The Top 8 Mistakes Interns Make

The Top 8 Mistakes Interns MakeThe Top 8 Mistakes Interns MakeAn internshipis a valuable college experience that teaches students how to act and perform professionally in the real world while affording them the opportunity to acquire knowledge and skills in a particular industry. No longer optional, an internship is one of the first things employers look on resumes. Benefits of Completing an Internship The benefits of an internship are numerous, but the top reasons most students seek out internship opportunities include A chance to include relevant experience on a resumeGaining the knowledge and skills required to be successful in a fieldLearning the ins and outs of the business with the help of a mentorNetworking with professionals and establishing long-term connections In reservierung to get the most out of your internship, you must put your best foot forward and avoid anything that would compromise these benefits. According to employers, the following are some of the most comm on mistakes that interns make that could cost them a great professional reference or an offer for a full-time position with the company. Taking the Internship Too Casually Students must approach the internship experience in a professional manner. Establishing goals beforehand will help define what you want to accomplish and how to get there. Because we live in a global marketplace students need to realize how competitive the world is and act accordingly. Avoiding Menial Tasks Everyone has something they dont like about their job. For management, it may be too many meetings. For interns, tasks like filing are boring but doing menial work quickly and cheerfully demonstrates a good work ethic. Youll also gain the respect of your boss, which could lead to more challenging work. But you want to avoid being taken advantage of. If you speak with your employer beforehand about responsibilities youll have grounds for requesting some challenging work mixed in with the filing. Poor Time Management Getting to work late or taking long lunch breaks doesnt sit well with employers. As a professional, you should adhere to the rules and regulations of the office. If work begins at 830 am and ends at 430 pm, dont arrive at 845 am and leave at 4 pm. If everyone takes an hour for lunch, do the same. You should alsoprioritize your time. If you have multiple tasks, its your job to prioritize them. If necessary, speak with your supervisor to determine which are the most time-sensitive. notlage Adhering to the Office Dress Code Youve probably heard that you should dress for the job you want, not the job you have. College students have leeway about dress attire but in the workplace dressing too casual or inappropriately makes you look unprofessional. If youre not sure how to dresslook at how your co-workers dress or ask your supervisor before you start. Not Learning the Office Culture Individuality is a good trait but not when it clashes with the corporate culture. Some offices are formal and corporate, while others are laid-back and casual. Oftentimes just observing how employees behave and interact will help you fit in. Not Taking the Time to Establish Important Relationships To get the most out of your experience, establish relationships withgood mentors and co-workers who can share their knowledge and skills. Keeping in touch after the internship will keep you plugged into job openings in the company. Not Asking Your Supervisor for Important Feedback Feedback and constructive criticism should be two of the main goals of an internship. Feedback will improve your performance at that job and ones in the future. Have a follow-up conversation to gauge improvement and see what other things you can do to improve. Failure to Take Advantage of Resources Internships provide an opportunity to learn all sorts of things about an industry or company. Reading professional journals and attending industry conferences, talks and lectures are gre at ways to broaden your knowledge.

How to Ask for Help at Work Without Seeming Incompetent

How to Ask for Help at Work Without Seeming IncompetentHow to Ask for Help at Work Without Seeming IncompetentAt work, you want to be perceived asconfident, clever, and capable. But in order to grow, you need to get out of yourcomfort zone. And sometimes that requires biting off more than you can chew, taking on complicated assignments that require the help of otherbeis. Here are five ways to ask for help at work without coming off as incompetent.1. Approach with confidenceEveryone needs help sometimes, so dont apologize for it. Part of your managers job is to guide your projects. No ones hired with all the knowledge they need to do every task in the job description. Your manager expects you to consult her when you get stuck. Before going to her, figure out why you need help. Is this project beyond your skill tischset? Do you have so much other work to do that you cant meet a deadline? Then, be courageous. Instead of approaching her with, Im sorry to bother you with this. Go with, Id appreciate your help with this.2. Do your homeworkGo to your manager with a specific question, situation, or plan. You may think you dont even know where to start, but dont let that overwhelm you. Make a bullet point list of the ways youve already tried to solve the issue so she doesnt waste time trying those solutions again. Write down any questions you have. Be ready to give a high-level synopsis of the situation. To focus your thoughts, use the who, what, when, where, why, and how method Who is involved in the problem? What exactly is the problem? When did the problem occur? Where did the problem happen? Why did the problem arise? How did the problem develop? Bringing these answers to your supervisor gives her context and the seeds of a plan.3. Know whose help you needHas a colleague already been through a similar situation? If the task is over your head, try to find a Subject Matter Expert within the company you can sound out before approaching your manager. Is this something a coworker can assist you with? If you are temporarily overwhelmed with responsibilities, is there a peer willing to help you with a short-term task?4. Be willing to reciprocateThe best way to ask someone for help is to have already helped them, so be proactive. When a peer asks you for help, try to let Yes, be your first response so you can pay it forward. The time will come when you need to lean on them. Try to maintain an open line ofcommunicationwith your manager. If the only time you talk to her is when you have a problem, she wont want to see you. Seek mentors both inside and outside the company. You can tap these resources when you get in trouble.5. Remember that timing is everythingMake a good effort to accomplish the work yourself, but dont wait until the project is so at risk that the client is angry. Most managers prefer to clean up a small mess rather than a big one. And dont be a repeat offender. If your boss sends you emails regarding how to solve this problem, flag the m and keep them for future reference. If the two of you are meeting about the problem, take notes and file them. Thank her for her help. If your company has a recognition, incentive, or reward program, make aya you use it to acknowledge her and every one else who helped you.A version of this post previously appeared onFairygodboss, the largest career community that helps women get the inside scoop on pay, corporate culture, benefits, and work flexibility. Founded in 2015, Fairygodboss offers company ratings, job listings, discussion boards, and career advice.

Resume Lessons from a Garden

Resume Lessons from a Garden Resume Lessons from a Garden When we moved into our home 11 years ago, the garden was completely overgrown with ivy and weed vines. I spent a few years chopping them back and finally got it to the stage where I could plant flowers. But after clearing all those vines, I also discovered a few plants from some other previous gardener, including rose bush that was situated under a tree. Anyone who gardens knows that roses need sunlight, so its not surprising that my little rose never bloomed. The tree was blocking all the sunlight and the only things that thrived in that part of the garden were ferns, hostas and other shade plants. Still, I dont like killing things (except those horrid weed vines) so I just left it there. Every year it grew tall but every year it remained flowerless. Then last Fall, we hired a tree service to cut back the trees around the house. I didnt think any mora about it until last week, when my rose bush suddenly burst into flower. The tree guy really didnt cut much off that tree and yet it was obviously just enough to allow those flowers to bloom.As I took the picture posted with this blog, I thought about how similar this is to the process I go through when writing a resume. So much of the information I learn about a client would actually obscure his or her potential if I included it in the resume. My job is to cut away the ivy and weed vines, and to shine enough light on key facts in order to help my client realize his or her potential.I think that most people view writing a resume as an exercise in factual documentation (I worked in this place for this many years and behauptung were the things I did. Then I went to this place and stayed there for 3 years and here is what I did). But its not that at all. Its a selective process, a filtering process your job when writing a resume is to determine the important information and then create a document that allows that information to shine out from the page just l ike my lovely red rose bush.