Crush Your Internship is a bi-weekly Podcast interviewing the most exceptional student interns and informative internship experts, empowering listeners to have their own successful college and internship experience.
Learn from other interns mistakes! Find out what Alan learned was the number one area students were rated negatively by internship preceptors, plus two more areas in which preceptors, career services professionals and other internship professionals have stated are common mistakes interns make when conducting their internship.
Jessica Baker is a Victim Advocate at the State Attorney's Office in the 9th Judicial Circuit in Florida. In today's episode you will learn how her internship led directly to her job, and, more importantly, the trial-and-error process she took that eventually led her to the job and career she wanted. Alan also explains of a little-used but potentially hugely impactful way for students to get a great letter of recommendation from a faculty.
Kamal Hyman is one of the UK's youngest and most dynamic motivational youth speakers... He teaches students how to aim a little higher and stand out in a crowded world! His work has lead him to be an Olympic Torchbearer, Peter Jones's national entrepreneur of the year and he has spoken to over 25,000 students in the UK and motivated over 40,000 online through his videos and spoken word piece.
Rula Othman is founder of the first and only Arab sorority in the nation, the Empowered Arab Sisterhood also known as Epsilon Alpha Sigma. As a Palestinian American woman, Othman spent her life seeking to find a balance between the cultural roots she was born with and the western norms she grew accustomed to living here in the US. Othman acquired a Bachelors of Science in Biology at the University of California, Los Angeles and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Global Medicine at the University of Southern California. She has hopes to one day pursue a public health career on a global scale with a focus on infectious diseases and vaccinology.
There is so much pressure in college, with getting a good grade being one of the top anxiety-inducing areas. But should you be spending all your time studying? What about taking time to gain experience? Today we talk about grades (which in some instances are hugely important) and experience and where you should spend your precious time.
Matthew Berkley jokes that his first semester's transcript looked like the alphabet, but missing the A's, B's and C's. Learn how he not only turned it around, but about what he has found most important in his journey to success in graduate school, internships with the CDC and in the world of work. Hint: it isn't getting straight A's.
You've heard it before. You need to network, it can really help in your success. But yet you still hold back. It's hard, outside your comfort zone, and many other reasons. In today's episode, Alan talks about the importance of LinkedIn in his own career and challenges you to take the steps you need to make the the connections who will benefit you. And there are prizes for the person chosen as the winner of the challenge!
Dr Ken Bain is one of the best-known teachers and scholars of teaching and learning in the United States and the western world. He has written What The Best College Students do, which won the Virginia and Warren Stone Prize in 2012, and has become an international best seller. In today's episode we discuss what the Best College Students Do, the idea of "Deep Learning" and how to apply what he has learned in your internship. Listen in to a world's most foremost expert in this area!
In today's episode we discuss the top three reasons why you want to get to know a faculty, along with concrete action steps you can take to find and connect with a faculty who will help you be successful in college and achieve your goals after college.
TK Coleman wants you to get pumped up, be proactive, and take charge of your education and your life. A part of life is failing, especially the more you try new and novel opportunities. You can either spend your time trying to avoid failure, and thus limiting your experiences and opportunities, or embrace failure as a natural part of your life-long learning process. TK is motivational, insightful and ready to help you Crush Your Internship. Hold onto your earbuds and click play!
After finishing his 20th interview, Alan shares the top three themes/tips that have emerged from his guests. If you want a quick summary of the most important advice related to college, internships and careers (yes, even life itself!), give a listen.
In today’s episode, Kelli Rapplean, internship advisor and coordinator at the University of Colorado – Denver, shares her advice from years of experience within higher education. Additionally, she also tells you what her biggest career-related regrets are from college, and what YOU can do to avoid them and graduate from college to be best prepared for your next step. Want to maximize your college experience? Listen in!
Alan attended an alumni event where he, at the age of 45, was the youngest attendee. But all was not lost! It turned out to be a great event and there were many valuable take-aways which to learn from and can be applied from the advice given from previous Crush Your Internship guests. Plus, learn one of the most important discoveries LinkedIn has found in regards to networking with alumni. All of this and more!
Many students put tremendous focus on getting into college, but then expect everything will be fine once they are admitted. That is the simple part. What should you do once you get into college so that you are best prepared for graduate school or your first job? This episode is a wide-ranging, big-picture discussion about the hurdles students have to overcome in today's higher education system, with some practical advice on what students can do to be successful in school and later on in their career and life.
What do you do when you apply to multiple internship sites and you get accepted into one, but you are still waiting to hear from your #1 choice, your dream internship? What do you do? What should you definitley NOT do? Listen in so you don't burn any bridges!
Do you live or go to college in a small town, so finding an internship is more of a challenge. Not a problem, turn it to your advantage! Jay Henrickson, Director of Career Services & Internships at Mayville State University (Alan's Alma Mater!), explains what steps you can take to still have an excellent internship. Alan and Jay also show some love to MSU (Go Comets!) and explain why North Dakota could be a great place to start your career after graduation. No, seriously! All this, and much, much more, as Jay squeezes 26 years of career services experience into one interview!
In this episode, Alan shares what his number one tip on applying to and securing that internship you would love to have. Additionally, Alan shares what you can be doing before you apply and interview for the internship, including the very important but under utilized informational interview.
How do you stand out at your campuses career fair? What should you be doing in college to have the confidence and experience to impress recruiters from Fortune 500 companies? Listen to Joe Santulli, campus recruiter for CDW, a Fortune 500 company recognized as one of the best places to work in the US. Also, see why he says sales may be a good first career to set you up for success as you progress in your career
What woud your dream job look like? Would getting on the path to that job greatly improve by having an awesome internship, but one that you can't find or create in your current location? Whether it be LA, NYC, D.C or Silicon Valley, you may need to get outside your comfort zone, invest time, energy and even your own cash, to get the experience, skills and network that can only be found in a place you are not. Listen as Alan explains one of the most important themes that's arisen from his internship interviews, as well as the 5 Tips For Interning in Your Dream Location, with Tips 3 and 4 ones that most students never knew were possible.
Zachary Slayback is an entrepreneur was rated one of LinkedIn’s most influential voices on education in 2015 and has been published at Newsweek, the New York Examiner, among many others. Zak discusses why real-world experience is the key to the job and career you want. He also explains why he says "Your degree should be the least impressive thing on your resume."
The faculty and staff at your institution may be, aside from family and friends, your best help in finding your internship. Listen to how you can utilize these resources to Crush Your Internship!
Many students have outstanding and life-changing experiences by being proactive and creating their own internships. There are many advantages of creating your own internship, and for examples of how students have done that, listen to David Wright in Episode 7 or Kristin Myren in Episode 13. Get ready to take notes as Alan gives you three simple steps to Creating and Crushing Your Internship!
Kristin Myren is a go-getter. She had multiple job offers before she even graduated college. She had set her sights on working for a specific company in her dream location in the state of Colorado, and achieved that goal within 1 year of graduation. Kristin crushed her internship, creating a student wellness program for the University of Arizona Campus Recreation Office that left her internship preceptor raving that Kristen was the best intern she had ever had. This program was so well received, one of the largest non-profit community health centers in the United States had Kristin come and present her program to their leadership. Kristin provides tips galore, so listen and learn!
Paige DeWitt-Holub loves history and has an interest in social justice. Only a sophomore, she has already interned with the New York State Bureau of Historic preservation and also with Children’s Future International, which helpsunderprivileged children in Cambodia pursue a lasting education and avoid tragedies such as human trafficking and child labor.
Alan shares the most important 3 things he learned this year that could change your life as a college student!
Shelby Calvillo interned at Tu Nidito, which Molly Mahoney also discussed in Episode 3. Shelby talks about what she learned about interviewing and networking in her internship, as well as her current job for the Pima County Health Department in helping stop the spread of disease, such as the food-borne outbreaks happening at Chipotle or through the transmission of West Nile virus from mosquitoes. And we also talk more about a love we both share: public health!
Alan and his 6 year-old son discuss the holidays and wish you a Merry Christmas.
Daniel Marin interned with the Secret Service in Tucson, Arizona. In this interview Daniel explains how he was able to obtain the internship, some of the "crazy stuff" he has been a part of (in fact some was so crazy we had to edit it out!) and valuable lessons learned from one of the most recognizable law enforcement agencies in the world.
Jason Wright interned at St. Vrain Valley School District in Colorado with the Security and Emergency Management Department. In this interview he explains how he was able to gain valuable experience in different law enforcement agencies, such as the local police department and SWAT team, as well as learn FBI threat assessment techniques.
Renee Schafer-Horton shares what she has learned as a journalist, academic advisor and as an internship coordinator to help students crush their internship. She also provides websites and other resources to help students find their internship. Renee has received numerous awards both as a journalist and as an academic advisor.
Nathaniel Ponvert wants you to follow your passion, but realize that you never know where it may take you. Nathaniel entered the University of Arizona with a love of photography, especially with an interest in the desert plants he was photographing. He followed that interest into selecting related general education classes in the field of science, which led to working closely with faculty who study plants in a lab setting. By continuously following his passion, it eventually led him to be a PhD student at Brown University.
Courtney Slanaker is the Executive Director of World Care, a Tucson, AZ-based humanitarian organization. In this episode you will hear about her amazing internship experience in Guatemala where a chance encounter with a young man with a rare genetic condition, Rufino, changed her life, his health, and caused her to start her own non-profit while still a college student.
Molly Mahoney is from Scottsdale, Arizona. She attended the University of Arizona and graduated cum laude with a bachelors degree in Public Health and a minor in Spanish in May of 2014. It was in her last semester at the University of Arizona where she completed a semester long internship with LeadLocal, an organization that partnered with Tu Nidito Children and Family Services to complete a community expansion plan for their Memory Beads program. Molly was able to work on a team of interns on this expansion project, which then turned into a job at Tu Nidito. She currently serves as Tu Nidito's Community Impact Coordinator, where she coordinates the Memory Beads program as well as grief support groups for children and families in Southern Arizona.
Brooke McDonald is the co-founder of LeadLocal, a think, learn, and do tank, based in Tucson, AZ. LeadLocal has the Leading for Good program, which provides experiential learning for undergraduate students and real solutions for local organizations. Brooke gives examples of the types of internship experiences students can have with LeadLocal and the projects they worked on for the agencies. Robin Breault discussed the history of LeadLocal and how they structure their internship experiences in Episode 1.
Dr. Robin Breault is the co-founder of LeadLocal, a think, learn, and do tank, based in Tucson, AZ. LeadLocal has the Leading for Good program, which provides experiential learning for undergraduate students and real solutions for local organizations. Additionally, she has over 20 years experience in teaching, training and coaching.