Stuck in a Rut?

Ever find yourself stuck in a job search rut? Feel like you’ve looked at all the search engines and databases for any possible job or internship? Ever wonder if there was a faster, simpler way to have the information delivered right to your doorstep?

Look no further. There is a simple way to find out about internship and job possibilities. Log in to Twitter.com (if you don’t already have a Twitter Account, get out of the Stone Ages and create one!) and follow the following helpful “people.”

Once you follow them, they send tweet updates to your account with information about different jobs and internships offered all around the world, or specialized in one specific area.

Check them out and revolutionize your internship search!

@ToppelPeers

@nyinternships

@internships

@dcinternships

@internshipjob

First Day as a Congressional Intern

Written by Pallavi Pal

“Ah, the life!” Unfortunately, the life of a Congressional Intern cannot be described in such rudimentary terms. Found at the bottom of the ladder, the Congressional Intern does not have a life filled with excitement and energy. It is not filled with business meetings and making a difference in the community. It is not filled with esteem and power. What an intern can find, however, is the chance to learn and be taught from those older and much wiser. It is this experience and this knowledge that cause hundreds of interns to flock to DC and perform acts of menial labor.

Menial labor, what exactly do I mean by acts of menial labor? Well, to begin with, the intern will begin their day by sorting the mail, followed by answering phone calls, filing papers, working on excel spreadsheets in order to categorize data and then finally, if lucky, the intern can give Capitol Tours to constituents. The grandiose, more respectable tasks are handled by the Legislative Assistants and Chief of Staffs.

Although we are given rather tedious tasks, what an intern must remember is that we are a given a chance, an opportunity, an advantage among all our peers to get ahead in life and pursue our dreams. A Congressional Intern has the possibility to mix and mingle with the movers and shakers on Capitol Hill. Whether the career path the intern chooses is in a job on the Hill, a job in the government, a career in a non-profit organization, or even none of the above, the Hill provides interns the occasion to field their dreams by interacting and networking with those in these respective careers.

My first week on the job might not have been the most invigorating experience of my life but I have come to realize, out of all my three internship experiences thus far, working on the Hill has bestowed upon me the opportunity to meet those who have already fulfilled the dream that I have only encountered in my fantasies. Meeting such successful people, working both on and off the Hill, has transformed my visions and illusions into tangible goals. It has shown me that although I have made it this far, there is far more out there in store for me. I cannot wait to not only see my dreams but now to live and experience them.

Advice from Graduating Seniors

We can’t believe how fast these past four years have gone by and if you don’t believe us just wait and see for yourself. With this in mind, upon graduation we would like to leave you with some words of wisdom from Graduating Seniors:

Words to Live By
1. Don’t Stress—No matter how important that test or paper may seem, remember that college is about learning and growth. While it is important to always try your best, don’t worry so much about individual grades, and focus on the journey instead. Things are never really as bad as they seem, so relax.

2. Get Involved—the biggest regret we have in college is not getting involved earlier. Try as many different clubs and organizations out as possible to make yourself well-rounded and use this time as an opportunity to gain experiences and try things you will never be able to again. Also by having more activities and commitments, it will help you out with time management skills in the long run.

3. Get Experience—Internships are a great opportunity to learn more about what it is you really want to do with your life, and are also great for helping build your resume. It gives you a chance to build contacts as well and get an idea of what life may be like after school is finished.

4. Time off for good behavior—if you have the opportunity, take some time off after graduation and relax. You have earned it! Travel, see friends, and figure out what your next step is. It’s ok to take a step back before taking the next few steps forward. Don’t take life too seriously, be proactive but just remember things always work out for a reason.

Social Media, Your Online Image and Your Job Search

Are you on LinkedIn or Twitter? Have you ever “Googled” yourself? Have you checked the privacy settings on your Facebook account? If you answered no to any of these questions, you may be preventing yourself from finding that perfect job or internship.

More and more employers are using social media/networking to post jobs and to also get the inside scoop on candidates that they can’t get from a resume or interview. What does that mean for you? It means that not only do you need to have an online presence, but that presence has to be free of potentially damaging information!

Here are Toppel’s 6 Steps to Enhance Your Online Professional Image:
1. Create or Enhance Your LinkedIn Profile
2. Create and Use Your Twitter Account Effectively
3. Clean Up Your Facebook Profile
4. Google Yourself and Set Google Alerts
5. Create a YouTube Channel
6. Write and/or Comment on a Blog or Write Reviews
For more, click here.

US Peace Corps

Ever wonder what it’s like to be in the Peace Corps? UM Alum Tim McNaught is currently a Peace Corps volunteer in Azerbaijan. Watch his video to see what he has to say about his experience.

Welcome Back!

We are glad to have you guys back on campus! I hope you had a happy, productive and fun summer. Now it is back to business! Now is the time to start thinking about the that next position that you are interested in. We have a lot of really exciting programs and events coming up and you should definitely take advantage! Toppel has the usual, great offerings of Interviewing skills, resume and cover letter writing, junior/senior and freshman,sophomore orientations. We also offer workshops on networking and dining etiquette, finding government jobs and internships. Along with all of these workshops there are also a lot of special programs and events coming up in the month of September. We have the EPIC (Employer Practice Interviews and Critiques) program occurring on September 8th 9AM-4PM. This program allows you to interact with employers and get direct feedback about your resume and interviewing skills (Visit CaneZone for more info and to register). Need your resume critiqued? Come to Resumania on September 13th from 10AM-4:30PM. Our main event int he month of September is the FALL CAREER EXPO on September 15th from 11AM-3PM. Before you attend the expo go to the Pre-Expo Reception on September 14th at 6PM at the Rat to get a leg up and interact with employers before the fair.

As you can see, September is a very busy month for Toppel. Remember that many full time and internship positions require you to apply way in advance in the fall! Don’t miss a great opportunity! Come on by our events and start the fall 2010 semester off on the right foot :)

Do You Want to be an International Intern?

Trying to go abroad? Want a great position as well as ability to travel to a foreign country? Look no more because currently there are many opportunities for undergraduates to go abroad and intern at a great firms. The only difficult part of the search is weeding through the scams to find a genuine opportunity. Take it from me, I’ve searched long and hard to find that great chance to go abroad and do something different and creative with my summer.

I started out with the typical Google search “intern abroad” and “summer 2010 abroad” and these searches elicited many sites but most of them weren’t ones that caught my attention. As a typical college student who is strapped for cash, I was looking for an internship that would not cost me a couple thousands of dollars. Many study abroad trips are in the thousands and my perspective is that if someone is going to be working for a company and dedicating their time to the company, then paying a couple thousand is futile. Regardless, if interested some great sites are Intern Abroad, Transitions Abroad, Education First, and AIESEC. Plenty more can be found if one is willing to pay.

When I couldn’t find any opportunities that cost me, I thought that I should just throw in the towel and start looking for internships closer to home. That was when I was searching the UCAN website and found paid positions listed for working in Germany. My interested was once more ignited. I had half-heartedly checked the UCAN website after one of the Toppel Advisors referred me to it. I clicked on the banner on the homepage of CaneZone and it directed me to a variety of internships compiled from several universities all over the country. Not only is it a great site for internships abroad but also for internships within the United States. Other great sites listing international jobs are University of Denver Career Center, Public Policy and International Affairs Program, and JET Programme (Japanese Exchange and Teaching Programme).

When I talked to the Graduate Assistants at Toppel they directed me to other opportunities specifically for undergraduate students. For instance, teaching English abroad is very sought after. Many from foreign countries would love to learn English by a Native English speaker so that they can develop the correct pronunciation, phrases, and idioms specific to a Native English speaker. Some programs require that one is certified, usually TEFL certification, but there are some that do not require experience or certification. A good place to start the search would be Teach Abroad but be careful to weed through the positions because some you have to pay for and others require a TEFL degree.

These ideas are simply a jump-off point to help you get started on your search but much more can be found with thorough research. At the end of the day the work you put into finding these internships will pay off because it is a once in a lifetime experience and many whom I have talked to about their experiences would never change a thing about the internship. Good luck on your search!