Consumer Reports offers an honest interpretation of a wide range of products and services that is based on scientifically valid research and include matters that are of most importance to consumers. The information provided through the publication is gathered through consumer surveys and focuses on providing consumers with what they need to evaluate the products and services they use most.

Opportunities exist for students pursuing experience in Information Technology (Computer Science), Publishing/Marketing, Communications, Accounting and Finance (Business, etc.) and Survey Research (Computer Science, Library Science and research-related majors) who are hired on as general interns; as well as opportunities that exist for editorial interns, advocacy interns, and engineering interns. Continue reading ...

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 26, 2009 at 9:56 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Attention Employers ! This blog is written just for you. I get hundreds of employers contacting me each week and asking if they can start an internship program. The answer is, YES ! I put together a few tips for companies trying to launch internship programs.

How to Launch An Internship Program

• PICK AN INTERNSHIP COORDINATOR. If your company is big or small you should have one person that is in charge of your internship program. I would suggest giving this responsibility to some sort of assistant or junior level position. If your receptionist or office secretary is a high turn-over job, give this responsibility to someone more permanent. This person will be in charge of collecting resumes, promoting the position, sorting resumes, coordinating interviews, and providing work and space for the interns.
• OUTLINE YOUR PROGRAM. Ask yourself and other employees what you want to accomplish by starting an internship program. Create a mission statement. An example could be "The Intern Queen Internship Program provides students with a hands-on experience. I show them how a start-up is run, the daily tasks that go into managing a business, and have them help out with brainstorming, necessary organizational and administrative tasks, social media, press releases, and marketing campaigns while taking their future interests into consideration and providing each student with a personal mentor and guide throughout the duration of their internship."
• MAKE EACH TASK BENEFICIAL FOR BOTH PARTIES. I suggest each company make a list of the types of tasks that interns should be asked. Before making this list, think about the "double-sided benefit" of each task. Each task delegated to an intern should serve two purposes: 1. The task should be of assistance/benefit to the employer. 2. The tasks should be of benefit for the intern to learn how to do. They should be able to find this useful in some manner for their future.
• ACCEPTABLE TASKS. Employers must assume that most interns come into the workplace with little to no prior experience. Therefore, any filing, copying, phone answering, database sorting, cold calling, pitching, sitting in on meetings, faxing, typing up reports are all acceptable tasks for intern. Internships have a bad reputation of being all about making coffee and running personal errands. Every once in a while, a personal errand or a coffee is necessary to make something in the company run smoothly. For the sake of your companies internship program and for the sake of the intern, try to keep the personal errands and coffee runs to a minimum. Interns are definitely a convenience in the office but try to assign them to tasks that are mutually beneficial. Having an outlined list of company "acceptable intern tasks" will help make sure that all employees understand what they can and cannot ask of their interns.
• OFFER SCHOOL CREDIT.Many internships are unpaid and that is the nature of the word. Unpaid internships are fine as long as College Credit is offered. The big misconception about college credit is that the company needs to do something about it. College Credit actually lies in the hands of the student and their specific career center. Before interviewing a student, ask them via email if they can receive some sort of college credit or transcript recognition for their internship. The student will have to ok it with their career center at school and then will provide you with an answer. I encourage to you make sure student's can get some sort of credit/recognition before you interview them. Once the school tells the student that they are able to receive college credit for the internship, the student will bring in papers for the company to sign. Depending on the school, the papers might consists of a company summary, biweekly evaluations for the employer or student to fill out, and usually some sort of "end of internship" evaluation for the employer to sign. This is the school's way of keeping track of the student and making sure they are attending their internship. Companies should advertise that they are providing college credit for students interning at the company.


• KNOW YOUR INTERN'S GOALS AND STRENGTHS.During the interview process, make sure your internship coordinator asks the student's if they have any work-related knowledge of the internet, programs, social media networks, etc. Many students have already incorporated different social media sites into their lives. They can easily bring this knowledge and use it as an asset to your company. Many companies rely on interns to run their social media campaigns and profiles. It's also important to know where your interns want to go. If they are really interested in PR, put them in your press department. If a student tells me they want fashion, I give them all fashion related clients and projects to work on.



• SELECT YOUR DATES - BE SPECIFIC.To keep your company organized, and your internship program in control, set some company internship dates. I always have the internship coordinators I work with set up 3 folders in their inbox: Fall Resumes (to be looked at July 15th), Spring Resumes (to be looked at October 15th), and Summer Resumes (to be looked at March 1st - 15th). They can properly file each resume into the corresponding folder until those dates. This is so they don't get caught up looking at resumes all day long. I suggest running Fall Internships from September 15th - December 1st, Spring Internships from January 15th - April 1st, and Summer Internships from June 1st - August 1st. These are approximations of course. I suggest always bringing interns in on a Tuesday or Wednesday for the first time, never a Monday. Things in the office tend to get crazy and the interns get ignored on Mondays.


• BLOCK SCHEDULE YOUR INTERVIEWS. Have your internship coordinator block out 2 hours in one day to schedule a few different internship phone interviews. I always encourage people to do phone interviews first. For the summer, phone interviews are often times the only interview because many students are traveling to the locations for the summer. Phone interviews can tell you if you can really communicate with the intern. If they cannot hold a phone conversation, that is not a good sign - don't waste your time bringing them in for as in-person interview.


I'll be sure to write some more notes on these sorts of topics in the future. I know I get requests for information all of the time. If companies want to post internships on my site, http://www.quarterlife.com/intern simply email me internqueen@quarterlife.com and put POST AN INTERNSHIP in the subject line. I'll email you back with the forms to fill out. It costs $35.00 to post with me. You can add/change/remove/edit your listing whenever you'd like. Continue reading ...


Article by, Lauren Berger, dubbed "The Intern Queen" after participating in fifteen internships during her four years in college. She built her "Intern Queen"brand in May of 2006 and recently teamed up with Quarterlife to create the Quarterlife Internship Program where students can get FREE access to internships in the entertainment and journalism fields. Berger also provides Internship Advice and Content for students.

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 26, 2009 at 9:42 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

About a month ago we looked at internships with Niche Media, a company that "produce must-read, luxurious magazines that mirror the sensibilities and spirits of the unique, vibrant communities to which they cater." Today we're going to look at Greenspun Media Group, a company that takes a similar approach to the Las Vegas market and that happens to be a strategic partner of Niche Media. Greenspun Media's properties include In Business Las Vegas, RalstonFlash, Las Vegas Weekly, Home News, Las Vegas Home & Design, Las Vegas Magazine, Vegas2Go Vegas Magazine, Style: The Magazine of the Venetian and Palazzo Resorts, Wynn, and Wynn Macau, while Greenspun Interactive's properties include LasVegasSun.com, LasVegasWeekly.com, VegasDeluxe.com, RecruitingNevada.com, and 702.tv. It's all about hitting niche markets with targeted media (and advertising, of course), and when it comes to Vegas, Greenspun Media Group is the clear leader. Continue reading about Greenspun Media Group...

Article by Willy Franzen of One Day, One Internship and One Day, One Job

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 26, 2009 at 8:47 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

A lot of companies use the term "rock star" to describe the people that they'd like to hire. I don't understand why "all star" never caught on - it's more appropriate. Rock stars come with all kinds of problems and aren't necessarily the most desirable employees or interns, but all stars are the best at what they do. The All Stars Project is a non-profit organization based in New York City that is "dedicated to promoting human development through the use of an innovative performance-based model." Even though their logo kind of looks like Rock Bands, they're all about creating all stars. They do this by "sponsoring community and experimental theatre, developing leadership training and pursuing volunteer initiatives that build and strengthen communities." They offer a wide range of programs that are centered around theatre and the performing arts. Continue reading about All Stars Project...

Article by Willy Franzen of One Day, One Internship and One Day, One Job

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 26, 2009 at 7:45 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

One of the cool things about the world that we live in these days is that not every decision need to be politicized. You aren't restricted to voting your social conscience once a year on election day. You can also vote with your pocketbook/wallet/loose change. There are all kinds of products that not only serve your everyday needs, but that also represent a social idea. I'm not just talking about brands either. That Nike symbol on your t-shirt doesn't really mean anything, but building a house with LEED certified green materials or buying Fair Trade Coffee allows you to ensure that you're spending your money in away that aligns with your moral stances. TransFair USA, based out of Oakland, CA is the non-profit organization behind the Fair Trade Certification - as you can see from the logo to the right. They have programs that certify coffee, tea, chocolate, vanilla, fresh fruit, rice, sugar, and much more along a specific set of guidelines. Continue reading about TransFair USA...

Article by Willy Franzen of One Day, One Internship and One Day, One Job

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 26, 2009 at 7:41 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Usually when I'm looking at the job and internship requirements to get a feel for what a company is looking for, I'm looking at things like education, experience, skills, and job functions. It's not often that I'm thinking about security clearance, but at today's company, SPARTA, it's essential for most of their jobs and even some of their internships. (Now, don't worry if you don't already have Top Secret Clearance, they still might have jobs for you as long as you didn't get into too much trouble during your college years or before.) The reason that there's all this talk about clearance is that SPARTA is a company whose "core business areas include strategic defense and offense systems, tactical weapons systems, and space systems" and whose "major intelligence credentials include intelligence production, computer network operations, and information assurance." Continue reading about SPARTA...

Article by Willy Franzen of One Day, One Internship and One Day, One Job

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 25, 2009 at 12:39 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Originally posted on Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Although people mostly associate St. Patrick's Day with drinking (it's really supposed to be a feast), I like to think of it in terms of searching for something good. Just think - there's the four leaf clover, and the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, and... ok that's it. Well, you can also use St. Patrick's Day as motivation for your internship search. That's why we're looking at Phoenix, AZ based Shamrock Foods today. They not only fit in with the theme of the day, but they also fit in perfectly with the article that we published yesterday on anticipating internship postings. So, let's feast on Shamrock Foods and see if they have any internship opportunities. Continue reading about Shamrock Foods...

Article by Willy Franzen of One Day, One Internship and One Day, One Job

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 25, 2009 at 12:36 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

I can't stress enough the importance of professional dress attire in an interview. Even if the employer promotes casual attire, erring on the side of being overdressed versus underdressed is always the best way to go. Since the first 30 seconds of any encounter (personal or professional) is crucial to making a good first impression, your attire can have a major impact on the overall outcome of the interview. Continue reading ...

Article by, Penny Loretto, a career counselor at a small liberal arts college in upstate New York, has her own private career counseling practice, Career Choice, and is About.com's Guide to Internships.

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 25, 2009 at 9:53 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Getting an internship during the summer requires diligence and planning. Some organizations require a formal application, resume, cover letter, transcript, 2 or 3 letters of recommendation, as well as an essay on why you're interested in interning for the company. Not all internships have the same requirements. Continue reading ...

Article by, Penny Loretto, a career counselor at a small liberal arts college in upstate New York, has her own private career counseling practice, Career Choice, and is About.com's Guide to Internships.

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 25, 2009 at 9:50 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

The number one excuse I hear from students for why they cannot intern is, "I have to work over the summer. I can't intern for no pay." Ladies and gentleman, I have exciting news ! It IS possible to have both a summer internship and a summer job. With the proper time management skills, you can have the best of both worlds. Income is top priority but internships are extremely important as well. With the job market in the state that it is, internships are a way to ensure that you are properly prepared to get out there in the real world.

INTERN QUEEN STORY: The summer between my Sophmore and Junior years of college, I interned in Los Angeles. I interned Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 9AM - 3PM at BWR Public Relations - a high-profile celebrity Public Relations Firm. I interned on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10AM - 4PM at Warren Cowan Public Relations - a boutique Publicity Firm. I worked at Islands (Fine Burger Joint) Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 5:30PM - 11PM and Sunday mornings from 10AM - 2PM. Anything is possible. Pick your schedule and then go make it happen.

Ways to Manage Your Job AND Your Internship

• KNOW YOUR NEEDS. Make a list of what you NEED to do over the summer. If you need to make a certain amount of money, write that down. Also, tally up the amount of hours each day you must work in order to make that kind of money.
• WORK AT NIGHT. If you don't have a summer job yet I suggest looking for a "night" job like waiting tables. If you can find a job that doesn't require you to be there until 5 or 6PM that is ideal.
• MAKE YOUR HOURS. Look at your schedule and figure out which hours you can realistically devote to an internship. If you wait tables every night from 5PM -11PM, you could be available to intern 5 days per week from 8 or 9AM until 3 or 4PM. If you have a job that requires you to work during the day, try to block schedule. Perhaps you can work 3 days per week from 9AM - 6PM and then intern 2 days per week from 9AM - 6PM.
• INTERNSHIPS CAN BE FLEXIBLE. Most companies will be flexible and will understand that you need to work and support yourself. Most of my summer internships only required me to be there 2-3 days per week. Be honest and explain your situation clearly.
• MANAGE YOUR EMPLOYER'S EXPECTATIONS. With both your employer and you internship coordinator be very specific with them about your time commitments. Don't say that you might be able to stay past 4PM some days at your internship if you must be at work at 5PM. Don't over commit yourself. Decide which hours you 100 percent can commit and tell those hours to your boss.
• BE PUNCTUAL AND ALERT. Since you will be splitting your time, it's important to be extremely punctual. You want to show both employer's that you can juggle two things at once and it won't cause you to be late, procrastinate, etc. If you are tired, hide it! Make sure that you are bright eyed at your internship and at your job. Both places won't want someone that seems to be "dragging".
• BE PREPARED. If you know you have to go from one place to another quickly - be organized. I'm really big on Snack Bars (granola bars or fruit bars) or packing a sandwich to eat during your in-between time. Also, make sure you pack a bag with whatever change of clothes you will need, any information you need to bring, water bottle, snacks, etc.
• SHOW THAT YOU CAN HANDLE IT. If you excel at both places that means double the letters of recommendation, double the experience, double the number of items to add to your resume. Your parents, employers, co-workers, fellow interns will all be impressed.

Article by, Lauren Berger, dubbed "The Intern Queen" after participating in fifteen internships during her four years in college. She built her "Intern Queen"brand in May of 2006 and recently teamed up with Quarterlife to create the Quarterlife Internship Program where students can get FREE access to internships in the entertainment and journalism fields. Berger also provides Internship Advice and Content for students.
Continue reading ...

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 25, 2009 at 9:35 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

If you've been reading One Day, One Internship for a year or more, you probably remember that last year we did a holiday post for Pi Day. I'm a dork, and I love dorky holidays. That's why I'm already counting down the seconds until 1:59:26 (ok, I didn't stay up for it, I'm waiting for the PM version), when the date and time will represent 8 digits of pi. Since today is a weekend, I thought that it was my duty to bring you info on internships with math related non-profits. Unfortunately, there are a lot fewer of those than one would think, so we're going to stretch a bit by looking at job opportunities with The Mathematical Association of America. They're located in Washington, DC, and they're "the largest professional society that focuses on mathematics accessible at the undergraduate level." Continue reading about The Mathematical Association of America...

Article by Willy Franzen of One Day, One Internship and One Day, One Job

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 24, 2009 at 10:34 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Since I moved to Chicago, I've been trying to get myself involved with the Chicago startup/tech community. This may not be Silicon Valley, but there are some pretty cool things going on here. One of them I found about today from Twitter, and it's called Branserv. Yes, I know that it sounds like a breakfast cereal that helps you with "regularity," but there's nothing "regular" about them. Branserv is a startup whose goal is to "make software companies rich," and they plan on doing that by creating "hardware appliances for micro ISVs, software startups and open source software projects that increase revenues and brand recognition while decreasing technical support demands. All at no risk." Ok, that sounds a little complicated - let's try that again. What Branserv does is work with software companies to develop hardware (aka appliances) that runs with the software (see: Google Search Appliance). Ok, I'm still a little confused, but that's ok. Continue reading about Branserv...

Article by Willy Franzen of One Day, One Internship and One Day, One Job

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 24, 2009 at 10:30 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

I used to be really into Fantasy Baseball. Around this time of year, I'd buy up all kinds of fantasy guides (this was when print publications still had more information than online) and try to figure out whom I was going to draft for my team. Somehow this preparation always seemed to coincide with a day home sick from school. Anyway, the guides that my mom usually bought for me (while I was home sick, remember) were from Sporting News. I'd pore over them for hours and hours and craft my strategy. Charlotte, NC based Sporting News isn't just about fantasy sports though, they've been covering sports since 1886. In fact, they even picked up the name "The Bible of Baseball" because of their extensive coverage of the sport. They recently moved from weekly to bi-weekly, but they're still a huge name in the world of sports journalism. Continue reading about Sporting News...

Article by Willy Franzen of One Day, One Internship and One Day, One Job

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 23, 2009 at 10:13 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

When I'm working during the day (or night), I like to have the tv on. I'm not usually actively watching - I just like having some background noise. With that said, I still prefer to have something decently entertaining on (otherwise I'll start yelling at the tv about how bad the show is). Lately the Travel Channel has been putting out a strong effort. Shows like No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain and Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern are perfect for what I'm looking for in a tv show. There are also some cool new shows like Dhani Tackles the Globe and Man v. Food that look like something I might even want to watch when I'm not working. I never used to think much of the Travel Channel, so it's cool to see that they're really committing to improving their programming. Continue reading about Travel Channel...

Article by Willy Franzen of One Day, One Internship and One Day, One Job

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 23, 2009 at 10:08 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

The word "poke" brings quite a few things to mind for me. There's that useless Facebook feature that nobody uses any more (my girlfriend won't even poke me back these days). There's the Hawaiian dish of cubed raw fish. There's the obvious annoying gesture/action of poking someone, and it's even a term for an awkward looking base hit in baseball. Those are the things that came to mind for me. What didn't come to mind, but should have is POKE, a New York City based creative company that happens to be taking a creative approach to their intern recruitment. I wish that I could tell you more about what they do, but they're having some website issues, which I'll discuss in a second. Continue reading about POKE...

Article by Willy Franzen of One Day, One Internship and One Day, One Job

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 16, 2009 at 10:02 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

When people ask me what I do, I tell them, "I help college students find and land jobs and internships." That's my 3-second elevator pitch. If you were to ask people at The Cara Program what they do, you'd probably get a response like, "We help the homeless and at-risk populations find and land jobs." Essentially we're doing the same things - just for different groups of people. Finding a job (or internship) isn't easy, as you probably know, but think about how difficult it is for someone who is homeless. Employers typically want employees who can provide stability, but being homeless is a pretty big sign of instability. The problem is that it's really hard to become stable without a job. That's why The Cara Program, based out of Chicago, provides "comprehensive training, permanent job placement and critical support services." Continue reading about The Cara Program...

Article by Willy Franzen of One Day, One Internship and One Day, One Job

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 16, 2009 at 9:59 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

The recession has caused companies to come up with various ways to save money while staying productive and profitable. One way that some are using is offering internships where once they would have offered entry level jobs.

"When seeking out job opportunities for students, the Career Services team here at The Art Institute of California - San Francisco has noticed that while many employers don't have as many job openings as they did six months ago, they are offering internships instead," said Katie Layous, Internship Coordinator for the Art Institute. "I am approached by employers with internship openings all the time. As the Internship Coordinator, I have my hands full with internship leads. When budgets get cut, employers often look to alternative employment opportunities - including internships. Our current students, whom we encourage to participate in as many internships as possible, are benefiting from this immensely. With more openings, students have options in many different companies and industries. Be open to internships - it's an opportunity to get your foot in the door of the industry of your choice," she added.

Finding a job isn't impossible. In fact, there are many who believe that the current economy is a blessing for college students looking for internships and recent college graduates looking for entry level jobs because they represent "cheap labor" for struggling employers.

"I hear a lot of students say that they are worried about the economy ... so worried that many of them give up on putting themselves out there and boosting their candidacy as job applicants," said Kristen Fischer, author of Rent, Ramen Noodles and Resumes: An After-College Guide to Life. "The truth is that with a solid resume and interview skills - and the right job hunt strategies - it's not impossible to get a job in today's climate. Recent graduates can even be at an advantage because they're hungry for experience and some companies know they don't have to pay top dollar for quality work. Students and new grads need to do their best to stand out from the rest and market themselves - not just apply to jobs. Most importantly, they can't use the economy as an excuse not to try. Getting a job can be difficult no matter how the stock market is. They can get jobs by staying professional and having a solid foundation," concluded Fischer.

Making use of their alma maters' career services offices can also be helpful for job seekers who are experiencing some difficulty in their searches.

"Prescott College has wonderful Alumni Sharing Knowledge and Mentor networks in which alumni help one another and current students/recent graduates to meet career goals. Check out if there are similar programs at your college or university," advised Mary Lin, Prescott's director of public relations.

And, of course, what is a job search without networking?

"I strongly recommend that job seekers attend networking events and join social networking Web sites when searching for a job, specifically LinkedIn. I suggest joining right away and utilizing the meet-up groups they offer, where job seekers can walk away with new contacts and job leads. Sites like Twitter, where you can track and follow what people in your specific industry are doing, are great too," Layous recommended.

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 16, 2009 at 6:00 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

I know that despite the fact that I keep ripping on the traditional media - the old guard - I keep featuring their internships here. I'm not being a hypocrite. I promise. I know that taking internships with companies that might not be around in 5 years isn't the best decision for your resume, but if anyone can save the old media, it's you. The new media has been created by the masses and has originated from young people with new ideas, which is just what these media behemoths need to survive. Of course these companies probably don't realize how much they need you yet, but they do. Well, if you're going to get an internship in old media - like the magazine industry - you might as well go with the best. Conde Nast has a list of brands that is rivaled by few and includes Vogue, W, style.com, Glamour, Allure, Self, Teen Vogue, GQ, Details, men.style.com, Architectural Digest, Brides, Modern, Bride, Elegant Bride, Brides.com, Lucky, Domino, Cookie, Golf Digest, Golf World, Vanity Fair, Gourmet, Bon Appétit, epicurious.com, Condé Nast Traveler, concierge.com, Wired, Wired.com, Condé Nast Portfolio, Portfolio.com, WWD, FN, and The New Yorker. There's still a lot of uncertainty in the industry, but those are still great names to be associated with. Continue reading about Conde

Article by Willy Franzen of One Day, One Internship and One Day, One Job

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 13, 2009 at 9:56 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

I like adventures. I enjoy heading into the woods and going fishing or, perhaps, going skiing for a weekend when I've never skied before (please don't let me hurt myself); however, I'm not sure that going into space is for me. Yes, it would be really cool, but I have to admit that it would make me a little nervous. I also can't afford a trip to space. Maybe in the future traveling to space will be as normal as flying in airplanes and it'll cost just about as much too, but until then you'll have to rely on companies like Space Adventures to get you to space. They are a Vienna, VA based company that claims to be the "only company currently providing opportunities for actual private spaceflight and space tourism today." I'm sure it's not cheap, but if you have the cash, they can put you in space. Continue reading about Space Adventures...

Article by Willy Franzen of One Day, One Internship and One Day, One Job

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 13, 2009 at 9:49 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

If you've been reading for a while, you've probably heard me talk about old media and new media. Old media is dying and new media is thriving. And if there's any proof to back that up, it's that The New York Times - probably the world's strongest old media brand - is facing severe financial struggles. But they're still The New York Times. They're trying to grab hold of new media, and they're doing a lot of things right, but they're just too big. New media is all about being small and agile, and large corporations still have a lot of adjusting to do. With that said, it's evident from The New York Times' internship postings that they're moving in the right direction. Continue reading about The New York Times...

Article by Willy Franzen of One Day, One Internship and One Day, One Job

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 13, 2009 at 9:46 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

During break you might begin your internship search by researching career options and then networking with friends and family or your college alumni network who are currently working in the career fields that you find most interesting. Also, be prepared to give a 60 second "elevator speech" to friends and family as well as anyone you happen to meet.

If you do not have a resume, spring break is a good time to get one started. After researching careers and networking, you can begin searching through the numerous internship sites that are available online. Prospecting with employers is another way to find internships that meet your personal criteria and individual interests. Continue reading ...

Article by, Penny Loretto, a career counselor at a small liberal arts college in upstate New York, has her own private career counseling practice, Career Choice, and is About.com's Guide to Internships.

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 11, 2009 at 6:57 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

The big news last week was that President Barack Obama announced the White House is officially looking for interns. This would be an amazing opportunity for college students. I wanted to take a moment to discuss ways to increase your chances of getting that internship. I'd like to show you how to apply some of my frequent internship advice to this specific opportunity.

The Wall Street Journal explained the requirements for the White House Internship

"The application requires a resume, three references and requests 300-500 word responses to three essay questions. The questions are as follows:

1. Explain your commitment to public service and service to country generally--include an instance when you asserted your leadership in a community or civic activity, what you learned, and how you think this internship could further advance your leadership and personal goals in this area.

2. Which of the president's policies, initiatives or campaign achievements is most important to you? Why?

3. Choose one of your preference offices and explain why you want to work there and what you would bring to the office.

The deadline to apply is March 22 and the program runs from May 22 to August 14."

TIPS FOR GETTING THE WHITE HOUSE INTERNSHIP

1. RESUME MAKEOVER. Read the Resume Advice on my previous Blog, Create the Perfect Resume. If you have several previous internships/work experience on your resume, make sure to keep it down to one page. Try to only include relevant work. You are applying to a Public Service internship. Any volunteer work is relevant in this case. Keep your resume in standard and traditional format. No pictures, crazy colors, fonts, patterns, etc. Use a thick cream colored paper if possible. At the bottom, write *References available upon request. This is your chance to sell yourself on paper - look professional and experienced. Take a close look at all of your previous jobs and really expand on your tasks within each job/internship. You want to be clear on your skills and capabilities.

2. GREAT LETTERS OF REC. Just like most formal internship programs, this one requires 3 letters of reccomendation. I suggest college students get one academic reference (professor), one professional reference (former employer), and one character reference (from a family friend). If someone is too busy to write a letter for you, write it yourself and bring it to them. This gives you the opportunity to say what you'd like about yourself and to really make yourself shine. The employer or professor will read over it, hopefully approve it, sign it, and place it on company letterhead. If you can get a letter from a former internship coordinator that would be a bonus. Also, when getting your character reference try to do it from a close family friend that can speak on your loyalty, work ethic, personality, etc. They can sometimes reference more personal situations than employers or professors.

3. CONSTRUCT GREAT TIGHT ESSAYS. When writing your answers to the essay questions, keep your answers tight and try not to go on irrelevant tangents. Remember, someone is reading these and you don't want to put them to sleep. If you can't think of a time when you were of great service to the country or took on a leadership role ask your friends and family. The people close to you can help by thinking of times when your leadership skills really stood out in there eyes. It's always interesting to get the opinion of others and find out what you've done to impress them in the past.

4. DO YOUR HOMEWORK. The second essay question is a perfect example of why it's important to research the company (or in this case the President and his policies) before applying for an internship. Make sure that you don't answer this question blindly. Research The President's policies completely, before attempting to answer this question. Reference articles, specific Campaign activities/speeches or websites in your essay. This will make you sound more informed and make you look well prepared.

5. APPLY FOR WHAT YOU ARE BEST AT. If your experience is in Public Relations, than apply for the Public Affairs office. Go with where your experience lies. You need to get in the door and applying to a department where you have no experience is too risky for this competitive internship. Look closely at all of the offices you have to choose from, and apply for what you are best trained to do.

You still have time to apply for this so get started and good luck !

Article by, Lauren Berger, dubbed "The Intern Queen" after participating in fifteen internships during her four years in college. She built her "Intern Queen"brand in May of 2006 and recently teamed up with Quarterlife to create the Quarterlife Internship Program where students can get FREE access to internships in the entertainment and journalism fields. Berger also provides Internship Advice and Content for students.

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 11, 2009 at 6:27 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

When NBC Universal and News Corp. announced a new online video venture, I rolled my eyes along with nearly everyone else who had an interest in online video. Large corporations had consistently proven that they just didn't get it. They were too busy removing videos from YouTube and suing college kids for file sharing. That's why I was really surprised when I started using - and loving - Hulu. The fact that I can watch new episodes of Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares, reruns of Doogie Howser, M.D., and Speed 2: Cruise Control (ok, their movie selection is still a little weak) all for free with limited commercial interruption is pretty awesome; in fact, I now watch Hulu more than I watch tv. It's no wonder that Hulu, which is based out of Los Angeles, CA, is winning all kinds of awards now. Continue reading about Hulu...

Article by Willy Franzen of One Day, One Internship and One Day, One Job

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 10, 2009 at 9:17 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Ok, we all know that White House interns don't have the best track record, so let's not even go there. We also all know that there hasn't been a time in recent history where the government's role has seemed so important. Wherever your political views lie, right now would have to be one of the coolest times to be an intern at The White House. An expanding government may not be good for us young people in the long run, but you can reap the benefits now by taking one of the many internships that The White House is offering. There's plenty of information on the White House available, so I don't think that I need to go any further. Continue reading about The White House...

Article by Willy Franzen of One Day, One Internship and One Day, One Job

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 10, 2009 at 9:14 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

We're always on the look out for different kinds of non-profit internships to feature on weekends, and today we've certainly found some. Battelle Memorial Institute is a Columbus, OH based organization that looks very much like a business - their tagline is even "the business of innovation" - but they are actually "organized for charitable, scientific, and educational purposes." They have 5 main areas of focus - Energy, Health & Life Sciences, National Security & Defense, Laboratory Management, and Community & Education - which means that they do all kinds of things to further their vision of building "long-term relationships with their clients by anticipating their needs and delivering economically and socially valuable science and technology." Continue reading about Battelle Memorial Institute...

Article by Willy Franzen of One Day, One Internship and One Day, One Job

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 10, 2009 at 9:06 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

At least 3 days a week I walk out of my apartment building and I smell chocolate. That may sound strange, but I live less than a mile from a chocolate factory. On days when the wind is blowing right from the West and they're churning out chocolate, I don't need to eat dessert - the delicious smell is enough. It's especially enjoyable when it's snowing out, and I'm sure that it won't be nearly as nice on a 90 degree Summer day. It's a pretty cool perk that I didn't know that I was getting when I moved into this building. I'm hoping that you can get the same perk when you take an internship with The Hershey Company. I don't know if their corporate offices are near their factories, but even if they aren't, you'll still be surrounded by chocolate if you work for them. Hershey's obviously doesn't need an introduction, but you may not know that some of their other big brands are Reese's, KitKat, Kisses, Jolly Rancher, and Ice Breakers. Oh, and in case you didn't know, they're located in... Hershey, PA. Continue reading about The Hershey Company...

Article by Willy Franzen of One Day, One Internship and One Day, One Job

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 9, 2009 at 3:01 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Students looking for summer internships and jobs this summer will need to be a little more flexible than in past years according to crescentnews.com. Since there is a larger percentage of unemployed people right now, the number of summer jobs available to college students are not going to be as plentiful as they have been in the past. Even the normal summer jobs that usually exist in resort towns such as those in restaurant and local amusement parks are going to be much harder to find this year due to the state of the economy and the projection that fewer people will be traveling or vacationing than normal.

Continue reading ...

Article by, Penny Loretto, a career counselor at a small liberal arts college in upstate New York, has her own private career counseling practice, Career Choice, and is About.com's Guide to Internships.

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 4, 2009 at 3:43 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Targeting your resume is worth the effort. A targeted resume highlights your education and experience and focuses on matching these skills to the position to which you are applying. When reviewing resumes I usually meet with two kinds of students: one who feels they do not have enough information to put on their resume, and the other who feels they can't bring their resume to less than 3 pages. As college students your resume should be kept to one page whenever possible. Unless you have extensive lab experience or presentations/publications/exhibitions you have done or participated in, a one page resume should suffice in most instances. Continue reading ...

Article by, Penny Loretto, a career counselor at a small liberal arts college in upstate New York, has her own private career counseling practice, Career Choice, and is About.com's Guide to Internships.

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 3, 2009 at 3:40 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Beyond writing about a new company and its internships every day, there's a lot of behind the scenes work that I have to do to continue growing my busines. A huge portion of that work falls under the categories of internet marketing and search engine optimization. Maybe I'm biased because I'm doing the stuff every day, but I think that being able to understand and implement online marketing concepts will be essential in many of the career paths that today's new college grads take. If you want to set yourself up with the internet marketing skills that aren't being taught in most undergraduate curriculums, you should consider an internship at a place like HubSpot, a Cambridge, MA based internet marketing startup. Continue reading about HubSpot...

Article by Willy Franzen of One Day, One Internship and One Day, One Job

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 3, 2009 at 11:25 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

The ExxonMobil Community Summer Jobs Program (CSJP) provides full-time college students eight-week paid internships and an opportunity to gain experience in a wide range of nonprofit organizations. Each year selected agencies hire interns during the summer hoping to encourage an interest in nonprofit and community service work among students who may be leaning towards becoming community leaders of the future.

"The 75 nonprofit agencies selected for the 2009 ExxonMobil CSJP offer a wide variety of internship opportunities for undergraduate college students, and each promises to add a new and exciting dimension to this program. With a passion for encouraging young people in the nonprofit world, these selected agencies will certainly be invaluable to the interns' professional development and future careers", said Phyllis Bernstein, chair of the Dallas County Council on Volunteerism. Continue reading ...

Article by, Penny Loretto, a career counselor at a small liberal arts college in upstate New York, has her own private career counseling practice, Career Choice, and is About.com's Guide to Internships.

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 3, 2009 at 10:36 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

The following press release was provided by the "Intern Queen," Lauren Berger and also appears on Lauren's blog, I AM INTERN

University of Dreams (www.SummerInternships.com) hires Intern Queen, Lauren Berger, to help promote their Summer Internship Programs globally. Berger currently runs The quarterlife Internship Program Powered By The Intern Queen on www.quarterlife.com/intern, a resource for students looking for internships in media, entertainment, journalism, sports, and marketing. Berger got her title of "Intern Queen" after completing 15 internships during her four years of college. Berger will serve as a spokesperson for University of Dreams and help raise awareness about the program to students internationally. Berger will host a series of weekly conference calls that inform students and parents about the program and will provide tips and tools for students to make the most of their internships.

"Students are signing up for this experience in droves. I didn't have the luxury of participating in a program like this as an intern. I had to secure my own internship, housing, make new friends, pay for food, and ship my car out. Students participating in University of Dreams have their food, housing, transportation, and social activities covered, in addition to internship placement at top tier companies. They don't have to worry about making new friends because there are so many other students in the program. I wish I knew about University of Dreams," says Berger about the program.

University of Dreams Inc. (www.SummerInternships.com) was founded in February of 2000. That first summer, 73 participants joined us at Santa Clara University, located in the heart of Silicon Valley, California, where they had the opportunity to meet other motivated college students, grow as individuals, and pursue their dreams in their desired career field with an internship. After the initial program in the Silicon Valley, we have added programs in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, London, Barcelona, Costa Rica, Hong Kong, San Francisco, and Sydney. This summer we will add programs in Washington D.C. and San Diego. We have also begun offering Fall and Spring Internship Programs in select cities for students who want to further their career through living, working, and earning contract academic credit for an entire semester in their dream city. Enrollment in the University of Dreams programs has grown each year, including over 1,300 participants in 2008, proof that students are having fantastic experiences and are spreading the word about University of Dreams.

Intern Queen Inc. was founded in 2006 by Lauren Berger after she successfully completed 15 internships during her four years of college. Berger started to author several articles about her internship experience and provide internship tips for students. Berger picked up "Best Young Entrepreneur of The Year" at the Stevie Awards for Women In Business in 2007. In August of 2008, Berger partnered with Hollywood Producer, Marshall Herskovitz (Blood Diamond, Traffic, and My So Called Life) and his website, Quarterlife.com. Herskovitz invested in her company and created, The Quarterlife Internship Program Powered by the Intern Queen, which offers internship listings and an internship advice blog, I AM INTERN. Lauren travels across the country speaking at schools and creating a strong awareness for internships.

Press release provided by, Lauren Berger, dubbed "The Intern Queen" after participating in fifteen internships during her four years in college. She built her "Intern Queen"brand in May of 2006 and recently teamed up with Quarterlife to create the Quarterlife Internship Program where students can get FREE access to internships in the entertainment and journalism fields. Berger also provides Internship Advice and Content for students.

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 3, 2009 at 7:01 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Visiting the Career Services Office at your college prior to leaving for spring break can be an important first step in solidifying your plans for summer break or after graduation. A career counselor can help you develop an individualized plan for attaining a summer internship or job. Using a number of different strategies will increase your chances of success in finding an internship or job.

You might begin by researching career options and then networking with people currently working in the career fields that you find most interesting. If you do not have a resume, spring break is a good time to get one started. After researching careers and networking, you can begin searching through the numerous internship sites that are available online. Prospecting with employers is another way to find internships that meet your personal criteria and individual interests. Continue reading ...

Article by, Penny Loretto, a career counselor at a small liberal arts college in upstate New York, has her own private career counseling practice, Career Choice, and is About.com's Guide to Internships.

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 2, 2009 at 3:31 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

I see students diligently working on their resumes and cover letters this time of year as they are beginning to discover internships they'd like to apply to. This year even more seniors are looking for summer internships as well, since many of them have been unable to find sufficient job openings in their field. This increased competition created by the current state of the economy makes it even more vital that applicants follow up immediately with employers after sending out their resume and cover letters. Continue reading ...

Article by, Penny Loretto, a career counselor at a small liberal arts college in upstate New York, has her own private career counseling practice, Career Choice, and is About.com's Guide to Internships.

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 2, 2009 at 3:28 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Sustainability is big. A lot of people (and companies) are jumping on the green bandwagon for a wide variety of reasons. One place that a lot of people are starting to adopt green practices is in the home. That makes sense, because our homes reflect who we are. If we care about the environment, then we certainly want to show it in where we live. It's also important to make sure that our homes are a healthy place to live. I certainly didn't live in a "natural home" in college, and I'm sure that most of you don't either, but I wouldn't be surprised if more and more campuses are starting green initiatives for on-campus housing. Whether you're building your own green home or you're helping your college make decisions about a new initiative, where do you go for information on green living? Natural Home Magazine is one place. They're exactly what they say they are - a magazine about natural homes. Their tagline is "Living Wisely. Living Well." Continue reading about Natural Home Magazine...

Article by Willy Franzen of One Day, One Internship and One Day, One Job

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 2, 2009 at 11:21 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

[Recently] we talked about one student-focused non-profit's internships, and today we're going to talk about another. Student World Assembly is "a non-governmental, non partisan organization created to represent students globally." The overarching goal is to promote global democracy by providing "a deliberative assembly where students around the world can exchange views, vote on global issues through online discussion forums and in annual international conventions, and translate these views into meaningful actions." It certainly sounds like the kind of thing that you'd want to be involved in if you have an interest in International Relations. Continue reading about Student World Assembly...

Article by Willy Franzen of One Day, One Internship and One Day, One Job

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 2, 2009 at 11:17 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

How's the relationship between your college or university and the town or city that it's in? Let me guess. Not so hot. It always seems that students and "townies" don't get along too well. Beyond that, there can also be situations like at Yale in New Haven, CT where the students are generally much wealthier than the people who live in the surrounding neighborhood. This just exacerbates the fundamental gap between the university and the community. National Student Partnerships is a non-profit organization that was started in New Haven by two Yale students who wanted to close this gap. They "designed a program where college student volunteers work one-on-one with community residents, coordinating access to employment opportunities and social services, including job training, housing, health care, child care, and transportation." It's a wonderful idea, and it's working - look at the success stories. Continue reading about National Student Partnerships...

Article by Willy Franzen of One Day, One Internship and One Day, One Job

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 2, 2009 at 11:14 AM | Leave a Comment (0)