Internship Season!

In case you have not noticed, the internship market is hotter than August right now! Internships are an amazing opportunity for students, but established professionals are also finding value in internships when making a career shift.

You will notice that every major company has a slew of internship opportunities in the leads below.

Students
If you are in school right now, an internship is pretty much a mandatory option if you want to increase your market value when you graduate (i.e. get a job). Grades are certainly important, but across the board, employers value internship experience much more. Taking an internship builds your credibility, develops professional skills, increases your network, and helps you figure out your career direction. Additionally, if you are a “hands-on” learner, you might find an internship to be your most valuable educational experience to date.

Professionals
Internships are not just for students any more! Making a career shift means that you will often have to take cut in pay and position while you learn a new industry and skillset. Since internships can be flexible, some professionals are able to work them around their current job, thereby enabling them to accelerate their transition. If you decide you return to school to retool yourself, it is IMPERATIVE that you start looking for internships right away. Many employers value older, more mature interns and the skills that they bring.

One last note, the best internships are often created, not found online. If you want to find out how to develop your own internship, or, if you need help setting up an internship program at your workplace, contact me here and we can set up a time to meet. For more internship tips and advice, listen to the show I did on NPR here.

What do I want to do when I grow up?

A fireman? A doctor? It seems that very few people know what they want to do when they grow up. Personally, at the age of six, I was convinced that I would be a dentist. Today, with hundreds of options to select from, it is increasingly difficult to navigate career decisions. Whether choosing a college major or finding a satisfying career, there are a number of actions that you can take to ensure your career hunt is successful:

1)   Know yourself. Each person has a unique “blend” of strengths/talents, personality traits, and interests which have likely been embedded in them since childhood. By discovering those talents and fostering them, you will gain clarity about the occupations that would match you best. This is the foundation.

2)   Know your reality. Perhaps the most misleading career advice that I have heard is to follow your bliss. Heeding this advice, many folks have formed their entire identity and purpose around their careers, only to find that they can’t pay the bills or that their dream job actually had a dark side (too many hours, limited growth, etc.). Few people in life actually find the “perfect” job that fulfills them. Still, you CAN discover a great career that is meaningful and purposeful within the bounds of reality. Start by thinking through what you expect your lifestyle to look like and identify the baseline salary that will support it. Satisfaction in a career that plays your heart strings might conflict with the lifestyle that you want to lead (if not now, then in the future). The good news is that within an individual’s unique mix of strengths, there are likely more than a dozen fantastic career options to choose from. Never stop dreaming but always keep your eyes open.

3)   Values. Do you need benefits in your job? How about time off? Aside from strengths and interests, each person bring a distinct set of values to their career hunt. Matching your strengths and personality with occupations can help you identify a list of potential career paths, but your values – the guiding principles of your life – often chop down your options quickly. For instance, in college I strongly considered pursuing a career in physical therapy (which I am sure I would have loved) because it involved exercise, was very relational, and focused on helping people. However, at the time I could not see myself pursuing a Ph.D so I pursued a different path.

4)    Pick a direction, not a destination. If you have ever worked with me on your job search, you know that I am adamant about running a targeted job hunt that focuses your efforts. However, when it comes to your career direction, I advise to keep your long-term options open and focus on a direction, not a destination. Because new occupations are developing each year (no one heard of Search Engine Optimization a decade ago), you often cannot pinpoint your future goal. However, armed with the knowledge of your strengths, talent, and personality traits, you can aim toward a general direction and navigate the winds of change as they come.

5)   Find accountability. A career hunt is a lot of work and while it should be exciting, it can also have moments of fear, confusion, and discouragement. To keep going, enlist the help of a friend, spouse, or coach who can keep you on track and check-in on the goals you have set for yourself. A successful career hunt is totally self-initiated but having a travel buddy or a support group can make all the difference.

As always, happy careering!