Never Too Early to Start Looking for an Internship

Finding an internship takes time and effort. When you are overloaded with assignments, a semester can slip away quickly and the search for something you don't really need until later gets postponed.

If you are a freshman, an internship seems forever away so you likely aren't thinking about it too much just yet. As a sophomore, it may be starting to cross your mind as you plan your course schedule for the next three years. Juniors see it looming on the schedule (and are too busy to think about it) but think they still have time to look and seniors, if you haven't started looking yet, you may be in for a surprise!

So when is the best time to start looking for an internship? No later than two semesters before your need to intern is minimum. Even earlier is better! It is never to early to start looking.

Now notice I said "looking" for your internship, not contacting companies or applying for positions. What I mean is to start getting familiar with companies out there. Start searching the internet, phone books, and chamber of commerce for names of companies in your industry and make a list of those who interest you. Note their application deadlines for future reference.

An early search is especially important in a down economy when internships are few and applicants are many. The more time you put into your search, the more likely you are to find hidden gems others have missed. An early search also helps you avoid the last minute rush from procrastinators and may get your application to the top of the pile. You might even land the position before the others begin to search!

Enjoy what you are doing in school but always look ahead to the future. Keeping one step ahead will keep you from falling behind....and not getting the internship you want or possibly not getting one at all. Now you know why they say "the early bird gets the worm."

School's In.....Time to Study!

You spend four years in high school preparing for college. Lab experiments, pop quizzes, homework and chapter tests....with a little fun thrown in....football games, pep rallies, prom. Graduation comes and you move to the next four years. College.

University life brings more freedom. If you are away from home, no one is there to tell you when to do anything. You can get up when you want, go to class if you aren't too tired, stay up all hours of the night and mom isn't there to readjust your attitude.

University life also brings more responsibility. Someone is paying for you to go to class......scholarship, parents, rich uncle, or even possibly you pay the tuition bill. So what is college all about? You may be thinking "now it is time to live it up!" But as a mentor, teacher and friend, I will tell you what I told my kids when they headed to college.

"The next four years [or whatever you need to complete your degree] is a time of intensive training. This is the time to prepare for your career. Work hard now and you can play later. Play now and you will work hard the rest of your life."

By this I mean, learn everything you can about your major and then some. Study, attend classes, and do your assignments with 100% effort. Learn all you can to make yourself the most marketable candidate for your internship and subsequently, an entry-level position. Graduate and start the climb toward financial independence.....then you can retire early, relax and let the fun begin.

Play while in college......skip class, only give 50% (or less) effort on assignments and party instead of studying. You will be looking for excuses when your grades slide and you have a hard time getting an internship.....or a job for that matter. If you think employers can't pick the slackers out of a line-up of applicants, think again. Employers want workers, not slackers.

So, school's in......time to study!

Proper Phone Etiquette in Meetings

Everywhere you go you see cell phones glued to heads of people passing by, whether they are alone or in a group, walking, driving or even riding a bicycle. Ever notice those people standing alone talking to themselves? Conversations on the 'hands-free' model wrapped around their ear really just makes them look silly.

Cell phones have made life easier....when your car breaks down on the side of the road, a call for that "I forgot" item you need to pick up at the store, or finding your group when you get separated at the mall. But, cell phones have also become major annoyances.

People have forgotten, or perhaps they never learned, proper cell phone etiquette. In discussing this recently with my son, he mentioned seeing three people walking together, all totally engaged in a cell phone conversation. (I seriously doubt they were on a conference call with one another!) What is the point of being together with friends if you are too busy talking to other people? The message being sent is, "My phone conversation is more important than being fully present with you."

The same goes for phone calls and text messaging during business meetings. Taking a phone call during a meeting or sending messages is, well, there is no other way to put it...both arrogant and rude. Doing either during an interview? A sure way to get your resume tossed into the trash upon your exit from the interview! Why? Because you are essentially saying to the interviewer that your phone call/message is far more important than what they have to say.

You may think by keeping the phone in your lap, below the edge of the table that it goes unnoticed, but think again. Tell-tell signs are: eyes averted, lack of focus on the speaker, "the glow" from the phone (yes it does show!), click-click-click noise, head motion up and down to hands in your lap, and most annoying, the ring, alarm, or vibration when the call comes in. People do notice and vital first opinions are being formed about you.

So, what is proper phone etiquette in meetings? First rule: leave the phone in the car or turn it off and put it in your bag or pocket. Second, don't bring it out, for any reason...unless there is a fire or emergency and you need to call 911! If the phone is set to vibrate or the screen lights up showing "you got mail", you will be tempted to look and see who called. Don't. Fight the urge.

Let the calls go to voice mail. All calls can wait until you have a break during the meeting or the interview is over. A constant barrage of calls or messages does not make you cool or important. Leave high school/college behavior where it belongs. You may be too young to remember, but there really was a time before cell phones...and the world amazingly still moved forward.

Want to be Remembered After an Interview?

Got the new outfit or suit, showered and shaved, arrived early, had your portfolio organized and felt like you answered all the questions with the greatest of ease. But was it enough to get you hired as the newest intern for the company? Did you do anything special to cause your resume to stay on top of the pile?

Check out this post from my colleague Shandra Blackwell's blog to see what a little ingenuity and originality can do to get you noticed.....and hired!

Read post here:
Advice for a New Grad in Interior Design

Top Tips for Interview Success

Search the Internet for "interview tips" and you will get more than 58 million results. Finding the most important tips from such an extensive list would be like finding a needle in a haystack! So, to save you college students some time, I have compiled a list of top tips taken from a survey.....of those who hire!

• Be prompt, on time; better yet, be 4 minutes early! Allow time for traffic, parking, finding the office, etc. Arrive unhurried allowing you to appear composed, relaxed, and self-assured (even if you are nervous!).
• Research the company you are interviewing with by visiting their website or talking to current employees. Knowing what they do will give you something in common to talk to the interviewer about, not just the position for which you are applying.
• Dress appropriately - don't wear revealing clothing or look like you just got up. Be well groomed - shower, shave and have clean hair. Wear professional attire and this does not mean school clothes! Get an outfit for interviews and be neat from the shoes up. Oh, and do not wear perfume. You want them to remember you, not the scent you left behind.
• Be cheerful, optimistic, enthusiastic, and have good energy but be business-like and professional in your manner. Be polite, courteous, and attentive.
• Be yourself and don't apologize for anything. Watch your language and drop the college lingo (cool, my bad, etc.).
• Respect the interviewers time. Be prepared for short, spur of the moment interviews as well as those that are more in-depth. If they are interested in you from the beginning, you may be interviewed by more than one person.
• Answer questions asked and ask good questions but don't monopolize all the time talking about you. Be prepared for unusual questions and be honest, forthright in you replies.
• Do not oversell you abilities. Act positive but know that you are still learning. Show you are a "sponge" and willing to learn instead of coming across as a know-it-all.
• When appropriate, bring examples of your work. Check the condition of your portfolio for signs of wear and show only your best work. Be prepared to show your portfolio in a short period of time so rehearse your presentation so it will be organized. Also, have several copies of your resume with you.
• Remember to smile!! This will not only relax the muscles in your face and help relieve your nervousness, it will also start the interview on a positive note when the interviewer smiles back!

At the end of the interview, be sure to ask when the employer expects to make the hiring decision and find out about their follow-up procedure. Be sure to follow this and check back at the appropriate time.

How to Write a Great Resume'

Search the web or the library and you will find so many resources on how to write a resume, it will make your head spin! Which resource is right? Where do you start? What should you include and how long should it be? What about graphics?

Having received numerous resumes, which I screened and filed for future reference or tossed, I noticed many common mistakes. Errors ranged from impossible-to-read formatting to over-use of graphics to poor grammar. Some really made me shake my head in amazement (and not because the were outstanding)!

Want your resume to result in a phone call instead of the "round" file? Follow a few basic tips from the Intern Toolkit found at Z University in their How to Write a Great Resume practice tips. This list of tips will help you re-evaluate your resume or format your first one so you will make the best first-impression possible.

Why an Employer Needs You to Intern

You need professional experience and sure, you could use some extra money for college, but.....why does an employer need you to intern? What can you offer an employer?

As an intern, you can provide an employer the following:

• An enthusiastic and motivated pre-professional.
• New, innovative ideas and latest industry knowledge.
• Special technical skills, especially computer skills older employees may not have.
• An ideal interview tool and cost effective screening program for recruiting future employees.
• Pipeline of talent or pool of potential employees for their future workforce.
• Risk-free evaluation in determining if a candidate is a good fit for the organization.
• Training and development of prospective employees, significantly decreasing cost-per-hire.
• Conversion of an intern to a full-time employee who can immediately be productive.
• Greater retention of newly hired employees (interns) when they experience satisfaction with their internships.
• Allow flexibility in staffing and free up professional staff to pursue higher priority projects.
• Company receives assistance with special projects or meets seasonal needs without a long-term commitment.
• Provide an opportunity to develop staff supervisory skills.
• Regular employees have increased motivation and productivity.
• Opportunity to have an impact on molding students and giving back to the community.
• Strengthening of relationships between the academic world and professional settings.

If a company you would like to work for does not have an internship program, use these points to sell them on the idea. Internships can be a win-win situation for both student and employer, especially when the student has a great attitude and the company has a well-run internship program.