Professional Network

An internship is an ideal opportunity to network. Because you are only contracted to work with a company for 3-6 months, depending on the internship, it is crucial to use the internship as a networking opportunity for future employment. Whether or not the internship is compatible with your long-term career goals, you never know who you can meet, who they know, and what will come out of a professional relationship.

Throughout my internship with LACD, I have had the opportunity to network and meet recruiters, important faculty, and business people nation wide. While it may not seem important for a communications major to network with a financial group or insurance company, those connections are crucial for getting an intern’s name out there. A fantastic tool for this is Linked In. As a professional networking web site, Linked In allows for contacts to be made using professional similarities. I have found this incredibly helpful throughout my internship. Whenever we bring in a guest speaker or I meet someone new at LACD, I link to them on Linked In. This gives me access to all of their professional contacts, many of which have careers I would dream of having one day. This powerful, convenient tool allows me to contact them and exchange professional information.

I have also found that networking goes both ways. When meeting professional contacts, it is important to not only think about what their network can do for you, but what your network can do for them. Do you have a friend or classmate who would be a great fit for their company? Even if you are not a fit for an internship or position, it does not mean the networking should stop. When I network, I always am thinking of who I know that will be a good fit for their needs. These recommendations will benefit not only the recruiter and your contacts, but will highlight you as a professional networker. It will also help you stand out in a contact’s mind, so if they hear about a position that is right for your qualifications, they will be willing to pass on your name.

Office Loyalty...

Office loyalty is an imperative part of internships that establishes interns as professional team members. It is something I am very passionate about and always mindful of. To me, office loyalty encompasses three main qualities: respect, dedication, and representation.

Respect: I find respect to be a key ingredient in any company environment. I was raised on the “treat others how you want to be treated” motto, and feel it is applicable to a professional atmosphere. Loyalty in an office entails respecting your company, its brand, your team members, and all of your professional acquaintances. Whether you are in the office or not, respecting the privacy and details of your work is crucial. This is not to say talking about work is wrong. I believe there is a time and a place to have conversations of a sensitive nature, and it is an intern’s job to use discretion when discussing work topics.

Dedication: Office loyalty includes being actively engaged and dedicated to your company’s projects. During an internship, I think it is a student’s time to shine. They have a unique opportunity to dedicate themselves to a few select projects and put all of their schooling to use. Part of being loyal to an office is to complete every project you start, volunteer to participate, and dedicate yourself to the mission of the company. This shows your loyalty and will help distinguish you from students who do not put in the extra effort.

Representation: When you work for a company, the day does not end at 5pm. You may run into coworkers or contacts at any time of the day, so it is imperative to be mindful of your actions inside and outside of the office. Your actions do not only represent you and the work you do, but the entire company you are a part of. This is especially applicable to the internship I am doing with LACD. We live and work on a college campus. Though I am only in the office 5-10 hours a week, I am constantly running into coworkers, deans, professional contacts, and students who use the resources of Liberal Arts Career Development. I always am cognizant of this, whether I am in class, on the bus, or out with my friends. I represent LACD and never want an unflattering personal decision to reflect upon my work in the office. This is something I keep in mind through my use of social media as well. I am representing myself and LACD with my online identity, so I am mindful of my use of Facebook, twitter, and linked in.