InternshipRatings.com

Ross Herosian
College Programs & Outreach Specialist
Sirius XM Radio
     At the risk of dating myself and sounding like my parents I start by saying “Kids nowadays are so much more connected.” While I vividly remember the soundtrack of incoming & outgoing IM messages through computer speakers in college, we now have text messages, Facebook, and Twitter (Sorry Myspace, I think they’re over you). It’s an important distinction to make that while students are more “connected” their ability to communicate is probably the same as it’s always been (if not worse).
 
   There are chunks during the year where my days are spent reviewing resumes of intern candidates and calling and/or emailing them. I am a pretty casual but professional person in both e-mail and phone conversations, but I am constantly surprised (strike that, depressed) that so many students feel that they can e-mail me using text abbreviations (lol, idk, etc.). I am a very forgiving and open – minded person so I usually just chalk it up to “this generation” and tell myself that if we do accept them into our program that I will break them out of this habit. This is an exception. I think the hardest thing for interns to grasp or learn during their internship is adapting to a “corporate” setting. I am not talking about dress code (Most interns dress nicer than me) or working hours but strangely enough the communication is usually the last thing to click.
 
      In the FB/Twitter world, simply scanning your Newsfeed/Timeline catches you up with what you need to know. Replying to these messages is a courtesy, not a requirement. In the corporate world, responses are an acknowledgement to the messages. A simple response to your co-worker’s e-mail will let them know you are engaged in you work and in-time to their needs / requests.
 
      Oh yeah, when you re: just be sure to use complete sentences. IDK why but even when my BFF uses abbreviations it doesn’t make me LOL.
 
About the author:  Ross Herosian is the creator and manager of Sirius XM Radio’s award-winning internship program (2008 Vault.com “Top 10 Internship In America) and is always on the look-out for passionate, creative, and talented interns.  To learn more about the Sirius XM Radio internship go to http://internships.xmradio.com or you can email Ross at internships@siriusxm.com .

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 E. Chandlee Bryan

Careers in Context

www.careersincontext.com

If you are graduating in 2010, don’t miss out on one of the biggest opportunities of the year: Summer internship recruiting begins now!
Many corporate employers use internships as a primary pipeline for hiring for full-time positions. As a result, they will keep their internship programs strong even in a down economy. According to annual surveys conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, it’s quite likely you’ll land a full-time job from your internship: the percentage of interns converted to full-time employees increased from 35% in 2001 to 50% in 2008, with almost 70% of interns receiving full-time offers in 2008.

I spent over eight years working at campus Career Services offices where my job was to learn about employer needs and help students apply for positions. In the process, I made a few observations on how you can best prepare for the process:

If you haven’t started already, this is a great week to begin. Many campuses don’t open for spring term until mid-to-late January, but a majority of staff at Career Offices are back at work. If your school offers individual counseling appointments or resume critique services, now is a great time to get a quick appointment. If you’d like outside help, you may also want to consider hiring a resume writer or career coach-but keep in mind that you will need to follow resume guidelines set by your campus.

Research potential opportunities. Given the high conversion rate of interns to full-time employees, you want to make sure you like the place you work enough to stay there full-time. Therefore, it is important to carefully evaluate opportunities. Read about career fields, position types, and determine the best work environment for you. Then research employers to create a short list of ideal organizations. Apply for multiple opportunities: don’t limit yourself to only those employers who are interviewing on-campus-apply for other internships as well. (In addition to your campus internship database, check out company websites and aggregators including indeed.com.)

Discount the myth that no one reads cover letters. Competition can be stiff, and employers often use cover letters to assess your writing skills and your level of interest. A great cover letter can help you get noticed.

Show that you understand the position and industry. Contrary to popular myth, employers don’t always use GPA and major as the first screening criteria when evaluating internship applications. A little research on current company initiatives, products, or work environment can go a long way. News aggregators (e.g. Google News Alerts, RSS Feeds) and research tools such as Hoovers, Lexis-Nexis, and Factiva can help you quickly find items worth mentioning. (You may also want to look for key indicators on company health and performance-factors that can help you assess your long-term employment prospects.)

Write your materials from the employer’s perspective. In most organizations, employers scan application materials quickly to seek answers to the following questions:

• How did you learn of this position? (They want to know if their ads are working!)

• How do your skills and experience align with the job description?

• Why are you interested in the position? How does it fit in with your long-term goals?

• Why do you want to work for us? (What interests you about our company versus our competition?)

Quick tip to ensure you’ve written from the employer’s perspective: Count the number of sentences in your cover letter, than the number that start with “I.” Aim for less than 50% of sentences to begin with you.

These strategies are designed to help you “stand out” in the applicant pool while also demonstrating how you “fit in” to the company culture and organizational structure. Have any additional tips or success stories of strategies that worked? If yes, please share!

E. Chandlee Bryan, M.Ed., is a certified professional resume writer and career counselor at Careers in Context. A former Ivy League career counselor and recruiter, Chandlee specializes in providing services and career advisement to emerging professionals; she also serves as a consultant to employers on best practices for recruiting and training millennials.

By Rob Pitingolo

College Senior and Blogger

Extraordinary Observations

Internships are great for a lot of reasons, especially when it comes to immersing yourself in a company’s culture and determining whether you could see yourself spending 40 hours per week at a particular company when you are ready to launch your career. I’ve done six internships at five companies and I’ve witnessed a variety of corporate cultures. Some of my peers talk about finding a career with an enormous salary, others are looking for work that is both fun and challenging; not to say those aren’t worth seeking, but if you are anything like me, working for a company with a fun, open, and exciting corporate culture is most important of all.

There are quite a few ways to gauge a company’s culture. The daily dress code tells you something, as does the number of employee activities like happy hours and softball games; but one little-known method of learning about a company’s culture is based on how an office’s cubicles are laid out.

The first layout is generally found at companies with social and friendly cultures.

There are two desks in the cube, one against the back wall and one in the middle. The employee sits facing toward the cube’s opening. He or she can see everyone walking down the row and everyone walking past can make eye contact with him or her. Often times a chair sits facing the middle desk so a colleague can chat with the employee. This cube layout is typical for companies that support creative thinking and encourage employees to collaborate with each other on projects.

The second cubicle layout is generally found at companies with more conservative and traditional cultures.

Again, there are two desks but they are located along the back and side wall of the cube. The employee typically sits facing one of the walls, with his or her back to the opening. He or she cannot see anyone walking down the row nor can anyone make direct eye contact with him or her. This cube layout is typical of companies that strive to create an environment where employees can concentrate and work in a quiet atmosphere.

Of course, there are dozens of potential cubicle layouts; the two described above are merely examples of many possibilities. Plus, my examples may not necessarily hold true in every instance; there are thousands of companies, each with a unique culture, and sometimes cubicle layout may not match up perfectly. Finally, keep in mind that one layout is not necessarily better or worse than another. Some people prefer companies with a conservative culture and others thrive in social environments. The science of cubicles is far from perfect, but it can be a fun way to learn about a company’s culture during your time as an intern.

By David Meerman Scott
Bestselling Author

I’ve had an opportunity to casually explore the attitudes of hundreds of large and small companies whose employees attend my full-day New Rules of Marketing seminar and my keynote speeches. In my very unscientific questioning, my guess is that about 25% of companies block employee access to YouTube, Facebook, and other social networking sites.

Twenty-five percent block access!

That is a huge number of companies that are putting their organizations at a disadvantage.

I can’t tell you the names of the nanny-state dinosaurs. But you’d be amazed at some of the big names that are too scared to let people into the world of social media.

If you are in the market for an internship

My recommendation for people considering an internship is to ask, during the interview process, “Does your company allow employees to use social media like Facebook and YouTube?”

If the answer is “yes!” than you’re all set.

However, if the answer is “No, we don’t allow employees to use social media at work,” then I suggest you stand up, thank the interviewer, and say that you won’t be able to work there. Explain that since you want to be respectful of their time, that you suggest we might as well end the interview right now.

That will get their attention.

Here are some reasons given by people for their companies blocking access to sites like YouTube, Facebook, and other similar sites:

- It is a drain to productivity
- It is a security issue within the company computer systems
- People may harm the company brand should employees reveal too much information
- It is a bandwidth issue

It’s really about trust

I think the big thing here is trust. The reasons cited above are just an excuse. I think these companies just don’t trust employees. But the companies that don’t trust employees, over time, will end up with only the corporate dregs who don’t mind working in an organization that won’t let them communicate with others in the ways that people are using today, like Facebook, YouTube and the like.

Ultimately, I think the HR and legal people are naive and scared and since they don’t understand social media, they just slap on controls.

On one side of the corporate fence, the HR geniuses and the legal eagles are worried about secrets being revealed and time being wasted by their employees while using social media, creating content or commenting on social media sites. Corporate nannies want to make certain that their naive charges don’t get into trouble in the big scary world of information.

Well, duh; we’re talking about people here. Employees do silly things. This debate should be centered on people, not technology.

If you’re a representative of a company

If you’re in HR or a representative of a company, my recommendation to you and your organization is simple. Have guidelines about what you can and cannot do at work, but don’t try to make a specific set of social media guidelines. I’d suggest implementing corporate policies that say (for example) that employees can’t sexually harass anyone, that they can’t reveal secrets, they can’t use inside information to trade stock or influence prices, and they shouldn’t talk ill of the competition in any way or via any media. The guidelines should include email, using social media, commenting on online forums and chat rooms, and other forms of communication. Rather than focus on putting guidelines on social media (the technology), it is better to focus on guiding the way people behave.

IBM Social Computing Guidelines

IBM has developed a set of social media guidelines for employee us of blogs, wikis, social networks, virtual worlds and social media that I think are just fantastic.

From the guidelines: “Whether or not an IBMer chooses to create or participate in a blog, wiki, online social network or any other form of online publishing or discussion is his or her own decision. However, emerging online collaboration platforms are fundamentally changing the way IBMers work and engage with each other, clients and partners.” GREAT. This is the way of the future. Hat tip to IBM.

My advice for bosses is to follow the IBM example.

Do you work for a company that blocks access now?

If you’re an employee (or intern) who works for a company that blocks access, I suggest you send them this article and encourage them to read my other posts and my book The New Rules of Marketing & PR.

If they still refuse to open up, I suggest you quit your job and work for a company that embraces the new world. You’ll need to find a new job at some point anyway, because your company won’t be around in a few years as the smarter competitors take away your business by reaching buyers using social media.

David Meerman Scott is the bestselling author of The New Rules of Marketing & PR and popular blogger at Web Ink Now.

By Francine Blume, PhD
Director of Experiential Education
American University, Washington, DC

You’ve amazed, delighted and thrilled! You’ve saved a multi-million dollar account! You’ve prevented international incidents!

Or maybe you caused an international incident. Ooops.

Whether you’ve shined, maintained, or had challenges, there are things you need to have done before you walk out those internship doors for good.

Ask for feedback

Know what the organization is going to say about you, good and bad. Make sure you have at least one opportunity for an evaluation before you leave. Ask your supervisor about your strengths, areas where you grew, and areas that you should continue developing. Be open, don’t argue if you disagree. This isn’t the time. (If your supervisor has facts completely wrong, be very diplomatic about setting the record straight. Ideally, any conflicts would have already surfaced and been addressed.) Ask for examples if you aren’t clear what your supervisor means. Definitely thank your supervisor for the feedback, and if appropriate, ask if you can use him or her as a reference (see below).

Prepare for the next internship or job

Identify at least one person who would be willing to write you a letter of reference. Have it in your hand before you leave. Never give up your right to see what references say about you. (I had a friend that was using a reference repeatedly, but unbeknownst to him, the reference was very negative, and he had a terrible time getting jobs.) If you’d like to come back, either as an intern or an employee, express that. And if there won’t be openings, be sure to ask about other individuals and organizations with whom you may want to network. Ask about professional associations that you might want to join, and events that might be interesting. As soon as you can, update your resume to include this most recent internship.

Leave on the best of terms

You want them feeling great about you after you’ve left, and not grumbling because they’re cleaning up after you. Make sure all your work is done, or at least at a stage that can easily be handed off to someone else with clear instructions. Gather an informal portfolio of your work products, and make sure you have permission to use them. Thank everyone with whom you worked and interacted. Thank you notes on cards are always appreciated and stand out from emails. Keep in touch from time to time with an email, letting them know what you’re up to. This applies whether or not you had a positive experience, because you never know when and how you’ll run into these people again.

Spread the word!

If you had a great experience, tell your friends! Tell your department! Tell your Career Center. Make a video! Blog! If you wouldn’t recommend the site, definitely tell your school, but be discreet about putting anything negative in public forums with your name. Be as constructive and professional as you can. And, of course, rate your internship at InternshipRatings.com!

Then it’s on to the next adventure! Good luck!

By Michael True

Director of Internship Center

Messiah College 

Much of what we do in life involves first impressions.  Oftentimes, the first impression an employer has of us is the email we send to them with our resume.  Of course, that just begins the long road of email correspondence.  Use care when composing emails.  Your supervisor and co-workers will appreciate it.

* Do not send anything that you would not be comfortable seeing in tomorrow’s headlines. Email is more like a postcard than a sealed envelope with a letter in it.

* Treat email like any other business communication; watch your spelling and grammar as your communications skills will come through in your email.  Do not use instant message or texting abbreviations.

* Read what you write before you send it.

* Break up the text by using short lines and paragraphs; this makes it easier for the recipient to read.

* Be sure to fill in the “Subject” line with concise and informative language; this allows the recipient to file, prioritize, and retrieve easily. It is considered rude to leave the subject line blank.

* Writing in all UPPERCASE and or BOLD letters is considered SHOUTING at the recipient.

* Do not forward or edit an email without the original sender’s consent.

* Do not send chain emails. These are emails that tell you to forward the information to many other people.

* Remember that all laws that pertain to discrimination, defamation, and harassment (verbal, emotional, and sexual) pertain to electronic communication as well.

 

Remember, the #1 skill employers look for in new hires is excellent communication - written and verbal.  Email is in that writing skill category.

Best wishes!

 

By Heather Krasna, 

Director of Career Services, Evans School Of Public Affairs

University of Washington 

We’ve all had that dream where you see yourself sitting down to take a midterm exam, but you completely forgot to study for the class.  Second only to this nightmare is the one where you try really hard to get an internship, only to find out that the one you accepted wasn’t “worth the coffee.”™ 

Sometimes it’s easy to tell that the internship isn’t what you were expecting: your employer is asking you to pick up his/her laundry, it’s been made clear to you that you will continue filing papers no matter how much you’d like to learn, or the supervisor has said something downright disrespectful to you.  If that’s your situation, skip to the last paragraph of this post.  Sometimes, though, it’s worth taking a moment to think about what does make an internship worthworth doing and whether there might be something you could do to make your internship more worthwhile.

First off, try to be open-minded in the beginning of your internship.  Sometimes you have to prove yourself before the employer will trust you with juicy projects or recognize your capability, and sometimes an employer just hasn’t thought through what an intern like you might be capable of.  If you spend the first few weeks doing your best job, being eager to take on new projects, and trying to be enthusiastic, hopefully the employer will naturally begin to trust you with more and more interesting work.  Once you’ve been at the internship for a little while, though, the time it ripe to ask yourself some questions. 

Is your internship helping you: 

• • learn new skills, 
• • build networking contacts, 
• • build positive references, 
• • add to your resume, 
• • get a firsthand look at potential employers, 
• • possibly lead to a full-time job, 
• • decide whether or not you like this type of work, or 
• • decide if you like your possible major?  

If you said “no” to some of these questions, is there anything you could possibly do to change that answer to a yes?  For example, are you waiting for your boss to introduce you around, or do you think you could take the initiative and introduce yourself to some of your colleagues to improve your network?  Or, if you approach your supervisor in a polite and eager manner, and mention how much you would love to learn about their marketing plan (or whatever), could your internship supervisor perhaps be impressed with your initiative and give you more exciting things to do?

If, however, you said no to each question, and have also tried whatever you can to improve your situation, and have been gettinggotten nowhere, then you have to make a tough decision.  Is it worth suffering through this internship just to put something on your résumé?  Do you think you would at least get a good reference from your supervisor, or are things so bad that you should just cut your losses?  

If you actually feel so uncomfortable that you can’t bring yourself to continue working at the company, then it’s probably time to quit.  Try talking it over first with a friend, a professor, or a career counselor at your college’s career center.  If you are registered to receive college credit for the internship, definitely make your professor aware of the situation ASAP (you might get an incomplete grade in the class, but most professors won’t punish you for getting into a bad internship situation).  Start looking around for a new internship and see what’s available.  Many companies post internships throughout the year, so you may be surprised what’s available mid-semester.  If it’s too late to get another internship this semester, start looking at next semester and focus on your search for a new opportunity.  And  if you got your bad internship through your college’s career center, it’s essential to tell your college’s internship coordinator so that future students won’t also suffer– and don’t forget to rate your internship at InternshipRatings.com!