Calling All Interns

I’m taking a stand.

I’m tired of feeling like I have to justify my position to misinformed skeptics.

I’m tired of having to break through misconceptions before people who I talk to about what I do get it.

No, I’m not running to fetch the boss the morning coffee or relegated to menial and pointless tasks because my uncle pulled some strings on my behalf.

Yes, I’m an intern, and I’m damn proud of it.

It’s been one month since I began my journey on the ‘ship at Weber Shandwick in Chicago and there are two thoughts that stand out above all:

1. Holy hell, it’s been a month?! Where have the last 4 1/2 weeks gone? AND
2. This is one of the most rewarding experiences of my young life, and I couldn’t be happier with the places my journey has taken me thus far.

I’m getting to do some incredible things for national brands, join in on brainstorms and, most important, I feel like a valued part of each of my teams. Even better, I’m getting paid to do it! My stance on paid vs. unpaid internships is another post for another day, but my point is this:

The internship has undergone a transformation. Gone are the days where ‘intern’ was synonymous with ‘pawn’. Particularly with the down economy (which is showing signs of recovery), more companies in more industries are using interns as a valued part of the team. Internships are now an integral stepping stone on the path of the young professional in many fields.

Remember, today’s interns are tomorrows CEOs, so take the steps you need to now to find, land, and OWN the internship that steer you in the right direction for your career. Need help? That’s my middle name. Or at least my favorite past time.

CALLING ALL INTERNS!

To help rebrand the rejuvenated internship, I’m asking interns from all walks to stand up and declare, “Yes, #ImAnIntern” on Wednesday, May 12 at 9pm EST/8 c, on Twitter. Let your voice be heard as eager students join the conversation to learn what it means to be an intern. Share the knowledge you’ve accrued in your experience and help be a part of building a better workforce for the future of your industry. If you’re less forward thinking, save yourself the pain of training them on EVERYTHING later when they eventually get hired.

CALLING ALL INTERN WANNABES!

Given the logical way in which we’re taught to read, I’m going to assume that you’ve read the immediately preceding paragraph (if not, it’s right there, go ahead- I’ll wait) and jump to the relevant bit: Send us your questions! What do you want to know about finding, securing and rocking an internship? Get the knowledge straight from the collective horse’s mouth. If you’ve got a great question you’re afraid you’ll lose, head to the new Brazen Careerist network “INTERNal Affairs” (http://brazencareerist.com/network/internalaffairs) and post your queries in advance.

And don’t forget to tell your friends- the more experiences we can draw from, the more everyone benefits.

I can’t wait to hear from you guys!

Have you tried our new perspective?

For nearly as long as I can remember, I’ve been a strong advocate for the idea that perception is reality. I don’t find myself easily subscribing to the Platonic ideas of there being a “right” or “perfect” form of anything, and if there is I find it impossible to decide who gets to decide that we’ve reached it. In this regard, I’ve been called (among other things) a moral relativist of sorts.

Recently though, I’ve been starting to expand the idea of perception and try to see the pervasive impact that perspective has on that reality. In fact, in some ways the perspective really defines the individual reality more than the perception. Much like psychiatrist Kohlberg’s stages of actualization, the angle from which we look at a problem, situation, or ourselves has a profound impact on whether we like what we see.

I’ve recently been party to a number of sizeable changes in my life toward which I had a negative feeling until a friend gave me a different perspective to examine everything a little more objectively. It’s amazing how what looks like an ongoing problem from one perspective turns into the dust settling on a problem that’s already been solved from another.

Sometimes when you feel lost or overwhelmed, a fresh perspective can be a breath of new life and energy to help you push through whatever Dip you’re stuck in. Take a step back, and talk to a friend whose only investment in the situation is the interest in helping you inherent to a good friendship, no pressures to get the answer you’re looking for. You might be surprised at what you find.

A caveat: this may result in a situation in which you are forced to confront something you’d rather not acknowledge about yourself or the situation. Though not much fun, this can often be the roadblock that was contributing to your troubles that needs to be faced/addressed/changed before you can move on peacefully.

When has changing your approach come in handy for you? Where did you find the new angle?

Rush Chairman, Damn Glad to Meet You: College Edition

So you’re a college student and want to try find a job? Join the rest of the currently unemployed 9.5% of the United States labor force . That equates to about 3.3 job seekers per open position according to personal branding expert Dan Schawbel. So how are you going to stick out from the millions of other prospective employees flooding your next boss’s inbox? Simple: have somebody within the organization deliver it for you.

I realize this may seem like a pretty simple observation, having someone within the organization advocate for you will improve your chances of getting that foot in the door for your interview. We’ve all heard the phrase, “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know,” so what’s your excuse for not knowing the people who have the ability to put you where you want to go? The best excuse is not having an excuse at all. We all know or have heard of somebody who’s uncle gave him or her a sweet gig right out of college, but unless you’re that lucky niece or nephew, you need a strategy. This edition is dedicated to those who are still in the halls of academia, but expect the follow-up for recent grads and other young professionals soon.

So as a student, how are you going to meet those people that can introduce you to your future employer? I’ve broken it down into an easy-to-follow step-by-step process for you.

1. Get Involved Early

Whatever it is that you’re interested in, find a club or an organization on campus that you can pursue that interest. If there is no club, find out what you need to start one: it’ll give you leadership experience, and put you in a great position to meet people who share your interests. Your colleagues and peers of today are going to be tomorrow’s leaders, so make a positive and lasting impression.

2. Introduce Yourself

When you go to the meetings, introduce yourself. Be friendly, polite, and always show a willingness to learn. If you actually participate in the meetings and make yourself known, those upperclassmen will remember you after they graduate. I can’t tell you how many stories here at Ohio University are tossed around about mentors hiring their former mentees from the Public Relations Student Society (PRSSA) once they get into the workforce.

3. USE SOCIAL MEDIA

I’ve already talked about using Twitter to expand your network, twice, but there are tons of social media outlets that can help connect you with the right people. If you’re inclined to write, join a blogging network like BrazenCareerist, create a profile on LinkedIn and join a few groups. Just like Sauron’s ring was forged to rule them all and in the darkness bind them, one principle above all rules the social media waves: PARTICIPATION. It’s not enough just to have an account on a site- read, comment, share, discuss. Let your voice be heard! Which leads us to number…

4. Speak Intelligently

If you’re reaching out to people who likely have busy schedules, it’s important to speak (or write) in a fashion that shows that you are more intelligent than a second grader. That’s not to say that you’re expected to be Tolstoy, just make sure that you are contributing something worthwhile to the conversation. Spelling and grammar rules do apply. Once you’ve found that person or persons that you’ve made a strong connection with, it’s very important to…

5. Stay in Touch

If you spark a great friendship with the hiring director at your dream job in November, but you’re not going to be graduating until the following June, it’s important to maintain that contact. Questions are a great way to keep touch: they give you a reason to reach out beyond, “Hey! Remember me? Well, I’m still here. Welp…see you later!” Additionally, questions show that you care about knowing more about the person or his or her organization.

So what are you waiting for? Go out there and shake some hands! How do you network? What ways do you stay in touch?

Career Fairs: No Elephant Ears?!

As I sit down in front of my computer in my best suit and favorite tie, I can’t help but feel a little disappointed. On the other hand, I try to learn something from any and every experience I come across, and today has been no exception. Allow me to explain.

Today was the annual Fall Career Fair here at Ohio University, where employers come from across the state of Ohio to make connections and recruit fresh young minds. Sounds like a great opportunity for someone looking to burst into the PR field, right? Wrong. Which brings us to the Danny Cox Career Fair Tip o’ the Day #1:

1. Find out who’s going to be present at the event, before you leave the house.

Now, this may seem elementary, dear Watsons, but I’m afraid to tell you how many business-suit-clad students I talked to failed to do this very thing. The title of the event should have read, “Fall Career Fair (for Accountants, Sales Reps, and those looking to join the Military)”. That doesn’t have quite as nice of a ring to it though, does it? Everywhere I turned, it was accountants, sales, entry-level managerial (read: Target) positions. Where were the ad agencies? The PR firms? At least a non-profit? Well, there was a very helpful representative from the American Cancer Society, but that’s beside the point. Nothing could have prepared me for the nearly complete lack of relevant employers. Nothing, except for my Career Fair Tip o’ the Day #2:

2. Research the presenters who seem relevant to you.

How much can you really learn from a 50 word blurb on the Career Services Web site? Not as much as you can from the organizations Web site, or a quick trip down Google lane. Particularly in times of bad economy, Ford Myers tells us, it’s essential to be laser-focused on what it is you’re looking for. If you can do some leg-work beforehand, you can make a better impression and be more efficient with your time and questions. Unless, of course, you’re only there for my Career Fair Tip o’ the Day #3:

3. Use the opportunity to hone your “elevator pitch” and professional networking skills.

I’m really not planning on staying in Ohio upon graduation, and knowing that most representatives were there for Ohio positions, my hopes were not high that I was going to find that first employer today at the fair. However, I was able to go and speak with professional recruiters from some major companies (ever hear of a little jelly called Smucker’s?) and speak with them about their business, my experience and goals, and how the two could fit together. Which brings me to my final Career Fair Tip o’ the Day:

4. You get out what you put in, so keep an open mind and learn something.

As I said at the beginning of this post, I try to learn something from every experience life tosses my way. If you just walk around looking at posters and taking schwag, you’re probably not going to learn much. But if you take the time to talk with some representatives, you could find that there’s an industry you never thought of that’s perfect for your skill set and goals. Above all, you can never have too much experience speaking with people in a professional setting. Practice makes perfect, and the more times you talk about your skills and goals, the better you’ll be able to quickly and concisely communicate exactly what you want to.

Just Say No: Propaganda for Professional Triage

By the time I hit 6th grade, these words were forever intertwined with the joke that was the elementary and middle school D.A.R.E. program. If any ludicrous situation involving shady characters and drugs, I had been Pavlovian-trained to “Just Say NO!”

However, 10 years later I am finding that life may be a little easier if I had applied that advice to other facets of my life. My threat is not drugs or scary men in vans, but opportunities.

With the insatiable thirst for life and experiences that I seem to have developed, I have a lot of difficulty passing up any opportunity that presents itself. Because of this, I have had to juggle as many as six or seven commitments at one time. Unfortunately, this apparent inability to say no does nothing to damper the necessity to succeed and excel in any and all endeavors that I become involved in. This inevitably leads to a decrease in my quality of life, as I find all of my time is consumed by running from one commitment to another.

I made a pledge to myself that I would not allow that to happen this, my senior and final year at Ohio University. I was going to stand resolute and do only one or two things, fully committing myself to those core interests. And though I meant every word I said, forces beyond my control were at work. As Scud in Blade 2 said, “No one goes cold turkey from the thirst in one night.”

Indeed, I’m a modern male Ado Annie when it comes to projects, internships, and helping out my friends. For Fall Quarter alone, I am already committed to, in no certain order, school, my job, my girlfriend, helping with one (maybe two) comedy TV shows, this blog, helping my cousin Rocko with his movie review site, my band, and the local chapter of PRSSA.

The sad thing is, this is actually less than I normally have on my plate. This is why I’m excited to move on to the next step and begin contributing to the workforce. I feel like I have conditioned myself for a fast-paced career where balancing multiple accounts is essential, and I can’t wait to see if I’m right.

The point I am trying to make goes back to my post on focus; if you can’t say no to new opportunities, it will make it near impossible to focus on those that truly matter to you. Find out which projects are most important to you and your goals, assess the ROI (return on investment) for your time, and drop the ones that aren’t progressing you towards your goals.

How do you choose what to say yes or no to? What methods do you have for professional triage? Isn’t there something to be said for exploring a wide variety of what life has to offer?