I AM INTERN

Check out my guest blog for Wasabi Ventures “Make Interns A Vital Part of Your Start-Up” , http://blog.wasabiventures.com/make-interns-a-vital-part-of-your-start-up/

Check out my feature “Interns Wanted and Working Harder” below:

http://www.recessionwire.com/2009/08/17/internships-in-recession/

In the past few weeks there have been several blog posts and articles focusing on the wealthy advantage of certain students in conjunction with unpaid internships. This particular advantage infers that students coming from middle to upper class families have an easier time taking on unpaid internships. The advantage also assumes that students from lower-income families need to pay their own way through school and therefore cannot realistically participate in an unpaid internship program.

In an ideal world, all internships are paid programs. However, the current economy has proven many young adults are willing to make financial sacrifices during difficult times because the experience of working at a desirable company will pay off in the long run.

A recent Forbes article stated: “an extremely large percentage of the student population cannot afford unpaid internships. These are students who struggle to balance the rigors of college with the need to earn enough to cover living expenses.”

This article provides students with a reason to not pursue internship opportunities. Lack of time. Lack of money. It incorrectly suggests that wealthy students are taking advantage of internship programs while disadvantaged students are working too many hours to fit in time for internships. As someone who has worked for several years with thousands of college students from diverse backgrounds, I can assure you that this is not the case. It takes a motivated and ambitious individual to pursue available internships. As educators and mentors, we should constantly be encouraging students to consider internship opportunities – both paid and unpaid.

It is not the financially secure person who gets the job; rather it is the focused candidate who strives to succeed and understands the value of an internship opportunity. This candidate will find a way to make everything work in their specific situation. If anything, their lack of financial means serves as a motivational tool which provides the necessary incentive to excel in their chosen fields.

Lauren Berger
“The Intern Queen”

Lauren Berger is the CEO of Intern Queen Inc. She is known as “The Intern Queen” after participating in 15 internships during her 4 years of college. Berger currently runs both http://www.internqueen.com and http://www.quarterlife.com/intern. She has been featured in Business Week, The New York Post, Washington Post, etc. Her National Fall Speaking Tour kicks off September 30th 2009.

COMMENTS

As usual, I asked my followers on Twitter what they thought – Is there a wealthy advantage?

segod@InternQueen no weekends is how I handle a FT job & FT school & an internship & really really long days but it’s all worth it… Right?

saramckinniss@InternQueen 1 of the internships I had was paid, but it was in NYC and I had to take out a student loan to cover living costs. =ed out tho.

rachellevi@InternQueen Job and Internship plus student groups and classes is stressful!

bruin@InternQueen Yes, most definitely. Especially in the fields of film and television, where it’s just about who you know.

gogetterjanet@InternQueen I don’t know? Maybe in a way because they might not need the money/work hourly @ a job so they can do an internship 4 free.

tiaramerchgirl@InternQueen Oh definitely (and I say that as a former sorta-wealthy student). You don’t have to worry about basic needs as much.

Dtothel_o…during college and never got to do an internship. Now I lack relevant experience to start my career. @InternQueen

joanntran@InternQueen YES, of course!! Some can afford to do it unpaid, or take off a quarter, while the rest of us need to pay the rent and bills!

laurashumaker@InternQueen of course wealthy students have an advantage! Other students either can’t take unpaid internships or have to juggle a job too.

chadkennedy@InternQueen Absolutely! They don’t have to worry about the expenses. All they have to worry about is the internship and networking.

smart_blonde@InternQueen Yes! As do students w/ parents who still finance them. Especially with NYC & Fashion internships. No kid can afford that alone.

EricSan@InternQueen Some advantage of course. They have financial backing to take that risk. Others may still chose to do it, but more pressure.

Let’s be honest. You want to be the BEST intern this fall. You want to be the ONLY intern that your employer really pays attention to. YOU want to be the intern that gets offered a job at the end of the semester. Hey, it’s a competitive space – I understand. Here are some tips to help you really impress your boss and pimp out your fall internship:

1.Predict the Future. I know you’re not a mind-reader however, it doesn’t hurt to think about what you will need, what questions you should ask, and what you should bring. The key is to be over-prepared so that nothing slips through the cracks. Students should ask their internship coordinator questions about parking, directions, hours, dress code, supplies needed, and how lunch works ahead of time. These questions should all be put together nicely in one email. You shouldn’t have to send your coordinator several emails. You don’t want to annoy them before you first day.

2.Pick Out Your Internship Uniform. Students often dress nice the first few days of their internship and then start to slack off. Decide what your internship uniform will look like. This does NOT mean you will wear the same thing each day, it means that you will put thought into what you wear. Afterall, the way you dress does impact your first impression. For girls, your internship uniform might include cardigans, slacks, pencil skirts, and business jackets. For the guys, it’s usually an array of ties, business suits (if required), and nice pants. You never want to include jeans or flips flops in your uniform. Once you decide what type of clothing you will wear, it will be easier to mix and match your options and quickly get ready for your internship. Dress properly from your first day until your last day.

3.Please, Ask Questions. I know that on the first day anything, no one wants to be the one to speak up and ask questions. Get over that – quickly. I cannot tell you the amount of intern mistakes I have seen because of people that don’t ask questions. It’s normal for you to NOT understand how the company works during your first few weeks. Ask any question you have and if you employer seems annoyed, ask them who you can ask should you have questions. If your coordinator or boss has an assistant, that is the person who you should direct all questions to.

4.Talk It Out. Fall internships are wonderful but they can make your life pretty hectic with school, work, and/or other commitments. If your internship hours need to change, if you are working too late, if you need to study for a test – speak to your coordinator about it. You will find that most employer’s offering fall internships are quite flexible and will understand your issues. The only problem comes when you keep your frustrations inside and don’t express your concerns. Make sure to always be polite, speak properly, and be friendly.

5.Tuck Away Your Technology. Although I’m sure you look cool, I suggest keeping your Iphones, Blackberrys, Ipods, etc. out of your internship. You can have them in your pocket or in your purse but everything should be silenced the second you walk in the door. Even the vibrate function can be awkward when someone is explaining a task. Too many interns spend all day texting under the desk or Facebook-ing. Save that stuff for later on. It’s all a quick way to tell your employer that you have better things to do.

*For more internship advice, please check out my other blogs on I AM INTERN, http://www.internqueen.com. If you would like to apply for internships please check out my listings site at http://www.quarterlife.com/intern.