Spartan Spotlight: Laura Hammer, JCPenney Intern

Name:  Laura Hammer

Home Town:  Livonia, MI

Major:  Marketing & Retailing

Graduation Year:  May 2011

Company:  JCPenney

Position:  Sales Manager Intern

Favorite thing about your company in 5 words or less:  The people

A store management internship is a great opportunity to learn about different areas of business and helps you gain great leadership skills in a fast-paced, exciting environment!

Spartan Spotlight: John Bailey, Command Internship

Name: John Bailey

Home: Town Traverse City, MI

Major: Human Resource & Society, Cognate: Economics

Graduation: 2008 (May)

Favorite thing about Command Transportation in 5 words for less: Great people and great opportunity

Spartan Spotlight: Ashley Raymond, Kraft Internship

Name: Ashley Raymond

Home Town: Pinconning, MI

Major: Supply Chain Management

Graduation Date: May 2010

Company: Kraft Foods

Position: Summer Intern in the Customer Service & Logistics – Log Ops Development Group

Favorite thing about Kraft internship in 5 worlds or less: The people that work there!

Ashley’s E-mail: raymon62@gmail.com

Note: If you would like to be highlighted in the Spartan Spotlight blog series, contact the CASH team at spotlight@cashforcareers.com

Internship Profile: Nicole Herrington “It Could Happen to You”

“IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU” INTERNSHIP PROFILE

Name: Nicole Herrington
Major: Finance and International Business
Degree: Bachelor of Arts
Graduation Date: May 2010
Company: Shell Oil
Location: Houston, TX
Internship Position: Financial Analyst Intern

1. Why is an internship important?
Internship is important as it is a huge resume builder and gives you experience and insight to an industry you could be working in.
2. What was the one most significant thing that you gained from your experience?
Knowledge about the oil industry and working with managers of a Fortune 1 company
3. What was your biggest challenge?
Technical Skills
4. What type of networking did you do?
I was involved in several of the Shell networks as wells as the Shell intramural sports teams. Both of these venues along with Intern events and job shadowing allowed me to interact with a variety of people in different roles to learn more about the company.
5. What did you do to get the most out of your internship?
Had high expectations for my projects and was very proactive about managing my work and requesting more work.
6. Why would you recommend an internship experience to other students?
It gives you a real life experience in a position/at a company you could work at after graduation. You get to improve your skills with value-added projects, build your network, and make some cash!
7. Did you move to another city and what did you think about that experience?
I moved to Houston, TX – It was extremely hot, but it was a great experience, and I highly recommend it! The people were very welcoming, and the city was clean, modern, and there was a lot to see in Texas.
8. What was your typical day like?
There were usually 1-2 meetings that either I set up with people or team/company-wide, most days meetings would take up at least 2 hours of my day, and then I mainly worked on my main projects – a Risk Analysis Assessment, Budget Reconciliations, and a Wells Reporting Automation.

MORE CANDID QUESTIONS:

1. What did you like or dislike about the city/area you worked?
Really enjoyed the Galleria area of Houston- upscale and centrally located. However, there was a good amount of traffic in the evenings.
2. What types of extra circular activities were available in the area?
Shell offers volleyball, softball, and football teams and a variety of other networks and events. Many gyms in the area, and outdoor activities at Memorial Park.
3. Did you work with other interns? If yes, did you spend time with them outside of work?
Not directly, but I had lunch with them several times a week. A few times we did spend time together outside of work.
4. Did the company organize events for the interns?
YES! Took a trip to New Orleans fully paid for, Astros baseball games, and they also planned a trip to float down a giant lazy river.
5. Describe your relationship with your mentor/supervisor.
Maintained daily contact to update him on my daily activities and findings and the status of my projects.
6. What type of relocation assistance, housing or bonuses did you receive?
Monetary relocation assistance and a rental car!
7. What did you like or didn’t you like about your experience?
Thought it was a great experience! The people/culture were great, pay was very good, city was nice, projects were interesting – nothing to complain about!
8. What do you wish you would have known before the internship started?
There are 2 Shell locations in Houston – one downtown and one in the West side of Houston. Both are nice and there are definitely perks to each.

If you would like to be profiled in the “It could happen to you” section, please contact Eric Benman at benmaner@msu.edu

$63 Million for Michigan Summer Employment?!

Are you in the no-summer-job blues? Well, the Federal Government is helping Michigan! The stimulus package provides $63 million for summer employment SPECIFICALLY for YOUTH (Ages 14-24). There are still plenty out there for grabs, especially for us who have some college experience. So if you’re part of the several thousands that need a job (or internship!) for the summer, check it out!

https://www.michworks.org/mtb/user/MTB_EMPL.EntryMainPage

What you need to know about the summer jobs program

An Internship You Can Believe In

You think you should be the next President of the United States, or better yet, you think YOU can run this country better?  What better way to start your career than have an internship at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave at the White House?  Applications for the Fall 2009 Internship at the White House are set to release at the end of April, but an example application is available to view at the site now!  Some highlights of the application include asking the application their favorite place to visit, song, sports team, and moment in the 2008 campaign.

Although the internship does not pay money, the networking opportunities and fulfillment in making a difference are worth a semester.  The application isn’t very difficult, so why not try it?  Perhaps Washington needs some more Spartans to fight through these economic struggles.

For more information:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/internships/

SAMPLE application:

http://whitehouse.gov/asset.aspx?AssetId=1121

By: Dave Samuels

California Dreaming…

California knows how to party….

…or have internships.

With the snow falling in April, people might want to start looking for warmer climates to work in. California is known for its sandy beaches, hot sun, and of course the entertainment industry. Many people move to California to “make it big” in Hollywood, but what about just getting a job behind the scenes?

Most big entertainment companies, such as Time Warner and Viacom, hire for internships and jobs year round and most have offices based in the sunny state of California.

Some interesting jobs/internships are as follow:

MTV Networks Internship Program – San Francisco, California
INTERNSHIP DESCRIPTION: 

MTV Networks San Francisco is part of MTVN’s growing digital media division. Our products (including Shockwave.com, AddictingGames.com, Atom.com, and Xfire.com) fall under channels such as Nickelodeon Kids & Family and Comedy Central online. Our networks are on the lookout for bright, creative students to participate in our internship program. Our internships are designed to offer students an opportunity to gain insight into the online media industry. Interns obtain hands-on experience by working in jobs related to their career fields and by interacting with professionals in on-the-job situations. Preference will be given to those going into their junior/senior year. We work with the student to determine how many days a week they are able to intern (usually 2-3 days per week for about 16-30 hours).
MTV Intern
Live Nation Director of Client Services- Hollywood, California
SUMMARY:
This position acts as the direct liaison between the venue box offices, VP of Ticketing and Live Nation Tickets software.  The Director will manage a client service staff based primarily in Los Angeles.  Applicant must be able to provide exceptional client service to internal and external venues, develop standards and oversee all Live Nation Ticketing operational standards and initiatives.
Live Nation Job
Time Warner Summer 2009 Intern – Cartoon Network Studios, Finance Department 
Location United States – California
Job Description: Please Note: Internships are UNPAID and structured to last approximately 12 weeks. Course Credit is available. Resume, Cover Letter and a College Reference is required. Students should have a strong academic record (3.0 strongly preferred) and good character. Students must have completed their sophomore year in college prior to the start of the internship. In addition, students may not have graduated college or graduate school prior to the start of the internship (i.e. students must still be enrolled in school during the time of the internship). Students seeking college credit are strongly encouraged to apply. Note to International Students: All international students will be required to provide documentation of proper visa paperwork prior to your arrival if accepted to the program. Only J1 or F1 visas will be accepted. Due to the high volume of candidates for Turner’s Internship Program, interested students are encouraged to apply for openings as soon as possible, as these positions will be filled on an ongoing basis. Future semester Internship postings will be available after the current semester deadline.
Time Warner Intern

So get out there, and try to stay warm!

By: Jennifer Wolff

Media Money for Michigan

Many majors lead into a specific career after graduation. Usually these majors are BS. But for those of us with BA or BFA it is a different story. There is no one way for a person to become a Best Selling writer, famous actor, or award-winning director. No, we all have to find a path to a career through experience and various opportunities. As Francis Ford Coppola said, “Art depends on luck and talent.” For people who are pursuing a career in media production within Michigan there is a new hope, not a Star Wars movie, but a studio being constructed in Pontiac.

Motown Motion Picture Studios will offer over 3500 new jobs to the community. The studio is drawn to Michigan by the tax incentives passed by Gov. Granholm back in April of 2008.  Because of these tax breaks there is hope for increased film production in Michigan. This will not only create new creative and technical film jobs, but also aid the service industry. The cold hard truth is that we, with our BA degrees, need people with BS degrees. A boom in creative jobs will allow more work for people who work in finance, management, and other critical roles to produce a film.

Michigan’s support of the Film Industry shows potential for healing our economic wounds.

By:Nate Anderson

Watchmen for Careers

Fight bad guys at night. Work with other vigilantes as a team to fight injustices in the world. Turn any object into a makeshift weapon and use highly skilled physical combat.

Don’t you wish that could be your job description? Well, not all of us can have exciting jobs like Rorschach from the new movie “Watchmen.” But, while we can’t be like Rorschach, we can find an exciting career in the movie making business. With movies such as “Watchmen” and “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” coming out in theaters more people have become interested in careers in film. Companies that produce movies are looking for well trained individuals in a variety of fields, such as accounting, marketing and finance. Time Warner, Inc. (the company who released “Watchmen”) even has internships for those who are interested. So while your major/area of interest may not be in film production, you can still work in the movie business.

For more information about Time Warner careers/internships see:
Time Warner Careers

For more about the movie “Watchmen” see:
Watchmen Movie

And for more on “Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince”:
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

By: Jenn Wolff

Think Grammys, Think…..Internship?

The 51st Annual Grammy Awards have just wrapped up and it seams this year they have dove into the 21st century using a facebook page and Twitter which gave live updates during the Grammys and the latest news, facts, trivia, and gossip on everything about the Grammy Awards 2009.

If the Grammys are a highlight of your year, working for them might sound like a dream come true.  Well it’s not that far fetched.  The Recording Academy Internship Program offers an opportunity for college students who are interested in careers in the recording industry to gain on-site training in programming, office administration, nonprofit management and membership development. The Academy compensates their interns and gives college credit.

Check out the application form here (pdf) or for more information on the Recording Academy’s Intern Program, you can contact your local Recording Academy Chapter.

By: Georgia Katopodis

Talk Internships with Spartans & Target Recruiters