The best supervisor I’ve had was during my first summer internship at MaxLove Project. MaxLove Project aims to support kids and their families that have been diagnosed with pediatric cancer by providing access to whole body healing tools like bone broth, nutritionists, and therapy. In a small nonprofit with an incredible scope, it was a learning experience as an intern. I was constantly acquiring new skills and discovering how to manage situations. As one of the few employees in a very small organization, my supervisor Abby did a lot. She was the perfect combination of instructional and easygoing. She constantly communicated what had been accomplished during morning meetings, any new projects we were brainstorming and most importantly, always took my suggestions seriously. Additionally, Abby was an extremely dedicated employee. She was always working on at least five different projects but made time to sit and chat with customers that came in or families that needed some extra support. In short, Abby changed the way I thought about managers, bosses, and even myself.

As one of the few employees in a very small organization, my supervisor Abby did a lot. She was the perfect combination of instructional and easygoing. She constantly communicated what had been accomplished during morning meetings, any new projects we were brainstorming and most importantly, always took my suggestions seriously. Additionally, Abby was an extremely dedicated employee. She was always working on at least five different projects but made time to sit and chat with customers or families that needed some sort of support, something that I found at the time, dizzying.

Through working for MaxLove and Abby, I saw what it took to be a strong leader and team member. I often think “what would Abby do” at my current on-campus job. She emphasized communication in a challenging environment and truly valued my contributions or ideas. Having a supervisor that instilled such excellent leadership values has changed the way I look for companies and how I hope to lead within the workplace someday. Do you have a supervisor or manager that changed the way you think about management style?

About nine months ago I decided I didn’t know how I felt about the nonprofit sector and that I wanted to try something else. I stumbled upon the idea of marketing and advertising and have been researching it ever since. It’s been hard to catch up to the knowledge that everyone else seems to have, but with some smart Googling, it’s not impossible.

I first started basic Google searches to figure out the basics of the industry. What departments there were, what backgrounds people had, where the hotspots of businesses were, etc.

What was a helpful next step, was finding major websites like AdWeek or Advertising Age and following their posts. When they interviewed CEOs or creative directors I like, I looked up their company. When they posted their ad of the week, I watched it and made mental notes about it. I did every creepy form of professional stalking through these websites. Finding more and more articles about agencies I liked. This helped me grow my background, and the further back you go into these websites archive, the better grip you can get on trends and history of the industry.

After I did all this research, I moved to LinkedIn. I started following major companies, their CEOs, and anyone else who seemed to post frequently about the topics I was interested in. I also revived my Twitter account and scrubbed it clean of all my irrelevant tweets from high school to make it more professional. I followed people just like I did on LinkedIn. More and more frequently, companies are posting about internships from Twitter and Facebook, so I thought it would be a helpful way to find new opportunities and agencies.

Finally, after all this research, I started applying and contacting companies I felt strongly about. Though it was tiring and extensive, all this information has been helpful. I’m able to compare agencies and their strategies and see which best fits my wants and needs.

Have you decided to explore a new field with little information? Let us know what tips and tricks worked best for you in the comments!

Do you ever have those stretched of time where it feels like every aspect of your life is just coming at you? Like you don’t know exactly when you’ll get everything done but that you definitely have to get it done at some point? When sleep and exercise sound like a reward instead of a necessity?

The past week and a half have been exactly that for me. I feel burnt out on schoolwork but motivated to get an internship and figure out my summer. I have work, meetings, doctor’s appointments (if you don’t always unintentionally schedule these during the most hectic week of your life, I’m impressed), etc.

I’ve been asking myself this question all week: how do you balance your homework load and internship applications? I think the answer is scheduling and lists. That’s all I’ve been doing lately. I have lists for important to do’s, things I want to Google while I’m studying, and ideas that might help me with other projects. These notes are all over– my computer, my desk, and shoved into textbooks to help me prioritize my needs this week. I’ve also had to make some big decisions in terms of prioritizing readings for classes or spending more time on a cover letter for a company I really love.

Lately, I’ve been scheduling my to do’s out after I make a massive list. Normally I just do one or the other, but combining the two has made my day way more productive. It helps you know what you need to spend the most time on, and what later projects (like sending emails to get an informational interview) you can use to give your brain a little break after writing a politics paper for three hours.

Another positive of scheduling out your to do’s is that you can make sure you’re eating, sleeping, and working out enough! Whenever I get overwhelming I neglect my basic needs and end up looking like this) and overall I’m less productive in the long run.

How do you get through a tough week balancing class and work? Comment suggestions below!

The hardest interview question to answer is typically the last one: “Do you have any questions for me?” You always know it’s coming. It used to make me sweat through the whole interview and you might spend the entire interview splitting your focus between responding to the question asked and thinking of a creative question to ask the interviewer. Even if you had thought about a question to ask before coming in, it might have been answered throughout the time you’d been in the office. And to make it more stressful, there’s always the threat of the answer to the question being something you could have easily found on the website.

An article I found on the Muse truly made me think of this concept differently. The article talks about how this interview is just as much of an elimination process for you as it is for the employer. You want to make sure you will fit well in the community, that there’s room for growth—if not valuable experiences to be had, and these are not elements you can simply find on the company’s page.

The Muse stressed questions about company culture and habit. If it’s an inherently demanding job, how do people have lunch? Alone at their desks or in groups? How much turnover is there in the position? How large is the candidate position for the company you’re applying for? Are there frequent work functions that allow you to network with fellow employees in different departments? I highly recommend thinking about what you want in a career or internship position and brainstorm some questions that will tell you a little more about the company itself and the people it attracts. The interviewer will be impressed with your out-of-the-box thinking and hopefully, you will find yourself with a job offer and a career that’s fulfilling and exciting!

Job applications are scary. The thought of putting time and energy into something you truly want and potentially being rejected is enough to make you slam your laptop shut and go find a new Netflix show to binge watch. However, after finishing my show, I always think about my favorite piece of advice. I received my (now) favorite piece of job search advice—and honestly life advice—three years ago. I remember looking at college applications when my Grandpa asked me what I was looking for in a college. I responded something about prioritizing colleges within my grade point average and ACT range to which he replied, “Well, just get your information out there. You never know what they’re looking for.”

I’ve been thinking about this conversation lately. Three years ago, it influenced my decision to apply to many colleges that weren’t necessarily within my reach and is influencing me now to apply to internships I would have never thought within reach. The idea of just getting something “out there” can apply to almost anything. It’s become my universal mantra for times when I’m nervous I’ll fail in a situation. When you’re considering not applying to something because you don’t know how to phrase the cover letter, or if you’re a little underqualified—the best thing to do is just get it out there. Start the draft, edit it a few days later, get a second pair of eyes on it, learn from your feedback, and send it in. The perception of failure always ends up being greater than the actual failure itself.

What’s your favorite piece of job advice? Let me know in the comments!