« December 2008 | Main | February 2009 »

January 26, 2009

Volunteering, Working, Interning Abroad

As a graduating senior with a few months to spare, I want to do something "that I may never have the chance to do again" before starting a job. Volunteering abroad is a cool option, and there are resources that the University has to help find these opportunities. Start with the U-M International Center. Also, check out GIEU and AIESEC. Some of these offer information about interning abroad, too.

Work Abroad
Volunteer Abroad
GIEU
AIESEC

Posted by ntambe at 04:41 PM | Comments (1)

January 12, 2009

The Elevator Pitch Internship Fair Shuffle

The internship fair is approaching. In my opinion, the hardest part isn't preparing a resume or coordinating attire. Rather, I find the first 20 seconds of talking to a recruiter to be the most difficult part.

Here are some things to think about when approaching a recruiter.

1. Relax! It's only a recruiter.
2. Good handshake, make eye contact, speak clearly (especially your name!)
3. Mention your name, and some of what your relevant experience is (your major, previous internships, activities, etc.). Then you can either relate that to the company, ask a question about positions or ask for advice, here are a few ways that I might begin the conversation.

Hi my name is [insert name here] and...

-I've worked a lot with children's causes in previous internships and as a part of University of Michigan Dance Marathon. Do you have any positions available in your company's children's division?

-I really love my coursework in political science and economics especially the material about macro-economic stimulus, and I really like analysis. Do you have any positions available that are geared towards students with experience conducting rigorous quantitative analysis, like market-researach analysis or sales forecasting?

-I learned a lot about the [insert subject here] industry during my previous internship, which led me to your company. I'd really like to apply, even though I worked for a governmental organization last summer, would that experience be useful in the [insert position name] position?

More to come...look for a post about Elevator Pitches in the Union!

Posted by ntambe at 03:17 PM | Comments (0)