Experience can increase the number of job opportunities available to you exponentially. More than 30 percent of hiring managers surveyed by CareerBuilder.com said relevant experience is the most influential factor in hiring a new college graduate. One of the best ways to build up your resume and test-drive a career is to land an internship.

Here are a few tips to help you find the right one for you:

1. Job boards aren’t just for full-time professionals. Many employers advertise internship opportunities as they would a regular job. At sites like CareerBuilder.com, you can type “internship” in the keyword search and look for opportunities in your own backyard or across the country. You can also access CareerBuilder.com’s internship listings through the popular scholarship search site www.FindTuition.com.
2. Network, network, network. Talk to friends, family, neighbors, prior employers, instructors, etc., and let them know you’re in the market for an internship. It all goes back to six degrees of separation, and chances are you know someone who knows someone who is working for a company that may be of interest to you.
3. Do you admire a company and hope to work there someday? Visit the careers section on its Web site. Chances are the site will list internships and give instructions for applying. If not, call the human resources department to inquire about upcoming opportunities.
4. College career centers and alumni associations can provide you with internship listings, resources for where to look, and tips for marketing your skills to potential employers.
5. Employers often use job fairs to identity students for internships and full-time employment. They make you memorable by putting a face with your application.

Tips for Transitioning an Internship into a Job

According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers’ 2004 Experiential Education Survey, employers on average extend offers for full-time work to nearly 58 percent of students who served in internships with their firms. Remember an internship is an extended job interview and should be treated as such.

DO'S

* Keep a positive attitude. Employers want enthusiastic employees.
* Get there on time, if not early.
* Prioritize and complete assignments on time.
* Show initiative. Seek out additional responsibilities.
* Think out of the box. Suggest ideas for different projects.

DON'TS

* Use e-mail, the Internet, the copier or the phone for personal use.
* Hunt for jobs while interning.
* Get caught up in water cooler gossip. You never know who is listening.
* Dress Down. Wearing wrinkled clothes, jeans, or club wear shows that you feel casual about the opportunity.

www.CareerBuilder.com is the nation’s largest online job network with more than 600,000 jobs, including a variety of internships. More than 15 million unique visitors go to the site every month to search for jobs by industry, field, location and company, sign up for automatic e-mail job alerts, and get advice on job hunting and career management. The company powers the online career centers for more than 400 partners including America Online and MSN.

Source: http://www.careersandcolleges.com

Posted by Shawn Augustson, CollegeRecruiter.com on January 26, 2007 at 10:28 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Z University.org (ZU), an innovative workforce readiness company dedicated to internship excellence, has announced the top 10 reasons employers should launch student internship programs or enhance existing programs this spring. These insightful tips come from the Intern Toolkit™, a complete resource to convert student talent and skills into employer profit.

The following 10 benefits were cited for employers with strong internship programs:

1. Increase Productivity: Interns bring needed resources to achieve what couldn’t otherwise be done. This ranges from promoting the organization and gathering market intelligence to improving operational effectiveness and supporting clients.

2. Enable Employees: Interns help complete tasks that normally consume the time of full-time staff. This frees up employees to focus on more valuable work.

3. Build Managerial Experience: While a well-qualified program manager is critical to internship success, organizations can still allow less-seasoned employees to gain some initial supervising experience.

4. Inject Enthusiasm: Student interns add vibrancy to the fabric of any organization. They can provide fresh ideas and positive energy that, if well-harnessed, can become contagious.

5. Broaden Capabilities: Interns often possess skills that existing staff lack. They often have higher-level computer proficiencies, in addition to knowledge about the latest methodologies, technologies and resources.

6. Improve Recruiting: Having the opportunity to hire interns upon graduation provides significant savings in recruiting costs, effort and mistakes.

7. Secure Future Employees: An internship program enables businesses to pre-recruit, pre-qualify, and pre-train potential employees.

8. Talent Advantage: A well-managed intern recruitment program can yield a significant competitive advantage by securing some of the best young talent before they hit the “open market.”

9. Give Back to Communities: Intern programs can improve your reputation with schools, as well as local and business communities.

10. Pre-Networking: Forging collegial relationships early on, especially through structured mentoring, can lead to even greater rewards to be shared with future colleagues.

“A common misconception is that organizations and individuals don’t have the time to run an internship program,” says Matthew Zinman, president of Z University.org. “What employers and managers need to realize is that they don’t have the time not to have interns. Students are highly capable of contributing all kinds of business value . . . when well-managed, the amount of time they contribute yields far more productivity and many other unique benefits.”

Posted by Steven Rothberg, CollegeRecruiter.com on January 16, 2007 at 7:31 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

In today's cut throat world breaking into any industry is a slow, hard process. Whether you’re a budding writer or lawyer nobody wants to touch you unless you have experience. And therein lies the catch-22 of finding your first job. It isn't fun and the pay is usually horrid, but an internship is usually the first step to landing a solid job.

With a good internship you can get practical work experience, network with professionals and fatten up your resume. But internships aren't handed out at coffee shops either. It takes cunning and persistence to land your first internship.

The first step is research. There are all kinds of sites to help you find the internship you are looking for. Take the time to research a week or two before you apply to anything. Check out the staples such as www.craigslist.com and www.monstertrak.monster.com along with sites that are specific to the industry you are trying to break into. For example, in finding my editorial internships I frequented www.journalismjobs.com and www.mediabistro.com.

Once you've found your potential employer take the time to look at their organization. If you can't display at least a rudimentary knowledge of what they are about in your cover letter they won't take the time to learn why you are a good fit. This is also important because you should be picky about where you intern. Since you aren't going into the job for money you should intern only for an organization that fits what you want and will give you the experiences you think you need to succeed.

I know it's just an internship but the cover letter and resume should be just as high in quality as if you were applying for a CEO job. Employers appreciate it and expect it. I have personally heard from employers who received applications that misspelled their company name in the first paragraph. They couldn't tell me much more than that, because they stopped reading. Don't let that happen to you. Take the time to re-read your cover and give it to a friend too.

I know it's hard not to, especially if you have no experience, but don't be modest in your cover letter. Let your potential employer know why you are the best candidate for the job. Nobody wants to hire somebody that isn't confident in their ability to get the job done. It's difficult to do in a one page resume and cover, but you need to get across that you are a go-getter who can do anything, if you were only given a platform from which to jump. That is, after all, why you want the internship. You know and they do to.

If all goes well with the cover letter and resume you hopefully be asked to come in for an interview. I know a lot of recent grads who feel funny dressing up in a suite and tie just for an internship interview, but it is definitely a must. Don't be self-conscious about it. The employer knows you are a recent grad who probably doesn't dress in a suite daily, but they will appreciate it when you show up ready for business. It lets them know that you take the position seriously, even if you will be the lowest man on the totem poll.

Make sure to take an extra copy of your resume, any letters of recommendation you have or other pertinent materials (as a writer I always took writing samples with me). Make eye contact during the interview, answer questions with the same confidence you would in your cover letter and never show signs of weakness. Even if you are asked to criticize yourself find a positive spin to your answer. If asked when you could start, just say "right away," (assuming this is possible). This is an internship so it probably needs to be filled quickly and efficiently. Most organizations won't go without an intern for a month just to wait for a slightly more qualified candidate. Before you leave, make sure you get contact information and thank the interviewer for their time.

It never hurts to follow up an interview with a courteous email thanking the interviewer for their time and re-expressing your interest in the position. But at this point all you can do is sit and wait. If the answer comes back a resounding "no" don't get discouraged. Internships aren't easy to come by. They too are in high demand and a good internship is usually flooded with applicants who have graduated from the best universities all across the nation. It doesn't mean you aren't good enough or couldn't do the job; it simply means that for the time being you weren't the right fit. Get on the horse and try again.

Once you landed that perfect internship, make the most of it. Don't get disgruntled if you have to do leg work. At this point in your career only good things can come to a patient person. But, always be ready to shine when the opportunity arises. Happy hunting.

Copyright: David Jonas
David graduated from Berkeley in philosophy and rhetoric. He now knows these are utterly useless. He makes a living by writing. He are good at English. He loves everybody he meets.

Posted by Shawn Augustson, CollegeRecruiter.com on January 13, 2007 at 1:28 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Non-profits Provide Hands-on Experience Many Overlook. Most college students understand the value of having practical work experience on their resume. But, competition is fierce and internships at major corporations are the most coveted and the first to be snatched up. Soon-to-be-grads need not despair. Non-profit organizations are almost always willing to take on an extra helping hand and can provide even more opportunities for involvement and exposure to several departments within the organization. They are also among the most overlooked gems of opportunity

Your next question may be, "what is a non-profit?" Put simply, it is used to describe corporations that are organized to advance a public or community interest rather than for individual personal or financial gain. Thus, non-profits may not distribute earnings or pay dividends; any surplus must be used to further the corporation's organizational purpose. However, all non-profits are permitted to hire paid staff to conduct their organization's activities. These types of companies include:
Charitable Organizations (ex.) Juvenile Diabetes Foundation
Arts Organizations (ex.) Ballet, Opera, Symphony, Museum etc.
Civic Leagues and Social Welfare Organizations (ex.) local Jaycees
Trade and Professional Associations (ex.) women's groups, society of paralegals etc.
Social and Recreational Clubs (ex.) YMCA

Students looking to intern should first remember WHY employers consider an internship a valuable addition to a resume. An internship is important because it shows:
1. You have book smarts as well as real life experience in a company
2. You have been in a situation where you have worked with other people to achieve common goals
3. You are well-rounded
4. You are responsible, came to work on time, etc.

Spending your time shadowing someone within a non-profit organization can provide all of the above and more. In some cases, the non-profit you choose will be small-a department of 50 or fewer. This is a prime organization in which to get your feet wet. After all, the more hats you get to wear, the better your understanding of the entire operation. Spend a week in Finance, Development, Marketing, Public Relations… really broaden your scope of knowledge to the fullest!

A word of warning to the wise: be prepared to do the grunt work. You will stuff envelopes, do filing, copying and maybe return phone calls, if you are lucky. But you will do this working in ANY company internship-big or small, for profit or not-for-profit. This is not only a great test of character, but an optimum chance to be that proverbial "fly on the wall." Observe the happenings around you, listen to how people handle conference calls, watch how executives manage subordinates, pay attention to the little micro-universe in which you work-and learn. If nothing else, learn what NOT to do when you get a job of your own.

It's never too early to intern. A common misconception about internships is that many think these positions are only for college students, but opportunities for high school students exist as well. A high school internship can open the doors to the working world, showing you what it's like to have a boss, attend meetings, and meet deadlines.

So what should you do to begin your search? Flip through your local phone book or research some non-profit organizations that you may already be familiar with online. Many resources exist for finding internships. Employers often advertise internship positions through schools. Ask your career counselor about these opportunities. To expand your search, look for recent internship guidebooks. Peterson's Internships lists hundreds of opportunities for high school students. The Best 109 Internships and The Internship Bible also list high school positions.

Before you pick up the phone, ask yourself two things: 1) Is pay is important to me? 2) How much time can I commit? These may be important points for the organization during the first phone call. Perhaps if the company cannot give you an hourly wage, they can give you a nominal stipend of $100-500 for a 3-month period. See if they will negotiate. If money is not as much of an issue as experience, make some phone calls to each organization and ask if they would be willing to let you submit your resume for an unpaid internship.

Most students will spend 10-20 hours weekly interning. Also, keep in mind that some last for a summer while others continue through the school year, so you should ask the company of any requirements up front.

Remember, the single-most important aspect of internships is that they introduce you to experienced people who can help guide you toward a career. Take advantage of a mentor's wisdom, experience and references in your future job search. Who knows... if you shine as an intern, it may even open a door to a full-time position before graduation!

Copyright: Richelle Taylor
Richelle Taylor has been writing professionally since 1997. Her articles have been published in trade mags and online. In addition to print journalism, she has worked in PR for B2B & B2C companies, and quoted in USA Today & The New York Times.

Posted by Shawn Augustson, CollegeRecruiter.com on January 13, 2007 at 1:20 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Z University.org (ZU), an innovative workforce readiness company dedicated to internship excellence, has completed a five-year study which demonstrates that employers can utilize college interns to gain substantial productivity gains and even do so without hosting students on-site.

The study, which was conducted through “live” internship programs through 14 academic terms, also applied a unique virtual program management model. ZU’s initiative removes three specific barriers for employers to create successful internships:

• Time: Companies can significantly boost workplace productivity by putting students to work. A single, qualified manager can gain 225 full 8-hour workdays in a calendar year
  
• Space: A virtual program proves that companies needn’t have office space or incur onsite technology costs to manage interns effectively.
  
• Ability: The most critical barrier now removed involves a complete system, called Intern Toolkit™, that ZU developed for employers to create, manage and maintain highly effective internship programs.
  

“A common misconception is that organizations and individuals don’t have the time to run an internship program,” Zinman explains. “What employers and managers need to realize is that they don’t have the time not to have interns. The students are highly capable of contributing all kinds of business value. And, when well-managed, the amount of time that interns contribute yields far more productivity.”

Using ZU’s program management tools with the virtual model, Zinman consistently managed four interns at an average of 15 hours per week over the course of all three academic terms, each of which included a minimum of 12 weeks per semester. He applied a maximum average of 10 hours per week to run the program, including initial recruiting and project planning, active intern management and training, ongoing performance metrics, and general administration. The total productivity yield, which includes Zinman’s management time, averaged approximately 1,800 work hours per year. When divided by an eight-hour work day, an intern manager can gain a minimum of 225 full days on their annual productivity calendar. This calculation does not factor the manager’s ability to apply their time and skills more effectively to achieve higher level tasks.

“Simply put, interns can help a company do more. All employers need to do is make an organization commitment to an internship system and have supervisors reprioritize some of their time to oversee students and get projects off the proverbial backburner,” Zinman explains. “Examples range from supporting marketing efforts and operational needs to gathering business intelligence and augmenting work for clients and partners. Students also possess knowledge and skills that employees may not, including technology expertise, research methodologies, and applied classroom learning of any career-specific capabilities.

“Small- to mid-size employers can especially benefit from adding student productivity,” Zinman notes. “However, these businesses typically lack the HR personnel and other resources to structure an internship program the right way. We’ve developed Intern Toolkit to remove that barrier and give employers everything needed to have and manage an internship program most easily and effectively. We are working to encourage and enable both businesses and students to open the world of opportunity that internships create.”

Posted by Steven Rothberg, CollegeRecruiter.com on January 11, 2007 at 10:33 AM | Leave a Comment (0)