FEATURE
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costs of these courses.
Even if you are being paid, you should still check and see if you are eligible to receive credit. Noland says lots of companies offer students both financial compensation and school credit for their work. Paid or unpaid, Noland says you should view your internship as an educational opportunity, especially if you are receiving credit, and should be sure that you are learning from your experience. If you find yourself spending the majority of your time filing, running errands or are unhappy with your experience, speak with your supervisor and see if there is other work you can do.
MAKE A GOOD IMPRESSION
Remember, you are being watched. Whether you notice it or not, people in the office are watching to see what kind of work you can produce and evaluate your professionalism in a work environment. Joleene Phillips, assistant director of the business school career center, says an internship is essentially a three or four month-long interview. She says you should use that time to your advantage to impress your boss and coworkers.
This can start with your appearance. Even if you find yourself at a company that has a more casual dress code, dressing up makes a lasting impression. Sara Johnson, Shawnee senior, has an internship at KVS Health Systems Inc. in Kansas City and says she thinks it is better to be overdressed than underdressed. She says in her first few weeks at her internship she wore nice slacks and a blouse to work and studied what her coworkers wore and dressed accordingly. Johnson's supervisor, Jenny Wolf,
says she was impressed by her professionalism and noted that Johnson made the effort to ask about the dress code in the office during her interview.
Professionalism goes far beyond the way you dress. Phillips says it is important for interns to keep the workplace strictly professional and says interns need to remember that employers and coworkers are not their friends. Phillips says certain activities that are appropriate on campus, such as listening to your iPod or texting, are not appropriate in an office setting. Even if you see coworkers with earbuds in or on their cell phones, it does not mean it is okay for you to do the same.
Another way to impress your coworkers is to be informed about the company. Do your homework. Use the Internet to your advantage and read about the history and current actions of the company. Phillips says being familiar with your work environment before starting will not only impress your boss, but will better prepare you for your internship.
Ferguson, account executive, says a big quality she notices in an intern is their attitude. She says you should "always accept an assignment with a smile." A negative attitude doesn't help anyone and it makes you look bad. Ferguson says a big issue that a lot of employers have with this generation of workers is that they think they are better than the job they are asked to do. She says part of being an intern is working on mundane assignments and advises students to address the boring assignments the same as they do the fun ones. "If they have a negative attitude it isn't going to get the work done faster," Ferguson says.
Photo illustration by Howard Ting Link up: Social media can also help in the professional world with networking sites like LinkedIn. The site can help you stay in touch with contacts and each out to future employers.
Marian Salzman, president of Euro RSCG Worldwide, says she sees different kinds of workers from this generation. "My own impression is there is a huge range from massively productive co-creators to insanely hard-to-manage narcissists," Salzman says. A bad attitude will land you in the latter category and make you stand out in a negative way.
If you want to get noticed in a positive way, Noland, career advisor, says you should be the first one there and the last one to leave. She says a lot people you are working with may have to leave at a specific time, but if you can stay later you should. Ferguson says she absolutely notices if an intern is there early or stays late and that it says a lot about their work ethic if they are willing to put in extra time.
The best way to make a great impression is to take the initiative to give your opinion. You're there to learn. Don't be afraid to speak up. Ferguson says Barkley wants interns who are going to take an assignment and see how they can make it better. She says they should use what they've learned in their own experiences in school and life to make the project better.
NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK
The main reason internships are so alluring is because students hope it will turn into a full-time job or other opportunity. Ferguson says she works directly with six people who were former interns, five of which were hired in the last five years. She herself started as an intern at Barkley before she was offered a full-time position.
Making a good impression is a vital part of getting a job, but that isn't always enough. You also have to be remembered. Noland says students shouldn't be afraid to speak up or introduce themselves to people they work with.
Nathan Bremer, advising specialist for the economic department, says creating and maintaining contacts after the end of your internships is important not only to potentially secure a job, but also to gain references when applying for other career opportunities. He says taking advantage of social networking is a great way for students to stay in contact with coworkers.
Bremer says creating a profile on LinkedIn, a
social media website focused on professional relationships, will help you stay connected to the company you worked for. A great resume isn't always enough to land a job. The best way to get hired is to know someone who already works for the company. An internship provides a foot in the door, but you have to maintain contacts to keep that door open.
Leaving a good impression and making the most out of your internship can help you land future job prospects. Justin Bousy, a KU graduate, says his internship at a hospital in London is the reason he got into graduate school at NYU. "It was completely worth it," Byous says. "It was the best choice I made in college." Jp
5 REASONS TO GET LINKED IN
1. Stay Connected - LinkedIn
helps you stay in contact with old co-workers and maintain a stream of communication between you and your past employer.
2. Make Contact - LinkedIn hosts thousands of companies and their employees who can view your profile and whose profiles you can view add to your network.
3. Get Recommended - LinkedIn allows for previous employers to recommend you and the work you did for them.
4. Get Answers - LinkedIn features industry experts who are willing to answer your questions.
5. Find a Job - LinkedIn shows job openings in your field(s) of interest on your home page every time you log in.
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BY JUSTINE PATTON
jpatton@kansan.com
Many college students think they are too young to worry about breast cancer. But Jenny McKee, a health educator at the Wellness Resource Center in Watkins Memorial Health Center, said breast cancer doesn't only affect moms, aunts and grandmas — college students are at risk too.
"One in four women are affected by breast cancer at some point in their lives," McKee said. "When we look at that depiction and how many females are on campus, it's quite alarming how many students are going to be affected by breast cancer."
But there is good news as well. According to the American Cancer Society, death rates from breast cancer have declined significantly among women younger than 50 since 1990.
In order to continue this trend, Patty Quinlan, the nursing supervisor at Watkins Memorial Health Center, said women needed to
continue to take control of their breast health.
Quinlan said one of the main steps young women can take is to pencil a breast self-exam into their schedules once a month. Quinlan said women should have started doing monthly breast self-exams when their breasts started to develop, which is about age 13. Exams need to be done on a regular basis to be effective.
Heather Steinle, a senior from Olathe, said although she knows how to do a breast self-exam, she has never done them on a regular basis.
"Things get busy, and it just doesn't happen." Steinle said.
Breast self-exams are easy to learn how to do, and only take about five minutes to complete.
Quinlan said while women are doing breast self-exams, there are a few red flags they should be on the lookout for, such as lumps.
"It's so easy to do preventative measures that you would have to ask yourself, 'Why not?' Quinlan said.
Discharge from the nipple or any discolorations on the breast are two other signs that something could be wrong. While these symptoms do not always mean breast cancer, Quinlan said students should still check in with their doctors to make sure everything is OK.
These lungs will not be i- bibly noticeable, which is why it's important to do monthly breast exams so women know what their normal tissue feels like, Quinlan said.
"If anything has appeared that wasn't there before, it needs to be checked out by your physician right away," Quinlan said. "Then, if the physicians tell them that it's normal, then they've learned something."
Quinlan said the rest of the steps college-aged women could take to protect themselves from breast cancer included the basics: a good night's sleep, less stress, regular exercise and good nutrition.
Edited by Lisa Curran
A sign marking the annual fundraising event "Greek in Pink" hangs on a tree outside Wescoe Hall. The event is organized by all 45 chapters in all four greek councils. They participate by donating a ribbon. This ribbon represents Sigma Kappa sorority. Proceeds from the event benefit Lawrence Memorial Hospital.
Ben Pirotte/KANSAN
VOLLEYBALL|10A
Proceeds from the match against Iowa State will go to breast cancer research. The match is part of Jayhawks for a Cure, a series of Kansas sporting events that aims to raise money and awareness.
Saturday's game about more than volleyball
Listening to the bells toll on campus
ARTS|3A
Elizabeth Berghout, resident carillonneur, has decided to play at the Campanile twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays, instead of once on Sundays, as she did last year.
PARKING | 3A
Parking permit rules frustrate some faculty
Switching near-campus lots from yellow to blue leaves students with fewer options. But it also closes parking lots to certain faculty and staff.
INDEX
Classifieds...8B
Crossword...4A
Cryptoquips...4A
Opinion...5A
Sports...10A
Sudoku...4A
WEATHER
TODAY 89 50
Sunny
SATURDAY
86 51
Sunny
SUNDAY
82 51
Thunderstorms weather conditions
All contents, unless stated otherwise; © 2010 The University Daily Kansan
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