How to Make the Most of Your Summer Internship

by Marthe Druska, Senior Associate Director, Employer Relations and Development

As the end of the academic year approaches, many students are preparing to begin summer internships in a wide range of fields across the country and around the world. Whether you’re headed off to your dream internship or into a temporary position that’s just meant to pay the bills, here are some important tips for making the most of your experience:

1. Be on time. This may seem commonsense (because it is), but being punctual at your internship is of the utmost importance. This doesn’t just apply to the first few weeks on the job--we mean the entire summer. Even the Monday morning after your significant other was visiting for the weekend? Yes. Even the day after you returned from a vacation with your family? Yes. Even the very last day of your internship, when all of your projects are done and you’re just showing up for a farewell lunch? Yes. Be on time to your internship every single day. Punctuality shows an employer that you are reliable and that they can count on you to be in the office when they need you. And since you likely want your summer employer to either offer you a full-time job or serve as a fantastic reference for future applications, you definitely want that person to know they can count on you.


2. Dress the Part. The transition from classroom casual (sweatpants and yesterday’s semi-clean t-shirt) to business casual (somewhat dressy clothing that is clean and ironed) can be a jarring one when first starting out. Dressing well for a position doesn’t stop after the interview (although check out this article for tips on proper interview dress and presentation). You need to dress professionally and appropriately every time you show up at the office. Don’t let the day that you go to work in ripped jeans and flip flops be the day that your supervisor calls in sick and asks you to deliver an important document to the director of the company. As a general rule, plan to overdress on your first day of work--that is, wear an outfit that you would wear to an interview. Take stock of how the other staff in the office dress, and then aim to dress slightly better than they do. Why? Because they already have full-time jobs. If you want to stand out as an intern, make sure you’re doing so on all fronts.


3. Do your work. You may be thinking, “Well, what else would I do?”, but picture this: it’s 3:45 PM on a Friday afternoon in July. The weather outside is perfect: 85 degrees outside, with a sunny blue sky. Your roommate has already texted you twice to say that he is on his way to the beach/pool/your favorite coffee shop with an outdoor patio. You, however, have been pouring over a spreadsheet, analyzing data for the past three hours, and you have at least three more hours of this ahead of you before you’ll be done for the day. What do you do? Don’t leave the office! Unless you have express permission from your immediate supervisor, resist the urge to cut corners, fail to see projects through to completion or just flake out in general. It only takes one slip-up to make a bad impression on an employer. And while you may think that it’s “only” a summer internship, the connections you make at your internship can easily influence your next step. Which brings us to…


4. Network. We know--you hate it. If you have to hear about the importance of networking one more time, you’re going to throw your laptop out the window. You don’t want to contact complete strangers, and you especially don’t want to become buddies with that weird guy down the hall who always wants to talk about his latest family vacation. Too bad. Networking--with your fellow interns, with other staff in your place of work, with alumni on the Alumni Careers Network (yes, that’s a shameless plug)--is crucial to your continued career development. Make an effort to get to know the people who work in your office. What do they do, where did they come from, and what advice do they have for a college student who wants to work in the same field they are in? Then, stay in touch. As you approach the end of your internship, ask your colleagues if you can take their business cards, and if you can be in touch in the future with questions about your resume and positions that might be a good fit for you. If you’ve made a really good impression, they may even contact you when positions open up that you might be interested in.


5. Be a team player. In many job descriptions, after the listing of responsibilities and qualifications for the position, there is the caveat that reads something like “Other duties as assigned.” For a summer internship, these “other duties” can range from pitching in on a brainstorming session to taking out the trash. So go into your internship prepared to do just about anything. Don’t be intimidated if you’re asked to be part of a high-level project--they hired you for a reason, and they value your work. Likewise, don’t turn your nose up at menial, clerical or manual labor that you might be asked to do. Like it or not, you’re an intern, which means you’re at the bottom of the totem pole. If someone asks you to do something unappealing, do it well, and do it with a smile. Being willing to pitch in and help out at all times makes you stand out, and standing out (in a good way) is what you want at the end of the day.


6. Stay late. We know. You’ve been at work since 8:30 AM. You had to get up at 6:00 AM and ride the subway for an hour and a half to get there. Now, it’s 5:00 PM and all the other interns are going to the bar downstairs for happy hour, but your supervisor needs help finishing up a last minute presentation. What do you? By now, we hope the answer is obvious—you stay late and help your supervisor. This goes back to being a team player. If there’s an opportunity to step up and help out, regardless of the time of day, take it.


7. Watch your behavior (and your mouth) outside of the office. It’s 7:00 PM and you've finally finished the presentation you were slaving over all day. Luckily, all the other interns are still at the bar downstairs, three drinks in and SO excited that you finally made it. Here’s the moment of truth. Are you going to be able to resist the urge to immediately drink four drinks—just to catch up—and make a fool of yourself? There is a time and a place for revelry, but that time and place is not when you're with your co-workers (not even if they're fellow interns). This means no over-indulging when you’re at the office happy hour, no gossiping about other interns or co-workers, and, if you learn nothing else from this post, no posing for inappropriate photos that will inevitably end up on Facebook! Seriously, we promise you won’t think they’re nearly as funny five years from now, so just avoid embarrassment and swear off cameras when you’re out socializing.

For more tips about preparing for your internship and making the most of your summer, make an appointment with a CAPS staff member by calling (773) 702 – 7040.

Still looking for a summer internship? There still a variety of summer internships listed on Chicago Career Connection. Log on today to view your options, and then come to CAPS for help creating a targeted resume and cover letter.

I Want To Do Sales, But I Don’t Like People

by Keith Dipple, Assistant Director, Employer Relations and Development

“What can I do for you today?” I asked the student in my office.

“I wanna be a trader,” he said. “Have done ever since I can remember. I don’t want to do, try or be anything else. It’s trading or bust.” He’d convinced me up that point, so I thought I’d ask the most sensible question.

“You like taking risks then?”

He looked surprised, sat back slightly and said, “Ooh, no. I don’t like risk. Never have.”

There are many types of businesses that make up the world we refer to as “financial services,” and just because you are a good fit in one doesn’t mean you will be in another. They all require different skill sets and traits. Now, this doesn’t mean that introverts can’t be good sales people, but it sure helps to be a tad outgoing. What I offer here are some simple guidelines as to what you’ll need in just a few select areas—trading , sales, equity research, investment banking and private wealth management.

To be a good trader you need to buy low and sell high, for the other way around is a shortcut to a very quick end to your career. But that is no more than 20% of the job, because lots of people can do that when times are normal and markets stable. But what about when they’re anything but, you find yourself $500,000 down, and the boss is looking at you wondering what your next move will be? How will you react? Do you have that rare ability to think logically under extreme pressure while maintaining the same level of rationale that you had when you opened the position? Think carefully, because psychiatrists say that only one in 1,000 people can actually say “yes” to the last questions, which is why most people chose to do something else for a living. It’s 80% of the job, so the ability to think clearly and logically when chaos surrounds you is vital.

What about sales? Well you may have heard about the four P’s in Marketing 101 (product, price, place, promotion), but you need the three P’s in sales: product, price and personality. Imagine you’re on the sales desk at ABC Bank selling currency options. Your trading desk is great, especially the woman who trades the Dollar against Yen. So you have the product and you have the price, but so does DEF International, GHI Trust and JKL Bros. So how will you sell $/Yen to your clients when these things don’t differentiate you? Easy—make them like you more than they like the competition. In short, do you have the personality? Sales are all about dealing with people, and to do that, you’ve got to get them to like you. (And it helps if you like them too.)

With equity research, you need to know about equities, and you need to know how to, well, research. But once you’ve done your homework you will have to pitch your stock and convince your bosses or clients why the one you’re advocating for is the best at that moment in time. For this you will need superior presentations skills (no animation or sound effects on your PowerPoints, please) and the ability to write and communicate well. But you’re also going to have to defend your pitch in front of people who are there to pick it apart piece by piece, so you need to have a very thick skin and the fortitude to not take things personally. Those who are attracted to equity research—but offended if someone calls them a silly rabbit--need not apply.

Investment banking, or “I-banking” if you’re hip and trendy (or simply IB for those of us who are fully paid up members), is not for anyone worried about beauty sleep. It’s about hard, grind-it-out work, incredible attention to detail, and dedication that borders on the insane. But it’s also about immense creativity and finding new and inventive ways to satisfy clients’ needs while making money for your institution. To be successful here you have to be an innovator and a superior critical thinker. Is it good money? Sure. But that’s the worst reason to go into it. The best reason is because you want to work shoulder to shoulder with staggeringly smart, motivated and successful people in the ultimate meritocracy. Good money? Yes—but you’ll earn every single penny of it.

Private Wealth Management (PWM) combines many of the traits needed for all the roles I’ve discussed already. You’re going to have to understand markets like a trader, get on with people a la sales, be able to get your ideas across to experts and laymen alike, just like in equity research, and you’re also going to have to be innovative and work like a dog to be successful—as if made for IB. You always have to look good and display charm while inwardly getting ready to kill the competition. You are a living paradox because you must be a friendly, smiling assassin.

So there you have it. We have scratched the surface and taken a look at the most important qualities needed for a few roles in financial services. Ask yourself the question, which one do I like the most? Now ask yourself, which one do I best fit? Are they different? Hmmm…food for thought guys, food for thought.

Keith Dipple worked in financial services for more than twenty years before joining CAPS as an Assistant Director for Employer Relations and Development. Keith advises students who are interested in careers in financial services and technology. To make an appointment with Keith, call the CAPS reception desk at (773) 702-7040.

All the Right Answers

by Laurel Mylonas-Orwig

Last week, I wrote about the importance of asking good questions in an interview. If you do your research prior to the interview, and think critically about why you want the position, you can impress the interviewer with your preparation, insight and interest. But as important as asking good questions is, an equally (probably more) important part of the interview is answering the employer’s questions well. After all, the point of an interview is for the interviewer to get to know you in a professional context! And no matter how good your questions are, if you bumble your way through the rest of the interview, you probably won’t get the job.

To get ready for an interview, consider what questions you might encounter, and then prepare yourself accordingly. Below is a list of ten of the most common interview questions—culled from experience and the all-knowing Internet—as well as advice about how to answer them. Of course, every interview will be different, and you should try not to over-prepare…you don’t want to sound like a robot or an actor just reciting lines. If you’re having a difficult time finding the right balance, remember that you can always schedule a mock interview at CAPS by calling (773) 702-7040. Your practice interviewer will be able to give you advice and feedback about your interviewing style, and pointers on how to improve. Remember: interviewing is a skill, and as with most skills, the more you practice, the better you’ll get.

Tell me about yourself.
This is one of the most common questions to start an interview with, and it can be a really tough question to answer because it’s very broad. Additionally, most people have a hard time talking about themselves, especially in a laudatory way. The best thing to do is keep your answer short and relevant. Touch on your education and work history, current life situation, and a few details about how/why you became interested in the position. The interviewer doesn’t need to hear where you were born or how you ended up in a particular city, but he or she is interested in learning why you are interested in the field that you are now applying to work in.

Why are you interested in this position?
If you didn’t include this information in your answer to the first question, this is the time for you to highlight how and why you’re great for this position. Try to avoid self-descriptions like the “ideal” or “perfect” candidate (no one is perfect), but feel free to talk about relevant experiences and accomplishments that fit well with the job description. You can also include information about why you’re looking for a job, but if you do, stay positive. Bad-mouthing a current or former employer won’t score you any points with the interviewer.

Why are you interested in working for XYZ Company?
This is a chance for you to let your preparation show. You will have done your homework, so address anything you’ve learned about the company that you found interesting or exciting. As always, stay positive and enthusiastic. “Because I need to make money” may be the honest answer, but in an interview, discretion is certainly the better part of valor.

What relevant experience and/or skills do you have?
If you have relevant experience in spades, this will be a straight-forward answer. If not, a little more creativity may be required. Draw on co-curricular interests and hobbies to paint a picture of why you’re qualified. Be careful not to lie, though—if you don’t know what a vlookup is, don’t tell the interviewer you’re a master of Excel.

How would your current/previous coworkers or supervisor describe you?
Hopefully, your coworkers and supervisors would use nothing but superlatives to describe you. However, if expletives are more likely, now is NOT the time for full disclosure. Again, don’t lie—you never know who the interviewer might know—but try to find a way to maintain a positive tone. If you’ve ever gotten a really nice compliment from a coworker, this is a good time for specific quotations.

How well do you work when under pressure?
The super-obvious (and correct) answer to this is “Very well” or something along those lines. You can say this in a variety of ways: you work well under pressure, you prefer working under pressure, you thrive on a challenge. Whatever you say, keep it positive and as close to the truth as possible. After all, if the reality is that pressure gives you hives, your employer will find that out if they hire you. If you have to lie to get the job, you probably shouldn’t be in that position.

What’s your greatest strength?
This is a chance for you to toot your own horn, which can be difficult for some people. If you have trouble talking about yourself, pick one quality you’re proud of and give a relevant example. If you could be Narcissus’ twin brother, try to keep your answer short. Arrogance, even when warranted, is never an attractive quality. Also important: the employer is looking for a work-related answer. This may seem obvious, but now is not the time to boast about your beer pong prowess. Instead, give an example of a skills that translate well into any work environment, like stellar organizational skills or the ability to do eight different things while walking and chewing gum (if one of those actually is a strength of yours).

What’s your biggest weakness?
The key to this one is positivity. Although there might be a number of things you feel you could improve in yourself, this is not the time to make a list as long as your arm. Answer the question honestly by picking one small, work-related flaw and giving an example of how you’re working to improve it. Whatever you do, don’t say that you don’t have any flaws (that’s just a lie) or that you’re “too good at your job” or some such nonsense. You might be great at your job, but everyone can improve in some respect.

Would you rather be liked or feared?
This is a trick question: you’d rather be respected. You don’t want to say “feared” because this gives the impression that you’d be hard to work with. You don’t want to say “liked” because this could mean you’ll be a human doormat. If your coworkers respect you, you can get the job done and still have friends afterward—the best of both worlds.

What kind of salary are you looking for?
This can be a tough one, especially for young job seekers. Be realistic, but be careful. If you throw out a low ball estimate, you may not be making as much as you could. If you go high, the employer may pass you over. The best answer is to ask about what this position has earned in the past and what qualifications they consider when making salary decisions. This is also another opportunity to show that you’ve done your research. Use sites like salary.com to get an idea of what an average employee at that or a comparable company makes. Then, if pressed, you can throw out a range. But always end with “However, I’m flexible with regard to salary, given my interest in this position/organization.”

Is there a popular question that got left off the list? Leave a comment below!

All the Right Questions

by Laurel Mylonas-Orwig

There’s an old adage that says “no question is a stupid question.” Now, usually I’m the person grumbling in the back of the room when this particular axiom is trotted out at meetings or workshops, because I believe that there are, in fact, stupid questions. Personal feelings aside, however, I realized recently that this saying is very applicable to interview situations—albeit, in a slightly different incarnation. When you get the opportunity for an interview, it’s important to make the most of your time with an employer. One way to make yourself stand out is by asking questions—and asking good questions. Because as they (should) say, in an interview, asking no questions is stupid!

But what is a good question? To answer this, first think about the objective of a job interview. You want to show the employer that you are intelligent, interested, and well-qualified. You also want to show that you have thought about why you would like to be doing this job, beyond the monetary gratification of a paycheck. Finally, you want to demonstrate what makes you special—i.e. why an employer should choose you over another applicant. This is a lot to accomplish in a 20 to 30 minute interview. But if you utilize your time and ask good questions, you can put yourself head and shoulders above other candidates.

The first step is to do your homework. Before you go to an interview, research the company. Read their website. Find out what news they’ve been making lately. If you know someone who works in the company, talk to them. By the time you walk into the interview, you should have a good grasp of the organization’s mission and focus. If you’ve taken the time to do your research well, you can really impress the interviewer. One hiring manager told me that a candidate she’d interviewed recently had been so well-prepared that the candidate knew more about the company’s website than the interviewer! “It really gave her an edge in the process,” the hiring manger said. “I knew she was interested in the position because she’d taken the time to read through the entire website, and asked really insightful questions about the information on it.”

The second step is to consider what you need to know before you accept a job offer from the company. I know that nowadays it seems like any job is better than no job, but as someone who has suffered through some pretty awful jobs in the past, I think it’s important to be honest with yourself about whether a position—and a company—would be a good fit for you. Thus, in an interview, a good question to ask is “What is the corporate culture like?” You can usually get a sense of this from the company literature and by paying attention in the waiting area, but it’s still good to hear what the interviewer thinks. Another great question to ask is “If you could change one thing about the culture, what would it be?” This is a nice way of asking if there’s something you should know ahead of time—like that everyone is always expected to stay late. If you turn into a pumpkin at 5:00 PM, that may not be the position for you.

The third, and perhaps most important step, is to find out what the interviewer is looking for in a successful applicant. Somewhere beyond the dry language of a job description is a live person who will want you to meet their expectations. Therefore, you need to know what those expectations are. Ask, “What qualities do you look for in a successful applicant?” This question is great because it accomplishes three tasks: it tells you what you need to know, it gives you the opportunity to further address experiences you’ve had that would fit well with the qualities the employer lists, and it shows the interviewer that your priorities are in line with their expectations. A good follow-up to this question is, "How are candidates evaluated and what's the measure of success?" This will help you make sure that you know how to excel in the position if you get it.

At the end of an interview, the last question you should always ask is “What are the next steps in the process?” This will give you an idea of when you can expect a response, what the hiring time frame is, and if you will be expected to meet with anyone else before a decision is made. It will also let you know when you should follow-up if you haven’t heard anything, so that you aren’t left waiting and wondering indefinitely.

To help you get started on your own list of interview questions, see my sample list below. And remember, if you ever have questions or want to set up a mock-interview appointment, CAPS is here to help!

Great Interview Questions:

• What is the corporate culture like?
• If you could change one thing about the culture, what would it be?
• What qualities do you look for in a successful applicant?
• How are candidates evaluated and what’s the measure of success?
• Why is this position available?
• Is this a new position? How long has this position existed?
• How many people have held this position in the last two years?
• Who would be my supervisor?
• How would you describe the supervisor’s management style?
• With whom will I be working most closely?
• What kind of turnover rate does the company have?
• What projects and assignments will I be working on?
• What are the current problems facing the company (or my department)?
• What attracted you (the interviewer) to this organization?
• Why do you enjoy working for this company?
• What are the most challenging aspects of this position?
• **My personal favorite: Is there anything I didn’t ask you that I should have?

What’s your favorite question to ask in an interview? Leave a comment below!

Are You Sabotaging Your Search?

by Laurel Mylonas-Orwig

It seems like a college rite of passage nowadays—after a night of revelry, you wake up to find some less-than-flattering pictures of yourself tagged on Facebook. As a militant de-tagger, I have offended many a Facebook friend by refusing to allow their “cute” (read: hideous) picture of me to remain in my profile. But vanity aside, de-tagging certain types of pictures is pretty important when it comes to your job search. Now that anyone with an email account can create a Facebook profile—and thus search for your Facebook profile—surreptitious snooping on the part of potential employers, via Facebook and other social networking sites, is a growing trend. In fact, research commissioned by Microsoft in December 2009 found that 79 percent of United States hiring managers and job recruiters surveyed had reviewed online information about job applicants. Most said that what they find online is likely to impact their selection criteria—and an overwhelming 70 percent of hiring managers in the study said that they have rejected candidates in the past based on what they found out online. Suddenly, that funny picture of you in a toga with a pineapple on your head may not seem so amusing.

So what steps can you take to protect yourself from inadvertent online reputation suicide? First and foremost, know what’s out there about you. Act like you’re going on a blind date and Google yourself—then think seriously about what you would think about what pops up. If you didn’t know the story behind that facetious blog “rant” you posted, would you think it was funny? Or is it something that perhaps is best left unsaid? New CNN contributor Erick Erickson learned that lesson recently after he took flak for his past incendiary political statements. His response when asked about one of the particularly vitriolic quotations? “That was about the dumbest thing I’ve ever done.” Unfortunately, while he may know that now, the blog post that quote is from is still there for anyone to read. While this didn’t prevent CNN from hiring him, you may not be so lucky, so watch what you put out there. A good rule is if you don’t want your grandmother reading/viewing it, don’t put it on the Internet.

Second, embrace Facebook’s de-tagging feature. Yes, you may offend people, and yes, you may be sad to lose some of those pictures. However, in the contest between your favorite silly pictures and your professional reputation—well, there isn’t one. If you just can’t bear to part with them, download your favorites, or at least move them into an album that only you and a few select others can see. A word of warning, though: as long as you leave a picture posted and accessible to others, you will never be able to fully control who sees it. Thus, make sure you’re ready to deal with any consequences that may lead to.

As long as we’re talking about Facebook, remember to check your privacy settings. A great New York Times article published in January detailed how the changes Facebook made in December may have affected who can view your profile and personal information. If you haven’t manually selected your privacy settings since the updates were made, you should do so immediately. As the Times article notes, “…most Facebook users likely opted for the recommended settings without really understanding what they were agreeing to. If you did so, you may now be surprised to find that you inadvertently gave Facebook the right to publicize your private information including status updates, photos, and shared links.” Don’t wait until you get a nasty surprise—check these settings now and save yourself a future headache.

Finally, make social networking—and the Internet—work for you. If you’ve been to CAPS anytime in the last few years, you’ve probably heard about how important networking is. It’s not always the easiest thing to do, but if you ask any CAPS counselor, we can tell you tale after tale illustrating how beneficial it can be. Sites like LinkedIn make it easier than ever to establish professional connections, and I can tell you from personal experience that employers do use LinkedIn to check out their applicants. Thus, it’s to your benefit to make as many connections as possible, because you never know when your friend’s cousin’s sister might be able to help you get a foot (or at least a finger) in the door.

The bottom line is that nowadays it’s easier than ever to find out more about someone, and for job seekers that can be a huge benefit. However, the Internet, like any other tool, can be just as damaging as it is useful. As Microsoft Chief Privacy Strategist Peter Cullen said in a recent article, “Everyone should think critically about the image they’re digitally portraying.” If that portrait is not a favorable or accurate one, you may well be sabotaging your search, which is obviously not what you want to do. After all, getting a job these days is already hard enough! The good news is that by taking just a few minutes to assess your online reputation, you can make it work in your favor, and increase your chances of landing a great position.

Do you have questions about how to manage your online reputation? The CAPS staff is always here to help with any job search quandaries. Click here to make an appointment with a counselor!

Finding a Great Summer Opportunity

by Laurel Mylonas-Orwig

Now that it’s April and the first week of Spring Quarter is already gone, you may feel the pressure mounting to find the perfect summer opportunity, if you haven’t already. As a student at this university, I had planned on taking classes in the summer between my third and fourth years. When I suddenly realized this wasn’t possible (for a variety of reasons), it was already the third week of April, and all of my friends had already secured internships and other opportunities. I was left feeling panicked and uncertain about how I would fill my time—and more importantly, how I would pay rent!

Fortunately for me, there were still a few Jeff Metcalf Fellows internship opportunities floating around, and the good folks at CAPS helped me pin down my own (nearly) perfect internship. If the beginning of this story sounds familiar to you, the first step is not to panic—with planning, a little bit of research and the assistance of on-campus resources like CAPS, you too can find you own happy summer ending. And it may be that that opportunity won’t necessarily be an internship—besides internships, there are a variety of other great options you may not have heard about. Read on to learn more!

1. Planning Resources and Involvement for Students in the Majors (PRISM)
   The PRISM program was created to support the educational goals of the College, and to address three major concerns of liberal arts education: building a departmental, intellectual home for undergraduate majors, increasing student awareness of CAPS resources and services and, helping students understand and articulate the skills and knowledge gained through their liberal arts education. Run by Deborah Neibel, Associate Director for Undergraduate Preparation at CAPS, PRISM serves students in eight majors: Anthropology, Art History, English, History, Human Development, Philosophy, Political Science and Psychology. In addition to several departmentally specific programs, PRISM features two research grants: PRISM Research Grants, funded by the College, and Seidel Scholars PRISM Grants, funded by a generous donation from the Larry R. and Kathleen Gilles Seidel Charitable Trust. Both of these grants offer PRISM students the opportunity to propose and fund their own research projects over the summer. In addition, students have the chance to present their work at a Research Symposium in October. For students interested in doing graduate work in the future, or for those who have a specific BA project in mind, PRISM grants are a wonderful opportunity to receive funding to study something you love.
   
   This year, PRISM Research Grant applications are due on April 23rd. Seidel Scholars PRISM Grant applications are due on May 3rd. To learn more about the PRISM program, find out how to apply for a grant, or read abstracts of the research done by past grant recipients, click here to visit the CAPS website.


2. Chicago Careers in Journalism (CCIJ) Internship Grant Program
   The CCIJ program supports students who are interested in pursuing careers in publishing or journalism. Through College funding, CCIJ is proud to offer grants to students who have secured unpaid internships at established news organizations around the world. Each grant is $3000, and students are expected to complete 300 hours of work for the organization. This year, applications are due on April 22nd. To learn more about the program and find out how to apply, click here to visit the CAPS website.


3. The Jeff Metcalf Fellows Program
   Likely the best known internship program on campus, the Jeff Metcalf Fellows program works with the College and external employers to offer paid, substantive internships to undergraduates during the summer and the academic year. This year, more than 350 internship opportunities have been posted. Although many deadlines have passed, internships are posted on a rolling basis, and many are still available. In addition, new ones are being posted almost every day. Check Chicago Career Connection (accessible through the CAPS homepage) often for a full list of internships still accepting applications. To find out more about the program, learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply, or read profiles from past Fellows, click here to visit the CAPS website.


4. Internships for Credit
   As you may have read recently in the New York Times, unpaid internships, especially at for-profit institutions, can be illegal. To allow students to still be able to take advantage of unpaid internship opportunities, CAPS and the College have partnered to offer an internship for credit class. The class, which meets once in the spring and once in the fall, requires the student to submit a short paper after the internship is completed detailing the experience. To find out more, contact Rachael Ward in the CAPS office (rcward@uchicago.edu) or click here to visit the CAPS website.


5. Internship Databases and Career Fairs
   If you’re looking for an outside opportunity, or feel that you have exhausted the possibilities in Chicago Career Connection, consider using the NIC and UCAN internship databases. These internship consortia draw on opportunities posted by a variety of schools, so that you can, in effect, have access to the internships posted for Harvard or Brown students, just as they have access to our internships. To start your search, log into your Chicago Career Connection account from the CAPS homepage using your CNET credentials, and choose the appropriate link.
   
   For those students who have some free time this coming Friday, April 9th, the Big Ten Career Fair will be taking place at the DePaul Center (1 E. Jackson St.) downtown from 1:00pm to 4:00pm. More than 80 organizations will be in attendance, so this is a great opportunity to do some networking and find out more about potential internship opportunities. Log in to your Chicago Career Connection account to view a list of participating organizations.

No matter where your search takes you, remember that the staff of CAPS is here to help. Don’t hesitate to make an appointment by calling (773) 702-7040, or drop by for walk-ins. We are always happy to assist you in any way we can!

Cover Letters: Show, Don't Tell

by Laurel Mylonas-Orwig

Let’s face it—writing a good cover letter is not an easy task. The ideal cover letter will highlight your relevant experience and qualifications, convey to the employer why you would be a valuable employee, and make you stand out of the crowd. To top it off, it needs to do all of that in a single page! This can certainly be a challenge, which is likely why many job seekers latch on to certain phrases and stick with them. These “career buzzwords” may seem like they get your point across, but such overused phrases usually only irritate the hiring manager. Instead of telling the employer about your attributes, a much better strategy is to “show” them, by giving examples pulled from your past work and volunteer experience.

Here are the top six phrases to avoid:

1. Reliable/Trustworthy


2. Team player


3. Good communicator


4. Problem solver


5. Well organized/Detail-oriented


6. Work well under pressure

It’s important to note that hiring mangers definitely are looking for these attributes, so I’m certainly not advocating that you avoid talking about them in your cover letter. But the fact is, just saying that you “work well under pressure” won’t convince the employer that this is the case. However, if instead you say “Translated the entire Facebook site into Arabic in 36 hours” (which, by the way, Facebook did not too long ago, though it took an entire team of engineers and translators to pull it off), that will definitely get your point across. Think of a cover letter as a very short paper for your favorite class (the class about you!). In a good paper, you would never simply make a statement without taking the time to back it up with evidence. The same is true of a cover letter. So, even though those career buzzwords are tempting when you’re rushing to finish an internship application, take the time to consider your experiences and give the employer some context that expresses why you’re so amazing.

Rephrasing 101:

• Instead of “reliable”: “Within one month of starting at XYZ Co, was given responsibility of internship selection committee.”


• Instead of team player: “Worked with a team of six to restructure department budget.”


• Instead of “good communicator”: “Coordinated a campus-wide recycling drive that saved several tons of aluminum cans.”


• Instead of “problem solver”: “Successfully resolved a conflict between student union and restaurant vendors.”


• Instead of “well organized” or “detail-oriented”: “Indexed, edited and maintained clinic files for more than 1000 patients.”

A word about length: By showing your accomplishments off, your cover letter will likely get a little bit longer, since you’re using ten words instead of two. This can actually be a good thing, as it will force you to only detail the attributes that are especially relevant to that position. But if you’re torn between using a buzzword and spilling onto a second page, it’s better to run a little long (bear in mind that “a little” does NOT equal an entire second page. Or even half a page. Be concise!).

Do you have any suggestions for rephrasing buzzwords, or know of one we missed? Leave a comment below!