As you’ve probably noticed, we haven’t been posting anything over the summer. But stay tuned, we’re gearing up for more announcements and stories this fall. Thanks!
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Category Archives: FAQ
Forbes: The Best Internships For 2012
In the next few weeks, thousands of summer interns will descend upon corporate America. Most hope that these 8-12 week stints will give them an advantage in the post graduation job market, and many will spend the summer stapling stacks of papers and fetching coffee for little or no pay. A lucky handful, however, will be engaged in much more valuable, challenging and educational work. Forbes has highlighted these opportunities and come out with a list of the companies that can offer you the very best internships.
Glassdoor, a social jobs and career community, has turned to interns to uncover the Top 20 Highest Rated Companies Hiring Interns Right Now, which is based entirely on feedback from interns who have previously worked at the companies. Interns who have worked at nearly 3,300 different businesses over the last three years rated their level of satisfaction with their employers and their internships on a 5-point scale. Check out this article now to learn about the top rated internships, and get some ideas for next year!
Business casual on a budget: dressing for your internship
So ladies. You’ve started applying for internships. Maybe you’ve even secured a fantastic winter internship (Wintermship? Can we make that a “thing?” Please?). Somewhere in this process it’s probably dawned on you that jeggings and Bean boots might not be appropriate attire for the office. I know what you must be thinking. “But I just spent my birthday money/allowance/entire Crossroads paycheck on tickets to see Passion Pit! How will I afford a business casual wardrobe?” And more, existentially, “What is business casual, really? Do I really need to set foot in an Ann Taylor? All that mauve makes me uncomfortable.”
Don’t worry. Even though you’ve made a grave mistake (Passion Pit is terrible live. You’ll regret it. Also, Ann Taylor is under-appreciated. Give a sister a chance.) we’ve got you covered. Check out this article from HelloGiggles (which just might become your new favorite website if it isn’t already) for tips on how to dress all business casual-y on a college kid budget:
The Vault Career Insider and Guide to Your Career Success
When you are on the job or internship hunt, it pays to be informed. You want, and sort of need, to know the ins and outs of the industry, company, and position you are looking to possibly commandeer. One of the many qualifications that employers are looking for, or that I have noticed, is to have a genuine interest in field “X”. To have an interest in a specific field, it kind of maybe ish might help if you knew a little bit about that field. One of Middlebury’s tasty resources can help put you on the road to job enlightenment. What resource am I alluding to? The VAULT baby, the VAULT.
Some “not so smart” interview questions…
Let’s cut the small talk and get to the point. Interviewing. If you want a job or an internship, you are going to have to do it, and yes its nerve racking and yes it will make McGwoods drop a bead of sweat. You have to know how to dabble with the big boys and mean it. The acclaimed poke check won’t get you out of kickin’ it on the unemployment bench rockin’ a J.V. jersey this time, you have to be prepared for glory. But as always, this is why I am here, to help you sportsfans snipe top shelf and show the ankle tapers out there how to crush the interview.
Superficially (sick word) many interview questions seem stupid and downright silly, but you have to go beneath the surface to really get to the gold. Employers ask certain questions for a reason, no matter how simple. They want to see how you think, if you are passionate about the position, and if you have what it takes to slide to collide and scoop that groundball in the fourth quarter. Here’s a list of 6 of the “stupidest interview questions” that were passed on to me from a pretty chill site…
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Other Types of Funding
Having something to do over the summer is nice, having a good internship is also pretty nice, and having a PAID internship is just super splendid. Sadly, as many of you gorgeous people out there know, not all internships are paid. But hopefully, if you scored an internship that is not paid, you applied on April 1st for the funding managed by the CSO. However, there are 150+ applications to be processed and as you bright light bulbs know, not all 150+ are going to get funding. But being the student internships soothsayer and therapist, I am here to tell you that if you are one of those not so lucky, but still beautiful, people that do not get some of the funding managed by us, that there are other resources out there where you can get that cash money to fund your zesty internship.
The first place I would recommend to go is to simply type in “go/funding” to your web address bar thing on your interweb eye browser. This will direct you to all the different types of funding for internships, projects, research, and a bountiful amount of other things. There is money out there, you just got to sniff it out.
Internships for the Summer? All is not lost
Now that it’s April and spring is in full force, we can all smell the jubilee of fun that is summer and almost taste the good times. And although Spring Break in Cancun might have gotten you a tubular sunburn or a championship title in the hotel’s belly flop competition, you may still be scratching the ol’ noggin when it comes what you will be doing this summer. Even though you know an internship would be a great way to add some juice to that resume, you might have already gotten used to the fact that kickin’ it by the pool telling little Petey not to throw Chaco-Taco’s at his sister may not be so bad. Well, that might be fine and delectable but I am here to tell you that ALL IS NOT LOST! We are still cookin’ over here at the CSO Lab and there plenty of opportunities for you to land a spicy internship that will add some nice chipotle to your resume.
What is a “JUNIOR”?
As I know all of you are furiously searching through MOJO (www.middmojo.com) trying to find a summer internship or a job for your fine self, you might have stumbled across the disclaimer “JUNIORS ONLY.” To us juniors, this is no biggie, in fact we like it, because we are juniors and it narrows the pool of applicants giving us a better shot. However, for all you younglings out there, those two words “JUNIORS ONLY” have or will make you a little bit ticked off and raise the body temperature a bit. Well, that’s why I am here to ease the pain and let some of the hot air out of your little heads.
Making the call: Phone Etiquette tips and tricks
In the wake of the communication revolution with text messaging, e-mailing, and a jubilee of other forms of “talking” with people at our finger tips, many of us, including yours truly, seem to forget about the importance of communicating over the phone and actually talking to someone. And due to recent events and classified information received here at the Career HQ (aka CSO), I will kindly reveal to you the tricks of the trade when making on the dreaded phone call to potential employers or Midd Alums.
If you’re contacting someone for the first time over the phone, whether it is an actual conversation or just a message, remember, it is your first impression so you want it to be a good one. I know that phone calls can be a bit nerve racking, your heart starts to race, palms start to sweat, you don’t know what you want to say, and you just want it to be over, quick. Whoaaa, pump the brakes, its fine, you can get through it, we are here to help, fact.
So before I direct you to a sweet article outlining proper phone etiquette, I wanted to give you my two cents on the do’s and don’ts.
Do’s:
- SPEAK CLEARLY AND SLOWLY!
- Identify yourself and why you are calling
- Get to the point!
- Know what you are going to say ahead of time
- If you are leaving a message, make it brief, and always give your FULL name and how they can contact you. This means, leave your number, say it slow, spell your last name, and when in doubt, do it again!
- Tell them the best time to reach you (if you are leaving a message)
- Be professional
- Thank them for their time! They are helping you.
Don’ts:
- Don’t mumble
- Don’t speak to fast
- Don’t forget to say who you are, why you are calling and how they can contact you!
- Don’t be boring
- Don’t be rude
- Don’t use slang or naughty words
Pretty self explanatory, but it’s always nice to get a friendly reminder.
So, as promised here is a nice website that goes into a bit more detail about business phone etiquette:
Wasn’t that so fantastical? Absolutely. And as always, if you have any questions, contact CSO or pop your head in for Drop-ins (Mon.-Fri. 2-5 PM). Over and out.
FAQ: What if I can only do an internship for 4 weeks during the summer, not the whole time?
Guest blogger: Tim Mosehauer, Career Counselor
A: That is fine, still take advantage of the chance to gain experience. The length of time is not nearly as important as the depth of your experience in terms of knowledge acquisition and networking. Even if you don’t do something for 4 straight full weeks, but instead do an internship 3 days a week over that similar time, the emphasis should be on what you are learning, what projects are you doing, and what you are taking away from the experience. By being flexible to different time commitments you can open yourself up to multiple opportunities, possibly by doing something unpaid for part time, and then working for pay on other days to help support yourself.