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Internships - What's The Deal?

 
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Internships - What's The Deal?

What's it like being an intern?

There are tons of different intern opportunities: paid, unpaid, part-time, full-time, if you will. Probably, the most common is the summer internship. You're there for two to three months, you are there five days a week - it's your summer job; it's what you are doing. Usually it's unpaid. You can find a paid internship, they are out there, but it's a lot more difficult. When you say to someone - “Hey, I want to work for free!” It's like - “Cool!” Normally college credit is involved so you can get college credit but most of the time you're doing it for the love of getting the job. I always like to say, when my parents are like “are you making any money,' that, the opportunity cost of not doing that summer internship is huge. It's invaluable, because that summer job is going to lead you to success - to the house in Aspen. So, while your sitting there getting coffee, think of the end game, think of the opportunity cost. Because that road - that's where you start. So while yes, you might work for nothing but the opportunity cost, of not doing that is huge. I always like to think of it that way, instead of not being paid. Although, every time I do something good I go to my boss and say “Can you double my salary?” and he agrees, which is great!

What's cooler, being an intern or going to school?

I think they each have their advantages. It “you know” being a summer intern is great because you get to do both and it is just the great thing to do for the summer and there is a, especially during the summer, there is like these community of interns especially in the city, in New York “you know” a lot of people are staying in the same apartments if they are from out of town, and there is a real sort of culture of the intern culture and “you know” wall street journal, news week they all write “how to be the intern” they all write these stories USA today wrote a story about an intern “you know” and have their writer like “oh you are coming the interns” just like these army of people so it is very, it is a college but real life college, real life to you.

Can I be an intern and go to school at the same time?

If I like my internship, should I try to stay longer?

I would not recommend that, I think it is good, to spread yourself because after you have worked the summer, or a semester, with those people. And if they like you, they will remember you. So you don't need to continue doing the same things. Its best to try something different and gain some experience in another field, try something else. Diversifying your skills is always key in making yourself more marketable for future opportunities. Let's say the jobs happen to slow in one particular field. And you managed to acquire other skills. This will give you a slight advantage in finding a job in a field that's hot at that time.

Why would I want to be an intern?

You want to be an intern to get the job experience. To see if this is what you want to do. To have something on your resume. You don't want to graduate in four years after college and go and apply for job and be like, "Yeah, in high school I was in charge of the babysitting club." That's great, but you want something a little bit more. And so interning is a great opportunity to see if this is the business that you want to go into. Because if you are majoring in business in school and you work at Goldman Sachs for a summer, and you're like... "whoa I really didn't like that," you better make it a U-turn and try something else. So interning is a great way to really get experience at what you are doing and at the same time make connections so when you graduate in four years, there is a job possibly waiting for you. That is huge.

How do I choose an internship if I don't know what I want to do with my life?

That's what's so great about being an intern. You don't know what you want to do, so you talk to your parents. “Hey, do you know anyone who does this or does that? Do you know anyone who does anything like that?“ The chances are that they might. You can then go and meet with these people, and just have an informational interview. An informational interview is a great way to sit down with someone and learn more about what they do. Before you go to this informational interview, prepare some questions. Think about what you want to know, and just say “Hey, what do you do? What's your day like?” Don't even think about getting an internship yourself. Ask them about their life. Do they like what they're doing? What do they recommend? If you're saying to yourself during this informational interview, “Wow. I could see myself doing this.” Or perhaps it's not what I'm going to do for my entire life, but for two or three months during the summer, let me try it. Let me see. Let me get my toes in there. From dipping your toes, you might dive in and be like “ This is great.” If you don't know what you want to do with your life, talk with as many people as possible. Email as many people as possible. Say “ Hey, can I pick up the phone and talk with you for just five minutes?” Everybody likes to talk about themselves, so just ask them a couple of questions. People are so willing to help a young kid who's out there trying to figure out what they want to do. Play dumb. “Hey I don't know what's going on. I think maybe I'm interested in this, but I'm not really sure". It's a great opportunity to ask questions, because you don't want to be stuck five years down the road being like “So what do you do?”. You're already in that field and now you want to backpedal yourself out. It's very easy to jump in when you're young, but to jump out and then jump into something else when you're twenty five or thirty is a lot harder.

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  1. What's it like being an intern?
  2. What's cooler, being an intern or going to school?
  3. Can I be an intern and go to school at the same time?
  4. If I like my internship, should I try to stay longer?
  5. Why would I want to be an intern?
  6. How do I choose an internship if I don't know what I want to do with my life?

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Eric J. Kuhn
Meet the Expert
EricKuhn.com
  • What's it like being an intern?
  • What's cooler, being an intern or going to school?
  • Can I be an intern and go to school at the same time?
  • If I like my internship, should I try to stay longer?
  • Why would I want to be an intern?
  • How do I choose an internship if I don't know what I want to do with my life?
more ...
Internships
 Interning With The Rich And Famous 
  1. Eric J. Kuhn
  2. How should I act around my famous boss? 
  3. How do I make my famous boss's life easier? 
  4. What should I do if my boss is mentioned negatively in the media? 
  5. What should I not say about my famous boss outside the office? 
  6. Is it OK to ask my famous boss questions about his or her life? 
  7. What is inappropriate to ask my famous boss? 
  8. How can interning for a famous boss be different from a regular boss? 
 Interning And Networking 
  1. Eric J. Kuhn
  2. How can I use my internship to make contacts in my workplace? 
  3. How can I use my internship to make contacts outside of my workplace? 
  4. Is it appropriate to network at work-related social events? 
 The End Of An Internship 
  1. Eric J. Kuhn
  2. What if I hate my internship? 
  3. What should I have learned by the end of my internship? 
  4. How do I end my internship on the right note? 
  5. Can I raid the office supply cabinet when I leave? 
 Intern Tips And Secrets 
  1. Eric J. Kuhn
  2. What are the key tips for being a great intern? 
  3. What are the key tips for finding a great internship? 
  4. What are the social aspects of being an intern? 
  5. What if my college won't give me credit for an internship, or what if a credit is too expensive? 
  6. What's the secret of getting in good with my boss from the first day? 
  7. Is it OK to admit you don't know how to do something? 
  8. What's the secret of getting in with the staffers? 
  9. What's the secret for getting the best assignments? 
 Turning An Internship Into A Full-Time Job 
  1. Eric J. Kuhn
  2. How can my internship help me get a real job? 
  3. Is it worth taking an internship in hopes of turning it into a real job? 
  4. What can I do to turn my internship into a real job? 
  5. How should I handle the awkward period between interning and graduation? 
 Interning And Your Social Life 
  1. Eric J. Kuhn
  2. Is it OK for friends and family to call or visit me at the workplace? 
  3. What if I am asked to do something that interferes with my social plans? 
  4. Is it OK to hang out socially with my fellow interns? 
  5. Is it OK to hang out socially with staffers from my workplace? 
  6. Is it OK to date other interns? 
  7. Is it OK to date staffers? 
  8. Is it OK to talk about my social life at work? 
  9. Is it OK to invite people from work into my social scene? 
  10. What if I run into someone from my office in a social setting? 
 Booze And Sex- The Intern's Minefield 
  1. Eric J. Kuhn
  2. How do I handle office gossip? 
  3. What if I gossip about something in my office that comes back to haunt me? 
  4. Is it OK to use my cell phone at work? 
  5. What are the rules for using IM in the workplace? 
  6. What are the rules for e-mailing in the workplace? 
  7. What if someone from the office invites me for drinks but I'm underage? 
  8. What if the culture of my office involves drinking nightly? 
  9. What if I get drunk at an office event? 
  10. What if I hook up with someone from the office? 
  11. Is it OK spend time on Facebook or MySpace at work? 
  12. Is it OK to friend co-workers on Facebook or MySpace? 
  13. Should I modify my Facebook or MySpace pages when I'm an intern? 
 Fielding Internship Offers 
  1. Eric J. Kuhn
  2. What do I do if I get offered an internship? 
  3. What do I do if I get multiple internship offers? 
  4. What if I get no offers for internships? 
 Interviewing For Internships 
  1. Eric J. Kuhn
  2. How should I prepare for an internship interview? 
  3. What should I ask during an internship interview? 
  4. What should I wear to an interview for an internship? 
  5. What should I talk about during an interview? 
  6. What if I choke or say something stupid during my interview? 
  7. What are some tips for acing my internship interview? 
  8. What should I do after interviewing for an internship? 
 Fetching Coffee And Other Intern Duties 
  1. Eric J. Kuhn
  2. How do I know what my duties are as an intern? 
  3. I go to a top-20 college, isn't getting coffee beneath me? 
  4. What am I supposed to learn from menial tasks like photocopying? 
  5. What should I be willing to do or unwilling to do as an intern? 
  6. Is it OK to get other interns to do my work for me? 
  7. What if someone who isn't my supervisor asks me to do something? 
  8. What if my boss asks me to do personal errands for him or her? 
  9. Should I ever rat out my boss? 
  10. How can I impress the people in my office while interning? 
  11. What if I make a mistake while interning? 
  12. What could give me a bad reputation as an intern? 
  13. What will drive my boss crazy? 
 Fitting In As An Intern 
  1. Eric J. Kuhn
  2. How should I prepare for my first day as an intern? 
  3. When should I get into the office and how late should I stay? 
  4. How should I act so that I fit in at my workplace? 
  5. What if everyone at my workplace is much older than I am? 
  6. Is it OK to talk to everyone in my workplace? 
  7. My dad is friends with the CEO, so shouldn't I get special treatment? 
  8. Wasn't I chosen because everyone wants to hear my ideas and opinions? 
  9. Do I have to do everything everyone tells me to do? 
  10. What if I feel weird because I don't have anything to do? 
Internships - What's The Deal? (Now Playing)
  1. Eric J. Kuhn
 Finding Internship Opportunities 
  1. Eric J. Kuhn
  2. How can I find a good internship? 
  3. How can I stand out when applying for an internship? 
  4. What is a 'rabbi' and how can I get one? 
  5. Can I find a good internship if I have no connections at all? 
  6. What should I say when I get an HR person on the phone? 
  7. Are there any tricks or tips that can help me with my internship search? 
  8. What if a company doesn't have a formal intern program? 
 Applying For Internships 
  1. Eric J. Kuhn
  2. When should I start applying for internships? 
  3. What should I put in my resume and cover letter? 
  4. What if I don't hear back about any of the internships I applied for? 
 Your Image As An Intern 
  1. Eric J. Kuhn
  2. How do I know if I can be included in something or not? 
  3. What if I don't like someone in my office? 
  4. What if someone in my office doesn't like me? 
  5. What if other interns are more popular than I am? 
  6. What if another intern seems cooler or better connected than I am? 
  7. How can I bond with the staff? 

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