Notes from an Advertising Executive

By Joe Grimaldi
Chief Executive Officer
Mullen

Here are some thoughts from Joe Grimaldi who is the CEO at Mullen. Mullen is a renowned advertising agency with locations in Massachussetts, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Michigan. As a huge supporter the internship program, Joe actively engages with interns on various occasions. He speaks to them during their first week during a lunch and learn session, judges their final new business presentation, and loves to get to know them in the cafeteria.

1. What do you feel is the most differentiating feature about Mullen’s internship program, and how has this benefited the students, and the agency?

“We care about the education the interns get and put time, energy and senior management involvement into it. We need the best people to come into the business if we are to be a competitive industry, and the best way to do that is to help shape them. It’s an industry cause.”

2. Did you intern anywhere before you started working? If so, where? What was it like?

“No. I got lucky and walked out of school in Manhattan and into the media department of a top 5 agency.”

3. Name one trait you love to see in your interns, but feel you don’t see enough of?

“Two things, actually: 1) Being a sponge that absorbs everything with unbridled enthusiasm and organized thought. 2) The ability to voice original thought and ideas in a way that is not easily dismissed by people with significantly more experience.”

For more internship related tips, visit the InternshipRatings.com advice column Take Note

A Good Interview Is In Your Hands

I recently read this short article in the Wells Fargo Daily Advantage publication. I have heard from professors and professionals the importance of a good handshake, but somewhat dismissed the tip. A new study conducted by Greg Stewart emphasizes the handshake as a major factor in the hiring process.

Pssst, here's a hot tip for people interviewing for jobs. When you meet the interviewer, give a good hearty handshake. A study conducted by Greg Stewart, a professor of management at the University of Iowa, found that a firm handshake is the key to getting the offer. The professor tested 98 students by having them interview with business people and also shake hands with people trained to rate handshakes. Both groups rated each student's performance and hireability, and they rated the students with strong handshakes as the most hirable. Says Stewart: "We probably don't consciously remember a person's handshake or whether it was good or bad, but the handshake is one of the first non-verbal clues we get about the person's overall personality. And that impression is what we remember." (The full results of the study will be published in the September issue of The Journal of Applied Psychology.)

According to Stewart, you can execute a good handshake by following a few simple rules:

1. Form a complete and firm grip (no finger squeezers, no dead mice)

2. Make a vigorous up and down movement (but remember you're not chopping wood)

3. Make eye contact (no I'm-the-dude sunglasses or redeye)

For more intern tips, visit the InternshipRatings.com advice column, Take Note!

--Stephanie

Are You Experienced?

By Michael R. Ratty

Director of Communications

Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences 

One hand on the steering wheel, one hand on a hastily printed map, I nearly swerved into oncoming traffic on the two-lane bridge. It was a humid afternoon and I was panicking on my first day of an internship with The Lowell Sun, a daily newspaper in Lowell, Mass. Only ten minutes earlier, I had been handed by first reporting assignment, covering a press conference announcing a new affordable housing measure for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. I had expected my first day to be filled with inane duties like finding cubicle having my employee ID picture taken. I was wrong. 

I was on summer break before my senior year at Ithaca College and, like most journalism majors, I has agonized over where I would intern. My first choice was the Boston Globe and my second choice was the Sun's internship program, which had four paid, full-time positions. The Globe program, although unpaid ( the Globe name was the payment...) was renowned for landing impressive placements for graduates. Up against Ivy Leaguers and students from higher profile journalism programs like Syracuse and NYU, I was not offered a position. Disappointed but undaunted, I pursed the Sun's program because of the experience I anticipated receiving. After two rounds of interviews, I was given the good new on the last day of classes. At the time, I felt like the last kid picked at gym class. The feeling would not last long.

For more of this article, check out Take Note on InternshipRatings.com

Corporate Culture

By Steve Raymund
Chairman of the Board of Directors
Tech Data Corporation

Working as an intern is a great opportunity to learn what it means to live inside the world and culture of corporate America. With open eyes and ears, you can acquire important skills and knowledge that will help you succeed in your future career. Perhaps more importantly, you can learn a lot about yourself and what kind of work environment best fits your own personality.

Quite often that first or second internship culminates in an exciting job offer and the chance to build a career inside a company you now know, and that knows and values your contribution in return. Here’s a few tips to maximizing your success in the corporate America:

You may be a stranger in a strange land, unfamiliar with its social conventions, so take your time to learn how things get done in this new world. Listen, watch, take notes, study and reflect on your experience. Remember, company cultures can differ remarkably from one another. Intel, for example, is renowned for its culture of confrontation, while HP, in contrast, places high value on collaboration. Although a company may have formal procedures and rules, quite often it’s through informal networks and processes that more can be accomplished. So be diligent in learning about your company’s social norms to avoid making a silly faux pas, and to ensure that you maximize your effectiveness.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help and advice. If given an assignment, seek counsel and feedback along the way vs. waiting until your finished project is ready for formal unveiling. I’ve seen people waste weeks of work by misinterpreting their original instructions and finishing up with a worthless product. A better alternative is frequent checkpoints with your boss or colleagues during which you’re likely to hear great suggestions to improve your end product. That way you’re more likely to stay on track with the original assignment.

Be timely in everything you do. Show up to meetings a few minutes early. Deliver your reports when due. People don’t like to hear excuses for tardiness, delays and missed deadlines. To be sure, delays are sometimes unavoidable, but don’t wait until the last minute before informing your boss that you can’t deliver your work on time. It’s much better to provide an early heads up, which might in fact create an opportunity to enlist help in flattening the obstacles slowing your progress.

TO READ MORE PLEASE VISIT Take Note

New InternshipRatings.com Feature launches

InternshipRatings.com launches an interactive advice column for users!

As students ourselves, we understand the need for advice from professionals. After our internships last summer, we realized how many questions arise before, during and after an internship. What makes a good resume? How do I ask for a letter of recommendation? How do I make my internships “worth the coffee”?

Take Note: Expert Advice from Industry Professionals will feature articles from various contributors of different backgrounds and specialties, offering advice about internships. You will see posts by career counselors, HR personnel and company executives. Whether you are a sports intern, finance intern or just looking for an internship, Take Note will answer some of the questions you might be too afraid to ask and didn’t know to ask.

We encourage you to post comments and interact with our writers. Please feel free to ask more questions or even suggest topics. This column is for you, so let us know what advice you really need! For now just take note…

Enjoy the new feature and don't forget to rate your internship!

--Lauren and Stephanie
Founders

Internship Ratings of the Week: Omniture, Inc.

This week I have decided to review the rating for Omniture, Inc. This rating stands out to me because of the working environment this user experienced. From what I gather, Omniture is a fast-paced media company that understands the importance of an internship. This user states that there was always something to do and "never felt like I was given busy work or work that was insubstantial." Obviously, this is very important to future internship applicants. At this company, you can leave with a feeling of accomplishment and maybe even a portfolio! This internship is also good for networking and real world experience.

The one problem with this company is that it is quite large. This can be extremely overwhelming for an intern. According to this users comments, there are a lot of politics that circle around the office environment. If interning at a company be careful when it comes to gossip and inter social relations. Keep it PG-13 at all times. Remember things you say in fun or in passing can bite you in the butt! While working at a company that likes to "work hard and play hard" make sure you show your personality.

I think that this company provides a great experience for most interns. But, if it is your first time interning I would recommend staying away. It is hard to be thrown into such a large company at the beginning. If you are just starting your intern career, try applying to smaller companies. Hopefully there you will be able to adjust to the working world without having to deal with corporate politics. For more information about this internship check out InternshipRatings.com!

--Lauren

The Great Debate: Which Internship To Take

Spring is progressing and internships are quickly approaching. The normal highly structured and well planned life that I like to lead now has elements of uncertainty. I find myself in a confused position regarding the decision of which internship position I should accept. I applied to two very different companies: a public relations firm and a recording studio that specializes in jingle writing. (Do not judge me, it sounds like a fun, creative, brain-exercising summer experience.) I am finding the decision difficult for a few reasons: 1) Should I try something new that isn't necessarily related to my intended major? 2) Should I work under a pr professional or as my own boss? 3) Should I accept a summer of low-level pr tasks for a well-respected firm or work diligently (and stressfully) to create high-level projects?

This predicament is one of the reasons why I created InternshipRatings.com. While it is important to consider the skills I will learn and the tasks I will perform, the company environment and staff play a large part in the success of an internship experience. If the companies I am interested in were posted on the website, it would make my decision much easier! Unfortunately, I do not know anyone who has interned at these companies and therefore must try to make the most informed decision I can on my own.

As I sit here weighing my options, I will offer you some advice if you are in the same position. Ask for the company's internship program fact sheet/guide. This document should clearly define your summer duties and the company's expectations of you. The one I received even details how to answer the phone properly! As I have also mentioned before, the interview is also a great way to get to know more about your potential employer. Thoughtful questions can provide you with similar answers that a previous intern would give.

If you have taken this advice and feel confident about both internships, you should feel confident selecting either option. And when you are finished with your experience, don't forget to add it to InternshipRatings.com to make a fellow intern's next decision an easier one!

--Stephanie

Persistence equals progress!

The last few months, I have been observing my friend go through the process of getting an internship. David, a broadcast journalism major, wanted to intern at a local Boston news station. He had a contact through a family friend and called him early on in the school year. He was told to call the station around January when they begin accepting internship applications. When January arrived, David excitedly called the contact and reminded him of his dedication to this potential internship.

When David didn’t get a response from the program coordinator, he became frustrated and concerned. I reminded him not to give up and be determined. Persistence shows interest, responsibility and passion. David decided to follow up by calling the coordinator. Finally, a few weeks later he received a phone call back for an interview. He felt the interview went really well and was confident that he would hear from the interviewer within the next few days. When David had not heard from him after two weeks he knew he had to do something. He was tired of calling and did not have the interviewer’s email address. The one thing he did have was the office address. David decided to write his interviewer a hand written thank you letter. Although it seems weird as most people avoid snail mail at all costs (especially for work correspondence), he knew it would not hurt.

His thank you note said something to the effect of:
Dear X,
I enjoyed speaking to you this afternoon. I think that I am a great fit for your internship program. As we discussed in our conversation, I am journalism major with experience writing for my college newspaper. Like you said, I think this would be a great first internship for me. Thank you again and I hope to hear from you soon.

Regards,
David

Remember while writing a thank you note to be grateful and concise. It is also a good idea to recap a part of the conversation to spark a memory.
A few days after his letter was received, David got a phone call. He was accepted to the internship program! David was so excited and realized that his persistence paid off. David learned that although sometimes times you feel like a nuisance, its better to be overly enthusiastic than lethargic.

The moral of the story is a little bit goes a long way. Take that extra step. Make that extra phone call. Write that extra letter. It’s better to go above and beyond. Remain confidant and determined and your passion with shine through.

--Lauren