How the RIC Acted Helped me Find my Perfect Internship!

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My internship search began early – I asked “around” to learn about the experiences of others and exciting companies. I inquired about positions through personal contacts and combed through social media networks and the Regional Internship Center (RIC).

The RIC is a fantastic and valuable resource for anyone looking for internships in southwestern Pennsylvania. The site is easy to use and logically organized; it’s also fast and effective. Without the RIC, my internship search would have required more time, added frustration, and missed opportunities. Who has time for that?

My experience with the RIC is positive and I don’t keep the site a secret from friends and peers. This spring, I found an internship posting of interest, followed the company’s application directions, scheduled an interview, and received the summer internship position! At any time, I can search through dozens of relevant postings, submitted by ideal employers. The RIC is a great tool because great employers utilize the site. This asset is valuable to all internship seekers.

I check the RIC website about once a week for new internship opportunities. Each time, I am greeted by numerous new postings and potential positions; the site is valuable because it is constantly updating. One of the best features of the RIC site: I can instantly see the company name, be linked to the company’s website, and find out more about the posted position. Additionally, each posted job description follows the same format, making it easy to identify positions right for you based on your skills and job description/criteria.

The Regional Internship Center website is a priceless online forum from which students can learn about the region’s companies, both big and small. Through my efforts and use of the RIC, I secured a beneficial summer internship at WordWrite Communications. I am grateful for the opportunities the RIC has and will lead me to. If you are seeking an internship, the RIC is a marvelous tool!

Jessica Frey, Saint Vincent College

Regina Anderson Named to Pittsburgh’s 40 Under 40!!

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Pittsburgh Magazine Honors RIC Director!

Regional Internship Center Director Regina Anderson is one of 40 individuals named to this year’s Pittsburgh Magazine and the Pittsburgh Urban Magnet Project (PUMP) 40 Under 40 list.

Regina currently sits on the board of Planned Parenthood of Western PA Action Fund, the Young Preservationists Association of Pittsburgh, National Student Partnerships, WYEP Community Broadcast Center, The Midwife Center, and Pittsburgh Community Television.

She volunteers regularly for and participates in community driven collaboration for action events.  Events that Regina has helped plan are The Annual Midwife Center ‘Let Them Eat Cake’ event, Planned Parenthood of Western PA Cocktails for a Cause, and Love of Friends fundraising initiative.

Pittsburgh Magazine and PUMP

Each year, the Pittsburgh Magazine and PUMP 40 Under 40 program recognize 40 people under the age of 40 who “are committed to shaping our region and making it a better place for everyone.”Each year, the Pittsburgh Magazine and PUMP 40 Under 40 program recognize 40 people under the age of 40 who “are committed to shaping our region and making it a better place for everyone.”

 

Congratulations Regina!!!!

Employers: Don’t fear hosting an intern!

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Image extracted from the "Words for Hire" website

A frequent conversation the Regional Internship Center team has with employers often sounds like the following:

“Good morning, Regional Internship Center, this is Trisha, “How may I help you?”

“My company is interested in internships, but I’ve never hosted an intern before and I don’t know where to start.”

Employers! We are here to help you!

The RIC team often talks to employers about the many benefits to their businesses by hosting an intern: increased capacity, decreased training costs, increased diversity and new knowledge; the list is endless. Creating an internship program and hosting an intern is a bid deal for your business. Beyond the many benefits to your business, the RIC team talks to employers about the benefits any successful internship program should have for the intern. Once your company decides to begin an internship program, you are also deciding to be a “career mentor.”

Hosting an intern for the first time causes many of us employers to be nervous—that is normal! You may be concerned about not having enough time to provide adequate supervision during the course of the many internships or fear of not being a good career mentor causing your intern to have an unpleasant experience. The RIC team has heard these concerns and many others. Our answer most often sounds like this, “I completely understand. The first step is that you have already begun to think about your internship program. It’s also important to discuss concerns such as these with your co-workers and develop a plan for your internship program. Planning is the most important component to a successful internship program.”

If you are still nervous about hosting an intern for the first time one way to ease into the process is to host a job shadow student with your company for a week. Job shadows are sort of like mini internships but without the commitment. It will allow you to test the waters of intern hosting and give the student exposure to your line of work as well as see which employees might be suited for being the career mentor for a full-fledged internship program.

Looking back on former internships, I can say that I have gained a lot from former supervisors and because of the various things I learned from them, each a career mentor. One of my first supervisors is currently completing her PhD (after working in her field for ten years) and has a passion for learning new languages. She taught me that continuous learning is vital in professional development. During my second internship, I learned that in order to be effective, one must learn to work as a team with co-workers and how to be an effective listener. I also learned that there is still much to learn and that it is ok to be an observer and ask questions when something is not clear.

Here at Coro Pittsburgh/RIC we host many interns throughout the year. We know that interns are valuable in moving our organization forward to achieve our goals, but we also simply enjoy mentoring people. Many times, a positive internship experience can change the focus of a person’s career path. When you are ready to welcome interns into your organization, we will assist you in writing a post with a great position description.

Never thought that hosting an intern would have such a big impact? Neither did I.

Create the Best Internship Program!

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“I’ve never hosted an intern…” this is a phrase that the RIC staff frequently hears. Deciding to take on an intern is a big deal- you have chosen to be a “career mentor”

The Regional Internship Center, Employer Workshops

Creating an Internship Program is Hard Work. Let the RIC teach you the tools!

Your intern(s) will not only be there to learn from you, but there is a lot that you can learn from them as well. Please feel free to contact the RIC staff with your concerns- we are here to help you create the best internship program!

If you are still nervous about taking on an intern for the first time, think about allowing a student to job shadow with you for a week. Job shadowing is a great alternative for an internship. It will allow you to test the waters of intern hosting and give the student exposure to your line of work.

It is normal to be a little nervous when thinking about taking on an intern. You may be concerned about not having enough time to offer proper supervision to the intern. Another fear may be that you are worried that you will not be a good mentor, or that you intern will have an unpleasant experience. It is important to think about your concerns and discuss them with your co-workers and develop a plan.

Looking back on former internships, I can personally say that I have taken a lot from former supervisors and considered them mentors. One of my first supervisors is currently completing her PhD (after working in her field for ten years) and has a passion for learning new languages. She taught me that continuous learning is vital in professional development. During my second internship, I learned that in order to be effective, one must learn to work as a team with co-workers and to be an effective listener. I also learned that there is still very much to learn and that it is ok to be an observer and ask questions when something is not clear.

Here at Coro Pittsburgh, and the Regional Internship Center we host many interns each trimester (summer, fall & spring), we know that they can be extremely valuable in terms of moving our organization forward, but we also simply enjoy mentoring people throughout their career paths. Many times, a positive internship experience can change the focus of a person’s career path.

Taking on an Intern is a big commitment. Interested in Learning the tools to be an excellent mentor to your interns and get the most out of your internship program for your company? The RIC can give you those tools in our employer workshops! Contact TRoss@coropittsburgh.org to find out how your company can be trained by the RIC team!

Summer Program Professional Speakers Panel

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The RIC Organizes a Wide Range of Professionals in the City of Pittsburgh

As part of the RIC’s Intern Summer Program, the Regional Internship Center has brought together a panel of professionals ranging from an attorney to a CEO of a green economy social enterprise. The Regional Internship Center organizes an Intern Summer Program each year in an attempt to showcase the City of Pittsburgh to interns who are interning in the city over the summer. Tom Baker of Baker Leadership is the moderator and will ask the panelists pre-determined questions and then the floor will open up for questions from the audience. The event Panelists include: Rich Gasperini – Real Estate Specialist of CB Richard Ellis Jeff Meagher – Associate attorney in the Pittsburgh office of K&L Gates LLP Maggie Sulivan – Pittsburgh Public Schools Andrew Butcher- Co-Founder & CEO of GTECH (Growth Through Energy & Community Health) Sabrina Saunders – Youth Policy Manager, Office of Mayor Luke Ravenstahl William Scripps – President, co-founder, Street Soccer Productions, LLC Felix Brandon Lloyd CEO & President of Skill-Life, Inc. To R.S.V.P. or for questions, please contact Trisha Ross.

Registration will take place between 5:30 & 6:00 with the Mayor speaking at 6:00 pm. – the address of the Kelly Strayhorn Theater is below. Contact us if you have questions! Kelly Strayhorn Theater 5941 Penn Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15206 Please RSVP as soon as possible!

Resume Mistakes to Avoid!

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You want your resume to stand out, especially now that the job market is overflowing with misplaced job seekers, many of whom have a substantial amount of experience.

Since an employer typically views a resume between 2.5 and 20 seconds, you want to be sure that the majority of your resume is quantitative. For example, instead of saying:

“Was responsible for generating and increasing sales in my division”
Say:
“Increased sales by 15% in my division in one quarter”

Also be sure to use bullet points- it makes your resume more reader-friendly.

One thing that I always notice is what students name their resumes. Many times students will send their resumesto forward on to employers and they will simply name it “resume.” If I have a folder of resumes that are all named “resume,” I have to open all of them to find the one that I am looking for. An employer could be accepting dozens or hundreds of resumes, and if they decided to take a second look at your resume and cannot find it, then you might be out of luck. Be sure to name it as your full name, preferably “last name, first name_Resume.”

Another thing that I have noticed about students’ resumés is some actually do not include an e-mail address! We live in such an e-mail and online saturated world, that this can be a terrible oversight. If an employer wanted to e-mail you, but you didn’t bother to include an e-mail address on your resume, they might scrap it.

Additionally, watch WHAT email address you use! If your email address is party_girl@website.com, an employer might have reservations about placing you. I always tell students to have a seperate email account just for internship and job applications so that they will have an appropriately named email account as well as keep on top of any emails regarding a placement.

What if the position description asks for references? Don’t include them on your resume. Provide them separately, and only provide them when asked.

Please include your GPA on your resume, even if it is not so fabulous. I was recently talking with an employer who said that they will typically not hire a student as an intern if they did not have at least a 3.25 GPA. Notice that I said “typically.” The employer said that if they receive a resume that does not have a GPA listed, it gets scrapped. I then proceeded to ask what happens if they have a lower GPA, but like the resume. The employer said that they will ask why the GPA is low- imagine that- a chance to explain! Employers do understand that things happen that are outside of our control. It only takes one semester of having a chronic illness, or having a sick family member, or a death of a loved one to completely mess up your GPA (and your resume). The employer said that if they have a reputable excuse (please don’t make one up) that they will give the student a chance.

If you ever have a question about your resume, please don’t hesitate to contact the RIC Team! We love helping internship seekers!