Posts Tagged ‘internship’

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Unemployment: the perfect excuse to make yourself more employable – guest blog

January 27th, 2012

Guest blog by Nell Fane.

Internships are the key to pimping up your CV, which is the key to getting a job: everyone knows it, so everyone is constantly reiterating it.

But what happens when your CV isn’t pimped up enough to get you that initial internship?  What then?  Well, the answer is basically that you’re not supposed to sit around moping.  You’re supposed to be proactive about it, and to sort-of createyour own skill-acquiring internship.

That’s what a friend of mine did.  He was turned down by a couple of companies for a few summer internships that he really wanted, and instead of taking it personally, he just decided to bring a little idea he had into existence, and set up his OWN company.  And he was subsequently forced to learn all those skills he would have been spoon-fed over the course of the internship, the hard way.  And with this, the amazing www.unisportonline.co.uk was born.

I’m obviously not suggesting that all the unemployed people out there should set up companies willy-nilly; only that no one should just wait for something to come to them.  People should be practical, and in the midst of sending out their applications, they should keep challenging themselves and adding to their skill-set.

I know that sounds a little bit geeky, but all our lives – up until the time of graduation – we are forced to study.  We have to keep learning in order to get by, and so we do.  But, once exams and compulsory education are all over, it’s just so easy to stop learningand furthering ourselves.  ‘I’m not being tested on it, so why should I bother learning it?’ becomes a popular mantra.

The thing is, that’s just crazy.  Who on earth wants to employ some 2-dimensional graduate who doesn’t want to better themselves now that they’re not being forced to do so?  Very few employers.

So in the gap between university and employment, between internship and next internship, or just in your school holidays, you’ve got to get skill-acquiring!  Teach yourself a new language using tapes, go to magic classes, master the art of spreadsheets, or sit down with a book and learn to write short-hand.  You could even set off on an adventure; travel, become independent, write, and fine-tune your photography skills!

At this point, people always say (understandably) ‘but what about my CV? If I just jet off on a holiday, employers will think I’m a dosser’.  I fell into this trap too, until I was hoisted out of it and lectured by my entrepreneur-of-a-big-sister.  I have subsequently been totally indoctrinated.  I’ve learnt that as long as you think you’d be able to justify your actions to an interviewer, or explain why you travelled for three months (and what you’ve learnt in the process), you can do it.  Soon you’ll find yourself stuck in a job, doing the same thing every day, and you’ll never get the chance to pick up such a wide variety of skills and hobbies again.

Ultimately, I suppose what I’m saying is that unemployment will only be boring and unproductive if you decide you’re going to let it be boring and unproductive.  You need to use your time wisely, and stick to the mission statement: ‘I’m going to make myself even more employable’.  That way, every day you are out of an internship, or jobless, you will feel you’re being productive, and thus making yourself more irresistible to employers.  Which will mean you’ll smile more, which will also make you more employable!!

So here are a few hints and tips about brilliant courses and things to do to ‘fill that gap’.  It’s by no means extensive, but it should help to get your juices flowing:

  • Teach yourself a language: there are lots of different online language courses, so just pick one and have a go! Languages are the key to everything, so if you manage to teach yourself even the basics in a new language, the world will be your oyster. Check out www.bbc.co.uk/languages or www.learnalanguage.com, if you’re looking for a place to start…
  • Become an au pair: sign up to www.greataupair.com, or one of the other au pairing sites, create a profile, and become an au pair in a foreign country!! That way you can escape the UK, you’ll learn independence and responsibility, AND you’ll end up mastering a new language.  Total immersion in a foreign culture: amazing, and something you rarely get a chance to do.
  • Complete an inspirational course whilst on holiday, with www.golearnto.com.  A bit more expensive than some, but worth it if you can!
  • COOK!  Everyone needs to learn how to cook, and there are hundreds of courses across the country, spanning from day-long to year-long.  And who knows, doing a cooking course and nurturing a passion might lead to a big fat career change!  Or, if you don’t want to spend a penny, then follow some online recipes and videos, and teach yourself to be a master chef.
  • Go abroad, and teach English as a foreign language.  Check out www.tefl.com for more information… This could end up being your only chance to live in Africa, or Peruor anywhere for a prolonged period of time.  And teaching will help you to discover hundreds of new skills you never realised you had!
  • Complete a free, online touch-typing course:  there are so many different courses to choose from – from www.typeonline.co.uk to www.goodtyping.com – so have a browse, and pick the one which you think might suit you best.  Being able to touch-type is a massive selling point.
  • Set up a blog on www.blogspot.com, and fine-tune your writing.  Once you’re pleased with your standard, and have found your own style, then start entering writing competitions, or sending in articles to magazines.  Everyone needs to be able to write, and once you’re a fully competent and disciplined writer, nothing will stop you!
  • Teach yourself History of Art, or Politics, or Maths, or a subject you didn’t study at school or university, but which interests you.  Borrow books from the library, and totally immerse yourself in your studies.  Or, even better, focus on your perfect job, and think about the skills you might need to get it.  If it involves marketing, for example, then read books on marketing!  Work towards becoming their perfect candidate.
  • If you’re searching for work-experience, then do not underestimate the power of the start-up company.  At a ‘start-up’, you’ll be given a lot more responsibility,so it’s sort-of like taking a course in itself.  You’ll feel much more valued, and although they might not be a ‘big name’ in the world of business quite yet, you will learn infinite amounts from small businesses: things that yearsworking at a large company may never give you.

Just stay positive, remain proactive, and don’t allow the media – and all the incredibly negative unemployment coverage they’ve been dishing out – bring you down.  Focus on acquiring your new skills, and soon you’ll have your feet firmly on the career ladder, ready to march right to the top.

Check out Nell’s blog nellfane.wordpress.com and follow her on Twitter @NellFane

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How to move on from rejection – guest blog

December 14th, 2011

Written by guest blogger, Jenna Birks who blogs at Decent Online Presence and tweets @jenloubee

It’s a funny thing, rejection. It can set you back a long way. After spending many weeks in my final year of university, pointlessly applying to jobs that I was not qualified for and didn’t want to do, I finally came to realise that it is about the quality of your applications not the quantity. Each job application should be tailored, aimed specifically for that job role and emphasising exactly how you meet the person specification. I only apply to jobs now that I absolutely 100% want to be doing.

I know all the rules. I’ve applied to enough jobs by now to know exactly how it’s done. So when I applied for an internship at The Guardian I was incredibly hopeful that I would at least get an interview. Having received the generic rejection email a few days ago, it’s clear that I did not. The email states that I am unable to reply, and unable to ask for feedback – leaving me with no idea where I went wrong. Obviously, as we all keep hearing, the jobs are very competitive, but you have to wonder what it is that is making other people stand out when you get overlooked?

During an assessment day at an advertising agency last year, us interviewees were waiting to go in for our second interview when the conversation got round to what other interviews everyone had coming up. It was graduate scheme season in advertising, and we were all comparing applications and stand-out tricks. I remember this one girl telling me that she had got an interview by sending her application by courier, in a shoe box with an old shoe so that – and I quote – she could at least get her foot in the door. Now, if I were a recruiter, that would scream cliché, desperation as well as the fact that the girl is obviously rich enough to send every job application hand-delivered by courier. But hey, it’s not my advertising agency.

But, not every recruiter would have given shoe-girl (as I so fondly call her) an interview, and not every interviewer will want to see a job application that perfectly presents and ticks every box of the job description. Maybe in a bid to show off my skills and make them obvious and clear to potential employers, I have made applying for jobs a science, stupidly believing that I have found the formula that will get me interviews. But it’s not that simple, really, or we’d all be doing it.

In the end, I guess that’s the point. The graduate job market is tough, and as much as we don’t want to face this reality, there really are tens of people going for every job advertised. If everyone applied in the same precise and organised way that I did then it becomes much harder to distinguish between them. Job applications aren’t a science, they aren’t even an art or a talent. Ultimately, they are down to luck.

You need to be lucky to have figured out exactly what skills the job really requires. Lucky to have that little bit of previous experience that you happened to mention to tick that invisible extra box. Lucky to have the recruiter read your application just after their morning coffee, and just before reading all the others the same as yours. Lucky to have someone who finds you readable, who relates to your experience, who can follow and be drawn into your narrative. Or just lucky to have found someone that finds your old shoe-in-a-box routine original and enjoyable.

But if job hunting is just about luck, then shouldn’t we be trying to increase our odds? Surely we should play as many hands as possible, on the off-chance we might just get lucky. Logically, it makes a lot of sense, but I don’t think it’s the way to go. Better to play the hands we know, the ones we have faith in to do well and can follow through on even when the house raises the stakes. Gambling analogy-aside, it’s important that we keep focused and channel this passion and self-belief into our job search so that when we finally reach our goal, and finally find ourselves in a graduate job, that it is still absolutely the job we always wanted.

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What is the right mind set for an internship? – guest blog

December 9th, 2011

Guest post written by David Shindler, author of Learning to Leap, a Guide to Being More Employable.

“Mind set will often trump skills,” says John Reed, Chairman of the recruitment firm, Reed.

Exhibiting the right mind set, indeed, can turn a pedestrian CV — and interview — into a genuine opportunity for employment. But what is the right mind set? What are employers looking for — from you?

Positive attitude

Enthusiasm and a ‘can do’ attitude come from your personality, choosing your attitude and enjoying your job. Take initiative, empathise and see how to make things better.

Self-management

Employers want active people willing to take responsibility; self-starters who are assertive, flexible, resilient, balanced, reliable, able to juggle tasks, committed to their own development and presentable.

Teamwork

Knowing what good teamwork looks like–and how you can best contribute based on your strengths; co-operating, leading and following in order to deliver a professional service or product and enhance the customer experience.

Communication

Listening, questioning well to build rapport, empathy and productive relationships to achieve what the business requires.  Putting across your views coherently, fluently and confidently.  Producing clear, structured written work.

Using technology

Information/social communication tools, including word processing, spreadsheets, collaboration, mobiles, search engines and the Internet.  Embrace the digital revolution or become obsolete.

Solving problems

Analysing facts and situations; creative thinking and working collaboratively to develop solutions.   Creativity is applying your imagination – we all have one.

Knowing numbers

Quick mental calculations, estimating, how to work out a percentage instantly.  Applying basic numerical concepts to everyday life takes you a long way–understanding statistical significance is significant.

Business and customer awareness

A fundamental part of being employable is how well you manage your relationships with customers or users; align your mind set with the behaviour you want to present to a customer; look wider than your role.

Of course, not all of us are good at every skill set above. The secret is to “sell” what you’re good at before and during your internship — and articulate a willingness to learn those not yet mastered. Most important, you must convincingly show how your skill set will solve the problem of the employer — now and long-term.

Want more practical advice?

Next time an interviewer or your boss as an intern says, “Tell me about you..?” — instead of telling them where you live, went to school, or about your mates — start with this list of skill and mind sets, and show them you are employable!

David Shindler is the author of Learning to Leap, a Guide to Being More Employable.  An experienced coach, consultant and facilitator, David helps people at any life stage accelerate their employability.  He also owns the Employability Hub, an online social learning community where people share and learn about employability issues, runs the Learning to Leap LinkedIn group and Facebook page. Contact him for more details – tweet him or visit his website at www.employabilitycoaching.co.uk.

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Impress when assessed – guest blog

November 1st, 2011

Written by guest blogger, Michael Palmer.

Being invited to attend an assessment day raises a lot of emotions, excitement, nervousness and a fear of the unknown. This post aims to take the sting out of your big day by offering some effective tips. More likely than not, your assessment day will see your performance monitored in three main tasks; a standard interview, a group exercise and a relevant test.

Here is how to cope with them:

The test:

In regards to the test there is little to be offered in the way of advice. The blurb the company send to you regarding the assessment day should tell you what sort of test you are likely to be taking (i.e. numerical, psychometric, written). Brush up on your skills prior to the big day, for example, if you are taking a psychometric test, swot up by taking mock psychometric tests online.

The group task:

Although the group tasks can take many differing forms, they are mainly testing for the same skills; negotiation, problem solving, time management, and most importantly, team work. The assessors will not be too concerned with whether you succeed in the task but more with how you coped throughout it.

Here are some tips that can help you stand out:

1)      Understand the brief – ensure that you and everyone else is sure about what they have to do to begin with, re-read the brief outline if needs be.

2)      Keep an eye on the clock –when making your plan suggest how long each section should take, throughout the task also ensure that you keep the group aware of the time or nominate a timekeeper, this will impress the assessors.

3)      Make sensible, constructive comments – ensure that you contribute and contribute, assessors can only score what they see and hear.

4)      Talk to the group, not the assessors – a sure fire way to be marked down.

5)      Be nice – show regard for the quieter members of the group, ask for their thoughts on the tasks. Demonstrate tact when disagreeing with a group member i.e. ‘that is a good point but perhaps we should think about…’ A domineering attitude will not be looked upon favourably, be relaxed, approachable and use humour if the opportunity arises.

The interview:

For the interview itself, the normal rules of preparing for an interview apply:

1)      Do not be caught out – re-read your CV and covering letter so you cannot be put on the spot by a probing question.

2)      Arm yourself with knowledge – research the company, find out who its competitors are, re-read the job description, read industry magazines or blogs to gain relevant topical information. In short, be as well informed as possible

3)      Sell yourself well – as well as re-reading the job criteria, prepare examples for when you have demonstrated the necessary criteria.  A good way of presenting these examples is the STAR technique which is:

Situation – I was working at a busy holiday resort.

Task – I was asked to encourage more customers into the restaurant.

Action – I started advertising the restaurant to holidaymakers on the beach.

Result – Increased productivity and sales for the restaurant.

Informal activities:

Remember that it is not only during these three tasks you are being assessed but right throughout the day. I am assuming that you are already planning to dress to impress but something you may not have considered if how to act during the informal activities. Whether it is at lunch or during a tour of the building, you will still be being judged. Therefore make sure that you give a good impression of yourself. Be friendly and approachable whilst remaining professional. Use the informal breaks to mingle with any management present (not the point of being creepy mind). Make the most of this opportunity and ask intelligent questions about the company or the industry.

After the assessment day:

Finally, no matter how hard you try, you are statistically more likely to not get the job or internship than you are to get it. If this is the case do not see the experience as a waste of time. When I attended my assessment day we were told out of the 879 people that applied, we were the final ten. Getting to the assessment day is an achievement and proof that your CV is taken seriously. By taking part in the assessment day you not only gain experience in the environment which will make you better prepared next time. You should also use the day to network. I was told that although I was unsuccessful I had impressed the assessors and to keep in touch. I did so and two weeks later I was offered the opportunity to interview for another role. Unfortunately, the role was not in the field I am looking for so I turned it down; still, the value of making an impression and networking at assessment days is evident.  Finally, if you are offered feedback make sure you take it. It is only through learning where you went wrong that you can improve your performance for next time.

I hope this post will help you prepare for your assessment day, good luck!

Check out Michael’s blog for further advice about the graduate job market and follow him on Twitter @mbpalmer

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Intern dazzles Champions League

September 14th, 2011

Editor’s note: the following blog has been written by Arsenal-supporting Alex Townley. It may therefore contain a number of exaggerations, skewed opinions and fictions relating to the Gunners. Otherwise it’s a great read!

Mario Götze, Borussia Dortmund’s wunderkind, shone in the Champions League last night as last season’s Bundesliga champions drew against a valiant Arsenal (see what I mean? – Ed).  Despite Robin Van Persie’s well taken right footed opener, proving that he is a not a one-footed footballer, Dortmund equalised in the 88th minute with a poorly executed wonder strike from a lesser known substitute, his first and surely last for the club.

Götze was nevertheless one of the stars of the show, and come the final minute Dortmund were unlucky not to have scored; denied repeatedly by the ferocious midfield display of tenacious Cameroonian midfielder Alex Song and the goalkeeping-genius of WojciechSzczęsny.

In the pre-match build up we were very pleased to read in the Evening Standard that Götze (only 19 years old) spent his summer working in Borussia Dortmund’s offices as an intern.  This despite having played a key role in Dortmund’s Bundesliga triumph last season, contributing 6 goals and 15 assists in 33 games.  It was of no surprise that he was linked with last night’s opposition, Arsenal, who, according to reports, submitted a club record bid for the player in the region of £30-35m.

We would like to extend our congratulations to Mario Götze on his footballing successes thus far and his extracurricular work ethic. It goes to show that an internship can be hugely valuable, no matter what your circumstances!

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Creating a good first impression on your first day

September 1st, 2011

New university graduates are facing a tough job market, so once you a land a job it is imperative to demonstrate your worth from the offset.It takes just a quick glance for someone to evaluate you when you meet for the first time. Therefore it is important to know how to create a good, lasting first impression.

So, here are a few tips on how make a great first impression to hold on to that first graduate job or turn that internship into a permanent role:

1.      Be on time! This is the first step in creating a good first impression so plan to arrive a few minutes early and allow flexibility for traffic delays etc. Whoever you are meeting for the first time will not be interested in your “good excuse” for running late. Don’t be ridiculously early either, go and grab a coffee.

2.      Present yourself appropriately. Our appearance is usually the first clue someone we meet has to go on so make sure your appearance is portraying the right message. Think about the company and the industry and dress suitably. Make sure you are well groomed with clean and tidy clothes. This will also make you feel ‘the part’ giving you a confidence boost.

3.      A good handshake! Nobody likes a ‘limp fish’ so practice your handshake before your first day.

4.      Always smile! Even if you are shy, a smile shows that you are engaged and interested in what the people you are meeting have to say. A warm and confident smile will leave a great lasting impression, so flash those pearly whites!

5.      Pay attention to your body language. Crossed arms, wandering eyes or yawning convey that you are not approachable or interested in what people have to say. Try not to play with your hair too much and avoid repeatedly touching your face as this is a sign of nervousness.

6.      Remember names! If you are bad with names try and repeat everyone’s name back to them and use it in the conversation. This will help you to remember it in the future, which makes you seem really on top of your game.

7.      Find a connection. You should look for something you have in common with the person you are talking to as this will help them remember you.

8.      Don’t be afraid to ask questions! Nobody is going to be angry at you for needing help in your first few days. This is the time to learn so if you are confused on where to go or what to do then ask!

9.      Listen! Displaying that sparkling personality is important but talking too much and not listening enough is a huge turn-off.

10.  Be polite! It goes without saying that good manners and polite, attentive and courteous behaviour help make a good first impression.

Remember you never get a second chance to make a first impression. So follow these simple tips and you should nail that first impression. Good luck!

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A simple redesign of your CV – guest blog

July 14th, 2011

Written by Bill Post, Small Business Research Analyst.

Ever read a huge stack of CVs? Believe me, it’s difficult. When vetting candidates with similar interests, backgrounds and qualifications, the information often starts to run together. Particularly in this difficult job market, when CVs are pouring in to employers in record numbers, many recruiters are having difficulty distinguishing among a pool of really well qualified applicants. Therefore, any internship or job seekers who haven’t spent a great deal of time working on the content and the look of their CVs are making a terrible mistake. Because your CV is your chance to make a good first impression with a prospective employer, if your CV doesn’t put your best foot forward, chances are you won’t make the cut. But you don’t have to be a design expert or a graphic artist to churn out a first class CV. Some very simple design techniques can enhance the quality of most any CV.

Selecting the Paper

Although some employers now accept CVs electronically, others will expect a hard copy. For those that you mail out, selecting the paper on which to print your information is actually a bigger decision than one might expect. What should be an easy choice can get complicated because of the multitude of options available. Job applicants today have an enormous selection of available paper styles to choose from – from numerous interesting colours to subtle marbleized background effects and the like. If you want to be taken seriously, keep it simple. Opt for good quality paper in conservative colours (think white, ivory), often marketed as “CV paper.”

Page Limit

I can’t count the number of times I’ve seen recent college graduates with CVS consisting of 2, 3 and even 4 pages. While a lengthy curriculum vitae may be appropriate for an academic with numerous prestigious publications under his belt, most people should keep their CVs to one single page. The reason is twofold. First, most employers receive many applications, and carefully reviewing CVs from numerous candidates takes time. Busy professionals don’t have time to read about the organisations you were a member of in school or what all of your interests are. Second, on a related note, confining your CV to a single page will help you focus on what’s really important.

Eliminating Clutter

Ok, so you’ve accepted the single-page rule discussed above. What’s next? The most common mistake made after CV writers accept this one-page advice is to retain most, if not all, of the content from their longer CV simply by reducing fonts and margins to make all the information fit on one page. Huge mistake! Again, recruiters are busy and shouldn’t have to pull out a magnifying glass to try to make sense out of the information you’ve provided. The goal is to make your CV attractive and easy to read. Cramming tons of information on the page will create a huge obstacle in efforts to achieve that objective. After all, you don’t want to give them every detail of your life upfront. Providing them with just a few details about the important aspects of your education and professional background is ideal to make an employer want to meet you and set up an interview to learn more.

Utilising White Space

Most job seekers overlook the aesthetic appeal that including some simple white space can add to a CV. Because most applicants are so focused on content, they lose sight of the fact that, for better or for worse, as in life, sometimes appearance does matter when it comes to applying for jobs. The tips provided above concerning the elimination of clutter are a good first step. However, make sure that the margins you’ve selected look appropriate. And make sure there is adequate space between each entry in the CV to enhance the visual appeal. Capitalising on white space is one of the easiest, but most commonly neglected, strategies in creating a stellar CV.

Typeface

Your computer’s default font is not necessary the most attractive typeface available. While restraint is important in selecting your CV’s typeface, as with selecting the quality and colour of paper, rest assured that the employers you contact will be overloaded with CVs printed in Times New Roman. To be fair, Times New Roman is perfectly fine and is easy to read, but any opportunity you can find to make your CV stand out in a positive way is important. Consider using Georgia font or Book Antiqua, which are not drastically different from the traditional Times New Roman, but those fonts do have a little more personality. On the other hand, using fancy or overly complicated typefaces will make your CV stand out for the wrong reasons.

Using Bolds, Italics and All Caps

Using the bold, italics and ALL CAPS features of your word processing system can be a good way to help employers easily skim your CV. Although the goal is to have a recruiter read everything you give them, they’ll appreciate it if you help them breeze through an initial review of your CV by using these kinds of stylistic devices. For example, displaying section titles, such as “Education” and “Professional Experience,” in all capital letters is a common approach. And writing the names of the schools you attended and the names of past employers in bold will help that information stand out. Also, italicising certain items, such as the degrees you’ve earned and the positions held with past employers, as long as done consistently, can aid in a quick review of a CV. However, job applicants beware: overuse of these features can make an otherwise impressive CV look amateurish.

Bill Post, Small Business Research Analyst, has been providing research on issues of concern to small businesses for 123Print.com Business Cards for three years. Prior to his involvement with 123Print, Bill was a small business owner himself, providing marketing and branding services to other small businesses in the Washington, DC metro area. Before working with 123Print on Business Card Templates, Bill spent several years after receiving his degree in the fast-paced corporate world. It was there that Bill not only honed the skills he uses to help small businesses get ahead, but it is also where he realised that he’d rather help the little guy prosper than make huge corporations money.

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How to make the most of an internship – guest blog

July 1st, 2011

Amy Sillince, self proclaimed worka-shopa-holic and fashion promotion student, gives her views on how to make the most of a graduate internship with a larger corporation and earning yourself a job.

When thinking about what you want to get out of a work experience job, the clue is right there in the name – experience. Above anything else when I am looking for a work placement, I want to know that I’m really going to gain something from the company; whether its skills, knowledge, contacts or another opportunity elsewhere.

When initially looking for an internship, my advice would be to begin by considering what exactly you are looking to learn. Do you just want to see what that kind of job entails? Is there a specific skill you’re looking to learn? Perhaps there’s a company you’ve always dreamed of working for and this could be your way in.

Whatever it is you’re looking to gain from the job, the best way to find out is at the interview. Going for an internship interview can be nerve-wracking, especially for the first time, but it’s important to remember that you’re not just there for the company to decide if they like you. It’s equally important to discover if the internship has what you’re looking for. There are some points that I always like to consider myself when deciding if somewhere is right for me:

- What kind of jobs will I be doing day-to-day?

- Is there any opportunity for me to learn other skills aside from these jobs?

- Can the skills I already have be of use to the company? (You might have the opportunity to impress them)

- What are the working hours and will I be expected to work late?

- How many interns do they have per department? (It’ll be harder to get noticed if they have a lot at one time)

Considering how I’m going to prove myself, get noticed and get remembered by my employers is the most important thing to me. As well as the experience that I personally gain from an internship, I want to be able to say that I offered them something that made me stand out from other interns past, present and future. Four out of my five internships in the past year have asked me to go back and help them again, and two have given me more responsibility than I initially knew I would have, or that I imagined I would ever be given. One of the most exciting things I’ve done for an employer was to use my Photoshop skills to edit an image for Amanda Wakeley, which is now sitting in the window of their flagship store. It gives me something to show for the time I spent working for them and made me feel like a truly valued member of the team.

Ultimately, the biggest piece of advice that I could give to anyone looking to do an internship is to remember that you’re not purely there to make the lives of your employers easier. Although the tasks you do will no doubt help them, above anything they should be making sure that you’re getting something out of the all the help you’re giving them. Make yourself known to your colleagues, actively ask them for jobs to do and explain to them what you’re looking to learn – a good employer will be eager to help you with this.

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Part two: how employable are you? – guest blog

May 31st, 2011

By Janet Davies, editor of mygraduatecareer.com and myexecutivecareer.com.

Part two discusses further advice on how to improve your employability skills to boost your chances in a tough graduate job market.

IT literacy: It hardly needs to be said that being able to use some kind of word processing or spreadsheet programme and the internet is a given these days. However, if you have expert knowledge of particular programming languages or techniques, specialist software packages and skills in forms of media that are important to the role that you applying for, make sure that these are clearly outlined in your application.

Self-management: Management structures in most organisations are pretty lean these days – employers are looking for people who can manage their time and priorities effectively, who can take as well as give direction and feedback and who don’t need micro-managing. Being late for your interview, admitting that you hardly ever turned up for lectures or handed in coursework on time, or not being able to manage an assessment centre exercise designed to test your organisational skills, will all serve to undermine your perceived ability to manage yourself. When employers are handing out salaries, they expect to get an effective return on that investment so remember to make a good impression right from the beginning of the selection process. Besides, you’ll probably have to work quite long hours – being badly organised at work and taking longer than necessary to complete a task means less time for you to socialise and actually have a life as well!

Commercial awareness: Employers want to know that you are genuinely interested in their sector, the challenges it faces and the culture and customer ethos they need to adopt to achieve their objectives. If, for example, you are applying to work in management consultancy, they will expect that you understand current affairs, that you’ve bothered to read the customer publications on their website and done some background research. If you want to go into the Civil Service, interviewers may quite rightfully expect you to have an appreciation of who the leading figures in the Government of the day are, what the impact of the budget deficit is on public services and current affairs. Make some time to keep up with the outside world not just what is going on Facebook or YouTube.

Additional skills: Can you speak another language? Can you drive? Do you have any other skill, experience, achievement or contacts that will give you the edge when recruiters are sifting through hundreds of CVs?  Use them wisely – every little detail could mean the difference between you being at the top or the bottom of the recruiter’s list.

Your disposition: Employers like enthusiastic, motivated, driven, dedicated applicants who  know how to show initiative and may be capable of becoming the future leaders and wealth creators in their organisations. It’s the ‘X Factor’ that makes one candidate a winner and another an also-ran. They want to like you and they spend a lot of effort in their employer brand and values work to make sure you’ll like them. That’s the personal part for which there is no test, no exam and no guarantee. Still, it’s not all one way. Learn to smile at interviews but also trust your instincts – if you don’t like anyone you meet during the interview process and you don’t get a good vibe about the place, be very careful before you agree to work there!

Work experience: If you haven’t so much as served a pint in a bar or had some basic experience of work, you are at a serious disadvantage in the selection process. If you’ve had an internship or a work experience placement, you’ll have serious advantage. Internships and part-time jobs aren’t always easy to come by, but get some experience you must. Inspiring Interns can help you do just that!

If you would be interested in writing for our blog please email us – marketing@inspiringinterns.com

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Have a little faith – guest blog

May 20th, 2011

Written by guest blogger Emma Farley.

You know how they say when you stop trying things just fall into place? Whether it be with relationships or your career, it turns out it’s actually true. I finished my degree with nothing lined up besides carrying on with my completely uninspiring part-time job in retail until I found something I really enjoyed. Turns out it wasn’t quite that simple, especially living outside of a big city.

I spent weeks on end applying for various jobs in media – practically anything going in the UK whether it be part-time, full-time, permanent or temporary, but I got very few replies. And the only replies were nos – not even interview offers! I couldn’t believe that small companies didn’t bother to reply with a ‘thanks but no thanks’ yet major companies like The Guardian and Channel 4 (who I applied to knowing I probably didn’t stand a chance and more often than not forget that I even applied to) would break my heart with a ‘you have not been successful this time’ email. I even applied for an internship with a decent film company based in London. I had a telephone interview and got through to the final four or so and planned how to work around it so I could afford to live in London during the week and transfer to another store to continue my retail work for three months. When I found out I didn’t get it I was heartbroken.

I remained optimistic and carried on applying for other positions and wound up with a fantastic six-week internship with filmdirecting4women. It allowed me to work from home for the most part and spend a week in London working at their film festival. For the first time in my life I was trusted to create a major publicity document for an established company. I learned a lot over that month and a half about the importance of networking and the use of social media and being able to put my magazine production and marketing skills into practice was a massive confidence boost. The founder of fd4w, Ruth Torjussen, was such an inspiring person to work for; I challenge anyone to find someone half as encouraging and supportive as her. She liked my work so much that she currently employs me as a freelancer and I am working under the title Marketing Manager for her current project, the filmdirecting4women roadshow.

It just goes to show that when you’re about to give up, something perfect will come along that will provide you with more opportunities than any of the previous placements you applied for. Don’t be afraid to dream big and don’t give up.

Follow Emma on Twitter @EmsLF or check out her website – http://screenspeak.blogspot.com.

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