professions, the people working to provide safety to others, entertainment and play sports have to believe in themselves in order to do their jobs well. Doctors have to believe they can treat patients to the best of their ability in order to provide the best care and firefighters and police officers have to believe in themselves when going to save and protect others. From an entertainment and sports standpoint, theater directors have to believe they have the ability to take a script and make the best show possible for audiences to see, filmmakers have to believe they can make a great film with the tools and actors they have to work with and professional athletes have to believe in themselves to perform at the best of their abilities. Believing in yourself spreads across many different professions and success will come if you know you can reach your goals.
Another popular example of believing in oneself is looking at the life of Chris Gardner, a stockbroker whose rags to riches story was turned into the film The Pursuit of Happyness. In the early 80s, Gardner was determined to succeed as a stockbroker and believed he could make it in that industry. Gardner was working as an intern at the Dean Witter Reynolds brokerage firm and often stayed late and arrived early to make outgoing phone calls to prospective clients. Gardner's belief he could succeed helped provide him the strength he needed to show up early and stay late and he eventually earned his license and was hired as a full time employee.
If Gardner had never believed he could make it, he never would have been able to push himself to reach his goal. Gardner knew he could succeed in the business and his positive and hard working attitude towards his work helped him reach his goal. Gardner's ability to believe he could reach his goal helped provide him the strength he needed to get there.
Believe your dreams can happen and the road to reaching your goals might be tough but can be walked upon despite the obstacles. There will be times in which the path to reach your goal will not be easy but believing you can still reach your dream will help you complete the journey.
How difficult is it to say those three words?
"Yes I can!"
To reach your goals in business and in life, you have to believe that what you are striving for can be attainable. Not all goals are easy to attain but not believing you can reach for what you want can hinder your progress. In order to earn what you want to achieve, you have to believe in yourself and know you can tackle any obstacle that stands in the way.
In many different professions, the people working to provide safety to others, entertainment and play sports have to believe in themselves in order to do their jobs well. Doctors have to believe they can treat patients to the best of their ability in order to provide the best care and firefighters and police officers have to believe in themselves when going to save and protect others. From an entertainment and sports standpoint, theater directors have to believe they have the ability to take a script and make the best show possible for audiences to see, filmmakers have to believe they can make a great film with the tools and actors they have to work with and professional athletes have to believe in themselves to perform at the best of their abilities. Believing in yourself spreads across many different professions and success will come if you know you can reach your goals.
Another popular example of believing in oneself is looking at the life of Chris Gardner, a stockbroker whose rags to riches story was turned into the film The Pursuit of Happyness. In the early 80s, Gardner was determined to succeed as a stockbroker and believed he could make it in that industry. Gardner was working as an intern at the Dean Witter Reynolds brokerage firm and often stayed late and arrived early to make outgoing phone calls to prospective clients. Gardner's belief he could succeed helped provide him the strength he needed to show up early and stay late and he eventually earned his license and was hired as a full time employee.
If Gardner had never believed he could make it, he never would have been able to push himself to reach his goal. Gardner knew he could succeed in the business and his positive and hard working attitude towards his work helped him reach his goal. Gardner's ability to believe he could reach his goal helped provide him the strength he needed to get there.
Believe your dreams can happen and the road to reaching your goals might be tough but can be walked upon despite the obstacles. There will be times in which the path to reach your goal will not be easy but believing you can still reach your dream will help you complete the journey.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
The More Skills You Learn, the More Opportunities That Can Arise
When looking to build your career, having a wide set of skills can not only help get your more opportunities but could open up more doors along the way. As they always say, "throwing all your eggs in one basket" in terms of a skill set can limit you at times so exploring different opportunities to learn more will help you out in the long run.
If you are a college student, take advantage of the internship and learning opportunities your school has to offer. Many schools out there have invested a lot of time and money into getting new equipment, networking with individuals looking for college interns, finding different ways for students to study abroad, etc. College is a time for learning and taking the time to take part in different projects, use the different equipment available, and even studying abroad can help lay the foundation for finding your first job out of college. Taking advantage of opportunities to learn different skill sets will make you more marketable to employers and help find what you really want to do.
For those who are already in the workforce, networking can help increase your skill sets and make you more marketable. Taking time to talk with people in your network and sharing your goals can help the people you are talking to point you in the right direction. These people within your network might know someone who can provide the guidance needed to find different ways in which you can increase your skills set.
In addition to networking, taking classes can help increase your skills set and put you a step ahead of other candidates looking for a position. Many professional salesmen take outside sales classes to learn different ways to sell over the phone, schedule appointments, and close the deal. These classes are time consuming but provide these salesmen with additional skills to find and close new business. Having additional training on a resume can help set you apart from other candidates and could be a deciding factor in getting an interview and in some cases, getting hired. Taking the time to learn additional skills can help your career move along and put you ahead of the competition.
Whether you are a college student or seasoned professional, taking the time to learn other skills can help you benefit your career and the opportunities that come with the additional training.
If you are a college student, take advantage of the internship and learning opportunities your school has to offer. Many schools out there have invested a lot of time and money into getting new equipment, networking with individuals looking for college interns, finding different ways for students to study abroad, etc. College is a time for learning and taking the time to take part in different projects, use the different equipment available, and even studying abroad can help lay the foundation for finding your first job out of college. Taking advantage of opportunities to learn different skill sets will make you more marketable to employers and help find what you really want to do.
For those who are already in the workforce, networking can help increase your skill sets and make you more marketable. Taking time to talk with people in your network and sharing your goals can help the people you are talking to point you in the right direction. These people within your network might know someone who can provide the guidance needed to find different ways in which you can increase your skills set.
In addition to networking, taking classes can help increase your skills set and put you a step ahead of other candidates looking for a position. Many professional salesmen take outside sales classes to learn different ways to sell over the phone, schedule appointments, and close the deal. These classes are time consuming but provide these salesmen with additional skills to find and close new business. Having additional training on a resume can help set you apart from other candidates and could be a deciding factor in getting an interview and in some cases, getting hired. Taking the time to learn additional skills can help your career move along and put you ahead of the competition.
Whether you are a college student or seasoned professional, taking the time to learn other skills can help you benefit your career and the opportunities that come with the additional training.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Whenever There is a Guest Speaker, Introduce Yourself!
If you are a college student, getting involved in different organizations around campus is a great way to meet new people and make friends. Oftentimes, campus organizations that are professionally based or provide work experience will have outside professionals come in and give a speech. Time might be limited for these people on a normal basis but can pay dividends later on if you take time to introduce yourself after the speech.
Whenever there is a guest speaker who comes in and gives a talk to any organization you are apart of, take time to introduce yourself and exchange business cards with that person. This person is taking time out of his or her day to come speak with people and meeting this person face-to-face shows interest and initiative on your part. It will show this person you are interested in what he or she talked about and provides you an opportunity to speak one-on-one for a couple of minutes. This gives the guest speaker an opportunity to know you and put a name with the face when you send a follow up e-mail.
When sending that follow up e-mail, keep it short, sweet, to the point and ask if the person has any other time to speak with you for further advice on reaching your career goals. The worst this person could say is no and getting more time to speak with him/her could open up more doors in the future. Be respectful of time and politely ask if you could spare more time in the future for advice on reaching your career goals.
From a personal standpoint, this approach has helped me develop great business relationships, landed me a couple of internships and even a part-time job! Some of the people I have introduced myself to after a talk or speech have helped me with networking, reaching out to other professionals in the area and there are a couple of introductions that led to internships later on. I once introduced myself to a guest speaker after a networking meeting and a week later, that person e-mailed me an opportunity for part-time work (which I ended up getting!). Had I not taken the time to introduce myself, these possibilities never would have happened so my five minutes with these people paid dividends in the end.
Whenever there is a guest speaker who comes in and gives a talk to any organization you are apart of, take time to introduce yourself and exchange business cards with that person. This person is taking time out of his or her day to come speak with people and meeting this person face-to-face shows interest and initiative on your part. It will show this person you are interested in what he or she talked about and provides you an opportunity to speak one-on-one for a couple of minutes. This gives the guest speaker an opportunity to know you and put a name with the face when you send a follow up e-mail.
When sending that follow up e-mail, keep it short, sweet, to the point and ask if the person has any other time to speak with you for further advice on reaching your career goals. The worst this person could say is no and getting more time to speak with him/her could open up more doors in the future. Be respectful of time and politely ask if you could spare more time in the future for advice on reaching your career goals.
From a personal standpoint, this approach has helped me develop great business relationships, landed me a couple of internships and even a part-time job! Some of the people I have introduced myself to after a talk or speech have helped me with networking, reaching out to other professionals in the area and there are a couple of introductions that led to internships later on. I once introduced myself to a guest speaker after a networking meeting and a week later, that person e-mailed me an opportunity for part-time work (which I ended up getting!). Had I not taken the time to introduce myself, these possibilities never would have happened so my five minutes with these people paid dividends in the end.
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