Category Archives: Intern Resources

Organizational Skills and Time Management – The Path to a Successful Internship

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An Intern’s Guide to Get through a Hectic Semester

Image extracted from: www.tx-coffee.com

Are you a new intern or preparing for a spring experience? First off, let me say congratulations on landing your first internship! I hope you learn a great deal over your time as in intern. Now that you have conquered your first hurdle which is landing your internship, you will need to get organized to make the best of this experience.

Organizing Your Day

It certainly is a challenge having to balance schoolwork, extracurricular activities, and possible paying work-study job simultaneously. How can you stay focused throughout a hectic schedule? You need a plan (or a daily planner for that matter); and invest in developing your time management and organizational skills.

Personally, I need a day planner to take notes of everything going on in my head. If I don’t, I easily loose track of my priorities throughout the day. Are you the same way? Than you need to learn some time management techniques and improve your organizational skills.

Techniques

Keeping track of your daily tasks is very important. I have seen many “organizational skills”-developing techniques such as mental notes, writing on an arm or hand, tying a string around a figure. Writing down dates, appointments or that great idea for your next paper thesis in a notebook or daily planner makes the concept more permanent.

High Tech Gadgets

If you don’t want to carry a clunky agenda or daily planner, great alternative to the old paper and pen, are electronic PDAs, blackberry’s, or the IPhone®. Even if you don’t own the latest phone, the IPod Touch, has the same great organizing capability. There are many apps for personal organization. My personal favorites are the “Notes” app and the “Calendar” app. You can browse your electronic devices and see which organization tools you like the best.

These gadgets make it easier than ever for students and professional alike to advance their organizational skills. Time management abilities are very in high demand amongst employers.

The Old Pen and Paper

I must admit, however, that despite the clunky nature of an agenda or planner, I use paper and pen more frequently then my IPod® Touch to for time management. Agendas and Planners provide a calendar as well as to do lists, notes sections and possible address book all in one – an old tool that has helped many develop their organizational skills.

There are numerous variations of such products like the Franklin Convey organizers/ planners found online or in Target stores. This brand  goes beyond traditional daily planner duties and suggests ways to form an effective “To Do” list.

So whether you use high tech gadgets or the old pen and paper, the goal is to keep yourself organized through the semester – so that you are developing important time management and organizational skills.

Side Note:

Great places to find planners

1. Your Campus Bookstore – although for more than just a basic calendar it may be a little overpriced
2. Target – has a wide selection and good prices
3. Amazon  – if you can wait to have it shipping to you, you can find planners in all shapes and sizes

Surviving with an Unpaid Internship – Making Sleek

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I know what you’re thinking – I don’t have time to sit down to eat, let alone cook! Neither do we here at The Regional Internship Center. However, my roommate and I wanted to see if we could cook a healthy and delicious meal for under $2 per serving. We decided showing you how to make sleek, a vegan dish that is easy, healthy, and sure to please.

INGREDIENTS:

- ½ cup Dried Black-Eyed Peas
- 2 ½ cup Water
- 1 ½ lb. of Kale (or spinach if you must)
- ½ c Bulgur Wheat
- 1 c Sliced Onion (sweet onion preferred)
- ½ c Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper

Keep in mind you need to soak your black-eyed peas overnight. You can decide to do a “quick soak” that involves boiling the peas and then letting them stand for an hour.

Overnight Soak: rinse peas, add 6 – 8 cups water to 2 cups of peas. Cover. Allow to sit for 6 to 8 hours, rinse and drain.

DAY OF GROCERY SHOPPING>

We headed to the East End Food Co-Op near Penn and Braddock: 7516 Meade St Pittsburgh, PA 15208, 412-242-3598.

Prices will vary
Kale: $2.89 ea.
Sweet Onion: 1.89 per lb.
Olive Oil: $12.99 for 33.8 oz. SALE! (This will last me for at least the entire Spring semester.)

Everything else we already had at home. That’s the beauty of buying items like black-eyed peas and bulgur wheat in bulk. They have a long shelf life, so they’re always there when you need them.

DAY OF COOKING:

Cooking Bulgur Wheat:
Boil 1 ¼ cup of water, add ½ cup of bulgur, cover, remove from heat. Allow to sit for 30 minutes.

While you are waiting for the water to boil, rinse and chop your kale, and slice your onion.


While you’re waiting for the bulgur wheat to cool, rinse and drain your black-eyed peas.

Cooking Black-Eyed Peas:
Place black-eyed peas and water in saucepan. Cover and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes.

At the same time, begin browning your onions in olive oil over medium heat. Spread the onions in a single layer on your pan. If there are too many onions in the pan, the liquid will not evaporate quickly which means the onions will cook but not caramelize.

*If you cook the onions over low heat for a longer period of time, you will get sweeter onions which is more ideal for our sleek recipe.

Thoroughly drain the bulgur wheat and add this to your peas and kale mixture. Then thoroughly drain this entire mixture.

Add chopped kale to your black-eyed peas for 6 minutes.


Combine the kale and peas with the caramelized onions in the onion pan for the best results. Add salt and pepper. Cook uncovered over low heat for 5 minutes.

Serve with toasted pita bread, or just eat plain.

PREP TIME: 10 minutes

COOK TIME: 45 minutes.

Serves 8 – 10. Average Cost per Serving: Less than $2.00! (We also calculated the costs for black-eyed peas and bulgur wheat in case you didn’t already have these in bulk.) And we even bought organic.

SUCCESS! So my roommate and I now have enough food for our next two to three courses.

Check out the other parts of this series:


Surviving with an Unpaid Internship 101 (Introduction)

Surviving with an Unpaid Internship Part 1: 9 Ways to Stretch Your Budget

Surviving with an Unpaid Internship Part 2: Hungry? Don’t Starve!

Surviving with an Unpaid Internship Part 2: Hungry? Don’t Starve!

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Are you not only feeling pangs of hunger, but also the pangs of an empty wallet? Then you might want to consider seeing if you are eligible for food stamps.

I recently had the opportunity to talk with two representatives from Just Harvest, Noah Whelan, an AmeriCorps Vista volunteer and Ann Sanders, a Food Stamp Specialist, to get an idea of how SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) works.

(Just Harvest is an organization which promotes economic justice and works to influence public policy and to educate, empower, and mobilize the citizens of our community toward the elimination of hunger and poverty.)

Me: I had the notion that if I went on food stamps, I would be taking away someone else’s funding – is this true?

Noah: Just because you receive food stamps, doesn’t mean someone else won’t. Millions of dollars go untouched every year because people don’t realize that they are eligible for benefits.

Me: Are students eligible for food stamps? What about someone with an internship?

Ann: Students and food stamps is a complicated ordeal. If someone goes to school less than half-time, this doesn’t impact their eligibility. If they attend half-time or more, they must work at least 20 hours a week to be considered eligible. Some exceptions – if a student is over 50 years old, has children, or is receiving disability, they can be eligible without meeting the work requirements.

For those of you not in school but doing internships, you do not need to meet the work requirements. You may be asked by the Department of Public Welfare to participate in work-related programs. If you get a (non-AmeriCorps) stipend, remember that it counts as income.

Anyone under age 22 living with their parents has to apply with their parents. Married individuals must include spouses. They don’t look at your tax filing status, but they do care about where you reside and who you share food with. And there are income guidelines for every applicant.

Me: So what’s the process?

Ann: You need to fill out an application online at www.compass.state.pa.us. We at Just Harvest recommend that you give us a call and help you out with this. We can ask you the questions that are relevant only to food stamps and over the course of a 15 minute phone conversation, fill out your application for you.

After your application is submitted to the DPW, you need to send in 5 types of documentation:

- Proof of identity (photo ID)
- Proof of residency (something with your current address)
- Proof of income for the past month
- Proof of rent and utility expenses, and verification of your social security number.

Split bills with roommates? Bring a letter from them that describes how you split them (plus copies of the bills and that you don’t share food. If the bills aren’t in your name, get a letter verifying that you pay them.

DPW will want to have a quick phone interview with you. If you miss it, they can deny you. Within 30 days after you started your application, you should be notified if you’ve been approved or denied. Every 6 months you need to fill out paperwork to keep your food stamps.

Me: Last question, do you need to be a resident of PA in order to be eligible?

Noah: Yes, food stamp applicants would need to prove their residency in PA to qualify. They can, however, be originally from out of state or hold out of state IDs. They just need to prove their current address is in PA.

While it’s unfortunate getting on food stamps is not a “snap,” we here at The Regional Internship Center do not want anyone to starve or live on a malnutritious diet. For more information, check out:

Just Harvest
16 Terminal Way
Pittsburgh, PA15219
Phone: 412-431-8960
Fax: 412-431-8966

Email: info@justharvest.org

Just Harvest

Just Harvest Blog

Feeding the Hungry Should Be a SNAP

Check out the other parts of this series:


Surviving with an Unpaid Internship 101 (Introduction)

Surviving with an Unpaid Internship Part 1: 9 Ways to Stretch Your Budget


Surviving with an Unpaid Internship: FOOD CHALLENGE: Making Sleek

Internships vs Jobs: Clarification from The Department of Labor.

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Internships are creative, unique to a company and a great way for people to get on the job training.

Image extracted from: www.ocregister.com

Internships are training programs and provide experiential learning; you might have even heard about apprenticeship programs in reference to internship programs. People apply for internships within a company and in exchange, that company receives your labor aka your talent and willingness to learn and work hard.

Pretty sweet deal, eh?

Though your internship may be unpaid, don’t think your employer is getting free labor by any means. Employers value your work and want to learn from you. Employers want to aid you in your career path. If they don’t have jobs currently available, employers that value internships will help you network.

The RIC team works constantly with employers to help them create valuable internship programs and training programs that have a win for them, and a win for you. However, just in case you think your employer may be using the term “intern” or “internship” to justify not paying you, the RIC team wants you to have tools to understanding the legalities involved in internships .

For instance, did you know: unpaid internships should never replace a once paid position?

The Department of Labor has strict guidelines by which internship programs should follow. Read Harriete Estel Berman’s article to find out more.

Need more advice about internships, apprenticeship programs, or not sure where you stand with your internship? That’s why The Regional Internship Center is here! Contact Trisha Ross. We’d love to help!

Surviving with an Unpaid Internship – 9 Ways to Stretch Your Budget

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9 Ways to Stretch Your Budget

#1. Carpool or Take the Bus!

The Commute Info Program,a program of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, is dedicated to increasing the number of commuters who share a ride to work. They organize bikerides, carpools etc. You pay for your seat a month in advance, and the cost covers a portion of the lease, gas, tolls, etc.

Take public transportation! Bus passes will save you $, and some universities charge a transportation fee that allows their students to ride for free with their student I.D.

Check Out:

Port Authority of Allegheny County
Mon Valley Transit Authority

Beaver County Transit Authority
Butler Transit Authority

Indiana County Transit Authority

Zipcar is another alternative if you need a car for only a few hours at a time.

#2. Don’t Pay for Coffee or Water!

Sure, the office coffee is not as delicious as those vanilla lattes, but that $3 a day really adds up. See how much you could be saving: Coffee Cost Calculator.

If an office water cooler is not an option for you, buy your own filtration pitcher for $12. The $10 filter needs to be changed every two months, so that’s water for less than 20 cents a day!

Average savings if you refrain from buying just one coffee and bottle of water a day: over $100 a month!

#3. Pack your Lunch!

Eating out for lunch averages $7 to $15 a meal. Save money by only eating out only on special occasions. If you eat at a restaurant, fill up on water and before-meal fillers, (bread, tortilla chips), and eat half of your meal. Save the other half for dinner or tomorrow’s lunch. Average savings if you refrain from eating out 3 times a week: $75 a month.

#4. Community Supported Agriculture!
Join a CSA! With a simple membership, you get a box filled with an assortment of fresh, seasonal produce from your local farmer every week. Check out LocalHarvest for more information.

#5. Cut the Cable.
Between your internship and part-time job, you probably won’t have much time to watch a lot of TV. Try to catch your favorite shows for FREE, online. You can also rent seasons of a show from Netflix, or check them out at your local library.

#6. Cut the Internet.
If you have a laptop, go to your local coffee shop and take advantage of their free WiFi while sipping on a nice hot cup of joe. www.wififreespot.com has a listing of local shops and restaurants that offer free WiFi in most cities across PA.

If you have a library card, you can go to your local library to surf the web. Check out Carnegie Library branches to see if your nearest location offers WiFi.

#7. Join a Credit Union!
Credit unions are non-profit banks, meaning no shareholders, or profit making bank fees, which results in better interest rates for you! The RIC is a partner with Riverset Credit Union which has branches in the area. You can use any PNC Bank ATM or CU$ network to withdraw money or make a deposit, surcharge-free.

#8. Weatherproof your Apartment!
During the cold winter months, save money on your gas bill by following these suggestions: www.thriftymama.com Tips include rarely adjusting your thermostat, and sealing any cracks in your windows.

#9. Swap your Clothes!
You can host your own clothing swap with friends, or even do it online: www.dignswap.com. Also, watch for local organizations in your area to host them.

Got any more suggestions? Feel free to comment on this blog!

Check out the other parts of this series:


Surviving with an Unpaid Internship 101 (Introduction)

Surviving with an Unpaid Internship Part 2: Hungry? Don’t Starve!


Surviving with an Unpaid Internship: FOOD CHALLENGE: Making Sleek