Internship Information

If you're interested in meaningful work experience in your major, it is time to check out the WT Internship Program. Students intern for a variety of reasons including:

To obtain valuable work experience
To see if I'm in the right major
To earn money to pay for my college education
To help me choose a career
To earn academic credit
To establish contacts for future employment opportunities
For personal growth: confidence and to interact professionally
To apply skills and knowledge I've learned in school
To enhance and add to my classroom education
To find out what it is really like to have a real full-time job

Post-graduation data shows that WT students who reported an internship made on average $3,200 more in their first year and $6,100 more in their second year than those who did not report having an internship. A staggering 95 percent of employers said candidate experience is a factor in hiring decisions, according to an annual survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE.) Our office is committed to helping all WTAMU students in their internship search.

How to find an internship workshop

Internship FAQs

What is an internship?

How do I get involved?

How can I benefit from an internship experience?

Do you work with all majors?

Is academic credit available?

What is involved in receiving academic credit?

Is academic credit required?

Am I guaranteed a placement if I participate in the Internship Program?

What is the typical hourly wage that interns earn?

Are most placements in the Canyon & Amarillo area?

Where are your offices and who can I contact for more information?

What is an internship?

An internship is a work-learning arrangement. This arrangement is a supervised, career-related work experience combined with reflective, academic study that help you to "learn by doing". Great way to gain real-life experience, confirm what you like to do and make professional connections.

How do I get involved?

To participate in the program, students must be classified as at least a sophomore, have a 2.5 or higher GPA and have a declared major.

To get involved, the first step is to attend the How to Find an Internship Workshop.

How can I benefit from an internship experience?

Personally-- Boost your maturity and self-confidence; improve your communication and interaction skills; prepare for life after graduation; gain a greater clarity about your career.
Academically-- Integrate classroom theory with real-life experiences; understand the relevance of your course work; increase your motivation to learn; use resources that are not available on campus.
Professionally-- Explore a potential career field; develop career-related skills and abilities, including effective job search, resume writing and interviewing techniques; establish a work history; observe professional people and behavior; build a network of professional contacts; gain a competitive edge for employment or graduate school admission.
Financially (most co-op & internship placements are paid)-- Subsidize tuition costs.

Do you work with all majors?

Yes. We will work with any major to try and help them find an internship experience related to their area of study.

Our placements have tended to be more with business, engineering and mass communications majors, but we will work with any major.

Is academic credit available?

Internships may be eligible for academic credit, if approved by your academic department. Credit is typically elective credit. Also, credit may be for one semester of work; however, some departments require students to work for two semesters in order to earn credit.

If credit is possible, our office will assist you in coordinating all details with academic departments.

What is involved in receiving academic credit?

Requirements vary depending on the faculty member supervising the placement; however, here is basically what you can expect.

At the beginning of the semester you are registered for credit, you develop a set of learning objectives with your employer. These will be shared with your faculty advisor and will guide your experience throughout the semester. You will also be required to send in periodic updates answering questions designed to help you reflect on the learning experience.

At the end of the semester, your direct supervisor fills out and discusses an evaluation of your performance over the semester. You are required to turn in an academic assignment for your faculty advisor. Assignments vary--paper, an oral presentation, a journal, etc.

Your faculty advisor takes the above information into consideration and assigns a letter grade for the experience.

Is academic credit required?

No. Some students don't receive credit because they don’t need or want the elective. However, if the credit counts toward your degree, we encourage you to take it.

International students must receive academic credit to participate in an off-campus internship. This is part of Curricular Practical Training. Learn more about this program here.

Am I guaranteed a placement if I participate in the Internship Program?

No. Placement decisions ultimately rest with the employer. It is possible to participate in the program and not find a placement.

However, by participating, you dramatically increase the probability of finding a placement. You’ll also develop effective job search, resume writing and interviewing skills along with being connected with employers looking to fill internships.

You have everything to gain and very little to lose by participating.

What is the typical hourly wage that interns earn?

Employers determine the hourly rate they pay so there isn’t a set wage for interns; however, wages tend to be higher than typical college jobs. Last semester, our intern students averaged around $13.00 per hour.

Are most placements in the Canyon & Amarillo area?

Yes. Many students want to work and attend school at the same time so the many placements are in the local area.

However, students find internships across the country. There are outstanding intern opportunities outside this area. Let us know if you are interested in these opportunities.

Where are your offices and who can I contact for more information?

We are in the Student Success Center, Classroom Center 113. If you need more information, you can contact our coordinator:

Steve Sellars
Internship Coordinator
CC 113 in the Student Success Center
(806) 651-2345
ssellars@wtamu.edu
wtamu.edu/career
Find us on social media. We're WTCareer
Internship Twitter- @WTIntern

Handshake and workshop information

Forms & Resources

College of Business Undergraduate Internship Policy

Printable PDF of policy

Program Rationale

The academic Internship Program represents a positive step in developing partnerships with education and enterprise. The College of Business, in partnership with the WTAMU Internship Program, works together to offer students learning opportunities outside of the classroom through job experience related to the student's field of study. Quality internships provide students with:

an increased understanding of principles learned in the classroom,
the opportunity to clarify career goals,
the potential to develop a network of professional contacts,
enhanced self-confidence and skills,
an opportunity to learn about a particular industry, and
the ability to earn money for college and personal expenses.

The College of Business fully supports academic credit for internship experience. All internship opportunities for academic credit are under the full academic supervision of the College of Business. The Internship Program offers undergraduate students the opportunityto get course credit while gaining work experience in a related area.

Note: the College of Business encourages students to get relevant work experience even if they cannot get course credit.

Undergraduate business students may use an internship course to REPLACE any advanced elective in their degree plan.

Participating corporations are expecting to receive high-quality work and active participation from the students they sponsor. Experience directly related to a student’s major makes the student more marketable when seeking full-time positions after graduating.

Student & For-Credit Internship Requirements

To participate in the internship program for academic credit, a student must be:

enrolled in the College of Business
in good academic standing
have a GPA of 2.8 or greater within their College of Business courses
and completed 24 hours in the College of Business core requirements.

Internship job descriptions that will be considered for credit must meet the following criteria as determined by the National Association of Colleges & Employers (NACE):

To ensure that an experience is educational, and thus eligible to be considered a legitimate internship by the NACE definition, all the following criteria must be met:

The experience must be an extension of the classroom: a learning experience that provides for applying the knowledge gained in the classroom. It must not be simply to advance the operations of the employer or be the work that a regular employee would routinely perform.
The skills or knowledge learned must be transferable to other employment settings.
The experience has a defined beginning and end, and a job description with desired qualifications.
There are clearly defined learning objectives/goals related to the professional goals of the student’s academic coursework.
There is supervision by a professional with expertise and educational and/or professional background in the field of the experience.
There is routine feedback by the experienced supervisor.
There are resources, equipment, and facilities provided by the host employer that support learning objectives/goals.

If these criteria are followed, it is the opinion of NACE that the experience can be considered a legitimate internship.

Other factors used to determine if an experience qualifies for credit include:

Academic credit isn't given retroactively.
For an individual currently working within an organization, no academic internship credit will be given for an existing functional area experience. Ideally, the student wouldn't do any of their previous job duties and have a different supervisor.
Internships must include a minimum of 120 hours of professional duties.
Internships must be paid.
Home-based business internships are not eligible.
Virtual internships are not eligible.
Students may not take an overload during the semester they receive internship credit.
Academic credit is not given for full-time positions where employment is expected to continue after the internship.

One purpose of an internship is for the student and employer to evaluate full-time job potential at the end of the internship. Full-time employment is not a given at the conclusion of the internship.

Ultimately, the College of Business determines if an experience qualifies for credit and the above criteria are simply a starting point for making this determination.

Internship Credit Request Process

To be considered for credit, proposals must be submitted by the following dates. Proposals submitted after these dates will not be considered for credit.

For Spring 2019 - Friday, January 4, 2019

** NOTE FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS**

Before we can consider your internship proposal, you must meet with the International Student Office Director to ensure you are eligible to participate in CPT

Secure an internship offer. Internships can be found through Career Services resources or a student's own search.

Career Services offers a How to Find an Internship Workshop. They also offer career fairs, assistance with resumes and interviewing, and access to BuffJobs, a free database with internship listings. Learn more at Career Services Homepage. Contact Career Services with questions-- (806) 651-2345, CC 113.
Complete a "Credit Proposal / Learning Agreement Form" together with your employer. This form is online at student internship forms.

Faculty ultimately decide whether a position qualifies for academic credit. Please see "Student & For-Credit Internship Requirements" section above.
Submit completed "Credit Proposal / Learning Agreement" to the Experiential Education Coordinator, Steve Sellars, ssellars@wtamu.edu, (806) 651-2345, Classroom Center 113
If approved and the student agrees with the internship course syllabus, faculty will complete a blue card and send it directly to the registrar enrolling the student in the course.

Please note that not all internship proposals are approved. Please have a "Plan B" in place in case your internship is not approved for academic credit.
If approved, the student meets with the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Business Programs and/or Experiential Education staff to review the internship syllabus. This happens at a mandatory Internship Orientation meeting. Distance students will participate in phone or virtual orientations.

Typical topics covered in an orientation are:

Syllabus Review (the academic assignments required for the class)
Every intern receiving credit is required to complete academic assignments. Examples are end-of-semester presentations, informational interviews with senior-level people in the student's career area of interest, readings, interaction with other interns through WTClass, weekly journal, etc.
Professionalism
Keys for Success
Q&A

6. The faculty submits a grade for the student at the end of the semester. Grading policy is outlined
in the syllabus.

Intern of the Year

Nov. 11, 2019

CONTACT: Steve Sellars, 806-651-2345, ssellars@wtamu.edu

WT Selects the 2019 Intern of the Year

CANYON, Texas—West Texas A&M University student Andrea Althoff is named the Intern of the Year for 2019.

Althoff, a senior plant and soil science major from Hannibal, Mo., was recognized at a special Intern of the Year reception on Nov. 7 in the Agriculture and Natural Sciences building. She will receive a $1,000 scholarship for the spring semester, and her name will be submitted for the national Cooperative Education and Internship Association’s Academic Intern of the Year award.

This year marks the seventh time for WT to recognize an Intern of the Year. The award is designed to honor an outstanding student who has participated in an internship and made a significant contribution to the employer. Althoff was selected for the honor from a field of 17 nominees.

Althoff began working for Bayer U.S. Crop Sciences in May 2019, where some of her responsibilities included seed quality assurance lab research, global engineering statistical data evaluation, cotton seed process model engineering and field scouting.

“Bayer Crop Science gave me the chance of a lifetime to discover my passion and build a sustainable vocation. I am confident, through this experience combined with three years of previous research experience that I will be able to gain a Doctorate of Plant Science,” Althoff said. “Cotton is the thread of our lives and to think I took a small problem and turned it into a sustainable research project that could change how we process cotton seed around the world is the most humbling and prideful experience I have ever had.”

Althoff is a candidate for graduation in May 2020. Her past experiences include internships with Texas A&M Agrilife Extension, J-M Mushroom Farms and Ag Nutrien Services, and she is the recipient of several honors including the President’s Community Service Award and the West Texas Agricultural Chemicals Institute Scholarship. Additionally, she is a member of the WT Equestrian Team, scholar of the Dyke and Terry Rogers LEAD WT program and a teacher’s assistant in the WT Plant Science Lab.

The 17 nominees for the 2019 honor are listed by major and internship.

Melissa Hailey, advertising and public relations – Dallas Cowboys
Coulton Bourquin, agribusiness and economics – US Congressman K. Michael Conaway
Erin Jesko, agribusiness and economics – Poole Chemical Company
Courtney Coffman, agricultural media and communications – American Quarter Horse Association
Jillian “Scout” Odegaard, agricultural media and communications, US Representative Mac Thornberry
Jaylea Shaye Youngblood, agricultural media and communications – Blessed Buffalo Boutique
Justin Brown, agriculture – Wilbur-Ellis
Kristie Rose, broadcasting and electronic media – Genesisters Marketing Agency
Kennedy Venneman, chemistry – Pantex Plant
Emily Magaraggia, environmental science – City of Canyon
Jalee Blackwell, graduate business administration – US District Court, Northern District of Texas
Madeline Kleinschmidt, general business – US Dept. of State
Marlene Van Mourik, marketing and management, GrowthWheel International
Abby Billington, music education – Amarillo Civic Center
Andrea Althoff, plant, soil and environmental sciences – Bayer Crop Sciences
Juliet Lane, social work – WT College Talent Search
Tori Browder, corporate communications – Dell Technologies

Intern Blog

6 Tips To Make The Most Of Your Summer Internship

More Tips to Make The Most Of Your Internship

Attitude Is Everything

The Magic of Doing One Thing at a Time

Little Details Can Make A Big Difference

Boring Internship? Here Is How To Make the Most of It.

Focus On Skills To Find Satisfaction In Your Internship

The Internship Hustle- Getting a Competitive Advantage in a Challenging Job Market

6 Tips To Make The Most Of Your Summer Internship

June 12, 2020

I hope your internship is off to a great start!

Before you get too far, consider how to make the most of your experience. This is a great opportunity, especially during this crazy summer, so make the most of it.

Here are 6 tips I found from John Coleman in a Harvard Business Review article.

Start with relentless punctuality.

clocks
Show up on time (or early) in the morning, arrive for meetings before they begin, and complete tasks by their deadlines. When I asked professional contacts for their advice to interns, they consistently listed punctuality as a critical success factor. Ryan, an executive in a municipal government, says, “Always be on time. Summer internships are for a short, defined period of time, so give it 100%. Be willing to get to the office early and stay late.” As an intern, you are both a guest in a new environment and a colleague on whom others must rely — make sure that you respect those colleagues by being on time.

Complete each task with excellence.

excellence

Whether an assignment is mundane or exotic, pursue it with relentless drive and a determination to exceed. If you’re asked to make coffee, make the best coffee your colleagues have ever had. If you’re asked to make an Excel model, over-invest your time and effort in assuring it’s right, aesthetically appealing, and thorough. Amy, a food and beverage executive puts it this way, “Finish the assignment or project with excellence — anything else you do is bonus, but please start with the assignment given.” Even if the project seems small or unimportant, do not give in to the temptation to complete it with anything less than your best, and don’t decline a project just because it doesn’t interest you. Katie, a tech industry executive cautions to “[never] say no to small opportunities because [they don’t] fit your idea of work.” Repeated, enthusiastic, and excellent delivery of assigned tasks is the building block upon which everything else in your internship will rest.

Take on more work — without being asked.

work

Use excess time to take on new and important work, assignments others don’t want, or projects that are needed but not yet clearly defined. A nonprofit healthcare executive counsels, “When you see something you can do, do it.” I still remember the names of interns I’ve worked with who never let themselves sit idle and took on new projects with little or no guidance. Gary, a finance executive, told me, “Sitting at the desk checking your most recent Twitter feed while you wait for someone to give you something to do is one of the best ways to not get an invite back.” Deliver what no one is expecting — or what no one else is willing to do — and you’ll not only be appreciated, but remembered.

Be resourceful.

resourcefulness

Research a topic thoroughly before asking a full-time colleague or manager for help, and take the time to reflect and come up with your own insight or solution before consulting others when you uncover a problem. Amy, the food and beverage executive above, recommends, “Look for the resources you need on the internal websites or ask other interns before [asking] your coach.” She notes that it’s a mistake to “ask too many questions that show you didn’t even try to look for the answer yourself.” It’s critical that your colleagues view you as someone who is resourceful and independent enough to bring something new to the table instead of just stopping every time there is a bump in the road.

Ask questions — good ones.

questions

The hallmark of an intellectually curious, diligent colleague is the quality of his or her questions. Renowned management thinker Clay Christensen recommends spending time formulating the right questions. Ben, a management consultant, agrees: “Think — in advance — of questions to ask. If you are meeting with a peer or superior, think of thoughtful questions you can ask to demonstrate you’ve prepared for the meeting and respect her time.” If you’re in a meeting with senior colleagues, think less about your answers to their questions and more about what you see missing — the questions no one else is asking. When you hear someone ask a great, conversation-altering question, write it down and reflect on what made it so special. And, as a rule of thumb, make sure you ask one or more authentic questions in every meeting you attend. Following this advice will hone your ability to ask questions that lead to real insight and will ingrain in you the essential habit of intellectual curiosity.

Build professional relationships.

Internships usually last only a few months, and in that context, it’s easy to either focus solely on your work or to make connections only with the other interns working around you. But forming broad, deep relationships within your team and throughout the organization can help you manage your current responsibilities while also boosting personal development. You’ll also make yourself more memorable to those around you and create a network of contacts to reach out to when you’re ready to find your next job. Invite colleagues to lunch. Ask them questions in informational interviews. Offer to help where you can. Observe the great relationship-builders in your firm and learn from them.

Internships are hard work. And doing only what’s expected of you isn’t enough to be noticed. You need to go above and beyond, from arriving on time to doing exemplary work, and make the most of your time in the organization.

Great tips! Don’t wait to implement as many of these as you can. The summer will done before we know it!

Let us know how we can assist you with anything career.

Stay safe and learn all you can.

Steve

More Tips to Make The Most Of Your Internship

June 18, 2020

Next week is week 4 of the summer. How is the internship so far? If this is a new internship, you may find it challenging or maybe a little overwhelming. Let me assure you this is totally normal. If you don't feel this way, you're may be in an internship that isn't offering much of a challenge. I'll write more about in a future blog entry.

Continuing from last week, here are three additional tips to get the most out of your experience this summer.

Realize employers don't expect you to know everything.
They understand you're just learning and won't know everything about the field. They simply want interns who are truly interested in the work and who make a strong effort on every assignment, even if it isn't the most glamorous.
Realize the internship is a long-term interview in disguise.
Employers are constantly asking questions like:
- Does she get along with our other employees?
- Can he do the job?
- Is she a good problem-solver?
Be professional.
Employers tell us all the time they are looking for people with professional skills. Things like being on time (which we addressed last week), dressing professionally, and writing properly--employers don't speak text :-)

Here is a good video from Brown University about making the most of your internship. As you watch, think about goals you want to accomplish. As you think with the end in mind, apply some of their suggestions to make that ending a reality!

For those of you close to graduation, mark your calendar for the TAMU System Virtual Job Fair on June 30.

At the beginning of the COVID-19 craziness, we surveyed students and asked how we can help in the job search. Hosting a virtual job fair was the #1 answer.

All the A&M system schools heard the same message so we collaborated to put together this virtual job fair.

You can register here- https://www.careereco.com/Fair/EventDetails?fairId=5afd932e-788e-49a2-83f0-abc301314d21

As of today, there are already 60 employers signed up. Don’t miss this opportunity connect with employersand learn more about job opportunities!

Contact Career Services if you have any questions.

Keep learning in your internship and make the most of the experience!

Steve

Attitude Is Everything

June 26, 2020

I hope your internship is going great, but let’s be realistic. It isn’t perfect, is it?

You’re not learning what you want to learn or maybe there is so much new stuff that it is overwhelming. You might work with awesome people or there could be tough personalities to deal with. The pay may not cover all your expenses or maybe there is no pay at all. 🙁 I’ll deal with some of these issues in later blog posts.

No internship is perfect. There are problems with them all—supervisors make mistakes, co-workers brush you off and there may be more menial tasks than you prefer. Internships are not perfect, but they can be magnificient depending on your attitude.

The attitude you bring to the internship everyday makes a huge difference. Who doesn't like to work with someone who is positive, takes initiative and works well with others? You control your attitude, even when circumstances are tough. I know you've heard it all before, but you truly are in control of how you approach work. The best quote I ever heard about attitude is from Christian author Chuck Swindoll. Is this your approach to work, school, family?

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.

Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home.

The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude... I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.

And so it is with you... we are in charge of our attitudes.

~Chuck Swindoll

Mr. Swindoll gave an address to students at Dallas Baptist Theology Seminary over this topic. It comes from a Christian perspective, but the concepts are true regardless. Watch this message for encouragement to improve your attitude.

TAMU System Virtual Career Fair Happening on Tuesday, June 30

Mark your calendar!! Great opportunity to connect with employers and uncover job opportunities. Register here- https://www.careereco.com/Fair/EventDetails?fairId=5afd932e-788e-49a2-83f0-abc301314d21

Keep learning all you can in your internship!

Steve

The Magic of Doing One Thing at a Time

July 3, 2020

A lot of students feel overwhelmed and exhausted in their personal, work and academic lives, especially during especially busy or challenging times. Truth is, I feel this way sometimes as well. Why is that?

The answer is surprising: It’s not the number of minutes we spend awake and working hard each day that’s the issue—it’s that we often spend 99% of those minutes we juggle doing too many things at once.

Is this true in your internship and/or personal life?

Be honest…

Do you check social media apps on your phone when you’re sitting in meetings, or when you’re spending time with family and friends?
Do you eat lunch at your desk, or while you’re on the run?
Is the TV often on in your home, even when you’re busy doing other things?
Do you send the occasional text message while driving?

The biggest cost of doing multiple things at once like this (assuming you don’t crash from the texting and driving) is a gradual, long-term decline in your productivity and happiness. When divide your attention, you’re partially engaged in every activity, but rarely focused on any one thing. And this dizzying lack of focus eventually trips you up and brings you down to your knees.

Is it hard to focus in your internship? Your classes? Your personal life? Take whatever steps you can to break the habit of dividing your attention.

FOCUS. FOCUS. FOCUS.

On one thing at a time.

Then give yourself a short break and repeat.

Doing so will change your life!

No seriously, it WILL!

Remember this…

If you hold a magnifying glass over a small pile of dry leaves as the sun shines bright on the hottest afternoon of the whole year, NOTHING will happen…

Magnifying Glass

…so long as you keep moving the magnifying glass quickly from one leaf to the next.

But as soon as you hold the magnifying glass still and FOCUS the sun’s rays on one single leaf, the whole pile of leaves will ignite into flames.

That’s the power of focusing on one thing at a time.

You have an opportunity in your internship to realize that you are the magnifying glass in your own life, and that you can intentionally focus on one single leaf at a time. Do this in your internship and you will ignite incredible “flames” that move your projects, your dreams, your relationships and even the world around you, forward. When you do this, supervisors notice.

Check out this video that discusses the importance of focusing on one thing. Not that you must focus on one thing. You may choose a more balanced life, but good thoughts on the power of focus regardless.

.

Here is more information about the One Thing Book by Gary Keller- https://www.the1thing.com/

What’s the ONE THING you can focus on in your internship next week? Be intentional about focusing on this one thing and see what results you see.

Enjoy a Happy Fourth this weekend and keep learning in your internship.

Steve

P.S. Career Services has added a lot of good content to our YouTube channel. Here are videos with job search tips and information on employers.

Navigating the Job Market In a Tough Economy- https://youtu.be/4kNvzIZVLas

Uncover the Hidden Job Market- https://youtu.be/ar7upukgjvM

The United Family- https://youtu.be/CwoyN3S8-fU

Enterprise Holdings- https://youtu.be/sPqAnRgmKGg

Five Rivers Cattle Feeding Company- https://youtu.be/rRMV6PcV4tQ

Cactus Feeders- https://youtu.be/YmmdNJp7iPI

Happy State Bank- https://youtu.be/SBu9UkEu_l4

Little Details Can Make A Big Difference

July 10, 2020

Details matter, even the small ones. I love this video because it really emphasizes taking care of details.

As we are now halfway through the summer, make sure you are fanatical about the details in your internship. I can’t tell you how many employers we have talked with that are looking for students and graduates who know how to take care of the details. Details like:

—finishing a project on or before the deadline

--proofreading their emails

--dressing professionally

--providing timely progress reports on projects

--asking for help when needed (This means you have tried at least 3 different approaches to the problem and are not having luck figuring it out)

--Etc.

Are you paying attention to the details in your internship? Employers want employees they can trust and know will give their best effort.

You develop employer trust by taking care of details--even the small ones. The more you increase employer trust the greater the chance of the internship converting to a full-time job. Here are some ideas to stay on top of the details.

Use a calendar and write stuff down. Even the best and brightest don’t remember everything. Albert Einstein said, “Paper is to write things down that we need to remember. Our brains are used to think.”
Look at your calendar every day. Unfortunately, I learned this from experience. We need to review our calendar every day or we’ll forget things we need to do, appointments, etc.
Ask your supervisor for clarification on which tasks are most important. If your boss gives you a ton of things to do (or maybe there are multiple bosses giving you assignments), ask which things you should work on first. If you are like most of us, you’ll never get it all done. The key is doing as much of the most important things as you can.
Write out a daily to-do list. Every morning (or the night before) write out the most important things to accomplish. Refer to this list frequently throughout the day to keep them on your radar and have less chance of being distracted.
Stay in the moment (for as long as you can). See last week’s blog entry 😊

Once you are working on an important task, stay with it and avoid distractions if you can. Make as much progress as possible before you are pulled away. Redeem every minute.

Lastly, I love this short parable about the importance of taking care of the details. It was originally published by Benjamin Franklin in Poor Richards Almanac.

“For the want of a nail the shoe was lost,
For the want of a shoe the horse was lost,
For the want of a horse the rider was lost,
For the want of a rider the battle was lost,
For the want of a battle the kingdom was lost,
And all for the want of a horseshoe-nail.”

Little details can make a big difference!

Keep learning in your internship!

Steve

Boring Internship? Here’s How To Make the Most of It.

Friday, July17, 2020

Mark Cuban: This is the new interview question employers will ask job-hunters after the pandemic

The following blog is courtesy of Gretchen Brown with Rewire.org

You scored your perfect internship. (Nice!)

But a week in, it’s not quite what you expected.

You pictured a job full of activity and learning; a chance to jump in the field of your dreams. But so far, all you’ve had the chance to do is make coffee and learn where the printer is.

Some internships are more self-directed than others. If you’re feeling you don’t have enough tasks to fill the day — or are unsure how to move forward on your own — there are ways to make sure you get the most out of your experience.

Be up front with your boss

If you’re feeling bored half the day, it’s possible your boss doesn’t know you’re starved for tasks. It’s your job to bring it up to your supervisor.

Make sure to prepare for the conversation, says Alli Goossens, assistant director of the internship program at North Dakota State University’s Career and Advising Center.

“If the intern can come into the meeting with things that they would like to work on or a pet project, that can also help that conversation go more smoothly,” Goossens said.

It might feel a little awkward. But having a conversation like this with a supervisor is something you’ll have to do the rest of your working life, Goossens said. It’s a valuable skill to learn.

Don’t be afraid to get around

Dig In

Digging in isn’t just going to help you learn— you’ll end up with real experience in the field.

Instead of assigning you more tasks, your boss might tell you to ask around the office to see if others need help.

If that’s the case, you should be proactive about it.

“Introduce yourself to your colleagues — do not wait for them to introduce themselves, they're working adults with all the attached stress,” said Carlota Zimmerman, a career strategist. “Saying, 'Hi, I'm (name), and I've got a summer internship here to do (blank). I'm here to help, please put me to work!’"

Don’t just go in cold. Do your research on your colleagues, and see who does what. When you know what they do, and you make clear your interest in it, they’ll be more likely to help you out (and let you help them).

Learn some new skills

Just because your internship is in one department doesn’t mean that’s all you can do. If you have extra time, you might consider using it to explore other departments and career paths (with your supervisor’s support).

“Maybe it’s attending a different department’s staff meeting to get a taste of what they’re working on,” Goossens said.

Whatever it is, preparation is key here. Don’t ask your boss to point you to a department; do your research and ask to be connected with one that interests you specifically.

The key is to avoid putting more work on your boss' plate.

Get networking

“Probably the second biggest thing you’re doing at an internship, other than getting experience, is making connections,” Goossens said.

The more people you’re interacting and making connections with in an internship, the better. It’s what an internship is all about.

Maybe the people you’re meeting throughout the company don’t have extra work for you. That’s OK! Ask them if they’re free for lunch, or coffee, instead.

You might feel like you’re being bothersome. But most folks like to give back and are happy to help out those early in their career.

Since networking can be a bit scary at first, you might consider reaching out to coworkers on LinkedIn first, Goossens said. Not only will this help with doing your research, but a conversation might happen organically on the platform.

Have a real feel for the company

Another important, but sometimes forgotten, piece of an internship?

You’re testing it out to see if you’d want to work there again, either at the conclusion of your internship, or years down the road.

According to one survey, 36 percent of students got job offers at the end of a paid internship (that number goes down to 17 percent for unpaid).

That means getting hired is a real possibility. So if you have extra time, you can use it to vet the company as much as you can.

Does your colleague have a job you’ve got your eye on? Contact the human resources department and see if you can get your hands on a position description for the jobs you admire.

That way, you can see the skills it takes (and how to beef up your own resume to get there).

And all those all-office emails and newsletters? You might be “just an intern,” but those are for you, too. Read away so you can be up-to-date on the happenings in the office.

Zimmerman said you should go to all the office gatherings, parties and events that you’re invited to. You’re part of the office, and you should act like it.

If you’re taking the internship for credit, you might already be doing some journaling reflecting on your day-to-day experience.

But if you don’t have to journal, you might want to anyway. It can be a good way to document your internship. Once you’re out of it, things might look differently than you remembered. You might forget small nuances.

“Dig in and do some reflecting and observations on culture that’s going on in the office,” Goossens said. “What you like and don't like, picking up on office norms.”

Sitting back isn’t enough

Maybe you’ve decided it’s gonna be a scroll-through-social-media type of internship. After all, it’ll still be on your resume, right?

That might not be enough if you’re hoping to leverage the internship into a real-life career.

“It’s nice to have an internship on your resume, but more and more we see employers all the time really pinpointing specific skills,” Goossens said.

In other words, if you really want a well-rounded resume, you’re going to have to highlight specific projects you’ve worked on. Your internship experience matters, and digging in isn’t just going to help you learn— you’ll end up with real experience in the field.

Things might feel so bad that you want to quit.

Not so fast, Goossens said. She said it’s not OK to quit if you haven’t tried all your options first.

Have you talked to your supervisor? Have you tried other avenues within the same company? Have you found a good support system in the office?

So, you’re not cut out for data entry. Not everyone is. Your internship doesn’t have to be your dream job, even if you thought it would be.

“In general, every experience you go into, it’s what you make of it,” Goossens said.

Keeping learning and let us know if we can assist with anything career.

Steve

Focus On Skills To Find Satisfaction In Your Internship

July 24, 2020

Master craftsmen find satisfaction in their work because they focus on professional challenges that are simple to define but hard to execute. For example, wiring a house for electricity, building a cabinet or designing a kitchen is easy to define. Everyone knows what these things look like. However, these jobs are complicated and require high-level skills to execute.

I love to watch a great craftsman work. It is so fun to see people who are excellent and love what they do! I recently found this short documentary of a Japanese desk maker that demonstrates this. Check out the incredible skill and attention to detail that this master craftsmen uses.

Craftsmen like Mr. Yamaguchi focus their energy and use tremendous skill to complete jobs like these. They find a lot of satisfaction and meaning in their work because they are using their skills to do something tangible—fixing something or designing a beautiful desk.

At the end of the day, they can see what they accomplished, and it feels good.

What about you? Are you finding satisfaction in your internship? Do you see satisfying results from your work? If you aren’t, there is a lesson we can learn from master craftsmen like Mr. Yamaguchi.

Master craftsmen find satisfaction and meaning by focusing on the critical skills needed in their field. When they use these to accomplish their work, they find satisfaction and meaning in what they are doing.

Cal Newport, in his book Deep Work: Rules For Focused Success In A Distracted World, refers to using these skills as deep work. He defines deep work as professional activities performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that pushes your cognitive capabilities to their limit. These efforts create new value, improve your skill, and are hard to replicate.

When anyone (craftsman, office worker or intern) does deep work, it improves their work satisfaction level. Deep work for interns, since you are still learning, is developing the critical skills needed in your field.

Do you know the important skills someone in your field should possess? Hopefully, your internship has given you clues. What skills does your supervisor have that makes them successful? Technical knowledge, skill in making presentations, managing people, etc.? Pay close attention and take note of the skills you see that make people successful.

You can also discover skills needed in your chosen career in the Onet Online. This is a fantastic tool for learning about careers.

Find the career you are interested in.

Onet- search occupations — O-NET Occupation Search

You’ll then find a list of skills typically needed for this career.

Another way to uncover skills needed in your career is to analyze job descriptions. Think of a job title you want and find job postings online for that job. Job descriptions tell you the skills that position requires.

Once you have a good grasp of the skills needed in your field, take specific, deliberate steps to improve in this area. These steps could include things like:

Take a class (digital photography, computer programming, MS Excel, etc.)
Self-study (read a book on making effective presentations, social media marketing strategies or the basics of QuickBooks)
Volunteer in a community organization to develop your teamwork or leadership skills
Conduct an informational interview with a professional in your field for ideas to improve skills
Read professional journals to learn the latest trends and ideas in your field
Volunteer for a work assignment that pushes you out of your comfort zone. You learn a ton when you do something new and unfamiliar.
Join Toastmasters to improve your public speaking skills
Join a professional group on LinkedIn and start trying to help people in the group solve their problems

There are many other ways you can develop your professional skills, but the important thing is to just start. Just like the master craftsman who finds satisfaction in a job well done, you’ll find more satisfaction in your internship (and your career) when you see progress in developing your profession’s critical skills. As the Bible says in Ecclesiastes 3:22

So I saw that there is nothing better for men than that they should be happy in their work, for that is what they are here for, and no one can bring them back to life to enjoy what will be in the future, so let them enjoy it now.

Hope you had a good week!! Keep learning a lot in your internship.

Steve

The Intern Hustle- Getting a Competitive Advantage in a Challenging Job Market

July 31, 2020

Jenna Zipf, founder of The Intern Hustle graduated in 2008 during a recession. Although different from where we are today, she shares great advice for conducting the job search in a tough economic time. Spoiler—gaining as much relevant experience possible is key!

Listen to an interview with her on the Internship Show podcast. It is only 26 minutes. Great tips for finding another internship, making professional connections and leveraging your internship experience in this tough job market.

Podcast interview with Jenna Zipf, founder of The Intern Hustle

Hope the summer is ending well. Keep learning all you can in your internship!

Steve

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