Until Feb. 5, Lauren Holliday will check/edit resumes for anyone who gets 5 people to like Freelanship on Facebook. We pitch at Demo Day on Feb. 06, and we’re trying to get all the validation we can before then.
Please sign up at http://freelanship.com/ if you are interested in verified project-based internships.
As finals come to an end, I am sure you are counting down the days to a well-deserved break. While it is important to enjoy the little time you get off, it is also vital to set goals for the next year.
If you plan to graduate this time next year then I highly suggest creating a strategic career plan. I read that you should give yourself a year to land a “career;” therefore, I began my job search at the beginning of 2012 because I anticipated graduating this month.
It took me about six months to wind up where I am now – happily working full-time as a director of marketing. Here are the steps I took to land my career.
1. Go to Career Services.
Do not go to the Experiential Learning Center because they will set you up with more Co-ops and internships. Make an appointment at Career Services, and say you want to go over:
-Resume
-Cover letter
-References
-Interview (What to wear, FAQ, what to bring, etc.)
-Portfolio
2. Network.
Have you dreamed about working for a certain company? If you have then began networking where the decision makers of that company network. Make yourself known in the community. You can do this by:
-Attending local MeetUps, clubs or events
-Attending free webinars & events
-Cold emailing and/or calling (Of course, do not be annoying with this)
3. Clean up your online presence.
Establish your presence on LinkedIn. Begin making connections, getting endorsed for skills and asking for references. Also, make sure a Google search of your name does not lead to any negative photos or posts.
Additionally, remember, if you give employers the email you use to login into Facebook then they will find you regardless of the fact you set your name up as “Hollaur.”
4. Prepare your pitch.
Landing a job or an internship is no different than making a sale. In this transaction, you are the seller and the employer is the purchaser. What are you selling? Well, yourself of course!
Tips:
-What’s your tagline?
I.E. Lauren Holliday is a journalist with a marketing mindset.
-What are you known for?
I.E. I am known for my motivation, passion and determination to succeed.
-In 10 seconds, how will I capture this employer’s attention?
I.E. Think of creative ways to send your resume and cover letter. Make it stand out from the inundation of black-and-white pdf files (YAWN).
Click here to download Freelanship’s “Branding yourself checklist.”
Weigh your internship options. Ask yourself: what portfolio pieces will I walk away with after this experience?
hi. i’m eighteen and i’m thinking about applying to work at walt disney world for a summer job.
i would consider the college program, though i’d prefer to do something during my summer break rather than the school year
i am also seriously considering majoring in (hotel) management to help…
http://orlandoweekly.com/news/working-it-demystifying-the-world-of-college-internships-1.1365225
Read what this Disney intern did before applying.
(Source: freelanship.com)
I’m thinking about sending an email and my resume to a contact I know for a company based in Illinois (fairly close to Chicago) to see if I can get a summer internship. Tips and suggestions are welcome.
Check out our resume & cover letter how to. Also, highly suggest a paid internship.
(Source: freelanship.com)
What is more important than lines on your resume? The pieces in your portfolio.
When I undertook my first internship, I did it because I thought it was what I should do. I missed a lot of valuable portfolio pieces and bullet points on my resume because I didn’t save the work I did or track the progress I was making.
Remember to keep track of the work you do at your internships so you can make an amazing resume AND have a full portfolio with valuable, real, major-related work.
Before I give you a list of the top resources for creating portfolios, here is a portfolio tip. At your internship, create a folder on your desktop called “portfolio.” In this folder, store everything valuable you do in PDF files. Then you can easily upload your pieces to one of these websites.
If you are looking for valuable and inexpensive experience related to your major then make sure you sign up for Freelanship at http://freelanship.com. The first 1,000 students to sign up will receive their first four months free.
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Download Freelanship’s free cover letter template
About Freelanship:
Most students don’t have time for and/or cannot afford an internship(s).
Students had two options:
1. Pay their university hundreds of dollars for an experience opportunity, which may not teach them anything more than how to run coffee.
2. Don’t intern and add nothing to their resume.
Now, they have another. It’s Freelanship.
If you loved Freelanship’s cover letter template then please share it with your friends, and subscribe to know when we launch.
http://www.southflorida.com/specialsection/teenlink/fl-tl-cp-landinternships-20120430,0,7918433.story
From the South Florida Sun-Sentinel
By Lauren Holliday, Teenlink Correspondent
April 30 2012, 4:15 PM EDT
Four years ago, when I graduated high school, I thought about everything except the reason I was moving hundreds of miles away from my parents, which was to receive my degree.
If your parents are footing the bill, then college is not synonymous with freedom. Even if they are not, trust me, college is still not synonymous with freedom.
Do not get me wrong, college is awesome. But the experience will be even better if you think about the important things, too, such as grades and internships.
After completing three internships myself, and speaking with intern veteran, Lauren Berger – also known as Intern Queen – I pocketed an array of valuable lessons.
1: Do your research.
While the number of willing interns increases so does the number of not-so-good internship opportunities. It is important that you talk to previous interns. What did they learn? Were they involved or were they running coffee?
2: Pick 12 places you want to learn.
After researching, focus on your 12 most coveted internship positions. What are their requirements? Does the company require a 3.0 GPA? Do they want a junior or senior? Make sure you are working toward meeting those requirements. And remember, a brand name is not always a genuine experience.
3: An internship is not a class. Your professor may not miss you, but your boss will.
You may be one of a handful of interns or the only one, so your boss will notice your presence or lack-there-of. Internships don’t count toward your GPA. The experiences account for something much more important – major-related lines on your resume.
4: Don’t overlook an internship that doesn’t relate to your major.
Although I study journalism I spent last summer as a marketing intern, and it was the best thing I could have done. In fact, all of the jobs I have applied for since then are marketing-related. The classroom and the workplace are opposites. Do not think that because you’re not good at business in the classroom, you won’t excel at it in the real world.
5: Show your appreciation.
It is vital to remember the people who made your experience possible – your bosses. Do not forget or underestimate their help, and make sure you return the favor.
Lauren Holliday is a former Teenlink intern and founder of Freelanship.com a website that provides students with internship alternatives.
Copyright © 2009, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Freelanship is not replacing internships. We're transforming them.
http://freelanship.com
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