As many already know, the Intern Queen has partnered up with OneCubicle, a great resource that helps college students professionally brand themselves. For more information Click Here.
Central State University invited me to attend their career fair in Dayton, Ohio last week. The fair was right before my presentation and I had an opportunity to meet some of the employers that were featured at the fair. I was pleased to see the Central State University students mixing and mingling with the employers, shaking hands, taking business cards, and starting a dialogue.
I overheard one conversation where an employer told a student she would be happy to interview him for an entry-level position. She told him the interview would be conducted over Skype. The student was unfamiliar with Skype and asked the employer how that works. The woman explained that Skype provided her with a way to interview him over the internet, using a webcam. The student responded by saying that he would love to do the interview but he didn’t have access to a webcam. The employer said that she was sure the school had some sort of webcam set up. She continued to say that most universities have interview rooms set up with webcams in their career centers for Skype Interviews. The woman shook his hand and walked away, leaving the student feeling what seemed to be helpless and confused. The university does not have Skype webcams set up at this time.
I’m familiar with the concept of Skype Interviews , however, I assumed employers were using them as an option and not a requirement. There seems to be a disconnect between the employers and the career centers when the employers request something the students don’t have access to. By no means, should students feel like they need to go out and purchase a brand new webcam or a new laptop that has a webcam already installed.
If employers are going to take time out of their days to visit college career fairs, they should also take the time to find out what resources the students have access to. I felt terrible for that student who attended the career fair, put himself out there, and essentially might not get the position because of the lack of communication between the employer and career center.
After speaking with several representatives from career centers across the country, it seems that large universities and well-known private schools either have access or are getting access to web cams for students. However, most of these schools have yet to see a growing trend in Skype Interviews.
“We are not aware of students having Skype interviews. We did interview a career counselor using this technology and have the equipment available should students need to use it.” said Karen Clancy, who runs the Career Development Center at Brown University.
“We haven’t had too many interviews being skyped in but I know students use it to communicate with their friends from study abroad, etc. We do have webcams set up in my office for Skype and Interviewstream.” noted Paul Jaques, Internship Developer at Michigan State University.
I spoke to Lanie James in the Career Center at Oklahoma State University and he that in the past some employers have sent laptops to record interviews. I thought was interesting and a great solution for employers who need to conduct Skype interviews but realize the students might not have the resources.
Career Center directors at Mcpherson College in Kansas, Newbury College in Boston, and Grand Canyon University both said that they do not use Skype or Web Cams.
Intern Queen Skype Tips For Students
Students, if employers are using Skype as an interview requirement – let’s learn to use it properly. I would hate for you to miss out on a job or internship because you are unfamiliar with Skype. Find out who has Skype now. If your career center doesn’t have access to Skype, ask them if they can invest in webcams. Find out who you need to speak with to request webcams put in your career center. Go to your local library, call your friends, and see who has access to a webcam. Be prepared.
1. Download Skype on your computer. You can use it with or without a webcam. Many employers might require a webcam for actual interviews. But you can get familiar with the audio side of the program. Go to http://www.skype.com to download.
2. Follow the steps to successfully download Skype to your computer. When you create your Skype account name, keep it professional. I suggest first initial, last name OR first name, middle initial, last name. My Skype name is LaurenEBerger.
3. Skype will run a test on your computer to make sure that your internal speakers/webcams are turned on and working properly. It will also let you import contacts from different email accounts. You will be surprised to see how many of your contacts are already using Skype regularly.
4. When using Skype for your interview, make sure that everyone you live with knows what time your interview is scheduled for. There should be no background noise during your interview – this includes people speaking, toilets flushing, dogs barking, phones ringing. Everyone’s cell phone’s should be on silent during your interview. If you are expecting any visitors, schedule the interview for later in the day.
5. If you are doing an interview at your career center, the same rules apply. Make sure to speak with your career counselor and double confirm that there will be no interruptions.
6. Create a simple and clean space where you will do your interview. Remember, if you are using the web cam, the employer can see what’s behind you. Pretend you are shooting a movie, and you are playing the role of the sophisticated student – what would be behind you ? Make sure whatever’s behind you is simple and not distracting. No beer cans. No dirty pictures. Nothing messy. Your surroundings reflect more about you than you would think.
7. Usually, the web cam only shows the interviewee from the waist up. To be safe, throw on a suit jacket and nice top. Men should wear ties. Women should NOT be showing cleavage.
8. Same interview rules apply as an in-person interview. Speak up. Speak clearly. Don’t speak to fast. Be confident. Smile. Be passionate. Be energetic. Represent yourself well.
Lauren Berger is known as “The Intern Queen” after completing 15 internships during her 4 years of college. She is CEO of http://www.internqueen.com and was recently named a finalist for Business Week’s “Top 25 Young Entrepreneurs 25 and Under”. You can email her at lauren@internqueen.com.
Drake University wrote some great coverage on Intern Queen recently !
Check it out ! http://drakej70.wordpress.com/2009/10/07/lauren-berger-the-self-professed-intern-queen
When I was in college, I loved ED2010 (http://www.ed2010.com). Check out my recent article, 15 tips from 15 internships !!
http://www.ed2010.com/2009/10/15-tips-15-internships-courtesy-intern-queen
Check out my guest blog for Wasabi Ventures “Make Interns A Vital Part of Your Start-Up” , http://blog.wasabiventures.com/make-interns-a-vital-part-of-your-start-up/
Check out my feature “Interns Wanted and Working Harder” below:
http://www.recessionwire.com/2009/08/17/internships-in-recession/
In the past few weeks there have been several blog posts and articles focusing on the wealthy advantage of certain students in conjunction with unpaid internships. This particular advantage infers that students coming from middle to upper class families have an easier time taking on unpaid internships. The advantage also assumes that students from lower-income families need to pay their own way through school and therefore cannot realistically participate in an unpaid internship program.
In an ideal world, all internships are paid programs. However, the current economy has proven many young adults are willing to make financial sacrifices during difficult times because the experience of working at a desirable company will pay off in the long run.
A recent Forbes article stated: “an extremely large percentage of the student population cannot afford unpaid internships. These are students who struggle to balance the rigors of college with the need to earn enough to cover living expenses.”
This article provides students with a reason to not pursue internship opportunities. Lack of time. Lack of money. It incorrectly suggests that wealthy students are taking advantage of internship programs while disadvantaged students are working too many hours to fit in time for internships. As someone who has worked for several years with thousands of college students from diverse backgrounds, I can assure you that this is not the case. It takes a motivated and ambitious individual to pursue available internships. As educators and mentors, we should constantly be encouraging students to consider internship opportunities – both paid and unpaid.
It is not the financially secure person who gets the job; rather it is the focused candidate who strives to succeed and understands the value of an internship opportunity. This candidate will find a way to make everything work in their specific situation. If anything, their lack of financial means serves as a motivational tool which provides the necessary incentive to excel in their chosen fields.
Lauren Berger
“The Intern Queen”
Lauren Berger is the CEO of Intern Queen Inc. She is known as “The Intern Queen” after participating in 15 internships during her 4 years of college. Berger currently runs both http://www.internqueen.com and http://www.quarterlife.com/intern. She has been featured in Business Week, The New York Post, Washington Post, etc. Her National Fall Speaking Tour kicks off September 30th 2009.
COMMENTS
As usual, I asked my followers on Twitter what they thought – Is there a wealthy advantage?
segod@InternQueen no weekends is how I handle a FT job & FT school & an internship & really really long days but it’s all worth it… Right?
saramckinniss@InternQueen 1 of the internships I had was paid, but it was in NYC and I had to take out a student loan to cover living costs. =ed out tho.
rachellevi@InternQueen Job and Internship plus student groups and classes is stressful!
bruin@InternQueen Yes, most definitely. Especially in the fields of film and television, where it’s just about who you know.
gogetterjanet@InternQueen I don’t know? Maybe in a way because they might not need the money/work hourly @ a job so they can do an internship 4 free.
tiaramerchgirl@InternQueen Oh definitely (and I say that as a former sorta-wealthy student). You don’t have to worry about basic needs as much.
Dtothel_o…during college and never got to do an internship. Now I lack relevant experience to start my career. @InternQueen
joanntran@InternQueen YES, of course!! Some can afford to do it unpaid, or take off a quarter, while the rest of us need to pay the rent and bills!
laurashumaker@InternQueen of course wealthy students have an advantage! Other students either can’t take unpaid internships or have to juggle a job too.
chadkennedy@InternQueen Absolutely! They don’t have to worry about the expenses. All they have to worry about is the internship and networking.
smart_blonde@InternQueen Yes! As do students w/ parents who still finance them. Especially with NYC & Fashion internships. No kid can afford that alone.
EricSan@InternQueen Some advantage of course. They have financial backing to take that risk. Others may still chose to do it, but more pressure.
As a member of the “recruitment” industry, I take great interest in the different statistics put out about education in our world. At a recent, SHRM Conference (The Society of Human Resource Professionals) I met a group called the AACSB, Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.
“AACSB International advances quality management education worldwide through accreditation and thought leadership.” – AACSB Informational Materials.
Over the past year, I’ve noticed a significant amount of potential interns show interest in business internships and potentially entering business schools upon graduation. Is a student saying, “Yes, I want to enter an accredited business school”, a way of them simply avoiding graduation ? In an economy like today, maybe. But that’s not to discount the importance of attending business school and majoring in business degree programs.
I recently reviewed the AACSB’s pamphlet of Business School Data Trends and 2009 List of Accredited Schools. I found some interesting facts that I wanted to share. These further demonstrate the importance of education and it’s growth on a global level.
The Top 3 Locations with Accredited Member Schools
1. North America (481)
2. Western Europe (22)
3. Eastern Asia (17)
*In the US, the most popular location to have a main campus for an accredited school is URBAN (47.1 %)
*Estimated Number of Worldwide Education Institutions Offering Business Degrees is 11,833
Top 5 Countries Offering Business Degrees
1. US (1, 602)
2. China (1, 396)
3. Philippines (1, 243)
4. India (1,200)
5. Mexico (1,000)
*source was the Global Foundation for Management Education, AACSB
Most Popular Programs Offered Worldwide by Field/Discipline/Level for 2007 – 2008 for Bachelor’s Degrees
1. Accounting
2. Finance
3. Marketing
*Interesting: Wow ! Marketing ? Students that say they are “marketing majors” tend to get ignored and people say they are “taking the easy way out”. I feel the opposite. Marketing is an integral part of any business, especially these days when social media has taken marketing positions to a new level. Making that brand to audience connection can only be done by a true marketer.
Most Popular Programs Offered Worldwide by Field/Discipline/Level for 2007 – 2009 for MBA’s
1. General Business
2. Management
3. Finance
*Interesting: Entrepreneurship is only offered at 21.7 % of the school’s surveyed offering bachelor’s degrees and at 10.5% of the school’s surveyed offering MBA’s. I hope to see that number increase aggressively over the next 2-3 years. As a business owner, I only wish that I had some entrepreneurship classes under my belt.
From 2005 – 2006, Students in the US earned a total of 318,042 Business Degrees (BA). Of this total, 159, 683 of them were male and 158, 359 were female.
*Interesting: Note – not a big difference between male and female.
In contrast, from 1969 – 1970, there was a total of 105, 580 Business Degrees (BA) earned. Of this total, 96,346 of them were male and only 9,234 of them were female.
*Interesting: Hey Ladies ! We rock. Look how far we’ve come.
Of the BA degrees in Business earned from 1995 – 1996, 77.8% were White, 7.9% were African American, 5.5% were Asian/Pacific Islander, and 5.0% were Hispanic.
In contrast, from 2005 – 2006, of the BA degrees in Business earned were 72.4% White, 9.6% African American, 7.2% Hispanic, and 6.9 % Asian/Pacific Islander.
*Interesting: The only race to decrease in the amount of business degrees earned were White/Caucasians.
Ladies and gentlemen, I have an internship announcement to make. FALL INTERNSHIPS ARE HERE AND THE TIME TO APPLY IS NOW !
EVENT: Fall Internship
WHEN: End of August/Beginning of September —-Mid-December
WHERE: Your Fall 2009 location (wherever that might be)
WHY: See Below
INTERN QUEEN EXPERIENCE: I took a Fall Internship at a small production company in Orlando, Florida while I attended University of Central Florida. I really wanted to head out to Los Angeles that summer and land a great production/entertainment internship. I had previous internships but none in the production/entertainment field. I knew that I needed a smaller company on my resume in order to land a big company opportunity for that summer. Sure enough, I was offered over 5 internships that summer at CBS, FOX, MTV, NBC, etc.
**I encourage all students to challenge themselves and participate in Fall and Spring internships for the 2009 – 2010 school year. It’s NOT necessary to intern every semester but I do suggest interning at least twice during either Spring or Fall over the course of your college years.
1.
Just like a summer internship, your Fall internship will involve a chance to observe, listen, learn, and really get a hands-on experience in a workplace environment. You will have the opportunity to network and meet people that can really impact your future.
2.
This might be your last chance to put yourself right in front of a potential employer and great network of people who know people who know people (you get it).
3.
College is your time to try out many different career paths and meet as many people as you can. Spend your college years doing more than just partying in your spare time. Grab an internship a few days a week to get a taste of the realworld, try out a new career, and really get you thinking about your future.
4.
Employers tend to be much less “needy” of student’s time during the school year. Most Fall internships only require students to be in the office 10 – 15 hours per week. Employers are more willing to work around the students work and school schedule because they understand the students needs at that time. They are also happy to receive the help over the school year. I encourage students to be very clear during their interviews about their other commitments (IE job, schoolwork, sorority/fraternity ).
5.
We all know those college students who sit around all day watching television. Don’t be one of them! Learn to multi-task and become an organized intern! Once you get into the real world you will have to handle several tasks in one day and perform them in an organized fashion. Start with your internship. Always be prepared and ready to perform at school, work, and your internship.
6.
At the end of the day, we all want to feel productive with our time and like we are doing something meaningful for our lives. With the constant “economy” conversation, it’s easy to feel unprepared for the workplace. Interning is something PROACTIVE that you can do to help yourself and your career. Do it for you. Each day you can leave your internship with a smile that you are doing something to really accelerate your career.
7.
Take your Fall semester to intern at a local company that interests you. Use this opportunity as a building block for a bigger experience over the Spring or Summer. Normally, well-known employers check your resume before hiring you to make sure you’ve had internship experience. Let this be your experience.
jennie_02@InternQueen A great learning experience.
smt504@InternQueen Fall internships give you a lot more time to gain experience since it is a 4-6 month term and it teaches you time management!
hji07@InternQueen I wish I would have done an internship, prior to me graduating. It helps so much to have worked in your major before graduating.
ACrimaldi@InternQueen I would love a fall internship but I wish I went to school in the city! I’m in Columbia,MO. I’ll have to check your site.
MattWilsontv@InternQueen Working 4 someone gives u the opp. to find out what u r passionate about. Get as many experiences as possible! via @annevision.
zakmo@InternQueen because you should have at least 2, semester-long (or longer) internships on your resume.
jjaime@InternQueen more experience! Plus working on work-study balance that will help if you want a Masters Degree while working.
Penny Loretto’s Column on Fall Internships: http://internships.about.com/b/2009/05/07/fall-internships-2.htm
Heather Huhman’s Column on Fall Internships: http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-828-Entry-Level-Careers-Examiner~y2009m6d29-Land-your-fall-internship-right-now
I recently read an astonishing statistic provided by NACE (National Association for Colleges and Employers),
“As of April 2009, 59 percent of graduating college seniors, had NOT started applying for jobs .”
WHAT ? Even in a “good” economic climate this demonstrates a lack of preparation. Student’s should be applying for jobs towards the BEGINNING of each semester. The job search process can be a very LONG one and it’s key to get started as early as possible.
- Students graduating December 2009 should start their job search process mid-September.
- Students graduating May/June 2010 should start their job search mid -January.
Prepare For the Job Search
1. Keep a Calendar. This your time to really get organized. While you hang around and have summer “lazy days” or fun time on the weekend, take a moment to create a calendar. Use your IPhone, Blackberry, Microsoft OutLook, Google Calendar, or even a planner to choose days that you will accomplish certain tasks. You’ve been through the back-to-school a few times by now and should know what you will have to do. I suggest marking down the following days on your calendar:
- 2 days where you can sit down and start applying for Fall internships.
- 1 day where you can take a last look at your Fall 2009 classes and make sure you are meeting all of your requirements.
- 1 day to write Thank You Notes and log contacts from your current internship and any career-related events you may have attended.
- 3 days (after your semester starts) to start researching job possibilities in your location of interest.
- 1 day to compile your job application materials and put together any sort of portfolio, letters of reference that you might need.
- 1 day to set up informational interviews with any of your contacts that are already in place.
- 2 days to start your job reachout and start sending in application materials (clearly stating your graduation date) and requesting interviews for October (ish).
2. Organize Your Contacts. If I had to go back in time, I would have starting organizing my contacts much earlier. Go through your piles of business cards and random papers and start really keeping track of the people you meet. If your email system provides a great way to store contacts, go for it. Do you need to save everyone’s number in your cell phone ? No. I like to use Excel documents that are always saved on my computer and that I can import into other programs to organize when necessary. Organize your contacts list with the following columns so that you can view the document in many different formats on an ‘as needed’ basis.
- Contact First and Last Name (Make sure to spell it correctly).
- Contact Direct Number and Office Line (You want to have the office line just in case the person leaves their position).
- Contact Email Address
- Company Address (If you don’t feel like typing in the entire address, just write the city and state the person is located in for time zone reasons and if you are ever in that city you can contact them).
- Status/Notes (This column is for you to keep track of how and where you met this person and when you last spoke to them. If you put in a call or email to them, track it).
- Category (Try to categorize your contacts by field or industry so that if you want to search all of your contacts in a specific field – you can).
