Matt's blog
Class of 2009, Communication Major, from Waukesha, WI

Over the past few weeks I have worked on a few different parts relating to my internship search. The major thing I have been working on has been my resume. I have moved passed grammar and spelling errors, now I am focused on structure and the way it looks visually. I have probably reread and revised my resume five different times since my last blog. The other thing I have been working on is applying for internships. I am currently in the process of interviewing with Best Buy. Two weeks ago I had my first interview with Best Buy. It ran for about 45 minutes and then I was scheduled a second interview. Last week I had my second interview with Best Buy. There, we discussed the position in more detail.

The position is a Management/Leadership internship position within Best Buy. This position allows the intern to learn all management areas within a Best Buy store. The unique thing about this is that the program is brand new only being its second or third year. Interns at Best Buy will be given a lot of responsibility and a lot of opportunity for future advancement.

In a few weeks I will have a 'Shadow Day' at Best Buy to learn more about each position. From there, I was told I will have another interview and a decision will be made after that. The interview process seems to be long, but it is worth it. I am getting great interview experience and an opportunity for a great job after college. I am not sure if I will get the position or not, but I am staying optimistic! When I hear more from Best Buy I will write another blog. In the mean time, I am going to continue to look around for other opportunities because I do not want to "put all of my eggs in one basket". If by chance Best buy does not work out the way I hoped, I could still have something else waiting for me.

The timing is perfect; my first blog begins with me at the beginning stages of finding a summer internship! If you have read my short bio, you would know that last year I was a Franchise Manager for College Pro Painters (I ran my own exterior painting business). My experience was unbelievable and I had a lot of success by receiving both "Rookie Manager of the Year" and "President's Club Award". When the 2007 painting season was completed, I struggled with the decision of returning with College Pro Painters as a Senior Franchise Manager or to find a new opportunity. After weeks of talking with my family, friends, College Pro, and other employers I decided to see what else I was capable of doing. I made this decision because I had never painted a house before and I had never ran my own business, but I did both very successfully. I thought that since I only have one more summer before graduation, I would see what else I could do successfully and what else I enjoy doing.

I left my position with College Pro on good terms and because of that I was able to keep a strong connection with them. For example, over winter break I worked as a Recruiter for the company and this spring and summer I will be assisting part time as a Rookie Manager Mentor. My goal was to not lose my amazing connection with College Pro Painters, I just wanted to try something new. Now that my decision is made, I have the opportunity to start looking for new internships.

This may sound biased because I work at Career Services, but trust me- its not! After I met and talked with the Career Services advisers, I found that my internship searching process has just begun! I was introduced to a Career Services website. The website is www.myinterfase.com/snc/student (called Career Connections). After registering I was able to start searching for jobs, internships, and mentors in the fields and areas I am interested in working. At this point I am using the Career Connections website to generate a list of employers who I would like to talk to about potential summer opportunities. My goal for the next few weeks is to contact some employers and update my resume so I can have a smooth start to my summer internship search.