Tag Archives: Internships

Why to Tweet

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When I was a mere Junior, a year ago, I joined a  revolutionary site that would make communicating not only simple, but fun. My peers all mocked me for joining a site that was just “a bunch of status updates” but I, knowing I was right of course, told them it was more.

and it is so much more.

Benefits

Since joining Twitter I have  realize that I was/am right. Twitter is more than status updates from your friends. It’s a way to connect with professionals in your field, swap blog ideas, or even help you figure out a random question. It gets better, by using #hashtags (that’s what they look like) you can meet a million new people who share your similar interests..without the noise. For instance, I love to write so I use the hashtag #writers where I can talk to other authors about things such as overcoming writers block or just for a good discussion about annoyances within our work.

So I know what you’re thinking…Twitter is just professional blah blah blah I don’t want to be on it, I’m just a freshman. But that is where you are wrong! Not only will you gain further insight in to future careers, be able to shoot your professors message instantly (and get quicker replies), BUT (this is the kicker) you can talk to people online by following a hashtag of your favorite show while it is happening! It’s amazing, you can talk to millions of people about the Glee episode you are watching (and what Kurt was wearing, and why you were a little bit creeped out)

While we are on the subject of live Twitter feeds…remember what I said about #hashtags, well they are also used to house chats. I know one of Ed’s favorites is #sachat, which is a place where people in the student affairs industry (or people interested in it) come to chat at a specific time every week. This opens up opportunity for you to ask a multitude of people questions and get many replies. And unlike the random mentions in your tweets, these will get more replies back because you are clearly showing an interest and it is timely.

So now that you know why you should tweet..let’s talk about how to get you started.

Starting an Account

It’s important, that when making an account, you stick to your real name. By using your real name you can brand yourself in whatever career field or area you hope to further yourself in. This could be something in Fashion, Business, Music, Social Work, I don’t know is you are seeing a trend, but there are a lot of different topics/businesses on Twitter.  If your name is taken (because let’s face it, there are already over a million active users) add your middle initial, or a combination of your first name initial with your middle initial and last name. But try to avoid using “sexigurl212″ or “sexiboi305″  although I think those might be used already.

So to make it clear, we are using our names in order to self brand ourselves. Because as we’ve already learned Twitter is NOT a bunch of sta

tus updates, it’s a way to get your foot (or your whole self) in the door to a potential dream job.

(here’s the link, because I have a feeling you want to sign up)

(Feeling the urge to read about more twitter tips? No need to fret, look for next week’s post telling you all insider tips!)

Are you on twitter? If not, why? Do you think Twitter could be the new Facebook? Why or Why not?


5 Ways to Score an Amazing Internship

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So you’re in your senior year, taking a look back at the all the late nights studying, long weekends ‘networking’, and countless part time jobs. And a couple of road trips to the Cape sprinkled on top for panache.

But now, looking ahead, youhave no idea what to do! Everyone your age has experience already and all you’ve got is working at McDonald’s for two months during the summer. Well I have good news and bad news.

Good News: There is always time to get an internship! Lots of workplaces take college grads as interns for the summer after they graduate, plus they are more likely to hire you full time come the fall!

Bad News: There are college seniors who have already had three internships and are applying for the same jobs as you. And sometimes, well most of the time, the experience on their resume will outshine your class work and other fluff you’ve put in to make it a page.

But have no fear! I’m here to help you find an award winning internship (or at least one to get by with) for the Spring. And who knows, maybe a potential job for after graduation!

1. There are a lot of websites out there to guide you in the right direction, one of my favorites is internshipratings.com. The website breaks the internships first by state, then major city and of course category. They have two rating systems, one involving questions on what type of work the internship involved and the other dealing with how the internship related to their school work. Also, they have a breakdown of what the internship can help with i.e., networking, salary compensation, fair hours etc. This website is best for the independent go get-er.

2. Career services, located on the ground floor of the Rondileau Campus Center, offers a wealth of knowledge for the unknowing.  Not only will they edit your resume and give helpful suggestions, but if you are a senior you can schedule an appointment for Senior Recruiting. During Senior Recruiting they will let you in on all of the amazing events they host throughout the semester (found on their webpage) as well as talk to you about your future plans and how to make them happen!

3. Monster.com is an amazing resource for people looking for a job! It not only offers you a place to supply potential employers your resume, but it is all completely free! After signing up and uploading your resume, which has been critique by career services, you can begin searching through thousands of jobs in your industry as well as location. Although it may seem confusing at first, if you take a deep breath and just look around your first time on the site you’ll find your second visit is easy. By the third time you’ll have mastered it and be submitting you resume by the hundreds! And for people unsure of this- over the summer I was contacted by FMglobal‘s HR department who had found my resume on Monster and wanted to bring me in to interview for an editorial internship at headquarters! So remember not only are you able to submit your resume Employers are able to find you based on the qualities that they are looking for.

4. Create your own blog! A blog is an amazing way to put yourself out there. Not only can you share your own ideas about what is happening in your industry, but you can alsocreate a name for yourself and showcase your writing ability. Another important tactic with blogs, is to add potential employer’s blogs to your google reader account, this way you can keep tabs on what is happening in your industry and be able to bring them up in your interview.

5. Up your Twitter game! Not only should you have a Twitter account, but you should also be tweeting..DAILY!  Twitter is an important tool for college students, it not only gives them insight into the “real world”, in an easy to digest 140 characters, but it also shares current world events. My favorite part about twitter are hash tag chats. This is when a group of people get together and use the same hash-tag (#hashtag < that’s what you would put if you were in achat talking about hash tags) to chat about something going on. You can usually jump into any chat, and can find them by following some industry leaders. Use these chats to network with the people you want to work for!

Hopefully this helps you on your way to finding your next, or first, internship!

Good Luck!

Have you had an Internship yet, Do you have other tips to finding one? How do you go about finding Internships/Jobs?

This is a cross post with the RCC blog. (go check it out and read some amazing posts!

Duffy goes to camp – How to live in the woods

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So I’m finally back online..connected once again. I’m no longer in the woods, no longer getting bit by spiders, no longer dealing with skanky children and no longer dealing with the drama that 30+ girls start when living together for 2 months.

So camp…first off who in their right mind agrees to spend 2 and 1/2 months living in the woods when they have never camped once in their life…oh that’s right..me! I decided to run away…I mean work at a girl scout camp in virginia after not getting my dream internship (which was doing an editoral internship  posistion for FM Global).

I decided a week before I needed to be there, and after a weekend of dates (a girl needs something to get her through the summer) I was off.

The camp is 101 acres, which we pretty much walked daily. It includes a pool, a bus to take campers horse back ridding, an archery field/yard thing, and the pooh tree…which is pretty much the single greatest thing in the whole wide world and I would totally live there if I could, but the Tajar lives there and is particular about his space.

We were able to swim once a day, have 2 hours off, and meet some of the most amazing people in the world, and some of the least amazing people in the world.

At camp I was able to learn more about myself and the type of person I want to be. I found out that I gossip too much and I’m pretty negative, oh and that no matter how far I run Drama seems to follow me wherever I go. I’m not trying to sound like a teenage drama queen, because I’ve clearly gotten over that stage…but no matter where I am, or who I’m with I somehow always get pulled into stupid situations. It drives me nuts, I don’t like having to deal with people who won’t listen or who just make up stupid rumors, or who try to get me fired. I’m over it.

So good things that happened at camp…I lost weight, I met some amazing (who will hopefully be life long friends) people, and I got inspired to write a new chapter in my book as well as start some life changes. Oh and I can now cook over and start a fire. Things my friends never believed I could.

But the most amazing feeling was proving my parents and friends wrong… I was able to survive in the woods. I didn’t leave or wimp out. I overcame fears of bugs, sleeping outside, and the dark. And I became a stronger person for it.

So…now the juice, How to Survive in the Woods:

Step 1: Pack light, but make sure you have a flash light and bug spray.

Step 2: Bring a pillow

Step 3: Ignore people, sometimes running away and just sitting under a tree while having a good cry helps.

Step 4: Turn off your cell phone…for at least an hour.

Step 5: Listen to music, or just sing as loud as you can (especially if you are walking alone in the dark)

Step 6: Drink water, no but really drink a lot of water

Step 7: After a week of camping in a tent, getting eaten by bugs, and eating hot dogs over a camp fire go home and appreciate the cushy life you have going for you.

I’m trying to readjust to real life, one of those things is not yelling when I see people running. or reminding my friends to drink water every 5 minutes. I’m working on it…hopefully I’ll catch on sooner or later.