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IPFW Externship Program

Externship Program
August 10-21, 2009 [2-5 day commitment]

Think of it as a mini- internship!

An externship gives students the opportunity to explore a specific career path, gain marketable job experience, and make professional connections by working with alumni and local employers. Students will most likely participate in the following activities:

• Shadowing one or more professionals
• Attending meetings and presentations / touring the work site
• Conducting informational interviews with professionals in various departments and/or at various levels
• Participating in daily operations that will provide an extern with hands-on exposure to the career field/industry

* Deadline to apply: July 27, 2009

Why do an Externship?
Gain a competitive edge. Learn how to stand out from other candidates with
your initiative and experience. Test drive a new career!

Participating Employers:
Parkview Hospital, IPFW, Boys and Girls Clubs of Fort Wayne, Ivy Tech Community College, United Way, Fort Wayne Civic Theatre, Fort Wayne Hilton...and many more!

To see the complete list of externships available and apply for an externship go to: www.ipfw.edu/career or contact Ashley McArdle in Career Services, 260-481-0689.

Federal jobs and internships more appealing to students

A recent study conducted by the Partnership for Public Service found that more college students are considering federal jobs and internships these days. Whether it's because of the tough job market (not enough jobs in the private sector) or the emphasis placed on service by the Obama administration, working for the federal government is more appealing to college students than before. Check out the full article here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/30/AR2009043003988.html.

If you're like me and can only come up with the FBI and CIA as places to work in the federal government, here's a great resource to open your mind to more federal job options: http://data.bestplacestowork.org/index.php/bptw/index. It rank-orders the top 10 places to work in the federal government, according to employee satisfaction and commitment. If you click on any of the 10 places, it provides a list of subcomponent departments and more detail on the ranking data.

Finally, if you're an IPFW student, you can check out The Guide to America's Federal Jobs from our career library in Kettler 109.

Unemployment Coping Strategies

The National Career Development Association publishes a web magazine, Career Convergence, monthly and in the June 1, 2009 edition an article by Tim Lutenski, entitled "Coping with Unemployment" discusses just that.

With unemployment at the Nation's highest in over a decade many of us have job security and stability on our minds. Is my job in jeopardy? Will I get a pay cut? What should I do to ensure keeping my job? What if I lose my job, then what? Well, there are ways to cope and keep yourself functioning so you can keep working and find that replacement job, if necessary.

Lutenski acknowledges three suggestions to cope and survive a job loss.

1. Prepare Emotionally
2. Take Proactive Measures
3. Look to the Future

He also discussed tangible ways to accomplish these like recognizing your grief and job loss stages, view unemployment and job searching as your new job, release any bitterness from the past job, budget, make a daily routine, seek support, volunteer, find ways to increase skills, and follow your passion to encourage growth. I would like to discuss the idea that you need to release any bitterness towards your past employer.

I've encountered a number of people recently that have been release from jobs for a myriad of reasons and many of them seem to have a chip on their shoulder towards their old boss or place of employment. And rightly so! If you just put 5, 10, 15+ years into a job, were a hard worker, and became invested in the company's mission it may very well seem like you were betrayed. I understand the feelings that many people go through; it's typical to cycle through the the stages of grief and loss (Kubler-Ross), but the key point is to not let it run your life.

Even if you believe you've cycled through the stages and are at peace with your previous employer the emotions may still be present and manifest at an unfortunate time, like during a job interview. Employers can tell through non-verbals and para-verbals (vocal tones) if you have have a good relationship with your past employer or not. Employers do not want to hire someone with a chip on their shoulder or who they think might be carrying this baggage which could hinder the productiveness or quality of the employee's work.

So, what can you do to help prevent this from happening?

• Get in touch with your feelings and emotions through self-reflection and/or counseling.
• Contact the IPFW Career Services office, or your local college or unemployment agency, and inquire about doing a mock interview.
• Practice what you're going to say in an interview to increase your awareness of self and prevent the emotions from causing a negative impression on a future employer.
• Remember: bad talking your past employer doesn't make them look bad, IT MAKES YOU LOOK BAD! Employers may see the bad talking as a reason why you were let go or fired.

Read the complete story Lutenski, Tim (2009) Coping with unemployment, Career Convergence, NCDA.

Grants and Service Learning for IPFW students

There are some great opportunities to take advantage of as an IPFW student. You can earn grants, tuition awards, and stipends for volunteering!! Indiana Campus Compact and Americorps offer local opportunities for students to volunteer and make this country a better place all while earning money.

Indiana Campus Compact (ICC) offers Community Service Mini-Grants (CSMG) for students and/or student organizations to organize community service projects. They must be student lead initiatives, off campus, addressing a need or problem in a community and/or benefiting the collaborating community organization. Some past examples are: spring break service trips, campus community plunge days, environmental clean-up projects, and shelter or community soup kitchen projects. Grant awards range from $100-$1,000. There are requirements that the university and student/student org must meet. For more information go to the ICC website.

ICC has also paired up with Americorps and the VISTA (Volunteers In Service To America) program to offer an M3C fellows program for students. It targets first generation and/or low income college students. Students who are involved in this program will receive an education award to use toward tuition, loan payments, etc. in return for community service. The program seeks to foster a deep appreciation and understanding of democratic values and citizenship among participants, and nurture the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors that lead to a lifelong commitment to active community and civic engagement.

If you're an IPFW student and would like more information about ICC or being a VISTA volunteer contact Deb Barrick at 260-481-6939 or go to the OACS website.

Get involved with nonprofit agencies...

Are you interested in helping people?
Are you interested in making a difference in people's lives?

One of the ways you can do this is by serving on a nonprofit agency's board or on one of their committees. This also looks great on your resume and will help you to have an edge over your competition when you are applying for an internship or job. If you're not sure what this would involve, come to "Get on Board", which is presented for the 2nd year by Young Leaders of Northeast Indiana (YLNI). This two-part series will cover board basics, and also provide an opportunity to network with area nonprofit organizations who are searching for talented people like yourself to serve on their boards and committees.

The first workshop will be held at the downtown branch of the Allen County Public Library on Wednesday, May 20th from 6-8 PM. This workshop will introduce you to the board basics you'll want to know in order to be a stellar board member, and to decide if board service is right for you. The program will be facilitated by the Paul Clarke Nonprofit Resource Center. Light refreshments will be served.
**Cost is FREE. Space is limited and the event is open (on a first-come, first-served basis).
RSVP quickly to rsvp@ylni.org. Please put “5/20 Get on Board event” in the subject line.

"Get on Board Take 2" will be held at the Tower Bank lobby in Fort Wayne on Wednesday, June 17th from 5:30-7:30 PM. Come make connections with local nonprofit agencies at the 2nd annual Get on Board networking mixer. This informal event will give you the opportunity to talk to representatives from organizations large and small, across a broad spectrum of service areas. All attendees are encouraged to create a free profile at www.boardnetusa.org prior to the event.
**Cost is FREE. Space is limited, and the event is open (on a first-come, first-served basis). RSVP to rsvp@ylni.org. Please put “6/17 Get on Board event” in the subject line.

Questions about Get on Board? Contact Wendy at wendy@ylni.org.
Questions about YLNI? Visit www.ylni.org or email info@ylni.org.

What are you worth?

Are you trying to choose a major and want to know how much you could make in related careers? Currently employed and not sure you're getting a fair deal? Check out the following sites to find out how much different careers and companies pay:

Glassdoor.com:
gives you an inside look at Company Reviews and Salaries for more than 22,000 companies, posted anonymously by real employees.  Send an email from your IPFW  '.edu' account to students@glassdoor.com
and you will receive a free full access student account. You'll get free access to all reviews and salaries — without having to post anything. 


CNBC ranks the college degrees that have the highest starting salaries.

Salary.com: Has an entire listing of salaries for entry-level positions based on field

Career Builder has an article about how to negotiate a better starting salary.

Location can also make a huge difference in how far your money goes.
CNN Money ranks the best places to live.


Quint Careers and explore what other factors may be important to you.