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Focus on Internships

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JobMonkey.com
Volume VIII, Issue #23
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If you are a college student or a recent college grad, there is no doubt that you are facing a tough job market. There are fewer entry-level positions due to cutbacks and you are competing for them with recently laid-off folks who have years of experience. The good news is that you can still get your foot in the door with a college (or post-college) internship. In fact, companies and organizations are especially eager to utilize interns during these tough economic times.

IN THIS NEWSLETTER:

1) Career Advisor: Tips for Interns
2) Spotlight: How to Find a College Internship
3) Around the Monkey: Volunteer Your Way into a New Job
4) JobMonkey Job Center: Internship Opportunities

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CAREER ADVISOR: Tips for Interns
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by Amy Lindgren

Know what time it is? If you're a student, it may be time to start spring internships, or to search for one for summer or fall.

Once considered the icing on the cake for graduates, internships are starting to look like the cake itself when it comes to job applications. Everyone wants to know, what did you do besides being a terrific student and resolving global warming with your research project?

Similarly, references from your internship may count more than missives written by professors. After all, an internship is like a job with training wheels, and your potential boss wants to know if you can ride solo.

If you want that glowing recommendation, you'll need to treat your internship more like a job than like a class. Here are some tips to help you:

1. Be reliable. Show up on time, stay your entire shift, never skip a shift without a very good reason and advance notice.

2. Communicate. Tell your supervisor what you've done each week and what might not be getting done.

3. Problem-solve. Don't just dump issues on your supervisor's lap; offer solutions if you can.

4. Collaborate. Remember you are a team member - and b-squad at that. Conduct yourself in the spirit of teamwork and don't expect to be a star in someone else's show.

5. Be adorable. Or at least not prickly, grumpy, standoffish...people want you to succeed, but only if they like you. So make that easy by doing likeable things, such as bringing in donuts or making the coffee sometimes.

Want motivation? Remember: A well-managed internship counts more in job search than 4.0s in five super-hard classes. Yow.

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SPOTLIGHT: Finding the Right College Internship
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As you work your way through college, you have probably spent a fair amount of time thinking about what life will be like after you graduate. Where will you live? What kind of job will you find? How will your college years have prepared you for your career?

Whatever your major, spending a few months interning is a great way to clarify these questions and gain hands-on experience in the field you want to pursue after graduation. Internships are temporary assignments, which may or may not be paid. Some allow you to earn college credit. A good intern supervisor will focus on your pre-professional training and development, making your internship an invaluable asset on your resume.

If you think you might want to set up an internship, here are some tips for starting your search:

* Meet with the intern coordinator from your school's Career Planning Center. Discuss your interest in interning and ask for help in narrowing your search to a specific field or industry. Some colleges bring recruiters on-campus to interview internship candidates. Research the companies that are hiring interns and set up an interview. Also look around your academic department's bulletin boards, as internship announcements are often posted there.

* Do some Internet sleuthing. Have you always wanted to work for Nike, Disney World, or CNN? Major organizations like these all have summer and year-round internship programs. Check out their websites to see if you meet their eligibility requirements. Then start working on your applications!

* Narrow your search to fields related to your academic major or past work experience. Even if you think an internship at a record label sounds amazing, your degree in Ancient Greek Mythology, coupled with your total lack of relevant work experience, will make probably make Sony a long shot - at best. Instead, pick industries that correlate with your strengths, skills and interest. On the other hand, internships are unlike full-time jobs in that the hiring process tends to be more open-ended. So if you really have your heart set on producing music, start thinking creatively about how best to sell your transferable skills.

* Consider your personal finances. If you can't afford to work for free, there are plenty of paid internships. Some offer a nominal stipend, others pay as much as $25 or more per hour. You can also intern part-time, while earning money from a paying job at night or on the weekend. If you are concerned about living expenses, ask mom and dad if you can live at home while interning. Sure, an internship at the State Department is great experience for a political science major, but you can learn just as much - if not more - by interning for your state government.

* Discuss for-credit internships with your faculty adviser. By interning during the semester, you reduce your course-load without losing valuable work time.

* Network with as many people as you can. Just like finding a full-time job, landing a great internship is as much about who you know as what you know.

If you want to learn more about the ins and outs of interning, check out JobMonkey's extensive section on college student internships.

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AROUND THE MONKEY: Volunteer Your Way into a New Job
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Internships are a great way to earn valuable work experience - and perhaps even to land your first post-graduation job. If you are looking for other ways to fill that empty space on your resume, considering volunteering. Volunteering teaches you new skills and introduces you to professionals who can help you with your job search.

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JOB CENTER REPORT: Internship Opportunities
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Whether you are looking for a paid internship or a full-time job, the JobMonkey Job Center has you covered. With hundreds of job and internship listings from around the country and the world, the Job Center is free for job seekers and updated daily.

Find current jobs in the Job Center.

 

 

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