Tag Archives: preparation

College Students: Why You Should Do An Internship While You Can

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intern, internship, internships, student, networking, career, planning, preparation, college, university
Photo by Geoff Duncan

Being a student fresh out of college in this day and age is more challenging than ever. I worked summers and during Christmas break during college because I needed the money as I’m sure all students do. And I coveted my study and free time during the semesters and never did an internship.

Although most are unpaid, an internship is one of the best ways to meet, work and network with movers and shakers in your field of study…not to mention giving hiring managers a taste of the great work you do and your reliability, creativity, and work ethic. Side note, at least here in Nashville, I know frequently that there are actually more companies wanting interns than there are students wanting to intern! Go supply and demand!

Students should do an internship at one of their top target companies if they can afford the opportunity cost. If you need to work a paying job during college, try doing the internship the summer before your final year. Or better, consider interning during your last semester. Make sure to contact the companies you’re considering in late summer to check if a Spring-only internship is an option, since some may only offer a Fall+Spring option. This way you won’t be blindsided and miss the boat on a great opportunity.

You’ll get firsthand real world knowledge at a company ideally in the department in which you’ll be working once you graduate. This could help you have an advantage over those applicants unknown to the company and earn you a full time job after graduation. Even if you are not hired on after, a reference from your manager as well as opportunities to network during the internship can be valuable tools in efforts toward a solid first job. You could meet someone at another company that may end up hiring you down the road. At worst, you will be able to start building your network.

You seasoned folks, what other advice do you have for forward-thinking college students on preparing for a career? Please comment.
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MUCHO MONDAYS – “Uno, Dos, Tres, Cuatro…”: 6 Things To Bring To Your Interview

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interview, preparation, list, resume, SAR, strengths, weaknesses, situation, action, result, interviewer, elevator speech, exit statement, references, applications, LinkedIn
Photo by jimmijoe50/djamel

• At least 2 copies of your resume’ – One for you for reference and one in case the interviewer asks for it. Frequently the version of your resume’ the interviewer may have been handed from HR is a format-stripped one, difficult to follow. NOTE: If you’re using a Functional Resume’, bring one Chronological for yourself as a quick reference
• Interview Prep Sheets – 1) a standard one listing your strengths, typical questions you should always ask, your goals, and the answer to the question “Tell me about yourself” and 2) a Company Information Sheet (containing: the title of the job for which you’re interviewing; the name of the interviewer, his or her contact phone number, and the address or directions to the interview site; facts about the company; your questions about the job; and the questions you would ask if you were the interviewer–especially in regards to relating your background to the position on the table).
• Your SARS/Weaknesses Sheet – A list of 8 or so top Situation/Action/Result scenarios (here’s a list of ideas from which to choose) and the answer to the question “What are your weaknesses?”
• Your Elevator Speech and Exit Statement
• Information about your past jobs (start/end dates, salary, addresses, supervisors’ names, etc.) – in case you need to fill out an Application. I like to keep a document of this information on Google Drive in order to reduce the amount of papers I need to carry. Just make sure to update it as you update the one on your computer. Also paste your References at the top of this document so you’ll have those readily available if an Application requires it.
• A professional looking folio to keep all this in

Have the resume’s (your copy and theirs) handy so you don’t have to fumble for them. Having the other sheets in the folio is fine, just tuck them out of the way before you are called back for the interview.

Finally, it’s always a good idea to check LinkedIn for the photo of the person who will be interviewing you. This way you can appear more prepared as well as learn more about their background.

What else do you bring? Can you share any curveballs the interviewer stumped you with?

MUCHO MONDAYS – You Don’t Need No Stinking Badges: Targeted Networking

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targeting, targeted networking, networking, target company list, guts, linkedin, tracking, meeting, preparation
You always hear that most people get their job through networking– upwards of 75% in fact. Years ago, my networking consisted of starting with those I knew, and I just kept following leads from one contact to the next. However, it didn’t feel like the most productive use of my time since most of my close contacts referred me to people who were not in my field. That’s when I started doing Targeted Networking.

Yes, this is a more gutsy approach since you’ll probably not know the person you’re reaching to, or you will not have been referred by a mutual colleague. But, if you are professional and prepared, you have nothing to lose! Here’s an overview of the process. In my forthcoming book I’ll go over this in much more detail than I can in a blog format.

  1. IDENTIFY YOUR TARGET – Use LinkedIn alongside your Target Company List, and identify the person with whom you’d like to have a networking meeting and his or her job title. Log in your spreadsheet the names of 1 or 2 other people with whom you could possibly meet, but start with the best contact (usually NOT the CEO, President, Owner, but someone working in your target department.)
  2. ADD AT LINKEDIN –Note if you both have some common colleagues. Personalize the request. Add (connect with) him or her at LinkedIn.
  3. LOG CONTACT INFO – Research his or her email address and phone number, adding them into your spreadsheet. Use email-format.com or Google to figure out the email address without having to call the company. (That frequently will not work anyway since receptionists usually shield employees from unsolicited callers.)
  4. REQUEST THE MEETING – 4 days after your LinkedIn add, email to request a networking meeting, thanking the person for connecting at LinkedIn if that has been the case.
  5. CALL, IF NEEDED – If there’s no response to that email in 3-4 days, call.
  6. VOICEMAIL – Give the person 2 calls at different times during the day if needed. Don’t leave a voicemail if you end up not reaching them.
  7. FURTHER FOLLOW UP – If you still haven’t spoken in the calls mentioned above, call once more the next day. Do leave a voicemail this time if you are still unable to reach him or her.
  8. THE FUTURE POSITION DROP OFF – If 3 days have passed since the aforementioned voicemail and you have no response, you can either try the process again with someone else at that office or draft what I call a “Future Position” Letter (introducing yourself, pitching your strengths, and noting the type position you’re seeking) addressed to the person you suspect would be hiring you or the CEO, President/VP, Owner, etc. and drop it off in person.
  9. YEP, FOLLOW UP CALL IF NEEDED – If you were unable to meet the potential hiring manager during the drop off, call in 4 days.

It’s very important to track the whole process in your networking spreadsheet. And, of course if you are successful anywhere during steps 1 through 7, book the networking meeting, prepare, meet, follow up with a thank you card, and then call or email to follow up in 7 to 8 weeks to see if the contact has heard of any open positions or thought of anyone else with whom you should connect.

Have you done targeted networking before? If so, share your thoughts on its productivity, any spins on how you do it, or questions.

Just a reminder, if you have family, friends, or colleagues that are on the job hunt, please share this blog with them. Don’t miss the next topic in this series! Sign up for this blog at the lower right corner of this page to be alerted via email!