1. Don’t be too hard on yourself- You’re an intern, not the president of the company you’re interning for. If you misunderstand something or don’t feel qualified, don’t be too hard on yourself. See the entire experience as a learning opportunity, and grow from it.

2. Manage your time wisely- If you’re interning while going to school simultaneously, I highly suggest learning to manage your time wisely. Getting your school work done early, and not procrastinating, will help make your internship that much more enjoyable. Who wants to stress out about studying for an exam while at the office anyway?

3. Ask questions- Don’t be afraid to ask questions (yes, even if you think they’re dumb). As stereotypical as it sounds, someone probably has the same question too.

4. Utilize your resources- Your office may provide learning materials or programs accessible to you. Find out about these opportunities early on, and take advantage of them. It will show your employer that you are willing to learn and, in return, you will gain knowledge you wouldn’t have had otherwise.

5. It’s okay to make mistakes- Interning is about learning and gaining experience-plain and simple. Therefore, the most important lesson I learned from my internship experiences was to learn from my mistakes.

This a blog by Danielle G., our Campus Ambassador from the University of Connecticut. Danielle is a Communications major with a concentration in Sociology. She will graduate in May.

Being an intern can put you in a bind sometimes as to when and where your next meal or snack will be coming from. Typically one just ends up grabbing whatever they can snag. However, if we want to be the best and give our employers the best of us, then we have to treat out bodies with respect. That begins with making good food and drink choices when out and about.

Coffee is a staple usually in an interns or students world. The problem is I always see students forget that beverages are part of our everyday diet and we should still make smart choices when choosing our morning pick me up.

Coffee is actually a very good item to include in your diet.  Studies show that coffee can help ward off mental decline, Parkinsons Disease, certain cancers, high blood pressure, and even extra pounds. Coffee also has a ton of antioxidants that help keep your skin glowing and radiant. But I am talking about regular black coffee, the giants coffee milkshakes some places offer will cancel out any of these benefits and replace it with mass amounts of sugar, fat, and unwanted calories. Today I will offer you some great choices when you step into that Coffee shop and have no time to even think about the health benefits of your cup of Joe. I will compile a list from one of the most prevelant coffee shops in the US and abroad: Starbucks.

Regular Coffee: Plain old coffee only has 5 calories, YUP 5 Calories in one cup! Just be careful when you add cream and sugar. One packet of sugar has about 10 calories but add cream and maybe some artificial flavor and your coffee could come in at under 100 calories per small cup. This is not bad by any means for a flavored cup of coffee, but if your dumping sugar into it and ordering a large you may get more than you bargained for. Instead of sugar try just the flavored syrup alone or try something like Truvia, a natural sweetener with 0 calories.

Latte: Starbucks has a great Vanilla Latte that if you order it Skinny, they use nonfat milk and sugar free vanilla syrup to make. This drink in a Tall (aka small) is only 90 calories and what I love about it is it is a great way to get dairy and calcium into your diet in the morning. This is good for people who don’t like milk and have a hard time getting calcium into their daily meals.

Frappuccino: Now if you have to have a milkshake like drink because its just one of those days, that’s fine. One every once in a while wont hurt you. But try and do the same thing with the Latte and order it Light. A tall Caramel Frappuccino Light only has 100 calories. Sure it’s a small but you will probably find that the small is just what you wanted anyways.

Iced Coffee: If you want something Iced, regular coffee is always a great bet, but if you’re looking for something fancier go with a flavored Ice Latte Skinny Style and it will only come in at about 60 calories and again you have the extra calcium in there.

Starbucks always has their nutritional information on hand in brochures near the sugar caddy and milk station. These are great to pick up and read to pass by time if there is a long line. There are plenty of good options to make, you just have to make the effort to inform yourself. Once you do it will come easy for you to make snap judgments when having to decide on anything that can effect your health. Remember if your healthy, your body is happy, you are happy, and well that makes a happy employer.

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

This semester, I’m taking an eight-week course called Internship Lab. Many of you are probably wondering, what exactly is an Internship Lab? Well, my university requires students pursuing an internship in the entertainment industry to complete this lab, because it provides students with the fundamental knowledge needed to successful in searching for and landing an internship. In the past few weeks, we’ve been discussing interview strategies, and I’ve garnered some new tips and tricks that will help you in perfecting your interviewing skills and make you stand out from other applicants. Many of these resources are provided by my university’s career services department, a wonderful resource that I’ve tended to overlook. Here are some reasons why career services should be your new one-stop shop for interview preparation!

1. Ask your career services department about online interviewing practice!

Many career services departments have subscriptions to interview practice websites. For example, my university has provided students with access to InterviewStream, an online program that allows interviewees to take part in practice interviews that are recorded using a webcam and can be re-played to look for weaknesses and flaws in one’s interviewing skills. Another similar resource is Perfect Interview. Contact your university’s career services department to find out more information and to receive login credentials for these useful interview practice sites.

2. Take advantage of mock interview opportunities!

In addition to providing online interview resources, it’s likely that your school offers mock interviews for students seeking jobs and internships. This is a great opportunity to receive feedback and constructive criticism from professionals at your university. Schedule a mock interview when you have a particular job or internship in mind, and you can tailor your answers in respect to that job’s requirements. Even though you won’t be able to predict what questions will be asked at your interview, a mock interview will help your practice proper behavior, mannerisms, and strategies that will apply to any interview.

3. Résumé Review

Although many of us have résumés made up and ready to go, there’s never any harm in taking your résumé and cover letter to get reviewed by career services. If you have an internship or job you’re determined to land, take your résumé and cover letter to get reviewed before sending them off. It’s always good to have an extra set of eyes review your professional materials, not to mention by someone who specializes in job placement! One of my assignments in my Internship Lab was to turn in my résumé, cover letter, and reference sheet, and because I have interest in a highly selective internship program for next summer, I wrote my cover letter to that particular internship position. Now that my academic department has approved my cover letter and résumé, I feel confident that my application is ready to send off to the employer.

4. After the Interview – It never hurts to say thank you!

Once you’ve gone in for your interview, follow up afterwards. My university’s internship coordinator places a strong emphasis on following up with the potential employer right after the interview is over. She suggests sending an e-mail and mailing a thank you card on the same day of interview. Make sure to grab a business card, so you can send a proper thank you in the mail! In your follow-up correspondence, thank the potential employer for taking the time to meet with you and mention how much you look forward to hearing from them in the near future. Keep the card simple and sweet, as you don’t want to sound like you’re absolutely desperate for the position!

Your school has a career services department for a reason. Don’t waste an opportunity to receive assistance from professionals and useful resources for interview preparation.  Your current interview skills and resume may have landed you an internship already, but there’s always room for improvement and advice from career specialists.

This is a Q&A with our lovely Intern Queen Campus Ambassador, Jeanette, from Arizona State.

1.      What are your three must-have items for an internship?

A notepad, Clinque powder (stay fresh!) and a piece of fruit.

2.     What are your three must visit websites each day?

Twitter, Intern Queen and Her Campus.

3.     What kind of cell phone do you have?

Samsung Replenish, I love it!

4.     Age-old question: Mac or PC?

Mac

5.     What has been your favorite part about being an Intern Queen Campus Ambassador?

I love talking to other students all around the country, its fun to get to know everyone!

6.     Any advice for other interns?

Work hard, stay positive and take advantage of opportunities.

This blog post is written by Kristi, our Intern Queen Campus Ambassador from University of Idaho. If you also attend University of Idaho and are interested in blogging for us, leave a comment here!

My Top 10 Things to do Before I Graduate (Career-Oriented Edition)

In no order…

1 ) Learn a foreign language: We live in a globalized world and more and more people are speaking multiple languages. English is only the fourth most spoken language in the world behind Mandarin Chinese, Hindi, and Spanish.

2 ) Study Abroad: As the world becomes globalized, having an international perspective will give you an advantage your career. Travel will broaden and mature the traveler, and it shows some initiative and resourcefulness on your part. Employers love it.

3 ) Intern in another city: It’s amazing what you can learn outside the classroom, and your college town.

4 ) Learn to cook: At the very least, learn to cook one good meal. This has nothing to do with my career, but it might make me more confident.

5 ) Network: Take a few minutes and thank the professor that made the biggest impact on your life during college. That thank you might turn into an amazing letter of recommendation.

6 ) Hold a leadership position: Leadership is more important than your GPA, major, minor, or school name. College is a great time to develop your leadership skills because there are so many leadership opportunities in student government, student groups, fraternities, sororities, intramural sports, etc.

7 ) Start a blog….and twitter….and LinkedIn: The three of them are almost mandatory in today’s world or social media. It’s an easy way to stay connected with all your contacts in your field, whether they be fellow alumni, past employers, or networking contacts you’ve made along the way. You can also post your resume and gain recommendations.

8 ) Start a savings plan: self-explanatory?

9 ) Master at least one program: Take the time to learn beyond just the basic functions. Adobe and Microsoft programs are key. Dreamweaver will help you build a website. Photoshop and Indesign will help with design. Microsoft will complement the office work.

10 ) Perfect your resume: Chances are your resume has changed over the last four years. Make sure every word mentioned is how you want to be perceived to your (possibly) future employer.

11 ) Watch a lot of Ted Talks: Ted.com features videos of speaking appearances given by industry-changing and remarkable people. And best of all, they are free.

12 ) Get published: There are many ways to publish your work in college. You can write for the campus newspaper, publish an article with a professor that you’ve done research with, or you can publish a book. Being published by a source other than your own blog adds credibility to your ideas, thoughts, and writing.

This is a Q&A with Campus Ambassador, Emily, from the University of Minnesota.

1.     What are your three must-have items for an internship?

a.     If you’re a girl, FLATS, especially if you are interning in New York.

b.     Business Cards, once again especially in New York, everyone has them.

c.      Ambition, not physical but necessary.

2.     What are your three must visit websites each day?

a.     My Email – check updates

b.     Twitter – keep updated

c.      Weather.com – know how to dress

3.     What kind of cell phone do you have?

I have a blackberry, but realize I need an iPhone.

4.     Age-old question: Mac or PC?

Mac x 10000000

5.     What has been your favorite part about being an Intern Queen Campus Ambassador?

It made me realize that I do need internships and how valuable they are. I probably wouldn’t have gotten two of them this summer without learning about the Intern Queen and becoming an ambassador. Also I have met some amazing people who are also ambassadors interning in the same city as me and we’ve become good friends!

6.     Any advice for other interns?

I would say not only apply for large company internships but small ones. I have two right now and I am learning so much more valuable information at my smaller company than at the one that has a dozen interns and is well known.

But also embrace the opportunity, even if I am not physically learning as much at the larger one, by watching the actual employees I am learning how the company and that industry works.

Summer means only one thing: internship season! And one thing every intern needs is a good “pump-up” song, or better yet a playlist! It was extremely difficult deciding which songs would make the cut, but from the InternQueen family to you, here is our Summer 2011 Internship Playlist! Listen on, interns!

InternQueen Playlist

So you got your summer internship and I’m sure you’re totally excited! But, let’s say you’re a few weeks in and you’re really not liking what you’re doing. What do you do? Don’t be afraid, you have options.

• Talk to your academic advisor or a professional mentor. These are the ones who know what you’re capable of and have the right advice for you. They may even know of the company you’re interning for and have some ideas that can take you to the next level rather than doing what you are currently are unhappy with.
• Talk to previous interns or ones that have been there longer than you. Ask them what they’ve done since they started and what they got out of interning for the company. They could possibly have gotten their shot later on in their internship, or they may have just gotten coffee and did little things every day.
• Talk to your supervisor or employer. Be honest with them. Who knows – they may be impressed that you’re taking the initiative and give you more credit. Just be sure to be prepared and to be ready to tell the person in charge what you’re capable of and why you should be doing what you’re doing. And if you were promised something about your internship and it isn’t happening, you need to talk to somebody about it.
• If talking doesn’t work, you may want to stick it out. Sure, you may be doing a lot of things that aren’t worthy right now, but if you have a foot in the door of a great company, this internship may lead to bigger and better things. Sometimes, you just have to bite the bullet and do what is asked.

If you feel that your internship is a complete waste of time and it isn’t doing much for your resume, you may want to consider doing something that is; just weigh out the pros and cons. However, be sure that even if you are unhappy with what you’re doing, you show up to work with a good attitude and a smile on your face. Good luck!

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 Taylor Ellis from Ball State University.

We’ve all been that freshman during orientation being bombarded with information about college life. One of the things we hear most is “get involved,” but instead of listening to this valuable advice many of us tell ourselves that we’ll get involved when we’re ready and settled in at school.

While many see getting involved in student organizations as something to do when you become an upperclassman and are comfortable with more responsibility, I believe it’s actually more valuable to get involved the moment you arrive at school.

From my personal experience at Ball State, I’ve found that getting involved is actually what helped me feel more comfortable settling into my new college life. Not only did I meet a ton of new people by getting involved in student organizations, but I also grew as an individual by pushing myself to take on responsibilities within the organizations.

For those of us majoring in journalism or communication fields, we have no choice but to get involved if we want to have something on our resume one day when we go to interview for jobs. However, the weird thing is, I still see many of my peers not getting involved in student media or organizations until there junior or senior year, when it’s usually too late to get a lot of experience or work your way up to leadership rolls.

Many claim that they have no time or that they will get involved when they need to apply for internships. While this may work for some, I think it’s a much safer route to make sure you have done all you can in college to guarantee you will get some type of job in your chosen career field when you graduate. Why not be safe rather than sorry, right? You have to have something on your resumé eventually, so why not start sooner rather than later?

I don’t know, maybe that’s just me, but it seems to be working so far. I immediately became involved with my online and print magazine Ball Bearings and volunteered for any story I could take. I admit it was stressful at times, and that I had no idea what I was doing when I first started; however what I realized is that if you are willing to learn, people will want to teach you. Upperclassmen who are usually in charge of the organizations want them to continue, so if they don’t teach someone how to do their work, then the organization will cease to exist eventually.

Through volunteering for stories and various responsibilities within Ball Bearings my freshman year, I was asked to apply for a leadership position on the editorial board of the magazine as an online producer. I ended up getting the position as a sophomore due to the simple fact that I was one of the only freshman that was actually involved all year. It was that simple, just stay involved, and volunteer when opportunities or stories present themselves.

I’m not going to lie, being a leader as a sophomore was one of the most intimidating things I’ve ever done due to the fact that I still feel that I have so much to learn. However, what I’ve discovered is it’s ok to learn as you go and put yourself out there, even if you have no clue what you are doing : ) You will always be taught if you are willing to learn!