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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 is a guest blog from Taylor E., our Campus Ambassador at Ball State University.

For my last blog I shared with you all some major DOs of a Chicago internship, but there were several lessons learned the hard way unfortunately. So I thought I’d share some major DON’Ts with you in order to keep you from making silly mistakes and having the same misconceptions I had!

1. Don’t expect a lot of praise: As an intern we don’t always receive the recognition that we feel we deserve, but that’s OK because no one else in the office is getting constant recognition either. The work place is a high energy, fast paced environment, and just because someone doesn’t recognize your hard work doesn’t mean they don’t notice it!
2. Don’t make excuses: I definitely learned this lesson quickly. For my magazine internship this summer in Chicago myself and another intern were in charge of a TV segment for my editor and made some grammatical mistakes when typing it up. Luckily, she caught the mistakes before the segment, but we tried to explain ourselves and she wasn’t having it! She told us that there were no excuses basically. Always just accept responsibility for your mistakes and move forward. You will earn more respect that way as well.
3. Don’t expect a ton of huge assignments: I went in thinking I would get a ton of writing experience as an editorial intern for a print magazine. However, most stories in print are written by freelancers; therefore, interns don’t get a ton of opportunities to work on big stories. However, I did get a ton of great opportunities to write for the web! So don’t get down if you don’t get to work on the big projects you had been hoping for, look to gain experience in all the other small tasks you are given! The more you prove yourself in small tasks, bigger tasks are often given to you!

This a guest blog by one of our Campus Ambassadors, Marysa. Marysa is a senior majoring in Communication Studies.

Every once in a while I get a surprise when a potential employer asks to meet at a coffee shop or for lunch rather than in their office for an interview.  The coffee shop interview may be a progressive take on the in-office cousin interview but it should not be taken any less seriously.   Here are some hints for the coffee shop interview!

DO offer to pay for your drink:  it shows that you have manners and are not just expecting anything to be handed to you (whether it be a cup of coffee or an internship)!

DO dress professional:  just because you are in more laid back environment does not give you the right to wear shorts, low cut tops or tennis shoes.  You want to reflect yourself in a professional manner, even in a coffee shop.

DON’T sit lower than the person interviewing you:  many times in coffee shops, there will be tall bar stools as well as large single chairs.  If the chairs around a table are at different heights, sit in the one that will make you at eye level.  You don’t want to have to look down or up to the person who is with you.

DON’T sit with your back to the door: if you get there early, sit near the entrance, facing the door.  It will make it easier for the interviewer to spot you rather than if you are hiding out in a corner.

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 blog is written by Yonas, our Campus Ambassador from the University of Louisiana Tech. See what he has to say about the benefits of getting an internship, even though it’s unpaid!

Many students understand how vital an internship is during their time in college and make it one of their top priorities to attain one. However, the idea of an internship is not always perceived to be a job lacking fiscal compensation. In other words, money is weighed at the same level as experience in some cases. I have found myself in the past, at times, forgetting where the real value of an internship lies. The intangibles that are received from an internship outweigh the tangibles in my opinion.

I understand that the image of us college students are always reflected as broke and in need of spare change because we’re at the point in our lives between high school (where we were heavily supported by parents or guardians) and the post graduate life (where we adapt into the “real world” and are forced to support ourselves independently). However, an unpaid internship should not be voided during the internship search because of the idea that a company will not pay you. The main pieces that root the value of an internship are still in place. Knowledge, experience, skills are all still there for you to gain from the internship. Like education, you are investing in your future with the experience that you would gain in an internship whether it is paid or unpaid. Why not make the sacrifice and take a chance when the reward is high and the risk is rather low? As far as reward, future employers would appreciate the fact that the student worked a job for the sole purpose of experience with no financial compensation.

I personally just completed a summer internship that was unpaid and don’t regret it at all. I gained experience in a field that I studied and was able to pad my resume for the future. To top it all off, I got a great recommendation letter from my employer that will benefit me during my job search after school. I would strongly recommend to anyone who doesn’t find an unpaid internship appealing enough to take a chance on to remember what the most important benefits from an internship are.