Career Prep 2009 Summer Blog

1. Know who is coming to your campus and start reaching out before you get back to school. What are the resume drop dates? When are the info sessions? Do you have a contact for the firm outside of the campus recruiter?
2. Learn who is conducting behavioral or case interviews
3. Sign up for mock interviews with peers, alumni, coworkers...anyone.
4. Be able to sum up your internship in both 30 seconds and in a longer version.
5. Have answers that address your SKILLS that you have developed.
6. PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE

Tamara Sherrod (Texas Christian University) suggests you develop 8-10 STAR (situation + task + action + result) scenarios that fit the specific interview you're going on. For example, if you're applying for an internship that requires major-specific skills and leadership abilities, give examples from your relative coursework and leadership endeavors and how they will relate to the position. Amanda Aguirre (University of Georgia) recommends that you print out common questions asked during interviews and write down what situation you will use for that particular type of question. Look over your resume before every interview to remember what you can draw from in your responses. Mario Samos (Rice University) agrees that you should think of possible questions you will be asked and have solid questions to ask. In addition to the basic questions most interviewers ask, such as "Tell me about yourself", go over tougher questions specific to you, such as "Why is your GPA only X?" or "Why did you get a C in that course?" Lastly, ask questions that demonstrate your curiosity and knowledge instead of questions that you can find the answer to on the company’s web site.

Alyssa Navia, Boston College, says "It's hard to be cognizant of all of your expenses when you are doing so much things and leading a fast-pace life. It can get to a point when you can mindlessly spend money because it becomes a routine. I would recommend writing down all of your major expenses from going to the grocery store to picking up a coffee on the way to work. This should be done to gain a better understanding of your weekly expenses and how to manage your resources." This will give you an indicator of how you might be spending your pay check in the future.

Erwin Cuellar from UT Austin says to be clear about what you want to get out of the conversation. Basically it is about being a little directed in that conversation- so you are not asking them questions to which you can figure out the answers on your own. So use their time well- so they feel they are adding value and like spending that time with you. But as Brittany Williams at UVA reminds us, don't be shy about reaching out to them and asking questions. The more you talk to them, the more you can learn.

Keeping in contact with your mentor through the recruiting process can provide you with an informal champion within your internship firm after you have left. Keep the relationships up.

Justin Booker of Rutgers University writes that if I didn't like your internship, then you simply must keep in mind that you will only be working there for the duration of the summer. The goal of the internship is to gain professional experience, build your resume up, and ultimately try to figure out what your niche is before you graduate from college. My advice would be to suck it up and stick it out. If you are unsatisfied with current assignments, you should work to complete them quickly and seek out any other work initiatives on the team or in the division you’re that might be more appealing.

Latasha Kinnard of Washington University goes on to say that if you do not like your internship, you should talk directly to your manager about it without coming across as negative. It is so important to position your response to the internship in such a way that your boss is not offended and that you don’t come across as self-absorbed. You might suggest areas that you can add value based on expertise and then be open to suggestions from your manager. It is important to understand that the internship may never pan out to be exactly what you expected, but that you do your very best to add value to Get the Offer.

Ashton Clark, University of Illinois, states that saving is important! As a college student money can be tight at times. One of my largest expenses is housing. I am a firm believer that college was never meant to be luxurious. I make sure that my housing on campus is affordable. In the future, I will have the same mindset. I think a lot of recent college graduates try to buy the nicest apartments, condos, or houses they can. The issue with this is that the payments for such living arrangements will take a large portion of these recent graduates’ incomes. To mitigate this risk, I suggest that you start small and get an apartment that is affordable. Again, it does not have to be luxurious for starters. After you are comfortable and have a steady income, work on purchasing a townhouse or a house. Apartments do not provide equity, houses do.

Camille Beckles, Boston University, adds start your search early to give yourself time to find the best place for you. Determine your budget, what type of place you think you'd like to live in, whether or not you will have roommates, what part of town you might want to live in. Use a variety of search methods--an agent if that suits your needs, Craigslist, classified ads in Newspaper, etc. Be creative, persistent, and flexible--often you can strike a deal with landlord to get a better deal on rent, or you can negotiate to have your apartment furnished or receive some other amenity.

Steven Torres of UT Austin writes that the best approach is to be proactive. The best thing to do in order to be successful in your internship is to do everything possible to prepare in advance. Study and learn as much as possible in preparation for the assignment, and build relationship with all individuals you work with. Adedayo Aderibigbe of Duke University confirms that one way to do this is to send an email once you get comfortable in the firm. Letting the recruiting contacts know that you are doing well and interested in your work is great because if new opportunities within the firm arise they will let you know.

Duncan Taylor of Georgetown writes that it's important to keep abreast of potential opportunities in the industry, learn about other companies who work in similar fields, and make contacts within your own firm by linking with key recruiting contacts. Alan Smith of Morehouse College writes that it is important to smile when meeting with your recruiter during your internship. It conveys that you are enjoying your experience and also may signal to others your overall attitude about the internship. He further suggests that you should try to establish rapport with the recruiting contacts by being personable. Melisa Mitchell of NYU Stern also suggests that developing relationships with upperclassmen on your campus can be helpful in improving relationships with recruiters. She suggests contacting fellow students to assist you in establishing a relationship with recruiters by probing for insight on the organization and the recruiting contacts. Britney Barnett of Florida State University advises to compose a list of contact information for all of the key recruiting contacts at your company. Every week during your internship, make contact with at least two of your recruiting contacts. Allison DeLaRosa of Texas A&M argues that you should identify people within your internship that you believe to be influential in recruiting decisions, like HR, and go to lunch with them or send a friendly email.

Corey Twitty of Connecticut College says that as people, we love to talk about ourselves and he feels that a good way to start a conversation is to approach the person with a smile and introduce yourself in a confident manner. I then would suggest asking a question about the person's job and what they do. After that I would transition and ask if they like their job, how long have they been there for, did they plan on working in the field they are currently working, if not what did they major in college (maybe you went to the same college), what do they plan on for the future. I would just go about starting a conversation by asking questions to begin with and later by adding in your my personal input.