InternshipRatings.com

By Allese Thomson Baker
Community Manager
Wesabe

Internships. A word of many colors for the college student; potential job, waste of time, stimulating taste of the “real word”, an endless hell of envelope stuffing, networking extravaganza, unpaid misery.  I’ve had plenty internships, luckily more that fit into the positive rather than negative category. Still, finding an internship that’s not only worth your time, but pays off your time, is not an easy task.

I can attest to this as during my last year at UC Berkeley, I quit my very well paying job as a waitress (that is, well paying for a college student- tips! tips!), to take an internship at an Internet start up. At the time I struggled with the pay cut, but upon graduation, was offered a comfy salaried position, with job-description way more interesting than any entry-level job I could have hoped for.

By searching for an internship where I could showcase my skills and think outside the box and then doing everything I could to be a valuable asset to the team, I was able to maximize my internship experience. I believe anybody can do this, and to virtually any internship. Here are few tips that I believe we’re central to my success.

Consider applying at a start-up
While working at a new company may not have the same name-brand appeal as working for an established company, start-ups are a lot leaner and chances are you’ll get to do much more “real” work. Also, because the company is trying to get its feet off the ground, the work you do makes and impact and the “big bosses” can see it. During my Wesabe internship, I interacted with the CEO (and most everyone else in the company) nearly every day, and attended company meetings.

Do Your Homework
Prior to your interview, research your potential new company (spend time- I am talking a few hours, not a few minutes- on their web site or see where their product is at in a store, read up on competitors, etc.). Takes notes and keep all this information in a notebook. During your interview, give some thoughts/feedback that shows you know, (1) a lot about their company and (2) to do research and have analytical skills. Transform the interview into dialogue by asking thoughtful questions.

To ease those nerves and help with prep, I would suggest brainstorming a list of questions in your notebook about your prospective position and the company in general. During your interview and ask those questions- remember you’re interviewing them too.

Be The Go-To Person At All Times
When you start, aim to be that responsible go-to person that can efficiently and quickly accomplish any task asked.

When I started at Wesabe, the CEO left me at my new desk and said he’d email me my first task. The subject line read: Competitive Matrix. I opened it. The contents: “Please use this model as the basis for your list. Best, Jason.” Attached was a list of the competition.”

That was it. I friggin’ freaked out. What the f$%^ was a competitive matrix? There was nothing else, no direction, no how-to, no example. So, I got resourceful, began googling, called everybody I knew about that might know what a competitive matrix. I checked out the competition. I pieced things together. When I had a grasp of what this competitive beast and our competition, I headed back to his office and asked if I was headed in the right direction. Turns out I had some things right and some things wrong. But my research made me look capable, responsible and like self-starter.

Be innovative: Think before you ask
Before you say, “I don’t know” or “I need help”, think, where could I find this answer? What other resources could help me answer this? Every single time, I do this before asking a question, I almost always find it’s something I could answer myself.

Additionally, “I don’t know” questions are always better, when you posed as, “In response to x task, I checked a, b, and c, resources and found d, is this the direction you’d like me to follow?”
Think like the CEO

When in doubt, think about what you could do that would best benefit the company. Really think, brainstorm, about how you expand your duties to help the company succeed, and then do it without being asked.

Take Notes and Always Have To – Do List
Whenever you meet with your boss, bring a pen and notebook and take COPIOUS notes. After your meeting has finished, recap the major points/deliverables to your boss, so you can make sure your both on the same page.

After the meeting, I often summarize the contents of my notes and then try to think outside the box. Given these priorities, what else can I do to help the company succeed?  I add these to my to-do list.

If you’re going to take an internship, put in all you’ve got and chances are you’ll get it back two-fold. If you don’t feel you can do the extra work to maximize your internship (researching one that’s worth your time, preparing for the interviews, going the extra mile when hired), than it probably won’t be worth your time or not being paid. Putting that extra 110% means your actually exploring a career and building a foundation and network for your own career. And, that, I believe, is absolutely worth it.

Allese Thomson Baker is the community manager at Wesabe (www.wesabe.com), an online money management tool and community. Allese graduated this past May from UC Berkeley with a degree in the History of Art and transformed her student Internship into a full time job. She now lives in San Francisco and is usually found raving about contemporary art and social media, buried in a book or playing with her dog, Riley.

By Ulrike Klein
Operations, Non-profit

Here are a few things you should remember when you are tackling one of your countless internships in the near future.

An internship is supposed to prepare you for the real world. It is  supposed to give you work experience and frankly, these are the people that you will likely put down as references for your first few job. The ladder is something interns seem to forget sometimes, because who doesn’t want a great reference from an intern supervisor!

A few things about generation “Y” are absolutely fantastic. You can multitask like no other. You are absolutely in tune with the Internet and electronics. Us Generation X’ers can definitely learn from you, however, being connect via different media day in and day out comes with challenges.

1. Texting and chatting - For heaven’s sake! Be discreet. I don’t tell my interns not to text or not to chat; I  know Facebook can be important after 3 hours of database crunching. I think they do great, high quality work and I do trust them to a certain degree. However, when I walk by your desk in any given week and I see several chat windows opens, a few questions arise, which are as follows:
Can I trust this person with a deadline?
Did this project REALLY take that long or did they goof off chatting or switching between screens every few second prolonging it?
What am I supposed to tell the person who gave them the project when they ask me why the project isn’t done, if I know there is a lot of chatting going on?

2. Being on time.
I can’t stress how important it is to be on time when you are starting an internship. Even when you work in a laid back office environment, being on time or even a bit early speaks volumns to your engagement, reliability and trustworthiness. It also shows that you respect the rules of the workplace.
There is honestly no excuse that works for me for being late. I am here, I use public transportation. End of story.

Interns are a really important part of many companies. Depending on where you end up it can be a great experience or a challenging one. I always treat interns as equals, after all, they often do things I don’t have time for or I need help with and sometimes they can do it better than me.

That being said. I know being an intern can sometimes be a thankless job. Not every supervisor will tell you during the interview that you might be stuffing envelopes. I remember internships where I was relegated to some back room and the entire building could have instantly combusted - no one would have missed me. But even those experiences end up preparing you for the “real world”,which is exactly what an internship is supposed to do.

Boring work? I got news for you. I love my job and career, but there are days where I am bored to tears, yet required to do just as great of a job.
Co-workers you might not like? Not a problem at my current job, but I certainlly have had to work with difficult people and maybe some have found me difficult as well. You have to look at these situations like working in customer service. This is your job and you are supposed to do a good job. So unless there is some bullying or mobbing going on, suck it up and get through it.

So, take note! Get up 10 minutes early, try to throw on some work appropriate clothing (whatever that might be in your industry, we all know it’s different for Bank of America than at a nonprofit), be on time, keep your texting and chatting in check. And also remember why, because if you don’t your supervisor will start doubting your ability to work on deadlines and your trustworthiness with such.

By Becky Steinberg
Boston University 2010
Mass Communication, Public Relations & Spanish

Hola! I am a junior at Boston University, majoring in PR and currently studying abroad in Madrid, Spain. My study abroad program allows me to take an internship for credit, giving me a unique opportunity to observe office-culture outside the States. I work in a small marketing firm, Elipse Iniciativas and these are just a few of the cultural differences I wanted to share:

·    Kisses. I love the Spanish two-kiss salutation (also prevalent in other European countries). In general, I think it makes Spaniards less socially awkward and starts any relationship off on positive footing. In my experience, it also affects office culture. My 30-something boss greeted me with two cheek kisses my first day, immediately establishing a friendly relationship and making me feel like “one of them” rather than a foreign, temporary intern. I greatly appreciated it, and as a result felt more comfortable participating in the office banter and asking questions about everything from my assignments to Madrid nightlife. While this may not sound revolutionary, think about how long it takes to develop equally informal relationships with co-workers in the U.S when both parties speak English fluently.

·    Siesta. A two-hour lunch break. At my last internship in Boston, my boss wouldn’t take lunch breaks most days, sending me to get a salad and Diet Coke from the Au Bon Pain downstairs instead, which she would eat at her computer. Here, the siesta allows professionals to eat with co-workers, go home to eat with their families and even take a quick nap. I don’t have time to go back to my apartment, so I spend the time eating a three-course-meal with my co-workers or grabbing a sandwich and sitting on the patio with them, ultimately allowing us to be friends in addition to co-workers. Siesta also provides a break from the stresses that accompany deadlines, last-minute changes and computer malfunctions. My boss, for example, at the height of the craziness of planning the Madrid Marathon, would still come out to a long lunch. The siesta seems to help everyone stay sane, even amid event-planning frustrations. They say Spaniards have generally long lifespans, and it’s definitely not because the smoking restrictions (smoking in restaurants the university hallways is still custom). My money is on the siesta.

·    Politically Correct—the Spanish are not, or so I’ve been told. While I’ve never had a personal experience that speaks to this, in preparation for our entrance into the work force here, our internship-director shared one of her experiences. Apparently, her co-worker didn’t know she was pregnant and told her frankly that she looked like she was gaining weight and should probably stop eating so much. She told him she was indeed pregnant, to which he replied she should still maybe think about eating less.

To sum up, my experience at Elipse definitely verifies how my host-brother describes the Spanish attitude towards work: “We work to live, not live to work.”

Christine M. Perry, R.Ph.
Pharmacist Recruiter
SUPERVALU Pharmacies

Business etiquette is made up of significantly more important things than knowing which fork to use at lunch with a client. People may feel that if you can’t be trusted not to embarrass yourself in business and social situations, you may lack the self-control necessary to be good at what you do. Etiquette is about presenting yourself with the kind of polish that shows you can be taken seriously. Etiquette is also about being comfortable around people (and making them comfortable around you!) Here are some business etiquette tips to remember.

Business Attire:
- Attire should be noticed as appropriate & well-fitting, but it should not take center stage
- If in doubt, err on the side of dressing better than you might need to
- Carefully inspect clothes for tags, dangling threads, etc.
- Men: belt color should match shoes & always wear long-sleeved shirts
- Women: don’t confuse club attire with business attire & keep makeup conservative
- Use perfume/cologne sparingly or not at all & you should not smell like smoke

Business Etiquette:
- Standing up to greet someone is always polite (especially w/ elderly, superiors, & intros)
- Shake hands upon meeting, doesn’t matter who puts hand out first, regardless of gender

Phone Etiquette:
- Answering the phone with a smile gives the caller a welcomed feeling & will generally result in a smother conversation
- It is never ok to not return phone calls

Party & Social Event Etiquette:
- Don’t even consider not going unless you have a justifiable excuse
- Stay long enough to speak to everyone there (if reasonable), at least an hour
- Be prepared with open-ended questions to get others to talk

Dining Etiquette:
- The purpose of the meal is to interact (eating is secondary)
- Follow the lead of your host or hostess
- Solids on the left, liquids on the right
- Always use your silverware from the outside in
- Never place your napkin on your plate
- It is best not to order alcohol even if the interviewer does
- Never criticize or state a dislike for a food that is served to you, instead simply eat foods you do like & make an attempt to taste unfamiliar foods
- Be discreet if you drop something on the floor or get something stuck in your teeth

By Malia Lawson
HR Professional/Recruiter
HRbrain4hire@gmail.com
Boston, MA

I’ll start by admitting that I also seriously considered the title: “How to Get the Attention of an Insanely Busy HR Professional” because…well…this is, sadly, the lens through which I currently see all applicants. While I have certainly not lost perspective and gotten self-important in the least, and I actually would love it if I had time to speak with all of the drop-by visitors who are clever enough to find our corporate offices, there is just not enough time!

However, when I met the creators of this site, they immediately earned my respect with their novel approach to the age-old office drop in, and were rewarded (?) with 15-minutes of my best stream-of-consciousness material on the benefits and challenges of corporate internship programs. It went something like this.

Introduction

Most of you readers are eager students just trying to get that ‘foot in the door’ that could one day help you to get your entire body in and create a full-fledged career. So how do you get that clog, flip-flop, loafer, converse, or high heel wedged into the small space separating college from the ‘real world’ you’ve heard so much about? Well, the good news is, if you’ve managed to get into college; getting an internship should be easy!

Nevertheless, going in armed with a little inside information can’t hurt either, right? Working as an HR Professional/Recruiter for the past 10 years in this area, I must admit that while I enjoy working with folks like you who are new to the workforce more than almost anything, there are certain things that drive me absolutely berserk! Do I like a curmudgeon? Oh well.

First Impressions Begin WAY Before Your Interview

How did the folks from Internshipratings.com manage to coax me out from behind the alarmed door that most offices nowadays when so many try and fail? First, they were polite to the person working at the front desk and gave her clear, concise, persuasive information as to the purpose of their visit.

Pretty simple, right? This might work for prospective interns as well (wink, wink), but it might not. If you cannot get a live person to come out and speak with you, do not be offended. try asking the person sitting behind that desk about the best way to get your resume to the right person in the organization. What few people realize is how much a busy person in my shoes relies upon the impressions made on the person out front, whether the candidate calls, emails or arrive in person. Never, ever be rude to the receptionist!

Do Your Homework

* Research the company & industry. And for goodness sake—look at their website!
* Understand which internships are open; the requirements from your school before you even apply. It is not the company’s responsibility to know all the details of your school’s internship program. Knowing this information from the start impresses employers and shows maturity.
* Write down questions (good ones) that will get you more information and reveal how smart you are, but that do not sound as if you are sucking up. How do I know which are good ones? Good questions are original, sincere, specific to the company, and those which you are actually interested in hearing the answers to. in the answers. Some say that flattery will get you everywhere, and they are often right.
* Know what you expect to gain from the internship ahead of time. Having your own personal, professional goals in mind up front will dictate to a large degree whether or not you will meet them

Resumes, Applications, & Interviews

Here are some of my own personal Do’s and Don’ts (other may disagree):

DO

* Attach an updated resume in Word or PDF—Always follow application directions carefully!
* Write a customized cover letter; spell the name of the company correctly.
* Email a resume to the HR dept or jobs email address, even if you “Apply Online” through a career site (not the company’s website) such as monster, craigslist, etc.
* Spell and grammar check your resume and cover letter; (http://www.english.uiuc.edu or http://www.bartleby.com/141/index.html or this book is worth buying for all of your studies). An applicant once mass faxed a resume with “Shift Supervisor” misspelled in big letters at the very top of the page (Sh*t Supervisor) to every fax machine in the building. A funny story for me; bad news for that candidate!
* Begin to build a “Skills” section and keep it brief and bulleted.
* Put your education or your work experience at the top, depending on which is more impressive at that stage in your life/career. For green folks, usually that will mean the Education section comes first. (No high school)
* Include portfolio if you are a designer, writer, artist, etc. (don’t make the recruiter ask)
* Be on time for phone and in-person interview, better yet early (no more than 30 minutes).
* Leave time for the employment application, bring a cheat sheet of phone numbers and addresses with you if they are not already programmed into your cell phone. Signed, paper applications are still requirement at many companies. Just fill it out to the best of your ability and print nicely!
* Bring extra copies of resume, skip the fancy paper unless a law firm (save those pennies)

DO NOT

* Wonder if you have a dud of a resume. These days there is so much free information on the internet that buying a “For Dummies” book is really unnecessary. If you must, just go to a bookstore, school library, or career center for an hour and thumb through a book.
* Use colored ink, cartoon backgrounds/stationary, paper resumes, faxes(!), small or cursive fonts, and heavy graphic elements in your resume.
* Include more than 1 to 2 pages unless you are 10+ years in; however, the rule about 1-pager is a myth, especially overseas.
* Spam companies with generic emails. Grrrrr.
* Include an “Objective” section unless you have a very clear idea of you want. Never say that your objective is “to work for your awesome company”—that is just cheesy, even if it is true. Save it for the cover letter and the interviews, tiger!
* Include high school employment or extra-curricular activities unless you have not done anything since or are still early in your college career; including college extra-curricular or volunteerism is a plus.
* Brag too much or overuse the word “I” in a cover letter; A little confidence and a touch of humility goes a long way, especially for “Gen Y” applicants. Y’all get a partially unjustified bad rap in this department.
* Send a glossy photo of yourself unless the internship involves modeling. Yes, I have seen these. Exception is for some international jobs.
* Say “References available upon request”—of course they are.
* Have a strange/confusing/music-only voicemail on your phone or a weird email address such as honeybunny65@geemail.com when you are in a job search.

Not Worth the Coffee? Try to Fix it Yourself–It Could Make You Stand Out

Once you are in your internship, keep your eyes open and your brain and hands busy! Speak to your manager if you are confused; have run out of things to do, or are truly unhappy at the workplace after the first few weeks.

Sure, you will need to do some entry-level tasks in order to learn the business, but you should also be able to find appropriate and practical ways to take initiative and keep busy. This is one sure way to secure a good reputation and have people remember you after the semester is over.

I have never said “No” to an eager intern or entry-level employee with a good idea for improving the business, and I likely never will.

Good luck to you!

Malia

By Adam Zand
Consultant

Everything I learned about Interning, I learned during meetings – and from listening to Howard Stern.

On May 7 Antonio Pierce, a linebacker for the N.Y. Giants with an interest in broadcasting, did a one-day internship at “The Howard Stern Show.” His tasks included answering phones, teaching staffers how to throw a football and finally towel snapping “Sal and Richard” of the show who had scammed him earlier in the day with prank calls and requests for coffee. As he told the crew, “I figured, win the Super Bowl, do some more hard work.” Being a New England Patriots fan and someone who considers Stern and his crew to be members of my family, I’m even more jealous of this guy. My revenge is that I’m going to share some internship success advice (when you hear that “a” word, do as Chris Rock advises and “Run!!!”) with you. I’ll be upset if anyone shares it with Antonio.

Get invited to meetings
Asking to attend a meeting will get you noticed. Folks at your job will actually be shocked. They all hate meetings – it’s the time of day when they think nothing happens. They exhibit this by bringing in a laptop (“I’m taking notes”) or sneaking peeks under the table at their BlackBerry. If you can get into the room, the magic of meetings can happen for you.

Listen and take great notes at meetings
As mentioned, the staffers hate these things. They really only want to hear themselves talk or impress a supervisor or delegate a task and get back to the safety of their desks, Aeron chairs. They dread getting assigned a new initiative in the meeting. So, how do you as the office nOOb help them survive the process? You take amazing notes and offer to share them when you go to their offices after the meeting concludes. They will appreciate this act of kindness and organization as they can check to see the brilliant things they said and make sure they weren’t assigned something or required to report results back to the boss.

Mind meld during meetings
Here’s the key point in this entire goofy article - The mind meld analogy (any old school Star Trek fans exist on www.InternshipRatings.com?) isn’t too far off. Your most important career development task is imagining what everyone is thinking and what motivates them in the meeting. Once you’ve solved this puzzle, you get to pick a few people to probe (a different sci-fi procedure) with questions about their day jobs and career path. Check how they present themselves in the meetings and later if you like what they do for work. If you do, then you probably want to mirror their behavior, actions and maybe their career path. Pay particular attention when your mentor proposes a new idea at a meeting that will make the company some money or save money or make the bosses look good. That might be another article from me, but those are the only three things that us “professionals” actually need to do at work to prosper!

Some day you get to host your own meetings
So, if you’re cruising on a rudderless intern ship, take immediate action before the summer ends (and you forget everything under a College-mandated haze of Red Bulls and “flavorings.”)
1. Get invited to meetings – especially the ones that have food
2. Listen and take great notes – bring a pen as old-timers like me get nervous when faced with the backs of glowing laptops
3. Mind meld during meetings – don’t stare or zone out too much as the meeting will eventually end.

For more information on meeting etiquette check out this article I was quoted in from Boston Business Journal and better yet stay in touch with me on Facebook, TalkShoe or Utterz.

Enjoy the meeting!

Cheers,
Adam Zand
ThisDudeAbides.Zand@gmail.com