Securing Your Summer Internship During the Winter Break University Career Services
About the Presenter Betsy (Bishop) Gill • Internship Specialist, Northwestern University
• 6+ years in Higher Education Career Services
Objectives • Find ways to utilize the time you have “off” from school to prioritize your career development • Gain knowledge of effective strategies for seeking an internship • Review some of the Resources available to you as Northwestern Students
What are you doing over Winter Break?
VERSUS
Yes, breaks are for relaxing/visiting with friends, but consider this an opportunity to‌
Find Your Summer Internship!
The 3 Main Ways to Find an Internship • Internship Postings – CareerCat, iNet, Idealist.org, Internships.com, Internships-usa.com, Indeed.com, Twitter.com, etc.
• Employer Sourcing – CareerSearch, Vault, Wetfeet, Chamber of Commerce, Professional Associations, etc.
• Networking – Northwestern CareerNet, LinkedIn, etc.
Internship Postings • Be Active on CareerCat – Update Your Profile & Upload Your Resume – Look for new postings- search by keyword & note important deadlines – Apply to Internships you are interested in (but be sure to have your resume & cover letter reviewed prior to submitting) – Use the shortcuts to “Career Expo Participants” & “Campus Interviews I qualify for” – Use the “Jump” menu to find links to other resources
CareerCat Home Page
What to Anticipate with Postings • More Summer Internships will be posted to CareerCat from December to as late as May (based on the need of the company or industry trends) • For On Campus Recruiting (OCR)deadlines will be in January and February so be sure to apply early!
iNet • Be Active on iNet – – Employers post internships for the colleges in the iNet consortium: Duke University, Georgetown University, Harvard University, New York University, MIT, University of Pennsylvania, Rice University, Stanford University, Yale University, University of Southern California, and Northwestern University
– Located under the “Jump” menu of CareerCat or register under the “NU Exclusive Resources” link at www.northwestern.edu/careers
Find the Posting Sites that Work for you! Internships Online: largest internship site on the web http://www.internshipsusa.com/ Username: work Password: credit Internships.com: National and international Internship listings www.internships.com Select "Northwestern" Type in "Wildcats" under promo code
Other Major Sites:
Indeed.com- Google like search for job or internship postings
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Idealist.org- For Non-Profit/Gov’t
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GoingGlobal- For International Work Searches (access through CareerCat)
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MakingtheDifference.org- Federal Gov’t Internships
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National Science Foundationhttp://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/
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Twitterjobsearch.com- search through postings for work on Twitter
Utilizing Twitter Websites outside of Twitter to help you find Internship postings: • Twitterjobsearch.com • Twithire.com Search using Hash Tags: #Tweetmyjobs #____jobs (fill in the blank with your city or state) #career #employment #greenjobs #hire
#hireme #hiring #hr #internship #jobpostings #jobsearch #recruiting
www.twitjobsearch.com
Using Employer Sourcing Researching which employers or environment is right for you in order to find employment Involves: • Researching Companies • Creating a list of those to contact • Visiting websites for more information • Contact employers directly through email or phone • Arrange for informational interviews
Action Items: 1. Start Now! Before you leave for Break 2. Research companies in your area which you could request a tour or visit
Other Ways to Find Employers Chamber of Commerce
Hoovers
Wikipedia
Also: Google, Wetfeet, Vault, CareerCat, LinkedIn.com, Crain’s Business, Going Global (International), Idealist.org, Professional Associations
Letter/Phone Call of Inquiry (1) Introduce yourself Hi, my name is Holly Jacobs. I am currently a student at Northwestern University pursuing a degree in communications.
(2) Identify interest – organization, position, etc‌ I came across your organization when I was conducting research on advertising agencies in my hometown. I was very excited to learn of your niche in providing advertising consulting to green organizations
(3) Introduce skills This past year, I served as the promotions director for a campus student organization called Green Initiatives. In this role, I was able to increase awareness of our initiatives in campus residences.
(4) Inquire winter or find
I was reaching out to you because I will be home for break and wondered if I could shadow you for a day out more about your company over coffee?
Networking • What is it?- Establishing professional or personal connections with others – – – – –
To develop a mutual support system To tap into a hidden employment market To interact with members of your target field To explore career options To market yourself to potential employers
• Networking is consistently one of the #1 ways NU students find internships or jobs!
Who to Network with… • Your Own Network Neighbors
Family
Alumni
Co-Workers
YOU Friends/ Roommates
CareerNet NAA Clubs & LinkedIn Group
Religious Orgs Student/ Professional Orgs
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Northwestern Alumni Association • Northwestern CareerNet- database of over 12,000 alumni volunteers to help you with your career development Register at www.nwuconnection.com To gain access to the Alumni Directory and Career Network!
• Northwestern Alumni Clubs (also in China, Japan, London, Switzerland &Toronto)
Utilizing LinkedIn LinkedIn is a Professional Networking Online Site • Originally created as a way to find “experts” • 40+ million users from 150 countries; 27% of users are HR Recruiters or Managers • Average age of users is 40 • Average income of users is $110,000.00
Get Started at www.LinkedIn.com
Profile Sample
Groups to Join • Recommended Groups to Join on LinkedIn: – Northwestern Alumni Group (over 14,000 members) – Northwestern University Career Services Group (over 630 members) – For International Students: Chicagoland ISEI & Northwestern ISEI (subgroup) – Geographic Based: Linked n Chicago, Young Professionals of Chicago – Job Search Related: Job Angels – Others: Special Interest Groups, Your Greek Organization has a LinkedIn Group, etc.
Sample Group
Being in a Shared Group Allows You to Send Messages
UCS Recommendations for Networking • Use Proper Etiquette – Avoid contacting people you do not know without any connection or introduction – Create a well thought-out and error free message when communicating – If requesting a meeting…Remember YOU are the one who must be flexible, not your contact
• Maintain Your Network – Avoid long lengths of time with no communication – Show Appreciation- Thank You Messages – Profile/Resume Updates = Perfect time to send an Email – Send Holiday Cards (Non-religious)
Now What? Let’s Develop a Plan 1. If you haven’t already registered for CareerCat, Northwestern CareerNet & iNet- do so! 2. Determine what internship posting sites will be most helpful for your industry and stay active (set-up search agents/ email notifications) 3. Make an appointment with a UCS staff member to develop your marketing documents (aka Resume, Cover Letters) and discuss your search 4. Create a LinkedIn profile and join relevant LinkedIn Groups, researching the members 5. Choose a few connections on LinkedIn or CareerNet to request an informational interview with them while home over break
Great Ways to Use the Break • Research potential employers and request day long shadowing by calling their Human Resources Department • Work on writing effective cover letters and industry specific resumes for the internships you’d like to apply to • Network, Network, Network – Talk to neighbors, visit with old friends (& their parents), important local contacts and ask for advice – Ask “Who else should I meet with?”
Upcoming UCS Events • InterNU- January 7th, 1-4pm, Norris, Sponsored by ASG and UCS • MLK Public Interest Fair- January 12th, Noon-4pm, Norris • Winter Career Expo- January 14th, Noon-4pm, Norris • Mock Case Consulting Program for Internships- January 28th • Mock Interviewing Program for Internships- February 2nd
University Career Services Main Office 620 Lincoln Street 847-491-3700 CareerLab Core Reserve Main Library, 2nd Floor North Web www.northwestern.edu/careers Facebook www.facebook.com/northwesternucs Twitter http://twitter.com/northwesternucs LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/groupRegistration?gid=1926036