Posts Tagged ‘internships’
Stand Out from the Crowd: Keys to a Successful Job Search
When it comes time to find a summer internship, or a full-time job when you’re fresh out of college, it takes a lot to stand out from the pool of applicants who have the exact same goals as you. So make yourself unique, and try these five steps in order to significantly increase your chances of getting hired:
1. Update your Resume
Make sure your resume includes all relevant information that pertains to where you are applying. Sometimes you might need to make multiple versions in order to suit various applications. Instead of labeling your previous employment “Work Experience,” try calling it “Professional Experience,” especially if it is in your field (perhaps from a previous internship, a work study position, etc.). If you have worked in retail or food service, sometimes it’s better to leave that out to save space, unless the skills you gained are relevant to the position you are seeking. Remember, try to keep your resume down to one or two pages; the employers are looking at many at a time, and if you have more information on yours than necessary, it could be too overwhelming for them to really focus on.
2. Create a Personal Website
This is a great option, especially if you have a portfolio. Rather than turning in just a resume and cover letter that lists your achievements, provide a link to your website where the employer can view your actual work. That way, if they are truly interested, they can better familiarize themselves with what you do. This will also increase your chances of being contacted, based on the professional presentation you have given them to work with.
3. Show Demonstrated Interest
Don’t be so persistent to the brink of becoming an annoyance, but if you have a genuine interest in a specific company, try to meet up with recruiting representatives at job fairs or campus visits. That way, you’re able to get your name on the table and show that you would really like to work there. Give them a reason to think you would be a great addition to the company.
4. Follow-Up
Whether it’s after a job fair conversation or a formal interview, you should always follow up (an email is best) and thank the person/people you spoke with. For example, let them know you enjoyed talking with them and learning about the company, and that you look forward to hearing from them soon. After that, however, you need to leave it up to them for a while. It is unprofessional to inquire about a position if you are still within the decision period that they specified.
5. Stay Interested
Even if you don’t end up getting hired for that specific position, you can inform the company that you would be open to having them keep your resume on file (especially if you are very set on working with that company). This is not a guarantee, but having already interacted with them at this level can push you ahead of other applicants for newer positions.
In these five ways you can put yourself out there, showcase your abilities in a unique way, and make those companies remember you. As always, nothing is guaranteed in today’s job market, but repeating these steps as many times as it takes can certainly project you further. Good luck!
How to Make Nice With Fellow Interns
You’re ready for an incredible summer. But you’re far from home and all of your friends as you intern somewhere new for the next few months. You know your boss likes you and the work will go well, but you’re unsure about your fellow interns. Will you have anything in common? Will you have anything to talk about? What if they’re not nice? What if they just don’t like you? Though there’s lots of ways to get off on the wrong foot or create office enemies, more often than not interns manage to get along. There are lots of ways to at least be friendly with your colleagues and keep the tension down in the office—and you may just make a new best friend.
If you’re like Rachel Berry, you’re the top of the office. At school, you dominate your classes. At home, you’re the favorite child. At work, you breeze through your work and make your boss especially happy. You don’t care who stands in the way, you’ll rise to the top. But nobody likes a know-it-all-better-than-you type! If you fit into this personality type, you need to tone it down at work. Obviously, you’re allowed to succeed and work really hard to please your boss and potentially see a promotion in your future. Creating competition and tension in the office though by trying to one up your fellow interns—especially if you’re all working on the same project or within the same position—is no good. Not only with these other interns likely begin to resent you, but any future interns starting late will also hear about this annoying office superstar. Tone down your competitive edge a bit, help out your interns, and you’ll be just fine.
If you’re super shy, there are some easy ways to create a bond among those in your office. A simple smile can help bridge an awkward situation and bring about conversation. If you feel kind of socially awkward and don’t want or know how to make conversation, simply introduce yourself; the other person will then tell you a bit about themselves and perhaps further the conversation with some questions. Don’t be afraid to sit in silence either. Many people feel the need to blab into the quiet, but this isn’t always necessary. Unless you feel awkward, you can simply work away and perhaps start a new conversation during a lunch break or at an appropriate moment. Try to find some common ground or topics that are easy to talk about, like movies or even your internship itself. As time goes on, you’ll all feel more comfortable and talkative around each other, and conversations will flow.
Hanging out with fellow interns when you’re not in the same room or department as them can be difficult at first. If they don’t put in the effort to talk to you—or possibly don’t even know you exist in the office—you have to take the first step to put yourself out there more. Take a walk to the break room and don’t be afraid to say hello and introduce yourself to whoever’s in there. Listen for office meet-up opportunities after hours and join in. Even making a connection with the head of another department can help introduce you to your fellow interns and make friends. Plus, the more professional connections, the better for your future. By putting yourself out there, you’ll be doing a lot more than just building friendships.
Overall, remember interning isn’t meant to be a big social event. At the end of the day, your work comes first and worrying about office friendships shouldn’t be at the top of your list. You also shouldn’t be pushing your fellow interns to the side in your constant battle to be number 1, or claim responsibility for a group effort. Even if you are the only intern in your department, keep in mind there are other ways to meet people—around your neighborhood, during a night out, hanging out in public spaces. Besides, you’ll be with this company all summer, so don’t feel awkward if you’re not clicking right away. There’s plenty of time to bond with people in and outside of your work space. But even if you end the summer without any new besties for life, at least you’ll walk away with more experience to put on your resume. And there’s always your friends and family back home to turn to when you’re lonely!
Just be yourself, work hard and have fun. It is summer after all!
-ToonyToon
What is TEFL?
Ever wonder what it’s like on the other side of the classroom? More and more students have been getting certified to teach English after their undergrad degrees as a way to work and travel to break up their schooling or to take a break before they enter the work force. Depending on where your destination is, a person could make enough to start paying off student loans, although most of the time, a teacher will just break even especially when just starting out.
There are many different certifications out there to choose from. There is a traditional TEFL meaning teaching English as a foreign language. This is when a person goes to another country to teach English. Similarly, TESOL stands for teach English to speakers of other languages. There is also the ESL, which is where a person teaches English as a second language, more generally done in the United States to help others here strengthen their English proficiency. Generally, most schools require a 120-hour certification. Remember, sometimes once a program is purchased, you may have a certain amount of time for it to be completed. Many programs give you three months to complete a 120-hour program.
Some companies also offer specialist modules, which are certificates that accompany a TEFL certification. Some of these modules include teaching with limited resources, teaching one-on-one, teaching to large classes, teaching to young learners, and teaching business English. These can set you apart and help you get ahead of the competition.
Where do you find these companies? GoAbroad.com is a great way to find various travel companies. There seems to be endless companies where a person can get a legitimate certification, although thorough research should be done on a company before throwing your time and money into a program. Learning about the company through the website is the first step. Next, talk to alumni or people who have used the program. If the company has no way for you to contact people who have gone through the certification program, that will tell you this company may not be the best. A final step to ensure the legitimacy of a company is to contact them directly to see how you are treated and how long it takes for them to contact you back.
Once you have been certified, the next big decision is to decide on where to go. Asia is known to be the place to go to make and save the most money. Currently, there are high demands throughout Asia as well as some areas of Eastern Europe. Keep in mind; you do not need to know the language of the area you are going to. It is actually better for students to be engulfed in a completely English-speaking classroom. For your benefit, learning a bit of the language before departing would be a good idea as you may not need the language in the classroom, but it is essential for everyday life being out and about in the society getting groceries, ordering food and drinks, reading street signs, etc. Be aware of the safety hazards also before going. I would recommend getting the Smart Travel App created by the US Department of State that provides information about the safety of each country. Keeping updated on a country’s current events is
Teaching contracts range from public to private to governmental schools. Some include housing. Others include flight reimbursement. Some are for as little as two months or a summer session. Others are up to a year. Some companies give more support when looking for teaching jobs than others. This is a pivotal factor in choosing a company and choosing a destination. Be sure to research a destination on your own rather than blindly following a company’s suggestions.
While your friends are living at home, you could be teaching English is a foreign land working, gaining independence, and learning a whole new culture. Not to mention, doing things off the beaten track are looked well upon American companies!
Are Unpaid Internships Ethical?
It’s an employer’s market out there but is there any excuse for employers getting free labor from interns?
Interns have great ideas.
Sure, they might not be able to pull a project together by themselves and they’ll make gaffes in meetings that will make Joe Biden look like a suave speaker, but they’re eager and they’re fresh. Employers are definitely doing interns a favor by showing them the ropes, but employees who have been plugging away at the same job for a while can definitely benefit from an intern with new ideas.
Interns will do anything you want.
Remember when you were little and your parents made you do dumb stuff for them? I remember my dad would ask me to get the remote for him because he was too lazy to get up. My sister and I were also the resident dishwashers, dusters, footmen, butlers, and when we got older, lawnmowers. Like kids, interns are like personal slaves, in a good way. They take the load off the more experienced employees so that the big dogs can get important stuff done. Increased productivity? That’s worth a few bucks an hour.
Interns are poor.
A lot of kids in college these days are living life on credit with a hope that it will pay off one day. Asking anyone else to work for free would be ludicrous, not to mention illegal. Employers are allowed to do it under very specific criteria, criteria that aren’t widely known to the students who work for them. Here’s the low-down on unpaid internship restrictions. They must be:
• A “work experience;”
• A training activity;
• On-the-job training; or
• A “work experience” or training activity coupled with supportive services.
Most of us think “work experience” and think that covers just about all internships, but the specifications are much narrower than that. In fact, the employer must provide a structured training program for the program to qualify for “unpaid” status. If you’re getting coffee and filing (and not much else), be aware that your hiring company may be violating labor regulations. As if that wasn’t scary enough (interns aren’t exactly in a place to complain) those entry-level job positions you’ll be looking for post graduation are being worked by unpaid interns.
One-quarter to one-half of all internships are unpaid. Ironically (or perhaps expectedly), many of those interns are working for the United States government, who are exempt from the above guidelines. To me, that seems patently unfair. Do you agree or disagree? Sound off in the comments!
-Wonderbread
I’m reading Introduction Chemistry
Resumes Gone Wild: Is There Such a Thing As Sending Out Too Many Resumes?
Resumritis: a crippling disease that hits many job seekers, especially in the college realm. Symptoms usually include sending out an abundance of the same generic resume with the hopes that someone, somewhere will offer you at least an interview. The only cure for this disease is simply taking the time to tailor each resume to each specific job.
Johnny sent over 100 job applications out and didn’t receive any offers!
He’s probably suffering from resumritis…
That’s right, people. Resumritis affects a lot of people, but especially college students who are looking for a job right after they graduate. Is it real? Well, the concept is, but a quick search on WebMD won’t yield any results!
You see, people are taught this concept that sending out the same resume to every place you apply will eventually get you a job. But, is that really what you want – just a job? What about your dream job or that job that comes close to it? Don’t you think tailoring your resume to the interests and requirements the employer is looking for would gain you better results?
CollegeGrad.com did a survey some years ago that concluded that nearly 59 percent of all survey takers said that they send out 30 or more resumes in search of an entry-level job.
“Even in a down market, employment experts maintain that a tailored resume is the best approach,” said Adeola Ogunwole, Director of Marketing and Public Relations for CollegeGrad.com. “Instead of sending out as many resumes as possible, applicants may enjoy greater success if they focus on understanding the companies to which they are applying and modifying resumes to fit the exact qualifications needed for specific positions.”
In some cases, sending a gazillion resumes works out. But not only is that a poor habit, but it’s also a hapless way of thinking. Most people are unhappy at their current jobs because they took whatever fish was pulling on their bait in order to earn a little extra cash. Although some people don’t have a choice; if you’re given the opportunity to patiently apply for your dream job, then take it.
Some helpful tips:
- Read each job posting CAREFULLY. There’s nothing worse than someone sending you a resume or a cover letter that doesn’t answer any of the questions the employer was looking for. Not only is it wasting their time, but quite frankly it’s wasting your time as well. You want to use your time wisely, and reading the job description carefully will alleviate any confusion. Plus, you want to make sure their requirements fit what you’re looking for and willing to accept if offered the position.
- Tailor your experience to each job. If you have interned for six different companies that taught you six different skills, try to list the jobs that would best fit the employer’s faux pas. Even more, list the skills that each job taught you that match the position’s requirements. Can you list all of your past experiences? Sure! But if a marketing job is seeing a Social Media worker, chances are you might not want to include your work as you brother’s baby sitter.
- Resume length. Now this varies for each position. Students interested in working in any form of education typically list all of their experience…which can add up to two or more pages. Some companies, however, only want a one-page resume. For instance: typically I will send a two-page resume to internships I’m applying for. However, when I applied to grad school I spent two hours – yes, two hours – scaling my resume down to one page. Although it was time consuming, in the end I was happy that I took my time to produce a quality resume.
- Have fun! We forget to have fun sometimes, and I’m sure you’re wondering how you can have fun developing a resume. Easy: ask your friends to proofread your resume over dinner; teach your siblings how to write a resume through them watching you write yours; or, ask your parents if you can look over theirs if they have one. Trying to make the most out of any situation will help you in the end!
-Compton
I’m reading School-community Relations
