Internqueen.com

This is a post by our campus ambassador Caitlin Pfaff from Florida State University.

Have you ever fantasized about your future job? Where you would be living? What title you would have?

Exploring the endless possibilities of the future on websites like Monster.com could lead to some beneficial insights.  First of all, if you’re not picky about what city you would like to live in, you can discover what regions of the country would be great for your career.  When I was looking for jobs in the Marketing/Public Relations area, I was surprised to find that there were many cities in Texas hiring for this profession.

Searching online for jobs also has given me a greater insight into what employers are looking for in a potential employee.  Many companies are looking for experience.  Sometimes when you don’t have years in the profession working in your favor, internships and campus involvement can help make you marketable for a job that you may not have certain qualifications.

Seeing what characteristics employers are looking for are helpful for interviews and knowing what skills to further develop.  I noticed that organization, customer service oriented, and creativity were all overlapping traits that employers are looking for.  I’ve been taking my experiences as an opportunity to develop these skills.

What have Internet Job Search Engines done for you?

This is a post from our Campus Ambassador, Jenn from Arizona State University.

All Work, No Pay, is an amazing book that is going to not only benefit readers but also connect with so many people. Lauren Berger has a way with words, and is one of the best motivational speakers I’ve ever listened to when she spoke to students at Arizona State University. Here are some of my personal checklist of information that I acquired from All Work, No Pay. I know you’ll get the same great information from it too!

-          -The benefits of virtual and larger company internships.

-         - How to successfully conduct a skype/over the phone interview.

-         - How to properly ask for letters of recommendation.

-         - How to differentiate yourself when interviewing and really make a positive lasting impression.

-        –  How to effectively write an outstanding cover-letter.

I know this book is going to get everyone super motivated to get interning or even how to achieve your desired career goals! I can’t wait to keep learning from it and blog further! Until then, Facebook and Tweet your hearts out. #allworknopay #internqueenlove

This blog was written by Alison, our campus ambassador from Sarah Lawrence College!

As the demand and popularity of college internships rises, students are increasingly faced with challenging decisions to make when deciding where to intern for the semester. With such strong emphasis being placed on securing competitive internships, it is sometimes difficult to be positive that you are making the best career choices to maximize your professional development. What can be even more puzzling is when false myths about internships are thrown into the decision-making processes. Here are a few internship myths to steer clear from when you are searching for internships or trying to deicide which internship offer to accept.

Myth #1- Always take the paid internship over the unpaid one

Yes, money is tight while you are in college. Between books, groceries, loans and trying to sneak in a little bit of a social life, your wallet can start to look pretty thin. While this is true, taking a paid internship at a company that does not have a strong internship program over an unpaid internship at a company with an accredited internship program can be as destructive as shooting yourself in the foot!  Although the unpaid internship is going to be a large expense, the professional experience and exposure that you will gain from a strong internship program is incomparable to a weak program that does pay. This is not to say that all paid internships offer poor experience, but what I am saying is not to base your placement decision just on monetary concerns. Look at the programs that each company is offering; find out whom you will be working with and reporting to and what kind of work you will be doing. Once you know this, choose the option that is offering the most legitimate and challenging work. It is better to be drafting press releases and conducting market research unpaid than fetching coffee for your boss for $7.25 an hour.

Myth #2- Only take an internship that is in the field of you college major

The job market is a hard scene right now and we are all aware of this. When job creation is stagnant one of the most important principles to learn is adaptability. If you are majoring in English, think beyond a publishing or journalism internship. An internship at a public relations firm may expand your skill set even further! This holds true with most college majors. Do not simply limit yourself to searching for an internship in one industry; there are many relevant and beneficial internship opportunities across multiple professional fields.

Myth #3- If you’ve got the internship, so you’ve got the job

Having an optimistic mindset that you want to secure an entry-level job with a company once your internship ends is great! However, feeling that this is a given simply because you were offered the internship is not a productive way to be thinking. Scoring an internship at the company of your dreams is a great first step, but if you want to get the job offer when your ten weeks are up, you need to work your hardest at every opportunity to showcase the great future employee you could be. The internship is your chance to demonstrate your work ethic, authenticity and motivation, but it is not your golden ticket into the company.

This blog was written by Nina, our Intern Queen Campus Ambassador at Erasmus University in The Netherlands! Nina has traveled all over the globe!

I spent most of November and December applying to universities in the United Kingdom for my masters. It was definitely one of the most stressful things I’ve ever had to do because applying for masters has become so competitive and universities really focus on filtering applications to find the top students. When applying for internships, cover letters are often the most important thing and it’s the same for your masters: you really need to write a great application letter. I never had the top grades, but I had a CV that stood out – I started applying for internships in my first year of my bachelors and I made sure that I did as many as I could. Filling my application letter with the experience gained during my internships was probably a game-changer for majority of the admissions board that reviewed my application letter.

Many universities in the United Kingdom require a CV and state that a CV will only make your application stronger. Students like myself that have trouble regurgitating crammed knowledge in the exam hall need to make up for it with internships because it shows dedication, motivation and extensive time management skills. Some of us are just more practical than theoretical, there’s nothing wrong with that but you need to show the admissions board that you’re not just lazy. Most universities will ask you to write about where you see yourself in five years and how this specific course will help you when starting your career. If you have internships, you can back up virtually anything you write and your application letter will only be better. I know from personal experience that without a masters degree, especially in Europe, you won’t be getting far. Internships won’t only help you getting a job later on, but they’ll definitely help you be the candidate that universities are looking for when applications start piling up in the admissions office.

This blog is written by Aviance, our Campus Ambassador for the University of Southern California.

For the college student on the go, there isn’t a lot of time to go off campus to shop. For those who aren’t quite ready to resort to wearing their old sweats to class, there is still a shopping destination that is within reach for every intern: the World Wide Web. Just follow these tips and get better deals plus exclusive clothing all from the comfort of your twin XL dorm bed.

Check for student discounts: Many retailers understand the plight of the broke college student and offer discounts for those who want to look good on a budget. Sign up for a Student Advantage card and get 10-15% at online stores like Armani Exchange, Topshop/Topman and Target. Other sites like StudentRate.com offer discounts or cash back at shops like Urban Outfitters, Free People and Nordstrom.

Shop around: Look on other website for the product that you want. If the brand isn’t exclusive to one store, you can usually find it on other websites with better prices. Nordstrom has a wonderful policy where they will match the price of any competitor who has the same color and size of a product.

Shop at the right times: Sometimes it can seem like torture to wait to purchase those perfect shoes but good things come to those who wait. If you don’t think it will sell out or if the product is brand new, wait a little for the website to either have a deal (check out the next tip) or lower the price. Online shopping is amazing right after holidays, around your birthday and, of course, on Cyber Monday.

ALWAYS look for online coupons and NEVER pay for shipping: Please don’t ever click that “Confirm Purchase” button without at least checking for online coupons! The thought of paying for shipping makes me shudder. Hunt as long as you can for a coupons online, especially free shipping ones. Simply go to your favorite search engine and type in the retailer your shopping from then “coupons,” and you’ll be amazed at the kinds of deals you can find. **BONUS TIP: Sign up for e-mail alerts for even more coupon codes and advance notice of upcoming online sales.

Use Broke Girl’s Guide: As a student in LA, this website has helped me tons when I’m looking for deals (and with giving me inspiration for this post J). Not only do they give you the latest deals for on and off-line shopping but they also give awesome ways to save when you want to go out. Check it out!