This is a guest post from Campus Ambassador Melinda Price from Miami University of Ohio.

Since internships are a valued experience for your future employer, it’s pretty much expected you’ll have some experience upon college graduation. However, holding an internship during your college career can be a challenge to work around.

Between classes, extra-curricular activities, office hours, a social life, and sometimes a paid job, when in the world will you have the time to commit to an internship? The answer for some people, including myself, is a virtual or online internship. This type of internship works around your schedule and you can do it on your own time.

For example, I am currently an editorial intern for Pretty Young Professional. The start-up website is aimed at young, professional women who are looking for career and life advice pertaining to subjects related to women. My job in particular for the company is creating content, editing, generating ideas for new topics, social marketing for the site, and I work closely with the founding team. But I do it all from my own college room.

The articles that I edit and write are generally due within a week, but I can do them whenever I find time in my schedule. For the most part, this means I do my internship assignments in morning when I’m not in class, in my breaks between classes, or after I get home from work at night.

A lot of online internship employers are also willing to have some kind of flexibility with deadlines. Since they are hiring college students, your boss will realize that you have a lot on your plate and can give allowances. Also, they don’t care when you work on it, as long as it is done in a timely manner.

Another advantage of an online internship is that all the resources you need are on your computer. Not only is this really convenient because most students today haul their laptops around anyway, but you can work from anywhere with an internet connection.

Since everything is on your computer, it is important to back up your files with a flash drive or other device. It might make for an angry employer if you lose necessary content.

One important thing to note when looking into an online internship is your phone and email etiquette. Since a lot of your contact with your boss, co-workers, and potential clients will be via email and phone, it is important to note that you are being professional in your conversations. Make your voicemail message one that you want employers to hear and your email content worth reading.

Many times, in a virtual internship is a special skill to know the social media language. Candidates for virtual internships (and all jobs) have an advantage when they are fluent in using new media. My advice is to create a Twitter or Facebook, if you don’t have one already, to test the waters so this area will not be your weakness.

Holding a virtual internship does have some requirements, but is a great option for someone who can’t find time to hold a full-time internship but want to gain some experience in their field. This will also signal to future employers that you are familiar with being professional in your communication and have knowledge of the online world.

This is a guest post by our campus ambassador Cari Buchwald from University of Georgia.

1) Remember to Say “Please” and “Thank You”

Being polite is absolutely vital in a follow up. Doing so allows the employer to see you as a mature individual who is appreciative and pleasant to work with.

2) Don’t Beat Around the Bush

The follow up is not the place to give the employer information concerning your capabilities; they already have received your resume and cover letter. This is your time to be honest and straightforward about why you want the position and how strongly you are interested. After all, employers want capable individuals who are highly passionate about the internship.

3) Resume, Resume, Resume

For whatever reason, the employer may have misplaced or lost your information. In the follow up, you should always reattach your resume so that it will be right in front of them when they receive your email. If it is easily accessible to view, they will have no choice but to take a second look at your resume.

4) Don’t Be Discouraged

The follow up does not always guarantee a further opportunity with the company; sometimes they have already selected another candidate or are looking for someone else. However, don’t let this discourage you from writing follow ups. Following up makes you stand out, which is helpful if you are interested in the company and want to apply to future positions.

This is a guest post from campus ambassador Paola Reyes from University of Texas at Austin.

As a college student, time seems to pass by faster than ever, sometimes I feel so overwhelmed by how much work I have to do and how little time I have on my hands. Adding an extra weight such as an internship makes things even more complicated sometimes. Below are some helpful tips that I have found useful to help me spend my time more wisely with school work and chores.

1. The Study Buddy

Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr are three social media websites that nobody should miss out on, but at times you end up spending more time on them than you initially planned. Sometimes you can even find yourself switching your concentration from your homework to Facebook and this is never effective. One thing I find useful is to have a friend or classmate study at the same time as me, that way there is less temptation to distract myself on something else. If this doesn’t work other effective study buddies are some of the self control apps on the internet that you can download for free to block these websites while you do your homework.

2. Make a Schedule

Plan your days ahead of time! Make a check list of the things you have to do the day before then do one thing at a time the next day and check them off as you go. This will keep you oriented on a certain chore instead of doing a little bit of everything as the day goes along. A calendar is also very useful when making a schedule of what you need to do during the month, you could color code it according to how urgent it is for example red for urgent, green for recreational, and blue for daily activities.

3. Set your Goals

Know what you want and reach for it. Setting a goal is very important because that way you always have in the back of your mind where you want to be.          Acknowledging what your goals are will help you prioritize and distinguish what is important to your career and what isn’t.

Always keep in mind that school is just as important as your internship and you should balance both of them equally. College life is fun and at the same time stressful and you should be able to get the best out of both worlds. These tips are just the basics of many things you can do to manage your time, do whatever works for you and always have motivation!

This is a guest post from our campus ambassador Katie Woloshin from James Madison University.

College is a time for exploration, for self-discovery, a time to prepare for the real world, and overall a time for new experiences.  However, it can be a hard finding a place to start on these new life ventures. Need some guidance on how to get un-stuck in college? How about some inspirations to escape from your routine you’ve fallen into at your university? Here are some helpful ideas that can lead you in the right direction.

1. Try the Career and Academic Planning Office: This office can assist you in finding an internship, picking classes that coincide with your major, finding clubs, resume help, and just about anything else you can think of. They are trained to know the in’s and out’s of your school and can definitely lead you to your next move.
2. If you do not have this office, talk to your assigned advisor. This person is given to you as your best resource on campus. Talk openly to her or him about what you see yourself doing in the future and how this university help you get there.
3. Befriend your advisor, as this person is one of your guides on campus, they will want to do anything they can to help you reach your goals and find new and exciting ventures.
4. Go to Student organization night. One night a semester, all of the student led organizations get together and share what they have to offer. You can get great information about each organization and even sign up for their mailing list. This can help you branch out and find any piece of information about clubs your heart could desire.

Good luck on your new adventures. Your future awaits you!

This is a guest post by our campus ambassador Rachel Gault from Iona College.

Landing an interview for an internship is extremely exciting.. and can also be somewhat nerve-wracking. Keep these tips in mind the next time you’re preparing for your big interview:

1. You should already be familiar with the company you’re hoping to get an internship with, since you’ve applied for the position. But why did you apply to work at that particular company? Prepare yourself to answer that question with a little something more than “I want to gain more experience.”

2. Look up the person you’re interviewing with on Linkedin and learn more about them. This will prepare you to have a little something extra to bond with them about or to discuss during your interview.

3. Print out materials you’ve worked on at previous internships or in class (related to the industry) to bring in with you. This will allow you to showcase your best work and give the company an idea of your style.

4. Be prepared to turn the tables. Have questions ready for your interviewer not only regarding the position, but also about them–what they like about the company, their job, their experiences in the industry, etc.

5. Ask what the next steps are in the process– Is there a round 2? Do you need to submit additional materials? When will they be making their decisions about the candidates? If you’re selected for the position, when would you start?

6. Send a thank you–but not right away. Chances are, you’re not the only candidate the company is looking at for the position. Wait 3 or 4 days and then send your message. By waiting, you’ll be fresh in their minds after they’ve met with other candidates.

Good luck!!

This is a guest post by our campus ambassador Ashley Stansbury from UMass Amherst.

 Finding an internship can be a pretty difficult and time consuming process. It is essential to set yourself up in advance, so when the time comes to look for an internship your ready to go! Remember, you are competing for a position amongst a sea of thousand other potential applicants, so you have to make yourself stand out! Success while still in college depends on a few crucial components.

These are:
-Your academic performance (when teacher’s love you, they will recommend you for jobs!)
-A revised and edited resume
-Extracurricular activities (where you can show off your leadership skills and work habits)
-Having a LinkedIn account (over 60 million users have profiles and connect with other professionals and its the best way to present yourself professionally on the web!)

Of all these, the resume is perhaps the most crucial aspect of getting an internship. It is essentialy YOU on paper and it is the document that gets you the interview. Here at UMass Amherst, we tend to use a “functional resume” when applyiing for internships. As college students we obviously do not have as much experience as someone who has been working in the field for years, so it’s a great alternative to highlighting skills that an employer may be looking for. Example of a functional resume:

Mary Doe
123 Wall Street
Amherst, MA
01003
 
Education
University of Massachusetts Amherst        Degree expected May 2013
B.A.,Journalism, Sociology minor

Skills:
    Technical: Html proficent, WordPress, Photoshop, Excel (etc.)
    Interpersonal:fluent Spanish, reliable, resillant (etc.)
    Editorial: Strong Writer, analyzed (Etc.)
Experience: Etc, Etc.

Remember, it’s never too early to get started looking at internships and composing a resume. Good Luck!

This is a guest post from our campus ambassador Samantha Bankey from Ferris State University.

Think about a brand such as Pepsi. You know it’s a soda company, it’s red, white, and blue, it started the Pepsi Refresh Project, etc. A conversation can go many places as people talk about Pepsi. “What are the new commercials like? Remember when Britney Spears did her Pepsi days? Wow, the Pepsi Refresh Project just funded this awesome project for this place a couple of cities away!”

Now, when people say Your Name, what will they be thinking of? What do you want them to say about you and think of you as? Here are ways to help build your personal brand.

1. First and foremost, start a Twitter. Yeah, Facebook is great and all, but that’s more on a personal level. Twitter is a way connect with professionals in your own field and to see what others are talking about and blurb about what you’re interested in. Post links to articles you’re interested in or that relate to you as a professional, use hashtags (#) and participate in Twitter chats, and take advantage of the contacts you make on Twitter. I’ve made so many contacts via Twitter — I even had an internship where all I did was tweet. It’s a way for businesses and companies to reach out to people they’re interested in.
2. Start a blog. This is extremely important in building a brand. On Twitter, you can talk about things in 140 characters or less where on your own blog, you can go on and on and on! Start a blog and talk about things that you are interested in. Want to have a career in the Fashion industry? Start a blog and post about fashion related things. Make it about what you think. This is all about you and your opinions! Have photos or designs that you’ve created? Make a blog or an online portfolio of your work! It’s such a great way to collect all of your work into one place that is easy for others and employers to see. Think that your blog is going to be a hassle to maintain? If you’re blogging about things you actually are interested in, you won’t get bored with it. I promise.
3. Make your resume reflect your brand. Post links to your website, Twitter, blog, etc. on your resume or in the signature of your e-mails. The visitor count on my website has SKYROCKETED ever since I put a link in my e-mail signature. Also, make sure your resume isn’t too bland. My resume isn’t perfect, but it has color in it, which a PR professional has told me that, that is a big plus. Appeal to your possible employer in a way that will impress them. You may want to check into your Career Services to see how you can make your resume top notch.
4. Last but not least, tell people about what you do! Tell your friends on Facebook and Twitter that you have a blog or website. It took me a long time to tell people about my passion with makeup and the fashion industry because I was a little shy. Little did I know, a lot of people would be really interested in it. A lot of people actually enjoy reading the things I post, and even if they didn’t, who really cares? This is you and your personal brand! Not everyone likes Pepsi, and not everyone is a fan of soda anyways, but look how successful Pepsi and it’s brand has become. Don’t forget that a huge way your stuff will spread is through word of mouth. If an employer sees your blog and likes a post on it, he/she may bring it up to someone they know, then they’ll talk about it to their friends and so on.

As always, be sure to keep it professional. Don’t turn your Twitter into nothing but randomness, and do not use inappropriate language. Be sure you aren’t turning your blog into a diary, although talking a little bit about yourself and your life is a good thing! And of course, flaunt who you are. Your personal brand should reflect who you really are and what you stand for. Don’t put on a front about who you aren’t and talk about things you don’t care about. In doing so, you’ll stand out from your employers and professionals and be more memorable, possibly even before they want to schedule that interview.

This is a guest post from our campus ambassador Andrea Teggart from Ohio University.

Hopefully this list gets you excited for your internship and fabulous summer in DC! I also found this post: ”Fun Under Age 21: A Guide to 21 Things To Do in Washington”. That will give you even more ideas and suggestions for making this summer an absolutely amazing time. Enjoy!