“This week, I started my summer internship in New York City with a Public Relations firm. I’m so excited to be able to have this experience and so far, it’s been great! Since I know many CF readers want to do an internship in the future, are participating in an internship program now, or dream of some day having a job or internship in a city like New York, I’m going to recap my weeks interning so that you can live vicariously through me and learn from my experiences. “

“You’ll hear about some of my responsibilities, my day-to-day clothing selection, the food and shopping I discover in NYC and more, so tune in each Tuesday for my weekly diary! Read on to see how my first two days went. “

Week One

Week Three

Does this sound like any of the conversations you’ve played over and over in your mind? Well, great! This simply means that you are a conscientious individual who realizes the impact decisions have on your future. Just note that you are not alone. Many students are asking these hard questions and are weighing the cost of their decisions. From the halls of high school, to the cafés on the college campuses, we are expected to made hard decisions at many points in our lives.

Need help deciding? Here is some advice.

Applying for that internship just might be the answer.

Internships are great ways to learn about a company, gain valuable knowledge, and network with industry professionals and meet colleagues. Taking the step to secure an internship gives you a competitive edge over other candidates. You will gain real life experiences that employers are looking for to manage their businesses successfully. Moreover, most internships are for a short period of time, normally 8 to 10 weeks which gives you the opportunity to really decide …

Full story

So now, summer means one thing: interning.

Internships are probably the most important thing you can have on your resume these days and summer is the perfect time to gain that coveted interning experience: you don’t have to work around a class schedule and you can really focus on the job. But there’s more to a summer internship than just showing up. If you’ve landed yourself an internship this summer and you want to make the most of it, there are a few things to remember. I’ve been doin’ the internship thing for a long time, so let me share some of my hard-earned knowledge.

1. Coffee really does make the world go round.
Your daily Starbucks run may classify you as the “coffee bitch,” but through the transitive property, your power is greater than you know.  Your boss, their assistant, and 10 other colleagues send you to retrieve their crack-in-a-cup.  It’s their fuel for the day; they couldn’t function without it.  If you failed to get the coffee, the company would fall to pieces, so basically you’re the CEO.

2. The word “no” does not exist.
Kindergarten teachers and parents alike have us fooled; “no” is not part of the English language, it is only a myth.  When asked a question while interning, your answer is always YES.  There is no task that is “beneath” you and you need to be willing to do anything.  If you turn down an opportunity, your employer will view you as lazy and that is one of the worst professional reputations to have.

3. The copy machine has more functions than you think.
Unless super old-school, copy machines can do just about anything.  It may be embarrassing to ask, but make sure you know the extent of this brilliant machinery.  Memorize the name and Google it when you get home.  If you find yourself copying for an extreme amount of time doing an absurd project, chances are there is any easier way to get it done. And when you figure out that way, your superiors will be very impressed.

4. It is OK to lie (a little bit) to get ahead.
We all experience the catch 22: you wont be selected for opportunities if you have no experience, but you can’t get the experience if you’re not given the chance. If you are one of many interns, sometimes it is hard to stand out, and even harder to be chosen for special tasks.  In certain cases, it is OK to pretend you have done something even if you have not.  As long as you are confident that you won’t be completely clueless, you can exaggerate past experience to gain favor over the other interns.

5. Life isn’t by the books.
No matter what industry you are interested in going into, there are certain procedures, rules, etc. that you will learn in school.  Your classes teach you the “right” way to do things, and how things are technically supposed to operate.  One of the biggest lessons you will learn from interning, is that taking a short-cuts isn’t cheating; it’s a very smart strategy.  Interning teaches you how things are really done, as opposed to how they’re supposed to be done according to your textbook. These valuable lessons are ones you can’t learn in a classroom.

6. Have no regrets: internships that you dislike are just as important as the ones you do like. You may find yourself hating an internship and complaining that it is something you NEVER want to do.  That’s great news.  The best way to find something that you truly want to do, is ruling out the things you don’t want.  There is no way to find out until you try it, so gaining this knowledge is so important.

Source: http://collegecandy.com/2010/05/23/lh-6-things-i-learned-as-an-intern/

• San Francisco: Manage relationships with merchandise providers, manage licensing agreements, help negotiate new licensing agreements, manage workflow of merchandise production from end to end, assist with site and advertiser feedback. Hang out with the reddit engineers in our terrarium conveniently located inside the Wired Magazine offices (overlooking South Park in SOMA, close to BART and CalTrain). Expected commitment is 20 hours a week.
• New York: Business development and marketing duties would include finding and managing relationships with potential advertising sponsors and publishing partners. Expected to work on reddit projects for 20 hours a week. Can work from home or school, but weekly in-person meetings will be required at the famous Conde Nast headquarters in Times Square … or some swanky coffee shop.
• Requirements for both internships: smart, active reddit addict user, self-starter, good at pub trivia, willing to play or learn to play strategy board games (Carcassone, Settlers, etc.) in the off times (there aren’t many). Extra points for willingness to try Starcraft 2 (if you can believe the release dates). Level 60+ WoW character a plus. Please include character race, class, and spec (girl characters are a-okay, but hunters need not apply).

Along with your resume please include the answers to the following questions:

• What is your user name?
• What is your karma?
• What is your favorite color?
• What quarter(s) are you available?
• Have you ever run a marketing campaign for anything (club, social event, etc.)?
• Do you have any familiarity with the production of T-shirts or other such merchandise? (It’s okay if you don’t.)

Internships are unpaid (or at least not paid very well — lunch plus commute time) and intended for course credit. However, you get a rare look at the inside of reddit (and Conde Nast / Wired), and you’ll be doing actual real stuff, not sitting around filing uparrows or running out for coffee. If you’re interested, please contact us at internship@reddit.com. Please check with your college on eligibility requirements: we’re legally required to ask you for a Letter of Credit.

Internships in the fashion industry have been selling for up to $42,500. That’s how much one job seeker paid for a one-week internship with Vogue magazine editor Anna Wintour. in comparison, an unpaid semester-long gig with designer Donatella Versace looks like a bargain at $5,250.

Paying thousands of dollars to fetch someone their morning latte may be a little extreme, but it’s no secret that people starting their careers will go to great lengths to get their foot in the door. unfortunately for the 2 million students graduating from college this year, a new Labor Department crackdown on unpaid internships will likely put eagerly anticipated career plans on hold.

According to Labor Department bureaucrat Nancy Leppink, “there aren’t going to be any circumstances where you can have an internship and not be paid and still be in compliance with the law.”

Leppink is presumably still waiting to receive a thank-you note from the nation’s college students, but they’ll have plenty of free time to write her this summer. Faced with the threat of federal lawsuits, many companies may end up canceling or restricting their internship programs, cutting off a vital resource for countless young Americans.

Anyone who has braved the classified ads (or Craigslist) looking for their first job out of college has encountered the same Catch-22. Any job that looks interesting requires experience, but to get experience you need a job. More and more, internships offer a bridge across that gap — 83 percent of college students complete at least one before graduation, and roughly half of those are unpaid.

The television industry is notoriously hard to break into, for instance, so many people start out in part-time and unpaid positions. I doubt that Oprah Winfrey regrets her time as a lowly intern at the CBS station in Nashville. She’s in good company: Other famous former interns include Steven Spielberg, Carl Bernstein, Donald Trump, and Frank Lloyd Wright.

A common misconception is that unpaid interns provide “free” labor. But for a business, each intern costs real money to train and supervise. If the Labor Department tacks on a few thousand dollars in pay, it will no doubt convince many employers that interns just aren’t worth the trouble.

Right now, thousands of young college graduates would love to work for free for a few months, and thousands of companies are willing to open their doors and spend time and resources to train and mentor them (even Anna Wintour is giving the money to charity). But with summer approaching and internship opportunities drying up, it’s looking more and more likely that those young people will instead resort to low-paying jobs for which they are overqualified. not only will they end up spinning their wheels when they should be laying the foundation for their career, they’ll also crowd out uneducated workers looking to find basic employment.

Sometimes the government is faced with truly difficult decisions. This is not one of those times: Preserving internship opportunities for college students and young Americans only requires that the government get out of the way.

For the sake of everyone hoping to step on the first rung of the ladder, I hope that common sense makes a comeback with Labor Department leaders. And I hope that whoever bought that internship at Vogue gets their money’s worth.

Unfortunately, neither of those things seems likely.

Michael Saltsman is the research fellow at the Employment Policies Institute, a nonprofit research organization dedicated to studying public policy issues surrounding entry-level employment.

Source: http://www.hollywoodhousecall.com/without-internships-oprah-might-not-be-a-mogul

Indeed, internships have become an implicit requirement for college students seeking employment after graduation. One recent survey found that half of new college graduate hires had previously completed internship experiences at the firm at which they were hired (Gardner et al. 2008; NACE 2008). A separate survey of employers found that 76% of firms reported relevant work experience in the form of internships as the primary decision to hire a new college graduate (NACE 2008). Employers have come to expect an increasing skill level and prior work experience for their new hires even before graduates start employment; internships are thus a key mechanism for students and recent graduates to develop these proficiencies (Hanneman and Gardner 2009).

Despite internships’ importance to the labor market as a crucial form of vocational training and pre-employment vetting, they are only loosely regulated through vague and outdated employment law. Moreover, these regulations go essentially unenforced. As this paper demonstrates, a lack of clear regulation and enforcement of internship-related laws:

• Leaves the majority of interns unprotected by workplace discrimination and harassment statues such as the Civil Rights Act, Americans with Disability Act, and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act;
• Fosters the growth of unpaid internships, which in turn limits participation to only the students who can afford to forego wages and pay for living expenses, effectively institutionalizing socioeconomic disparities; and
• Permits (and even incentivizes) the replacement of regular workers with unpaid college students and recent graduates.

In light of these outcomes, this paper contends that the current system of regulations governing internships must be reformed, both for the immediate protection of students’ rights and also to maintain a strong and vibrant labor market that compensates all workers fairly.

Mitchell H. Rubinstein

Source: http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/adjunctprofs/2010/05/more-on-student-unpaid-internships.html

1. Research the company. Spend some time online to find out who they are, what they are up against in the marketplace and any recent developments in their business category. Not only will you feel more confident as you walk into the interview, you will show that you are truly interested in contributing.

2. Be a good listener. Although the purpose of the interview is to show the kind of person you are and what you are capable of, let the interviewer take the lead and be ready to respond when called upon. Questions will come your way and it’s perfectly fine to pause to collect your thoughts before you speak. Once you start, make sure that you stay on track and completely answer the question.

3. Since you probably don’t have much work experience yet, the interviewer will ask questions that indirectly speak to what your capabilities are. Finding out about some of the choices you’ve made as a college student is a good way to do so. Be ready to answer questions such as “Tell me about one of your term papers and explain why you chose the topic.” Don’t be afraid to discuss a shortcoming about yourself that you’ve discovered along the way, especially if it gives you an opportunity to share what you learned in the process.

4. Have an example ready to share. If there is a completed project or piece of writing that you are proud of, it’s a good idea to refer to it when speaking and bring it out to look at. If not, that’s okay, too. Instead, tell a story of a group dynamic that you are involved with or discuss results of a marketing focus group that you participated in as part of your response to a question.

A thank-you note soon after the interview is over is a must. It can be via email if your original correspondence with the interviewer was done that way. A hand-written or typed letter via snail mail can’t go wrong either. You want to express your gratitude for the time spent and ask to be considered for the internship. The more you get out there and go through this process, the more confident you’ll be.

Julie Clark Robinson writes for a wide variety of publications. Her many interests includeonline degree programs and online college graduate programs.

Source: http://www.virtuinfo.com/36425/interview-tips-for-college-internships/

That’s right; at the top of the reining-music-queen’s wish-list is an internship with London milliner Philip Treacy.  The hat maker — known for his exotic, wild designs that Gaga often rocks on the red carpet — confirmed that he recently received the superstar’s résumé and application for his internship program. (No word on whether or not she’s gotten the job!)

Lady Gaga isn’t the first celebrity to take on an internship role despite already being wildly successful. Kanye West did an unpaid stint at the Gap last year and hockey player Sean Avery interned at Vogue in 2008.  So forget what you know about internships being for college students; these celebrities confirm that it’s never too late – and you’re never too successful — to be an intern.

If you’ve found yourself stuck in a career rut or you’ve always wondered what it’s like to work in a particular profession, there’s no time like the present. Check out our below tips for intern-hopefuls of any age.

1. Use your connections: When applying for an internship, ask family and friends if they know anyone who works in the field you’re interested in.  Like in any job search, an “in” at a company will help you land a job — especially if the company doesn’t have an established internship program.

2. Start your search early: If you think you’ll have time to do an internship in the fall, start looking now.  Companies with established internship programs often hire months in advance. Visit sites like CareerRookie.com for internship listings.

3. Check out non-profits: Non-profits often have limited budgets, making them especially receptive to the extra help an intern provides.  Non-profit companies require the same functions as for-profit corporations, so expect to find opportunities in human resources, research, communications and accounting.

4. Find a mentor: Once you land an internship, find a mentor in the company — someone whose job you’d love to do or who knows the industry well.  Ask to shadow this person for a day or set up an informational interview so you can ask questions about the job.

5. Maximize the opportunity: Even if you spend a lot of time at the photocopier or getting coffee, make the most out of your time as an intern. Check out your surroundings. What is the atmosphere like? Do people in the industry seem happy? What are the hours? Also, don’t be afraid to ask for more responsibility. Say something like “I’ve always wanted to try event planning. Do you need any extra help setting up the event tonight?” It never hurts to ask, and you’ll demonstrate your interest in the job.

For more information on internships for older workers, check out CareerBuilder’s article: “Older Workers Taking on Interships.”

New grads and college students: take a look at “Why Are Interships so Important” or visit CareerRookie.com.

Source: http://www.theworkbuzz.com/career-advice/if-lady-gaga-can-do-it-…/

Interns at Rocky Mountain Vacation Rentals gain valuable work experience in a fast-paced environment where you will research, implement, and receive professional guidance for your project(s). You will learn through hands-on experience, all while living in the exciting Vail Valley where you will also find time to hike, bike, raft, fish, etc.!

To learn more about our intern program, please visit:

http://www.rockymountainvacationrentals.com/opportunities/internships.html

The submission deadline for Fall 2010 submissions is August 6, 2010, although the sooner you submit the better.

Good luck, and watch for details regarding our Fall 2010 internship program.

For Credit: Hired interns must meet University requirements to obtain credit, minimum 3 credit hours for the duration of the internship.

More information available here:

http://www.internweb.com/internship/CO/13587/9364

Before founding Internweb.com, I worked in career services at a major university and in corporate recruiting for a major transportation company. As a result of these experiences, I determined that there are several strategies that make internship applicants stand out above the rest. It sounds a little strange, but similar to preparing for an entry-level job, the most successful students rack up experience and do some planning before applying for an internship. Below are five strategies to help you prepare for and secure your dream internship:

1. Get Experience

I know, I know, that’s what internships are for, right? WRONG! When I worked in career services, my job was to identify student candidates for high-level internships. Guess which students always shined? The ones who had some sort of previous related experience. Even when I later did corporate recruiting, I looked for experience in internship candidates.

The “experience” I am referring to falls into a number of categories. I will highlight a few here:

• School Activities: No matter where you go to school, chances are you’ve got a bazillion different clubs, organizations, etc. that you could join. Zero in on a few that are in or related to your field of interest. Are you interested in journalism? You should be pounding down the door of your school newspaper getting experience in as many departments as possible. Are you interested in Biology? You should join or head up a committee in the Biology or Clean Environment Club. You don’t have clubs like that at your school? Start one (now THAT would look great on a resume)!

• Volunteer Activities: In my experience working with students, this was one of the most under-utilized forms of experience. It surprised me because, even though a lot of volunteer opportunities were unpaid, they provided invaluable fodder for resumes. Are you interested in law? How about contacting a non-profit legal aid association to see if you could volunteer to file for a couple hours a week? Hey, maybe it could even evolve into an internship. Not only does volunteer work beef up a resume, it demonstrates that you are a concerned, responsible citizen. Not sure where to find out about volunteer activities? Start by inquiring with your career services office.

• “First Step” Internships: There is a misconception out there that internships are only for juniors and seniors. Untrue! In many cases, there are “first step” internships available to any students regardless of class standing. “First Step” internships are typically unpaid and may be more clerical in nature. Students who begin with this step may not have the most challenging assignments, however, they will be exposed to an organizational environment. In the internship game, simply having this exposure may give you a leg up over other students. Also, you’d be surprised at the number of students who start out in a clerical function within an internship and move into more advanced, relevant assignments. You may find some of these opportunities through Internweb.com or check with your career services office.

• School Projects: Whenever possible, utilize school projects to your advantage. For example, as an Information Systems major, your project may be to create a program for an airline reservation system. By all means, use this experience to your advantage by detailing the project and the programming tools used in future correspondence with employers.

2. Learn to Write a “Power Resume”

What do I mean by “Power Resume”? I mean one that will easily and thoroughly tell an employer that you are the right candidate for the job. This doesn’t mean plugging your demographic information into a pre-programmed resume template. It means honing in on the key skills/requirements that the employer is looking for. An employer should be able to easily tell from the top one- to two-thirds of your resume that you are the candidate they are looking for.

I recommend laying the internship description right next to your resume so you can change/target your information to coincide with the internship requirements. You may want to use a Qualifications section at the top of your resume that describes how your skills match each of the internship requirements. Another option is to include a Relevant Experience category towards the top that details all of your related school, volunteer, and/or previous internship experience.

Check out our example of a “Power Resume” that was tailored to a specific internship description. If you have never written a resume before, you will want to back up a step and first learn the basics of resume writing. Jobweb’s Guide to Resume and Cover Letter Writing can help you with this or check with your career services office. How you send your resume may be another story. Check out Rebecca Smith’s eResumes & Resources for information on sending resumes electronically or visit your career services office.

3. Learn to Write a “Power Cover Letter”

When I worked as a recruiter, I read so many generic cover letters from people that said “they were the best fit for the position”, that they were “very interested in my company”, and that they were “dedicated and hard-working”. While these statements all sounded admirable, they were nothing but words on paper. Why?

It can be likened to buying a new car. Suppose the salesperson told you that a car would be perfect for you because it was the “best darn car around” and that it was “sure to get you from point A to point B.” You might first laugh in the salesperson’s face before inevitably asking “what else?” You would want to know WHY it was the “best darn car around” and what differentiated it from other cars.

The same applies to a cover letter. Avoid simply stating that you are the “best darn car around”. If you tell an employer that you are the best fit for the position, follow it up with proof or examples of why you stand out from the rest. Check out our example of a “Power Cover Letter”that thoroughly substantiates the student’s claim of being an ideal internship candidate. If you have never written a cover letter before and need to learn the basics, check out Jobweb’s Guide to Resume and Cover Letter Writing or visit your Career Services office.

4. Practice, Practice, Practice Your Interviewing Skills

In most cases, if an employer is interested in the cover letter and resume you submitted, they will call you in for an interview. Similar to writing an effective resume and cover letter, you will need to do some research and preparation. Depending on your industry of choice, you may even want to prepare a portfolio that includes relevant work or writing samples. It is a good idea to think of this interview the same that you would an interview for an entry-level job.

When I interviewed candidates for internships, there were some things that stood out among the candidates that were ultimately offered internships:

• They did their research on the company and brought up points of interest in the interview.

• They had questions for me during and after I had finished asking my questions. It made a negative impression on me if an internship candidate I was interviewing did not have any questions. I knew the internship was going to be a major learning experience and that it could potentially lead to a full-time job. I thought it was important that the candidate learn as much about the internship as I learned about him or her. Asking questions also demonstrated interest and enthusiasm for the position.

• They appeared enthusiastic about the position. This didn’t mean they jumped up and down like a cheerleader, rather they demonstrated sincere interest in the position through a firm handshake, positive eye contact, confident body language and carefully thought-out responses.

• Last but not least, those that made an impression were those that TOLD me they wanted the internship. They clearly and specifically stated (to my face!) their interest in obtaining the position—very important.

There are many publications and resources to help you prepare for the questions you may be asked at an interview. You will find JobWeb’s Interviewing Advice or your career services office helpful for this purpose. If you have the option, I would also highly recommend participating in a mock interview. Often, your career services staff will hold interview role-play sessions that allow you to practice the entire process. Check with your career services office for more information.

5. Follow Up** (stars indicate GREAT IMPORTANCE!)

LISTEN UP (all right, now that I have your attention)!! This is VERY important and cannot be emphasized enough. Sending a follow-up thank you letter has got to be one of the most important things you can do in your internship search. This demonstrates a very important skill to employers…Follow through! Always be sure to send this out within 24 hours of the actual interview. In my recruiting experience, if two equally qualified candidates were being considered for one internship, I would wait to see who followed up. If only one did, that person became the top choice.

Within your thank you letters, I suggest indicating that you enjoyed learning whatever it was you learned from the interviewer (remember those questions you asked?), reiterating how your skills/experience fit the position and, again, explicitly stating your interest in the position. I am partial to a brief typed, laser-printed letter that is presented on resume-quality paper though other forms (email, fax) are generally acceptable as well.

* * *

In closing, I’d like to tell you all to keep an open mind, work hard and be yourself in your internship search. Though I can’t promise that the above steps will always result in landing your internship of choice (I think there is always a little bit of luck and fate in all that we do), they will certainly increase your chances. I wish you all the best in your internship and career search!

Tami Gove, B.A., M.S., is President of Internweb.com, an online source for free searchable internship listings and free internship posting. With experience in career services and in corporate recruiting, she saw a need for a site that connected students and employers on internship issues. Please visit the site at http://www.internweb.com.

Copyright © Internweb.com. This article may be printed, photocopied or duplicated for educational purposes only.