David – Page 7 – Penn & Beyond

How to Make the Most of Your Summer Internship

By: David Ross

As you prepare for your upcoming summer internship, remember that navigating your experience in a positive way will be an important part of your success this summer. Here are some tips that may help you succeed at your internship:

Understand expectations. Whether you are given specific expectations at the beginning of your internship or not, it is important to make sure you understand what is expected of your performance so that you can do your best to meet or exceed expectations.

Be professional. While an internship is a great learning opportunity, professionalism is key. Be sure to conduct yourself in a professional manner during your internship. Perceptions and impressions can be very important so be careful not to jeopardize your candidacy with unprofessional behavior.

Take initiative. Completing your tasks and assignments as delegated should be the minimum. Think of ways you can take initiative and go above and beyond what is required and expected of you.

Maintain a positive attitude. Although you may encounter challenges and adversity that can be stressful at times, maintain a positive attitude during your internship. You want to be viewed as someone that fits well within the company and has a “can-do” attitude for assignments.

Document and track your achievements and accomplishments. Regardless if you have a formal review at the end of your internship or not, it’s vital to keep a running tab of your accomplishments and achievements to showcase your contributions. This can be very helpful when you update your resume and reflect on everything you worked on over the summer. The more details you can provide (especially quantifying outcomes and your impact on the organization) the better.

Jobs, Internships…How Many Should I Apply For?

By: David Ross

One of the most frequent questions I encounter as a career advisor focuses on numbers – in fact, some people think the job or internship search is all a numbers game. Specifically, inquiring minds want to know how many positions they should apply for to ensure their desired outcome. Here’s my answer in a nutshell:

Don’t dwell on the number of positions you apply for – keep applying for positions until you have accepted an offer.

One thing I’ve noticed over the years is a tendency for applicants to be either too focused or too broad in their search. Each year, I hear stories of individuals who apply for a handful of positions and wait to hear back from them before proceeding further. I encourage everyone to think of your search as an ongoing process – even if you’ve landed an interview for a position of interest or have moved forward in the interview process with an organization, it’s very important to keep searching and applying for positions while awaiting the outcome. You don’t want to find yourself scrambling to find an opportunity later on by being too selective initially. People who utilize a wait-and-see approach also miss out on great opportunities that are posted and filled while waiting to hear back about other applications.

In contrast, I’ve also heard stories of people applying for every single opening they find under the assumption that they will make decisions later based on replies they receive from employers. While conducting a broad search is great, be careful not to apply for positions you really aren’t interested in or would never consider. Hearing back from employers that are interested in you may feel good – but ultimately, no one wins if an employer wants to consider you for a job that you know for a fact you would not take.

Be strategic and thoughtful in your search and continue on until you’ve officially accepted a position. Don’t get caught up in the numbers and keep your focus on your career goals and your future.

Deciding on a Job or Internship Offer with Uncertainty

By: David Ross

You’ve spent much time an effort on your job or internship search. Your efforts attending various recruiting events, applying for numerous positions and enduring countless interviews have left you in an interesting predicament – you’re fortunate enough to have secured multiple job or internship offers. Or perhaps you’ve received one offer and are awaiting final decisions from other employers. What should you do and how should you handle the situation?

For starters, take a deep breath and try to relax. Consider that you’ve already made great progress in your search and may be very close to finalizing your job or internship plans. Here are some things to consider when deciding whether or not to accept a job or internship offer:

Be aware of your timeline to decide on the offer. While this may seem obvious, the more important point is to consider how much time you have to obtain the information you need to make an informed decision. It can be very tempting to wait until a day or two before your deadline to make a decision and, all of a sudden, realize you’re missing some crucial information that may be helpful for you.

Review your priorities and interests. Now that you know the employer wants to hire you, take a moment to revisit your priorities, interests and goals for the position. When applying for many positions it can be very easy to submit your application without scrutinizing any particular job or internship closely. So take some time to really evaluate your offer. While it may difficult to find a job or internship that meets all of your established criteria, having an understanding of how well this opportunity “fits” with your expectations may relieve some of the angst you encounter making a final decision.

If you are interviewing or awaiting final word from other employers, reach out to them with an update. You may want to reach out to companies you have interviewed with to provide an update on your status and find out more about their decision-making timeline. Perhaps they may consider making a final decision on your status before your offer deadline but always be very professional when explaining your situation and avoid making demands.

Accept that uncertainty may be part of the decision-making process. In an ideal world, everyone would know all of their final options before making the best informed decision. However, with some employers recruiting for positions with different hiring timeframes, you may not have the luxury of knowing all of your options at the same time. This happens quite frequently, so the more comfortable you feel making a decision under these circumstances, the better prepared you will be for similar situations that may arise later on in your career.

When you find yourself deciding on a job or internship offer, be confident and trust your judgment. While you may feel your decision will dictate the rest of your future career opportunities, realize there are many paths one can take to reach desired career goals. You can always seek opinions and solicit advice from those you trust, but be sure to make the final decision on your own – after all, this is your life and your future.

There’s just something about confidence…

By: David Ross

Do you ever have those days where you feel you can do anything and the world is your oyster? You feel like a million bucks and are prepared for whatever comes your way? It’s amazing to discover what people can accomplish when they believe in themselves. And it’s easy to see from one’s demeanor – a firm handshake, good eye contact, posture or unwavering tone of voice – when a person exudes confidence.

Over the years, I’ve had countless conversations with individuals trying to gauge their chances for securing a job or internship. Being realistic and understanding your weaknesses is important. But there can be a tendency to focus so much on what qualifications may be lacking instead of showcasing the various reasons why you are a strong candidate. Employers seek candidates who can articulate their skills and experiences with confidence. So the more you can maintain a positive attitude and focus on your strengths throughout all stages of the search process – with confidence, the more likely you will make a favorable impression in the minds of recruiters.

Take a moment to think about the things you do well and your desirable attributes. Believe in yourself. And remain confident as you search and apply for internship opportunities.

Summer Internship Search Timelines

By: David Ross

Early in the school year, I meet with eager students asking questions about when to start their summer internship search and how long the search can take. What are the timelines? How soon should I start? How long does the process take? Inquiring minds want to know all the details and intricacies to prepare themselves and avoid missing opportunities.

The reality of any summer internship search is that the process varies for each individual. Regardless of when you begin your search, you should focus your efforts on identifying and applying for opportunities of interest. Try to avoid dwelling on the length of time of your search or create expectations for yourself that become burdensome. The uncertainty of the process can indeed be nerve-wracking, but rest assured that many other students experience the same thing at some point during their search.

While early planning is both helpful and productive, don’t assume that the majority of summer internships will be filled well in advance of the desired start date. Some positions are listed online and made available to applicants early in the school year, but many other great opportunities do not become available until the Spring semester or even a month or two before the intern would be expected to start working. So if you are searching for opportunities and inquiring about their availability, don’t be alarmed if you don’t see an abundance of summer internship listings for your desired field or industry at this point.

Remember, the summer internship search process will not always have a defined length of time (much to our chagrin). But if you are focused and dedicate time and effort to your internship search activities, you place yourself in a position find a great summer internship.