4 Ways to Get the Most Out of an Internship

An internship can play an important role in the career of any college (or even high school) student and there are ways to ensure that you benefit the most from an internship.

Rather than complaining that you don't get to the do the most important tasks in the company, focus on the following four ways to get the most out of your internship:

1. Learn Everything. Don't limit yourself to your job assignments. Ask questions. Lots of questions. And meet new people and ask what they do, and ask them to show you how they do it. Make an effort to get to know the company you work for and to understand its strengths and where it fits in among its competitors. If the company offers training be the first to sign up. Take advantage of any learning opportunities that come your way.

2. Talk to Everyone. In addition to meeting your direct supervisor and her team, get to know any other interns in the company. Make an effort to meet the company vice-president and the CEO, and the janitor, and the receptionist. Remember names and, as mentioned, ask a lot of questions. An internship is a great way to make lasting connections with people in your chosen field.

3. Stay Positive. Smile and interact positively with all the people you're meeting. Take on new assignments enthusiastically and show a genuine interest in those you are working with. You'll enjoy your day more, and you'll leave a lasting impression on others in the office.

4. Get Connected. Be sure to connect with your supervisor, other interns, and anyone else you've worked closely with, or had some meaningful interactions with, on social media channels such as LinkedIn, twitter, or Facebook. When you leave your internship send these connections a brief note of thanks for the support and learning opportunities they provided.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Connecting with a Stranger on LinkedIn

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

© Bellemedia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

• The Right Way to Connect with a Stranger on LinkedIn: "The next time you’re reaching out to someone new over LinkedIn, consider bringing in one of these four success elements to your message."


• What You Need to Know About How Recruiters Get Paid (And How It May Affect Your Job Hunt): "There is some confusion out there as to how recruiters get paid for their contracted job placement services. Here's a breakdown of these recruitment methods and what they mean for you as a job seeker."


• 5 Ways to Boost Your Emotional Intelligence: "Expanding research shows the importance of emotional intelligence (EI) as an important ingredient for effective leadership. The good news is that everyone can increase their EI, regardless of their level. Here are some ways."


• A Networking Trick That Could Help You Find Your Next Job: "Most of us don’t network as much as we should. Here’s a trick few people have tried, simple as it sounds. But it works."


• The Science Behind Why You Procrastinate in the Afternoon (and How to Stop): "Here are some research-backed lifehacks to help break out of the daily afternoon slump and finish your day strong."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Is Grad School the Best Decision and More on Networking

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share these every weekend so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

© Bellemedia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

• 9 Networking Secrets from a Superconnector: "Always be thinking about the other person, not personal gain. Other people come first. Since most people are concerned with their own personal gain, you'll quickly stand out. Albert Einstein once said, 'Strive not to be a person of success, but a person of value'."

• Good Employees Make Mistakes. Great Leaders Allow Them To: "Great leaders allow their people the freedom to make mistakes. But good employees are those who when mistakes are made 1. Learn from them, 2. Own them, 3. Fix them, and 4. Put safeguards in place to ensure the same mistake will never be repeated again."


• Networking Tips to Land--Or Keep--a Job: "Don’t know where to meet people? Volunteer your time. Volunteer at your church, at charity events such as 5-kilometre runs, fundraisers, your child’s school or other events."


• How to Market Yourself on LinkedIn: "
  The résumé is not the only way to demonstrate what you've done. Today, there are many more options to publish content and create a robust, interactive representation of who you are.
  "


• Grad School May Not Be the Best Way to Spend $100,000: "If you're doing a graduate program just to get the degree on your wall, or if only a handful of classes excite you, it's far better (and cheaper) to take adult ed or extension school classes. Here are a few other reasons why you shouldn't go back." 

Three Strategies for Connecting with People You Don't Know on LinkedIn

In the midst of an active job search, the ability to land a job is often directly connected with your networking efforts. The larger your network, the greater your chances of gaining access to the elusive "hidden job market." This often means making an attempt to connect with people you don't know in order to network your way into a company. 

Unless the person with whom you are trying to connect is a LinkedIn Open Networker (LION), then you may find some resistance and your requests may go ignored. If you have too many people click the I Don't Know or Ignore button to your connection requests on LinkedIn, you may end up with your account restricted. The best course of action is to ask someone in your network to make a person introduction. If that is not an option, use these strategies to boost your success rate.

Customize Your Invitation

LinkedIn provides you with a template for your connection request. It reads "I'd like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn." This impersonal template gives the reader the impression that you could not spare the time and make the effort to send a personal request. Instead, take the time to write a short note - LinkedIn only gives you 300 characters - about why this person should consider connecting with you. 

For example, a job seeker may write something such as "We've never met but I admire the ABC Company's dedication to advancing technology in the solar energy field. Can we connect? I'd love to learn more about your company." Remember, successful networkers never talk about what others can do for them. Therefore, asking directly for job leads from an HR manager will be a definite red flag.

Research the Person

Once you have the name of a person, go out and conduct research on this person. Look for articles or blogs they have written, organizations where they have membership or other facts that you can use to make a personal connection. Use this information to customize your invite, as mentioned above. For example, a job seeker may say "I just read your article on (fill in the blank) and completely agree with your point of view. I would love to connect with you professionally so we can continue to share ideas." Simply providing context of why you want to connect will be often enough to convince them to click the "connect" button.

Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile First

Whenever I receive a connection request from someone I don't know, the first thing I do is look at their profile to determine if they are someone with whom I would like to network. Make sure your profile is updated and in the best possible format before you start making requests. Use this previous blog post to evaluate your profile. 

Are You Making One of These LinkedIn Mistakes - Part 2

Last week, I wrote a blog post about making mistakes with your profile on LinkedIn. Heaven forbid you should go to the trouble of creating an online profile, just to have it come back against you because you did not properly manage the process.

Just like you reviewed and edited your resume and researched and prepared for your job interview, your LinkedIn profile is a work in-progress. It is not a set it up and forget it type of entity. If this is your approach to LinkedIn, it is unlikely to produce positive results for you. On that note, let's look at how you can remain active on LinkedIn and the mistakes you may be making.

Your Connections
There are two schools of thoughts on connections - the "more is better" and the "only connect with strategic partners" theories. Being the rule breaker that I am, I believe you can combine the two to have the best of both worlds.

• Connect with as many people as you can, including your competition. As a business owner, this was hard for me to wrap my mind around. I was afraid my customers would see my competition in my connections and they would take my business. However, this is a two-way street and I am amazed at what I have learned about my industry by connecting with my industry peers.

• Be strategic in your partnerships and connections. Who are the movers and shakers in your industry? Seek them out and make connections - you might just find a mentor. Who are your customers - or potential employers? Connect with them and you may have a way to network your way into a job.

• Use LinkedIn connections to put a name to the face when networking your way into a company. Just last week, one of my clients reached out to a recruiter with the company she is targeting and connected with her online. On a whim she stopped into their corporate headquarters and ran into the woman on LinkedIn. She introduced herself in person and had an interview within 24 hours, thanks to the social networking connection she made.

• Evaluate who is looking at your profile and consider reaching out to them to make a connection. Be careful how you word your introduction - you don't want to appear desperate - you simply want to come across as a savvy networker.

This brings me to our last category of mistakes, communication and activities on LinkedIn. Check back on Thursday for the final Part 3 of this LinkedIn mistakes series.