Business Placement Office aids internship search

Many students in the Kelley School of Business know that when they compete for jobs after college, companies will be looking at resumes for work experience obtained through internships.\nMany students aren't sure where to start looking for an internship, but often begin at the Business Placement Office. The BPO provides four main services for students. The first of these are Roundtables.\n"Roundtables are much more relaxed than a career fair where everyone is running around like crazy," said Brent Atwater, associate director for student services.\nThe Roundtable process begins with students bidding to sit at a company's table. Students are issued 30 regular bids and three A, B and C priority bids each semester. According to a student's interest in a company, he or she can use a priority bid to try to sit at that company's table. The student sits with five other students at the table and hears a two-minute presentation by the company representative. The representative then asks each student questions, and follows with a question-and-answer session for the students. \nAtwater said the process is helpful to students because it helps them get the personal attention of company recruiters.\n"No other school in the country does this kind of event," he said. \nAfter the Roundtable, a student decides if he or she will bid for a personal interview with the company representative, and from there, both the student and the representative can decide whether they want to work together.\nThe business school also provides company presentations and traditional career fairs. These presentations, although less personal, can produce useful information. The BPO Web site lists upcoming events, and allows students to post resumes for companies to review. The site also hosts the online Career Street Journal where students can find information.\nOne limit with the program is to be eligible for Roundtable bids, a student has to have taken either X220 or X420. \nBut he BPO isn't the only option to obtain an internship. Many students obtain internships through personal connections or networking.\n"In the real world, 80 percent of people get their jobs that way," Atwater said. "It's all about meeting human beings and building relationships with people."\nBlake Austin, a junior finance major, agrees. He worked as an intern with Citibank Corporate in Hong Kong by contacting a family friend who works in the company. The summer after his freshman year, Austin sent his resume, which his friend forwarded to Human Relations, who contacted Austin about a position. Last summer, they offered him a position building Citibank's regional internal e-business Web site based on his work the summer before. Austin said that there was no formal interview for either internship, but there was a telephone information session. Austin learned most of the required skills on the job. He picked up project management and interpersonal communication skills while there, and recommends that internship seekers take project management classes to prepare themselves for internships.\n"You go, you learn, you work hard, you are successful," Austin said. "I think I could have gone into this internship with minimal college experience and still have succeeded."\nAustin advises students to learn to multitasking, be flexible and take criticism. Austin's final advice is to "utilize all your contacts. Networking is key. Most importantly, be aggressive."\nLindsay Hacker, a junior accounting major who interned in the Finance Department of Delta Dental Plan of Kentucky this summer, said it's important to be persistent. \nWhen she found an internship she wanted, she e-mailed her resume to the company, then called them to set up an interview. Hacker said the interview was the most important part of the process. When Hacker did get the internship, she discovered that she used many skills learned in some of her classes. She said she felt that her skills helped her make a good impression, especially in situations where she knew more than the regular employees did.\n"I have a renewed faith in school," said Hacker. "I learned this summer that I'm not just here for the grades. My main focus now is to learn as much as I can."\nHacker's advice is to look for jobs in places where internship seekers wouldn't normally think of. "So much depends on how you interact with people. Contacts are very important," she said.\nMayank Ruia agrees. Ruia, a sophomore finance major who worked as an intern for a global banking firm in Bombay, had connections to the company through his grandfather. Ruia had always been interested in the company, so he e-mailed his resume and then followed up with a call to the company. Following a telephone interview, he was offered the job. In Ruia's opinion, his resume was the most influential item in the company's decision.\n"They told me my resume looked great," Ruia said.\nRuia said 50 percent of his skills were learned on the job, and 50 percent he brought with him from IU.\nRuia's advice to students is "make yourself look as good as you can but still be honest" when applying for internships. "Know what you are looking for in an internship, and be persistent," he said. \nPersistence is a key element in obtaining an internship, said Amy Stuart, a senior marketing and international business major. \n"Don't think things are too hard to get," she said. "Businesses are looking at more than your GPA."\nStuart worked as an intern for Leo Burnett Company in London. She got her internship by mailing her resume and calling the company. She was interviewed over the phone, and said her interview was important in the company's hiring decision.\nThere are many places to look for internships, but Atwater noted that the demand for internships is very high.\n"Internships are the hardest market to crack," he said. "Talk to as many people and build as many relationships as you can using the spectrum of available resources"