Author: Nathan Parcells

5 Things You MUST Do Before Leaving Your Summer Internship

Wouldn’t it be tragic to leave your summer internship saying, “Man, I wish I had done (fill in the blank)?” That’s why you need to have a checklist during your hectic final week to remember to do these 5 important things.

We even made a downloadable checklist for you, so no excuses for forgetting.

Click “Final Week Checklist” below for a document that allows you to check off these activities as you go through the week.

*Final Week Checklist*

1) Hand-write thank you notes to everyone at work. Writing thank you notes is an incredibly effective way to communicate. A hand-written letter is more personal than an online message.  People will keep the note and think of you whenever they come across it.  Studies show that thank you notes will also help you reflect on your experience and appreciate the people you’ve worked with.

2) Set up meetings with at least 5 people in your office. Show them your appreciation for what they taught you and how they encouraged you. Ask for their feedback on your personal and professional development, so you can continue to grow as you return to school.

3) Meet with the people you met outside your office who work at different companies.  Tell your new friends that you plan on staying in contact with them through social media.  You never know when you will want to reach out to them about a certain job or other arising opportunity.

4) Write about your experience in your school newspaper or in a blog. Give back to your company by helping them recruit for next summer.  Potential future interns and the recruiters at your company will thank you and remember you for writing an excellent post detailing what you learned and how you grew this summer.

5) Set up a Google Alert for the company you work for so you can receive updates about them when you’re back at school. Shoot them a message every couple of weeks complimenting them whenever they have success. This will remind them of who you are and let them know that you’re passionate about the company.  Even if you wouldn’t choose to work for them in the future, you may end up being in a situation where it’s your best option.  A Google Alert will also allow you to know when you’re company is hiring so you can be the first to apply.

Mark off all 5 items on this checklist during your final week and you’ll leave your summer internship smiling, with no regrets.

Want to find out more about National Intern Day and how you can win a cash prize? Head over to nationalinternday.com to get the scoop.

How to Become a Rockstar Social Media Professional

Could Greek storytelling classes be more important for your social media future than a marketing or communication class?  Why do some companies want you to apply using Twitter while others require a full application online?  What does the future of social media look like and what tools should you be learning to be ahead of the curve?  What’s a KPI and why is data science an important part of social media marketing?

Last week, hiring managers and thought leaders from Olgivy + Mather (and InterviewingU), Google+, Nestlé Purina, and ClippPR spent over an hour dissecting the future of the social media industry and how you as a student can break into it.  The result was one of the most in-depth videos ever on the subject and a must watch panel for any students interested in social media.

If you have any more questions about the topic, please leave them in the comments below and we will forward them on to our speakers and get back to you asap.  Now, without further ado, please enjoy our panel below on “How to Become a Rockstar Social Media Professional!”

Questions we didn’t get a chance to answer:

If you want a role that asks for 2 years of experience but you don’t have it (but you have 1 to 1.5 yrs), should you still apply?

Amanda Pirtle, Nestlé:  I think this depends on the type of company you are applying to. For example, a large corporate company, like Purina, sticks very close to the minimum qualifications listed on the job description. If you do not have two years of experience, you will not be passed to the next phase of our resume review process. However, many smaller or startup companies may look over that you don’t meet the minimum qualifications exactly and take into consideration the type of projects you’ve worked on or the amount of school/type of courses you’ve taken. It is really important to consider the type of company you are pursuing before applying to determine how strict they will be on the minimum qualifications listed.

Nathan Parcells, InternMatch:  I agree with Amanda’s response above, although would add that the vast majority of SMBs and even medium sized businesses have some flexibility when it comes to these requirements, especially if you do have some experience that you can back up as being valuable.  These companies certainly do not want to hear from someone with no experience, but many will set a high initial bar to express their desired candidate, but remain open to someone who has close to the required skills and can adequately show in their resume, cover, letter and application why they are still the best fit or why other skills more than make up for the gaps they are lacking in the requirements.

I’ve drafted social media plans before but since I don’t currently work in a company with a social media role, I have not been able to execute them. What’s the best way for me to get someone to review them?

Amanda Pirtle, Nestlé:  I would recommend trying to make a connection with someone who has some experience in a social media role and work on developing a mentorship type relationship with them. Having a career mentor is a very important part of growing in your field. They can help you understand things within the field and in the business world that the classroom can’t. One way to go about that is to talk with your professors to see if they have any connections, go through any groups you are involved in at school or even look at your parents friends to see if any of them could provide any insight. You could also use LinkedIn to try to find someone in your local area that could help. Once you identify a potential mentor, you can set up informational interviews with those people to learn more about them and their roles. Building connections is a very important part of building your career.

Nathan Parcells, InternMatch:  I again agree with Amanda on this question.  One of the keys to building strong mentors is showing a deep interest in a field that they are currently a professional in.  Crafting a marketing plan and walking through it with them is an ideal way to spend a mentorship meeting and build a relationship   Family and friends are great people to check with to see if they know any social media professionals.  If not, you can talk to your marketing professors and TAs who typically have some industry experience/connections and can help make introductions.  Lastly, cold emailing can also work in particular if you email professionals who you are already following on Twitter and who you are truly interested in speaking with.

Any advice for students who want to start their own social media company?

Nathan Parcells, InternMatch:  Having started a company, albeit not a social media company, I commend you on the initiative!  Starting a company takes tremendous effort and work but the rewards in terms of personal growth and potential return are worth it.  The most important first step here is to build real relationships with mentors in the space.  Don’t build these relationships by pitching them on your idea, but instead mention that you are interested in the space and look to learn as much as possible about the process of starting, running, growing and succeeding in the field.  That’s the best advice I can give on what is ultimate a very large question!

InternMatch is Now PetMatch!

Over the past four years we’ve helped hundreds of thousands of students find internships and start their career on the right foot.  However, our goal with InternMatch has always been to be much bigger then the job space and to truly redefine the college experience.  Nothing is more critical to the college experience than building lifelong connections, and that’s why we couldn’t be more excited to announce that starting next month on May 15th, we are switching our focus from internships and re-branding as PetMatch.us!

The Curious Case of Campus Ambassadors + the 3 Startups Hiring Them This Fall

These days, there are plenty of ways for you to get involved, show your love and connect with awesome companies! You can Tweet  at them. You can “Like” them. You can profess your love for them in a video. You can Hangout  with them. Or, you can represent them as a Campus Ambassador!

What’s a Campus Ambassador?

Campus Ambassadors are liaisons between a company and their university. They serve as the campus voice and main contact for the company.

Ambassadors are excited about the company and its products. They’re active leaders in their campus community. They know who the influencers are on campus (both students and faculty). They’re approachable, responsible and organized. They’re creative and up-to-date on the latest technology. They promote parties, organize hack-a-thons, volunteer for campaigns and visit their professors during office hours. They major in everything from Marketing to Computer Science.

What does a Campus Ambassador do?

Ambassadors are usually tasked with:

• Planning and hosting cool events on campus
• Providing product demonstrations for their campus community
• Developing campus-specific marketing and outreach campaigns
• Collecting feedback and sharing new ideas from the university’s community with the company

What are the benefits of becoming a Campus Ambassador?

Aside from the awesome swag that usually comes along with the job, Ambassadors are often the first on their campus to learn about the company’s latest features and product releases. They’re given a unique opportunity to develop their communication and leadership skills, with access to mentors, and sometimes, industry leaders and events.

How does this role differ from an internship?

Internships are designed as on-the-job training in preparation for a professional career. They help students develop a skill in a particular area. Most roles are paid positions or they are offered as academic credit. However, Ambassador roles are informal positions located on campus. They usually come with minimal supervision, which means students are given more control over how often they work and the types of projects they develop to work on.

While different from an internship, Campus Ambassador positions still offer students the opportunity to gain valuable professional experience, develop relationships with employers and complete meaningful projects — all from the comfort of their campus.

Check out these Ambassador roles with three leading startups below.

Hustle Hard With Top Hat Monocle

You want to learn how to generate leads, pitch products and develop the presentation skills of Steve Jobs. Awesome! Top Hat Monocle is making education more interactive (for students and professors) and they’re looking for Campus Business Development Associates to help them get the word out. This commission-based position comes with access to mentorship opportunities with Silicon Valley thought leaders and could turn full-time for an awesome student. Apply

Make Your Mark in Marketing with Study Hall

You’re practically a “trending topic” on campus. You’re scrappy, fearless and you developed the much-talked about marketing campaign that helped elect the current Student Body President. You’re fluent in Twitter, Facebook, bit.ly and Tumblr. Sound like you? Tired of texting friends about class assignments? Study Hall is revolutionizing the way students collaborate with peers to share class notes and work on group projects. They’re looking for the brightest and best students to represent them as Campus Founders. For students considering a career in management, this is an awesome first step. Apply


Go Viral With Grantoo: Help Students Play to Pay for College

You’re the Scooter Braun of your campus. You know the newspaper editors, fraternity presidents and the top gamers on your campus. You’re often found with a smartphone in one hand and a laptop in the other. Your friends look to you when it’s time to make plans for the weekend. Now Grantoo, a charitable gaming startup, wants you to help them promote their startup as a Brand Ambassador on campus. Plan game-a-thons, manage your school’s social media presence, pass out fliers and create buzz about Grantoo with the influencers on your campus. This paid position promises lots of awesome swag and fun! Apply 

From Intern to Full Time Employee

*cue cheesy intro music* Hi, my name is Jonathan and I am a marketing intern at InternMatch. Here’s my story. *end music*

I started my internship early in April while still studying at UC San Diego, working just ten hours a week and holding down two other internships on the side. InternMatch was the fifth (and hopefully last) company I had interned for and hands down, it was the best internship I had ever done. Two things made it stand out from the rest.

1) Ownership of projects

From part time to full time, interning at InternMatch always meant there were projects that were assigned to me. The other InternMatch interns both marketing and development expressed the same enthusiasm and surprise over how much ownership they had over projects. The Mastering Summer Internship blog series and Internship activities were both intern run projects. Success of these projects depended completely on the intern’s efforts, which made us feel like a valued part of the team.

Over the summer I was in charge of employer lead generation. I wrote the copy, decided on the budget and built the landing pages for our Facebook ad campaigns. I was tasked with building out a process to win customers from our competitors. Towards the end of the internship, I was put in charge of building autoresponder email campaigns, something that was completely new to InternMatch and which no one on the team had any experience with.

A sense of ownership combined with the supportive management of Nathan, under whom I felt safe to make mistakes led to a strong dedication to my work. Even data entry and grunt work did not bother me because it was towards my own projects with my own goals. At the end of the internship, I felt incredibly accomplished as I could point to results that benefited InternMatch’s bottom line and say that it my doing.

2) Office culture

I have never worked at an office that was so welcoming, playful and transparent. Immediately, on my first day I felt I was part of the team. In addition, there was nothing in the company that felt off limits, I know I can get a straight answer to any question I asked. Interns at InternMatch are not micromanaged; their judgment and work are trusted. There are no egos or gatekeeping in this office, everyone on the team treats each other as equals no matter their title. As a testament to how equal it is here, I regularly play FIFA with the CEO.

Every Friday, work stops at 5pm and the whole team gets together in a conference room and crack open beers. Each person then shares a cool work related achievement with the rest of the team. It’s times like this when I feel that we all friends that just happen to work in the same company, and at times, it feels a little like family.

Final Thoughts

Before coming to San Francisco, I had told myself that I would look for a full time job in August just in case InternMatch did not extend me a full time offer. Come August I had fallen so in love with the company that I could not imagine myself anywhere else. I would look through websites of hot tech companies like Square or Evernote that had positions with better pay and just feel nothing. No matter how hard I tried, I just could not get excited about working at another company.

Thankfully things worked out and now I am a real employee with the snazzy title of Growth Marketing Manager. Who knew that my casual coffee meeting with Nathan a year ago would lead to where I am today? I cannot imagine being more fortunate. It’s cheesy, but I must say that I sincerely hope to work here forever.

Learn to hustle and get paid! WayUp needs interns too.

For the fourth semester in a row, WayUp is recruiting student ambassadors. We are looking for enthusiastic and outgoing students to represent WayUp at:

  • University of Michigan: Ann Arbor
  • Boston University
  • University of Illinois at Urbana Champagne
  • Howard University
  • Hampton University
  • New York University
  • UC San Diego
  • UC Berkeley

Our 10 week student ambassador program which focuses on marketing, also doubles as a crash course on startup methodologies with workshops on:

  • Conducting user experience (UX) research
  • Pitching to a large audience
  • Guerilla marketing strategies
  • Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategies
  • Startup best practices

We at WayUp go the extra mile to ensure an incredible internship experience. It’s a fun job, and someone gets to do it. Student ambassadors get access to one-on-one mentorship, lessons on how to use professional marketing software (like Hootsuite, Google Analytics, and more), and a private speaker series.

In addition, Campus Ambassadors get paid commission for each student they sign up and also receive cash bonuses for meeting performance goals.

If this sounds like a program you want to be a part of apply right now!

Join the Economist for ‘Which MBA?’

Are you considering an MBA? Curious about what it takes to impress admission counselors, how much on-the-job experience you need to apply or which program is the best fit for your long-term career goals?

We’re excited to help the Economist promote Which MBA?. On September 5-6th prospective MBA applicants will have the chance to participate in an online fair and chat with admission counselors from schools like the University of Massachusetts (Amherst), University of Virginia, Virginia Tech and many more.

In addition to chatting with admission representatives from MBA programs all over the world, prospective applicants will have the opportunity to:

– Join informational webinars

– Browse photo galleries and watch videos

– Find out why an MBA or EMBA is right for you

Registration is free, but space is limited so click here to learn more and reserve your spot today!

New Internship Spotlight: Nestle Purina is Searching for Dynamic Interns

A new school year is just around the corner and we’re excited to resume our weekly Internship Spotlight to keep you up-to-date on awesome companies, cool internship programs and amazing internship positions! We’re kicking off our first Spotlight of the season with Nestle Purina – a global leader in pet products and one of Fortune Magazines “Most Admired Food Companies.”

It takes a village to create the nutritious products that keep our pets happy and healthy, which is why Nestle Purina is looking for a few dynamic students to join their internship program next summer. Whether you’re studying computer science, business, marketing or psychology, there are plenty of positions to choose from. (Check out this app to find out which position is the perfect fit for you.) Nestle Purina cares about your professional development and interns can expect to develop valuable job skills in their program area, like learning the logistics of supply chain management to assisting in the planning of an internal audit review.

With a dynamic “Flash Mob” video to prove it, Nestle Purina also boasts an exciting work culture and there’s no shortage of great perks. All internships are compensated and interns may have access to mentorship and networking opportunities, dog parks for canine friends and housing assistance.

Click here to check out Nestle Purina’s Campus Hub and available internship positions.

My Bootstrappin’ Summer in a Hostel

While the other interns chose to live in apartments with their own room, privacy and other basic creature comforts, I decided to rough it out at a hacker hostel for my first month in San Francisco. For JUST (/sarcasm) $840 a month, I got a bunk in a ten person room, work space and immersion in a community of entrepreneurs.

Despite a disastrous first day, I eventually learned to love the Startup House and will be sad to leave. I am going to miss how every Startup House resident is either starting their own startup, working for one or planning the next stage of their entrepreneurial life after shutting down a company. It is a place of startup collaboration and inspiration with some of the brightest minds I have ever met. The diversity of the community with residents coming from all over the world and walks of life is just icing on the cake. Exploring this diversity has led to a lot of late night debates and discussions, which always left me more enlightened.

To complete the whole experience are the amazing staff. They live in the hostel with the residents, making sure everything runs, taking care of our complaints and constantly rearranging the furniture to find that optimal set up. The staff are a supportive bunch with infectious enthusiasm, time to time one of them will walk around the house and ask “Do you want to change the world?!” which just brings a smile to my face.

However, it has not been all smooth sailing at the Startup House. A week after I moved in there was a bed bug scare. One day, a few of the residents including myself realized that we all had small bites over our arms and legs. The exterminator was called, and the staff informed us with a smile and sigh of relief that it was not bed bugs but just fleas! I shudder to think how bed bugs could be worse. On my second week, the pipes gave out, and for a week the kitchen floor was covered in a thin layer of water. Living at the Startup House has kept me on my toes and I wonder what will go wrong this week.

Despite the mishaps, all of us residents still dearly love the space. I often joke that the fleas and flooding are the staff’s way of hazing us into a tight knit community, as it is always a sad day to see a familiar face move out.

It is tough to convey why Startup House has been such as an awesome experience. When I tell my friends about the things I deal with and price I pay, they alarmingly ask me why I have not moved out yet. I try to explain my reasons, but the magic of the Startup House needs be experienced in order to be understood.

Let’s just say that I cannot imagine a better place to start off my post-grad life in a full-time job.

Interview With Craig from The Starr Conspiracy

Name: Craig Colloway
University: Texas Christian University 2012
Major: Strategic Communication and Business
Company: Starr Conspiracy

Did you do any extracurriculars in college?

I had somewhat of an unorthodox college experience. I was there at TCU for 3 years and I actually played music in a band. We took off and toured for a few years and I came back and finished school. That being said a lot of my time outside of studying was devoted to my musical career.

Tell me about The Starr Conspiracy.

The Starr Conspiracy is more of a marketing company as opposed to a strictly HR company. We do specialize with companies that deal with human capital management and HR but what led me to the Starr conspiracy was their affiliation with marketing, branding and advertising as opposed to the fact they specialize in HR.

How did you get this internship?

I was very lucky. While I was in school I had an appointment to meet a professor and he was running late. While I was waiting, a different professor who I have taken a couple classes with, office was just across the hall. We just started talking about my plans after graduation and I just started asking if he knew companies that were hiring and he led me to the Starr Conspiracy. I had an interview set up and the rest is history. Pure happenstance and luck that I just happened to be at the right place at the right time.

What is a typical day like?

To be honest I have yet to have a typical day. When I started I was more helping with the business and account side and I had some interesting writing and content generation roles. From there I just switched sides from accounts to creative. Laurie kind of adopted me as her social media intern and I have been social since, which basically entails helping out with our social media accounts and different client social media endeavors. Mostly blogging, where I will get a couple ideas for a blog or Laurie will have a couple ideas and I will just research it.

Most of the ideas come from Laurie, and I have had a few ideas as well. A lot of it started with Laurie who had the idea of Craig the intern talks about HR. A kind of newbie perspective, to the untrained eye, what all these complicated parts of the HR industry are and explaining it in a one on one perspective.

In Laurie’s blog post, she said she did not want an intern in the beginning, but now she seems to have endless praises for you. What did you do to make that happen?

One of the questions you sent me was “What was my proudest moment?” This blog post was it. I had stumbled upon the blog actually; I didn’t know she was writing it. As far as her taking me under her wing that was kind of something that happened by accident. I am actually not sure why she decided to call me, but she basically asked me if I was getting as involved as I would like to be. As far as an internship goes I don’t think you should turn down the opportunity to do anything or work with somebody, so I told her I am interested in writing and social media and asked what can you help me do? After, she had me start writing these blogs and our relationship continued to adapt. I had no idea she was not wanting an intern in the beginning of the relationship.

You never felt you had to prove yourself to Laurie?

Absolutely not, she has always been very nice since day one. In my own attempt to be hard working and diligent, she understood that I wasn’t there to make anyone’s life harder and I was there to help with anything I could.

What kind of HR trends have you picked up on that could help students out?

Having a completely 100% filled out LinkedIn, having an account on Monster.com and Careerbuilder, constantly networking with different people, all of those things end up helping. Since I have been working here, I have had a number of different opportunities meeting with different companies, who have all found me through LinkedIn, Monster.com and Careerbuilder. Before I had all these accounts fully filled out that wasn’t happening for me. There are a lot of recruiters and staffers out there who are actively seeking for people, which is something you don’t necessarily realize when the job market is like this. When you are actually making yourself available, then chances are you will find somebody who is looking for something you can actually do.

How would you make yourself available?

Making sure you have a social presence. Making sure you always have a resume ready to give to somebody. One thing one of my friends advised me to do early on was to have my own business cards, which at the time I thought was kind of silly because I wasn’t employed, but having a piece of paper that somebody can hold on to and reference has been really helpful to me. At the end of the day, I think it’s people that help people. With more people that know you’re looking for an internship, you will definitely increase your chances of landing something.

What’s next for Craig?

I don’t have it written on paper per say. For now it will be continuing my internship at Starr Conspiracy. Ultimately, I want to end up working full time at a marketing or advertising agency, that’s what I am passionate about. In advertising you can really tie together business as well as creativity. I always think there will be a need for advertising, and it’s a fun, work hard play hard atmosphere. Eventually I do want to get my MBA, but at this point getting experience is more valuable than going back to school.