The Internship Blog

Anything and everything about internships!

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Simple things to keep in mind

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Do freshmen in college get internships? Or are they not really considered?

Heya! If you have the free time and are interested in an internship, I would go for it! I've heard that some high school students get internships, so I don't see why college students wouldn't. It might be a little harder if you're just starting out in college, but I would recommend to check out smaller companies/businesses (versus the big-name companies, who usually have class standing requirements). Good luck! :)

Best,-TIB

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The Shape of Ideas

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Don't be afraid of taking that chance-- it'll lead to something greater! :)

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My dad talked to this one person and told me to email them my resume because they might be able to help me get a job. I didn't send my resume, though I did send some kind of introduction and how I got their email. Is it right to do that first? I mean, my dad told me they're expecting the resume right away. Now I feel restless that I might have done it wrong. I'm a new grad by the way.

Hi there!When sending an introduction email, it might get a little tricky weather to attach a resume because the recipient is just an acquaintance or someone you met/heard of (versus being your friend). While some people suggest waiting until the second or third email to attach the resume, I would go ahead and send it with the introduction. It lets people know about your experience, skills, etc, and just removes that extra step of asking for it.Going back to your question, I think it would have been a good point to attach it in the email, since your dad said the recipient was expecting it. However, if you've already established contact and have sent a few emails back and forth, it wouldn't hurt to attach it in the next email with a quick note. :)Best of luck!-TIB

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Came across an interesting article today titled 12 Simple Ways to Be Interesting, and just wanted to share with you guys. Some of the tips are very spot-on, especially showing up! Enjoy the quote above from Woody Allen, and check out those interesting tops to get more out of life. :)

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Just want to say this blog has a lot of info that's helpful for people in college. Great job!

Thank you so much!! <3

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"Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life."--Confucius

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Friday Fun: Check out this creative resume! It landed Jordan a job with Twitter. :)

This is not my resume >>

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Hi! Very nice blog, I had no idea I would find one like yours on tumblr :)

Hi, thank you so much!! Hope it's helpful! :)

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Hi I'm the anon that asked about the receptionist interview and I got the job! Thank you for the help!

Yay, congratulations!!! Hope you have a great time at your new job! ^^

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Hello! I scored my dream internship this summer. My ultimate goal would be to be hired on full time at the end of the internship. However, I am worried about what I will do if I do not get hired on. Should I be applying to other internships for the fall semester in case I don't? And if I get an internship offer for the fall and accept it, what happens if I get offered a full time at my current internship? Is it bad to back out of a commitment for a fall internship? Help!

Hiya! Ooh, that’s an awkward (yet very common) spot to be in— especially as an intern. To be honest, I suggest going out there and sending applications about a month or so before your internship is scheduled to end, just so you have enough time to prepare yourself. In this generation, I think employers and recruiters understand that interns aren’t looking to be tied down to just one job possibility— plus it can sometimes take weeks to hear back from potential companies! If you get interviews set up, go and do them (even if they’re not your first choice), because it’s good experience. Plus, you’ll be better prepared for future interviews, and it’s a great skill to have. If you accept an outside offer and your current internship also offers you a position, you can still back out of the first offer— but just be sure to let the recruiter know ASAP, and tread carefully.

On the flipside, I would also suggest to carefully assess your supervisor, and make it clear to him/her that you’re extremely interested in the possibility of turning the internship into a full-time job. Also, try to schedule a meeting with your supervisor, and ask him/her what specific steps you can take to have a better chance of turning the internship into a job. According to Forbes, about 60% of internships turn into job offers, so you have a pretty good chance! Just make sure to work hard, show that you’re invested in the position, and do your best!  Good luck! :)

-TIB

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Questions to ask your INTERVIEWER During your Interview

Last week, I came out with a list of common questions that employers typically ask during the interview. Since the interview is a two-way conversation, this means that you have the chance to ask the employer questions that interest you about the position. Take a look at some common questions below, but feel free to digress and come up with your own questions as well.

Usually, good interviewers save a little time at the end of the interview and ask, "Do you have any questions for me?"-- which is the perfect time to jump in and ask about what interests you. If your interviewer doesn't say this, don't worry! Just casually mention the phrase, "May I ask you a few quick questions?" and go from there. --------

About the position

How do you see me as a candidate for the internship in comparison with the "ideal candidate"? Are there any gaps, or anything that I'm missing? 

What does a typical day look like at [the company]?

What kind of projects will i take on as an intern?

Is there formal training or a mentor program for newly-hired interns?

(Alternatively) Who will be my supervisor?

What are some necessary skills or abilities that are needed for this internship?

What are the biggest challenges of being an intern here?

What advice would you give me so that I can be a successful intern?

How can I best contribute to the department/team?

How will my performance be judged, and by whom?

What goals do you have for the person who will serve in this internship?

About the company

How would you describe the company's culture/style?

Is there room for growth, such as an internship turning into a part- or full-time job?

Who was the most successful intern that you hired, and what characteristics did he/she possess?

What does the company need most right now? How can I help?

How long has [the company] been running the internship program?

*TIP! Always ask about the interviewer's "next steps" (if she/he didn't already state them) Ask when they plan to send out a final response of who gets the internship, and establish a means of communication-- through e-mail, telephone, or other medium. Of course you'll be excited about the internship and will want to know the results as soon as possible, so make sure to follow this crucial step so you know what to expect. :)

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QUESTIONS TO AVOID Although many interviewers are open to all sorts of questions, there are some categories that are best avoided during the first interview (or altogether!). Below I've listed a few, plus the rationale behind them:

Compensation-- I'll start off with perhaps the most obvious: How much am I going to get paid? This question will 99% of the time be answered in the ad where you first applied. In terms of internships, there is always the possibility of getting an unpaid internship, so make sure to do your research beforehand. If it isn't answered anywhere in the ad, I would wait until after the interview to ask this question, and approach it carefully.

Obvious questions-- If you can find the answer to your question in a quick Google search, don't ask it. Interviewers want to see complex and interesting questions that show that you did your research!

Benefits and etc.-- How many paid vacation days do I get? Is there catered lunch? Do you check my internet usage? etc. Don't ask these types of questions, for two reasons: First, you're applying for an internship, which may or may not be temporary. Asking for vacation days and other perks is usually reserved for employees who have been with the company for some time. Second, you want to show you interest and enthusiasm-- not how much you expect to benefit (other than experience) from the position.

(No questions!)-- Yes, this counts as a category. No questions is also something you should avoid, because you're bound to have at least something that interests you! Think long and hard about the position, what tasks you might be required to do, about the company and its future-- at least something that you want to know more about. Employers are looking for the most interested and attentive interns, so by having questions, you stand out even more from the rest.

Good luck! :)

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I have a job interview for a hair salon this weekend, for a part-time receptionist, and I was wondering what questions do you think will be asked and how can I answer them. It's a small salon that just opened so there isn't much research I have to do

Congrats on the interview!

One of the first things that popped into my head, especially for receptionist positions, is how you might be able to handle discrepancies or conflict. For example, they’ll give you a situation such as a client thought it costed x amount of dollars, but it was actually higher, and tell you to work through it step-by-step (to see your conflict negotiation and customer service abilities). They might also ask you how many face-to-face interactions you might have had at previous positions, how you handled angry customers in the past (somewhat similar to the first question), and how you handle multitasking situations. One other aspect is bookings and reservations, so there might be some questions on that as well (which system did you use, tell me a typical way you might handle phone calls, etc.)

To answer those questions, I would just make a list of your previous jobs and some situations you might have come across in the past (somewhat like a mini story for each one). Try to see if you can use those experiences/stories as part of your answer-- employers love to see real life examples, because it shows you've done something similar to what the position is asking for.

Good luck, and tell me how it goes! :)

-TIB

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A Categorized List of Common Interview Questions

You've heard it over and over again (even on this blog!) -- Always prepare for your interview by asking yourself possible questions. But where do you start? Check out the list below, and feel free to Like or Reblog to keep it on hand for your next interview. :)

-- Next week, check back to see which questions you can ask the interviewer to gain a better sense of the internship and its requirements. Good luck!

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About Yourself

Tell us a little about yourself...

What is your greatest strength?

What is your greatest weakness?

Describe your work style

Do you work well with other people?

Alternative- (Do you prefer to work independently or on a team?)

What motivates you?

How well do you handle pressure?

What are your hobbies?

Why did you choose your major?

How would you describe yourself in three words?

Where do you see yourself in 1/2/5/10 years?

What's your dream job?

What irritates you about other people, and how do you deal with it?

What is your preferred way to communicate?

How do you evaluate success?

What is your greatest fear?

What philosophy guides your work?

About the Position

Why are you interested in this position?

What will you bring to the table?

What salary are you seeking? (Not applicable in unpaid internships, of course)

Why should we hire you over the other candidate(s)?

What can we expect from you in the first 30/60/90 days on the job?

About your Previous Experience

Did you have any previous internship experience?

Have you worked from home/telecommuted?

Describe a difficult work situation and how you worked through it.

What is your greatest professional achievement?

Have you ever had problems working with a manager?

What were your responsibilities at Company X?

What did you most like/dislike at Company X?

What would your co-workers at Company X say about you?

What have you learned from your mistakes at Company X?

Who was your best boss and who was the worst?

About the Company

What have you heard about our company?

What do you know about the industry?

Alternatively- (What are the most significant trends in your field?)

Why do you want to work for us?

Alternatively- (Why shouldn't we hire you?)

How long do you expect to remain employed with this company?

What is your ideal company?

When could you start work?

What are you looking for in your next job/company? What is important to you?

??? and etc. (Also known as The Completely Random Questions)

If you were a pizza delivery man, how would you benefit from scissors?

What would be the theme song to your life?

How would you rate your life on a scale of 1 to 10?

How many cocktail umbrellas are there in a given time in the United States?

You are hosting a dinner party and have to invite 3 famous people. Who would you choose and why?

 If someone wrote a biography about you, what do you think the title should be?

Who would win in a fight-- a pirate or a ninja?

How many times a day do a clock’s hands overlap?

*These questions will be continuously updated, so keep checking back for the latest! 

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Looking to extend that internship into a full-time position? Check out these helpful tips! 

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Hi, so every morning when I come into my internship so far no one has directly given me a list of things to do / a specific job to perform, so I just sort of sit awkwardly on my computer (as I am now). I literally have no idea what I am supposed to be doing and they're almost always busy on a call, what should I do? How to I avoid uncomfortably sitting and doing nothing?

Hi, thanks for your question! That's a bit of an awkward situation to be in, honestly, and it's happened to me at my first internship (Admin. assistant). Sometimes there's literally nothing to do, especially after all of the papers have been filed, all the reports have been composed, and all of the supervisors are busy doing their own thing.

However, if it's been going on for a long period of time, and you feel like you're not getting valuable knowledge/experience, I would make it a priority to schedule a meeting with your boss or supervisor and explain your concerns to him/her. The point of an internship in the first place is to gain "real world" experience (or shadow a couple of different professions/careers), and according to your description, it doesn't look like it's happening at all. Tell your supervisor that you want to do real and useful work, and that you're there for any task-- you can even branch out to other departments to see the 'big picture' and how a company works. Even before your meeting, I would suggest making a list of interesting or useful tasks that you can do for the company as a project (for example, if your company does a lot of local events, offer to find vendors or venue). Hopefully your supervisor will realize that the company has a great resource, and will give you something to work on.

However, if nothing changes after your meeting, and you feel that you're wasting time, I would suggest that you think about finding a different opportunity or internship that will take you seriously. It's a tough decision in any case, so make sure to weight the pros and cons, and give plenty of notice.

Good luck, and let me know how it goes! :)

Best,-TIB