This is a blog written by our Intern Queen Campus Ambassador, Bianca, who attends Belmont University in Nashville, TN.

Did you find your perfect internship to learn that it’s only available for college credit? With the Fall semester quickly coming to a close, it’s time to start planning for a Spring internship. Many companies require interns to receive college credit for legal reasons and as a means of compensation. It’s important to research and learn about your school’s procedures regarding for-credit internships, because every university handles internships in a different way. Read below to find out seven things you need to know when planning for your credited internship!

1. Who’s your internship coordinator?
If there’s one person at your university that can answer all of your internship questions, it’s going to be your internship coordinator. Many universities have specific internship coordinators within the different schools, especially for specialized degree programs. As soon as you begin to consider doing an internship for credit, make sure to find the contact information for your internship coordinator. I recommend meeting with your internship coordinator as early into your college career as possible, because they can provide you with a lot of helpful tips and tricks that can help you maximize your internship experience.

2. Your university’s prerequisites
Every university has different prerequisites and requirements students must meet before interning for credit. For example, I’m a dual-major in music business and marketing, and because the two majors are in two different departments, they each have their separate set of rules and requirements. Technically, my marketing major has no requirements, and I could’ve interned for credit my first semester in college. On the other hand, my music business department has several prerequisite courses, an internship training lab, and collegiate seminar requirements that must be met before you can intern for credit. Many schools will not allow internships before your junior year, and you often have to meet a certain GPA standard. With every school taking a different approach to internships, make sure you find out the specific protocol for your school.
3. How much credit can I receive?

Every school takes a different approach to the credit rewarded for your internship. My school, for example, gives credit on a sliding scale in accordance with the number of hours you work at your internship each week. The more you intern, the more credit you receive. However, this is not always the case at every school. Make sure to ask your internship coordinator about the credits rewarded for an internship. Another important question to ask is the maximum number of credits you can be granted through internships. Universities will typically cap off the number of hours you can earn in internships, because they want you to have a balance with classes and experiential learning. My school will only allow you to receive a total of 6 credit hours for internships during your entire college career, so I suggest you save your internship credits and allocate them wisely!
4. Internship criteria and approval process

Depending on the type of internship you’re interested in, it’s important to find out if your school has certain criteria that the company of interest must meet. As a music business student, my music business internships must be at companies with a significant tie to the entertainment industry, and if I try to intern for credit at a company that’s not entertainment related, I can’t receive credit. Your school may require you to get your internship approved, but if not, make sure that the company meets the college’s criteria to ensure you get your credit at the end of the semester! When in doubt, ask your internship coordinator.

5. How do you register for credit?

Credited internships often require registration, because you are receiving credit just as you would for a class. You may have to register for a special section specifically for internships when you go in and register for all of your classes. Depending on your school’s rules, you may have to receive an override or consult your coordinator before you can register. Either way, make sure you have done all you need to register for your internship before registration rolls around. Many universities will only let you register for a credited internship within the first few weeks of the semester, or until the drop/add period.
6. Once I start my internship, when do I need to provide proof?

Some companies are very strict about students providing proof of credit. Don’t be surprised if you have to provide a letter from your university within the first week of your internship. These guidelines will typically be found in the internship job description, so you’re expected to handle this requirement in a timely manner. When you start your internship, come armed with the necessary documentation in hand!
7. Once I’ve finished my internship, what do I need to do?

After you finish your internship, does your school have any closing procedures you must go through? Some universities require students to write a reflection or closing statement in regards to their internship experience, while other schools may not have any requirements. Try to find out the ending procedures at the beginning of the semester, so you are well aware of what’s in store.

This blog is written by SUNY Plattsburgh campus ambassador and Intern Queen intern Alyssa, who will graduate this December with a Bachelor’s in Business Management!

As I get prepared to graduate this fall there are a few things I look back on during my college career. A little background on my college career. I was a Culinary Student at SUNY Cobleskill and graduated with an AOS in 2009. Decided that I did not want to do that after two years of school, so I transferred to SUNY Plattsburgh where I switched my major to Business Management.

First off when I got on campus and settled into the new lifestyle as a college student, I wish someone, anyone would of told me how important it is was to join a club, organization or have been involved in on campus activities. Looking back now as a senior, it’s a total regret and something I want every Freshmen to know. It’s not nerdy, nor uncool to be apart of something.

I was a transfer student going into my Junior year only knowing one person on the entire campus of over 6,000 people. You quickly realized most people that far into their college career had their established friends from the two previous years. It was hard to adapt to a new area and campus where you barely knew anyone, had no involvement with anything, and always heard the latest scoop during classes.

Make sure you take your class work serious. Getting a C or D in that basic psychology class as a Freshmen, may come back to haunt you. Not realizing that one day down the road as a senior or even graduate student that either it’s hurting your GPA or you have to retake the class because you either can’t graduate or not get accepted into a Masters program.

Lastly, the importance of an internship. There was not a single person my Freshmen or Sophomore year that mentioned one thing about an internship to me. At this point in time in your college career you should have at least one or working on a second internship. Even if you are unsure what you want to do, do things that interest you. After getting hands on experience from actually doing what you think you like you will soon realize you either one love it or hate it. Best way to help you figure out what you might want to be when you grow up.

Just remember these 3 things:

1- Stay involved on campus
2- Take school seriously
3- Get an Internship or several

This blog is written by Jenna, our Campus Ambassador at Chico State. She is a junior journalism major and just finished an internship with a magazine in the Bay Area.

“If you can deal with us for another summer, we’d love to have you back next year.”

Two weeks before my summer internship ended, my supervisor casually threw this in at the end of an email. I was absolutely thrilled with the thought, and I became increasingly excited about my future options. Here are some things I did that I believe made them want me back.

Connect with everyone. Talk to everyone in the office. Create relationships with them and continuously ask if they need help with anything. This way, if your supervisor asks around to see who would be happy with having you around for a while longer, everyone will be familiar with you and associate you with being a helping hand.

Learn what people like. There are certain ways people like things done. Pay close attention to the details and it will be appreciated. I noticed that one of the editors in the office wanted me to use paper clips instead of staples when compiling files for her, so she could later keep them in a binder. Also, my supervisor was huge on communication, so I made sure to forward her many of the emails I sent.

Send daily updates. I found that sending an email to my supervisor that included a list of what I accomplished at the end of each day was really helpful. She loved the organization and it was also easier for me to check things off my list. Don’t flood their email inbox – just try it out one day and see how they respond. Some people may receive too many emails already and would prefer to only talk about your day in person.

Go above and beyond. Step out of your comfort zone and make your daily goal to make someone in the office say, “Wow.” Let them know you’re dedicated and ask a ton of questions. I once had the assignment of interviewing someone and writing a short bio. She told me she could only speak with me at 8 p.m. that night or the following week. If I waited, I would miss my deadline. I then took initiative and “worked” after leaving the office. It paid off.

I am not entirely sure of my plans for next summer just yet, but I had some other Campus Ambassadors weigh in – to intern with one company twice as long or move on and gain experience from multiple?

“I interned at the same company twice and now I have a full time position there!” Cat from University of South Florida

“My Work Experience teacher at school told me you should only stay at an internship if you are going to continue learning new things.” – Vanessa from San Diego Mesa College

“I interned at the same company three times but I always did something different.” – Sarah from University of Missouri

This blog is written by Catherine O. our campus ambassador from Barton College.

I’m not one to have many pet peeves but one that really bothers me is when people are late. I have always been taught that it is very important to be punctual. It’s not good to hold people up or cause any inconvenience for them. I will offer a few quick tips to help with you become more punctual.

At the beginning of the day (or the night before), make a list of things to do and set your priorities. This can help you become clutter-brain free throughout the day.

Take time to plan each activity and give yourself ample time to complete each task before starting on the next. This will also eliminate any mistakes or setbacks to your schedule.

If you have planned an activity, meeting, dinner, event, etc. in advance, make sure to schedule less important things around it. Don’t plan anything around the time of any big event! For example, don’t plan a nail/hair appointment at 1pm and be scheduled to attend a friend’s wedding at 2pm. Who knows what could happen within that time frame that could cause you to miss or be late to your friend’s wedding.

Last but not least, if something unexpected happens that may cause you to be late, make sure to call the person with whom you are meeting with to inform them of your possible tardiness.

I hope these tips help you all!

As students, it is a must to maximize all available resources. Google has many online products
that are free to use with a Google account. I use most of them on a daily basis. Since Google
is on the web, I do not have to worry about finding a typo in my essay without my file at hand,
I can simply edit and print on campus. All Google products are neatly organized at http://
www.google.com/intl/en/about/products/.

Here are a few products that every intern and student must know!

Google Docs – This is the one product that everyone should consume. My favorite
feature is that you are able to share documents in that everyone can edit and leave
comments without the hassle of emailing different versions back and forth.

Google Scholar – Scholarly papers accessible online, convenient as a resource for a
research paper or a senior thesis

Google Books – Books online! Save the hassle of going out to buy a book and have it
as paperweight, they always have new titles too. Google Books also have the classics
available to read for free.

Google Reader – Condense your favorite blogs on one location! With Google Reader,
you can save the hassle of visiting multiple blogs and read them all together (or not, up
to you!)

This blog is written by Erin, our campus ambassador for the College of William and Mary.

If you’re like most college students, you likely have visions of sleeping in, home cooking, and holiday cheer when you think of your winter break. Most colleges and universities adjourn for 3 or more weeks to observe the holiday season that takes place between semesters. What if you used that time to advance your career instead?

“Winternships,” or abbreviated internships that take place during the winter holiday are gaining popularity among college students. With all the free time that winter break facilitates, the aspiring professional has time to shadow a professional or intern for a company full-time, gaining valuable experience and skills. Basically, a winternship is an abbreviated version of a summer internship.

A winternship is a multi-beneficial opportunity. Not only do you get to utilize your winter break in an educational and career-oriented fashion, you are also too busy to become bored at home. While movie marathons and hot cocoa with your high school friends are fun for the first week or so, after much longer your visions of sugarplums are replaced by a longing for campus life and the freedom that accompanies it. A winternship allows you to keep some of the independence that you have grown accustomed to whilst being away at school. By working, you can still feel like a semi-independent individual, even while you are back at home.

In addition, winternships can give you an extra advantage when you go to apply for a summer internship. Companies will see that you took initiative and spent your time usefully and will be more likely to consider you for a position. Also, the skills you picked up working between semesters will likely be useful during the summer.

Finding a winternship is easier than you may imagine. Many companies don’t offer official internships for winter break, but if you inquire yourself, they will be willing to take you on for a few weeks. After all, why would they say no to free help? In addition some colleges offer winter break research and work opportunities. Look at the resources at your school to see what is available.

It is most beneficial to look for a winternship in either your hometown or somewhere where you have a place to say, such as with a relative or close friend. Because it is only for 3 or 4 weeks, finding an apartment can be an unnecessary and expensive hassle.

Winternships can be a great addition to your resume’ and a wonderful opportunity to explore a career field. Start applying within the month, so companies have time to adjust and prepare for your arrival. If you do receive one, work hard to make a good impression and learn everything you can; but just make sure you do fit in some time for Frosty the Snowman, ok?

This is a blog written by our Intern Queen Campus Ambassador, Emily, from  the University of Minnesota. Do you  have a passion for fashion? Comment below

Looking back at my two summer fashion industry internships, I have decided to compile a list of everything that I have learned.
One of my internships is with a fashion designer and the other with a jewelry designer. One a large company, one a small. I do different things at each of them. They have helped to give me a well rounded perspective of working within the industry.
Along with the internships, I have gone to many fashion related events and have met other fashion interns at a variety of places such as magazines, PR firms, showrooms, and designers. All have helped me to compile this list. (They are in no particular order!)

1. Be There, Have A Smile, Be Eager
Be at your internship on time and on the days needed. I know a girl who requests like every Friday off, and that is not okay, your boss will remember that. Also smile, they want someone who, at least, looks like they are loving what they are doing (even if it is getting coffee). And be eager to learn, walk around the office and not only ask your supervisor but ask other employees if they need help with anything, you don’t want to just sit around.

2. It Really Isn’t Glamourous
The fashion industry is about as glamourous as an industry can get. Just on the outside though. On the inside it is run like any other business. As an intern in the fashion industry, you will get coffee, you will copy things, you will run errands in the 104 degree heat. But it isn’t all like this. You get to work on exciting projects and you get to see the newest collections before anyone else. You also meet amazing people and learn the real inter-workings of the industry.

3. The People
Both of my bosses are wonderful. And the actual paid workers are so nice (at least where I was). Sure we had to get coffee, but half the time we were told we could get ourselves a drink while on the run (but of course we always politely declined). It wasn’t nearly as cut throat as it was made out to be. If anything there is more cut-throatedness amongst the interns, but if you avoid drama it will avoid you.

4. You Have To Really Love It
You have to love what you do. In this industry the work days can last a long time, because everything is changing so fast. There are always new collabs and new seasons. Deadlines approach faster than you can imagine. Your creative mind needs to produce creative juice at a faster than-normal-person-rate. You need not be shy, and if you are FAKE IT.

5. Internships Are A Must
Who cares about your major? No one. Zippo. Notta. I follow Eva Chen of Teen Vogue on twitter. Her major was pre-med. She said other TVers were history and an assortment of non fashion related items. Internships are the single handedly the most important thing. And not just one of them, but two or three or even better… four! I’ve been applying for fall internships/jobs and after these two internships, I hear back almost immediately. Before it took more effort. Also, working in retail is important, especially if you want to be a buyer. You must familiarize yourself with clothing and read up on the latest fashion news. Go shopping- window shopping – just be familiar with clothing.

I hope this list helped someone, anyone.
If you have any questions about interning and/or fashion, don’t hesitate to ask me! I’d love to help!

This blog is written by Silvia, our campus ambassador from Ithaca College.

As my first week of classes comes to a close, it is extremely difficult to get out of summer mode.  With nice weather, and the beach still an option it becomes easy to get distracted and lose focus on work. In order to stay on track and fulfill our responsibilities as students we must have motivation. Here are some helpful tips on how to find motivation, and of course keep it!

1)      Set a personal goal for yourself. Don’t make it so generic, think of something that would really make you happy once achieved.

2)      Be your own cheerleader. Don’t rely on someone else to encourage you to do your best.

3)      Reward yourself. Having something to look forward to will give you the extra drive to work hard.

4)      Last but not least, remember to stay motivated. If something isn’t working for you switch it up. Find motivation for different projects if needed.

This is a guest post from our Intern Queen Campus Ambassador Marysa Miller from California State University

Being able to communicate well is an extremely important aspect of life.  Having the ability to speak well in a society that is run by facebook chat, tweets, and text messages is rare!  Seriously, when was the last time you actually met up with a friend and spoke over coffee instead of texting back and forth all day?!  It just doesn’t happen.  Being able to speak well will give an intern a HUGE advantage in the work force.  It will instantly set you apart from those who are lacking in communication skills.  What employer wouldn’t want an intern who could speak clearly, confidently and knowledgably?    Being able to speak well does not come natural to all, but is a quality that should be developed for guaranteed success.  Here are my three tips on how to enhance your communication skills:

1. Practice makes perfect.  You’ve heard it since you were five, and you know that there’s no such thing as perfect.  But you can get pretty close!  If you get nervous before public speaking or even one-on-one conversation, practice speaking.  You are a smart cookie, you know what kinds of questions are going to be asked in an interview!  Practice your answers to different questions out loud.  You will become more comfortable speaking about them and in turn sound more confident as a speaker. When speaking in front of a group, speak slowly.  One sign of nervousness is when a speaker rushes.  Days before your presentation practice your speech in a mirror or better yet, record yourself on your web-cam.  I have tons of speeches recorded on my photobooth from my public speaking class my freshman year of college!  It sounds cheesy, your roommates might think you’re crazy, but it is extremely helpful to go back and listen to the speech as well as judge your tone and speed.
2. Speak clearly and sound professional.  Don’t use words you can’t pronounce.  If you don’t know what a word means, don’t use it.  Those old SAT vocab words you used to study should stay in the back of your memory unless you remember the definition to every single one of them.  The conversation could get awkward or embarrassing.  Along with the first tip, don’t speak too fast.  You want your listener to hear you, not try and play catch up as you’re are speaking to them.  Always make sure to articulate and pause when needed. You will learn over time that there are natural times to pause in a speech or conversation and those pauses make you sound very smart.  Another nervous habit most people have is saying, “um.”  It gets annoying and it makes you sound like you aren’t prepared!  I once heard somewhere that if you can get yourself into the habit of saying, “now” instead of “um” it will make a world of difference in your speaking.  It sounds intelligent and professional.
3. Be confident.  Tell yourself that you are a great public speaker!  You have practiced, you have gotten rid of your “um’s”, and you have on the perfect outfit.  Now it is just time to believe in yourself.  If you are confident, others around you can see it and similarly, if you aren’t confident, it will show just as much.  Think of yourself as the employer interviewing college students for your internship.  How would you want them to speak?  Imagine them on the phone, dealing with media or executives of a company.  Last thing you want to hear out of their mouth is slang or awkward conversation.  If you can learn to love speaking, you will do well.  Love what you are speaking about and you will do even better!  Good luck!

I had the opportunity to speak with Amanda Montgomery(@acmontgomery), the Marketing Manager for Social Media Delivered, an international social media optimization form located in North Texas, Paris, and France (www.socialmediadelivered.com), about the importance of networking and using LinkedIn.

Latest LinkedIn Facts via press.linkedin.com:

- LinkedIn has over 85 million members in over 200 countries.

- A new member joins LinkedIn approximately every second, and about half of the members are outside of the U.S.

- Executives from all Fortune 500 companies are LinkedIn members

Q: How do you personally use LinkedIn?

A: I personally use LinkedIn to 1) follow up from professional industry networking events, to connect with people online so I can maintain relationships. 2) as a cross recruiting tool for people on a more personal level. 3) to participate in trade groups and discussion about industry news and buzz. I use groups to stay on top of my A-game in breaking Social Media news. And 4) to expand our brand as an organization.

Q: What do you feel makes LinkedIn important?

A: Online Netiquitte, -80% of people check you out on Facebook and LinkedIn. I see LinkedIn as becoming the primary way you should be listed online. It’s such a wide gamut of infomation you can post there. I personally think it’s the greatest thing to happen to social media as it drives return on relationships. I encourage people to break their addiction with Facebook and try out a little LinkedIn medicine!

Q: How do you think it helps in a professional world and in actually finding jobs?

A: A great thing about LinkedIn is that you are able to connect with job seekers and job searchers – you really go back to the core principal of creating a network and establishing an online reputation by learning and continuing to educate yourself.

Q: What about having LinkedIn while in College?

A: It’s a vital tool. Critical. More vital than air. I mean, you have to breathe but if you could trade, it’s more important than air. If you want to be taken seriously, that’s where you need to be. Your profile needs to be optimized. Have the right things plugged in. Be proactive. Reach out in groups. Don’t be afraid to send notes. If you’re going to events trying to find job leads and you meet some people, don’t be afraid to send them notes. Most people I have hired have been from referrals, and LinkedIn is a great way to connect. The term “if you know 10 people you know 10 thousand”  is really true for LinkedIn.

Q: What do you think LinkedIn’s roll while seeking internships is?

A: internships are a job, in my opinion, and you should act accordingly. When you treat an internship as a full time job the long term benefits will be ten fold. When you set a pattern in your behavior, you set standards for yourself. All of it is centering around an optimized professional that knows all the information they can.