Friday, December 12, 2014

Fall 2014 Interns



This is a picture of me (Lauren) helping Nick look at his lease payments. Working in a company’s accounting department has given me the chance to step outside of a classroom setting and apply the knowledge I have learned in a real world experience. The accounting language has become familiar and concepts that were considered hard to understand during tests have become simple. - Lauren Dalton


 
Working in the real world you get to see the challenges and successes that are going to come with the job. I have to say that all semester I found it very challenging to finish all my work in the 25 hours a week I worked. I learned that you have to make use of every minute you are at work. I also learned accountability and organization skills, just as much as specific accounting skills. - Nick Borders




I have worked at Cerner for the past two and a half years as a contract manager on the supplier contracts team. Throughout my time with the company, I have had the opportunity to develop business communication skills as well as organizational habits. I review contracts for hotels and event spaces and those for third party consulting services and then present them to the CFO. This role gives me a great deal of exposure to different parts of the business. - Tyler Scroggs
 
 

 

Thursday, July 31, 2014

What Summer Interns Are Saying


This is me at the Royals game with my supervisor. As a research intern at Cassidy Turley, my responsibility is to keep the real estate data up to date. I assist my supervisor, a director of research, to complete the report for the apartment market. I'm usually at her office asking questions, but once in a while all the colleagues socialize and enjoy the time by watching either a Royals game or the World Cup. - Min An 
 Each morning I am surprisingly happy to be rolling out of bed at 5:30 a.m. I don’t think many people can say that. To be able to write about sports would be an incredible career. I am extremely lucky to have been able to work for InsideSTL Enterprises, and honestly, wish I could keep coming in for the remainder of the semester. I have had countless experiences that I will never forget and I’m certain that I will remain friends with those who I have developed relationships with. - Matthew Hollman
My name is Alexis Bolin and I am a current senior at Rockhurst University. I will graduate in May 2015 with a double major in Psychology and Communications. This internship has made me realize that I could see myself doing this as a career. It has allowed me to apply things that I have learned in the classroom to real world work experience. I have met a lot of influential people through this internship and have made many valuable connections. All of the press releases I have written have been featured in magazines and newspapers throughout the local area. I have learned a lot of things about myself through working this internship. I learned that I am a better writer than I originally thought I was. Some tips I would give to students wanting to obtain an internship would be to use any connections you have (family, friends, etc.) because you never know who may know of something. Overall, this internship at the City of Weldon Spring has been so much fun and I have really learned a lot about the public relations field. It has given me an opportunity to grow as a professional and has given me skills that I can use in my future career. - Alexis Bolin

 
This is me working at our truck scale. Here I weigh retail and wholesale customer's scrap metal. My internship allows me to interact with each customer face to face and discuss what commodities they want to sell. It is a great opportunity to know each customer on a first name basis. - Nathan Messmer
 This summer I took an internship at the Hamilton Retirement Planning Group at Morgan Stanley as a marketing intern. Each day may vary in the amount of tasks I complete. Some days when the FA’s are out of the office on meetings, I may not have many tasks to do, but on other days I can be filled with work. Overall, my experience has been wonderful, and I enjoy working with my team. My advice that I would give to other students is to definitely try an internship during their college years. An internship is a great way to confirm or deny whether they are on the right path or not. Having this experience has helped me confirm that I want to stay in marketing. Not all positions are what you expect when you go into them. It is a learning opportunity and this position has helped me grow as a person in my career. - Briana Bondon

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Intern at the Boy Scouts of America


My internship for the Boy Scouts of America allows me to network with top business professionals in the Kansas City area.  Here I am at a Rotary Club meeting where I met many former Boy Scouts. - Emily Weiss

Friday, April 25, 2014

Accounting Intern at Indigo Wild

As I look back on this past semester as a staff accountant intern at Indigo Wild, an organic soap company, there have been many valuable and irreplaceable experiences that I will be able to take with me in my future endeavors.  My work load has been very diverse, allowing me to experience all facets of the accounting cycle. I have been able to apply the knowledge that I have learned at Rockhurst over these past four years in a real world setting. - Andrew Lohse




 

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Intern at DST Systems

I am Paulina Chávez, a current Senior at Rockhurst University working at an internship at DST Systems in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. I will graduate in May with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in International Business and a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish. I am excited to graduate in order to be able to fully immerse myself in attaining my career goals.
 
I first discovered DST Systems in 2011 while browsing the Career Services student jobs website. I applied and got the job 3 months later as a Mutual Funds Part-Time Processor. As my schedule changed throughout my college career, DST has been willing to work with me to come in at the best time that works for me. I chose to study abroad three times throughout my college career and they were willing and able to grant me a leave of absence for each time.

 
I love having my own space even though I'm only a part-time intern. Along with that, they have provided me with coaching sessions personalized for my own career development with the recruiters from Human Resources. I have had plenty of networking opportunities through the monthly donut or cupcake socials organized by the Engagement Committee. I am currently scheduling meetings with my superiors to see what my options will be at DST after I graduate from college. The meetings I have already had have been very positive and I could definitely see myself staying in a new position within the company for the start of an exciting career!

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Reflections and Accomplishments from Spring 2014 Interns


The Power of Ten Award is given to the College Financial Representatives that write ten insurance policies through the course of the internship. Once a College Financial Representative achieves Power of Ten, they are given even more opportunities to be successful at Northwestern Mutual.” – Andrew Gregory 
                        Only 10% of interns receive the Power of Ten award, out of a pool of 3,000.

 
“This internship has made me develop my networking skills. As a Volunteer Coordinator I am able to meet different people, invite people to volunteer, brainstorm how to get people involved through various networks, and challenge people to relate to our cause. In this picture I am meeting with the Volunteer Committee chair Rose Hernandez. Not only is Rose a chair of my committee, she is also a board member, and a homeowner of a Habitat house of two years. We were discussing how to develop and structure our newly formed committee, and what our goals are going to be over lunch in a nearby local bowling alley.” – Kristine Vainovska
 
 

 
“The best part of my day is clearing the SMF Watch List Screen!” – Lorena Llano

 

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Beginning the Job Search

Experienced worker seeking a career transition but now sure how to proceed?  Graduating student taking that first step past university life but unsure what is beyond?  Here are a few tips to keep in mind as you begin your search.

Know who you are! If you do not know who you are or what you are seeking, you surely will not be able to convey that to a prospective employer.  Take time and figure out what you want to do and where you want to do it.  Complete a career interest inventory assessment.  Job shadow someone in your chosen field(s).  The more you know about yourself, the more focused you can be with your search.

Be professional! With everything you think, say and do, always present yourself in a professional manner.  Change the name of your email address and voice message to something that represents you as a professional.  Proofread all correspondence (twice!) before you hit send.  Make sure your resume is perfect, no errors!  Always answer your phone as if this is the call that could change your life.  Dress appropriately.  It is better to be over dressed than under dressed.  Employers want to hire someone who will represent their organization well and hit the ground running.

Practice your interview techniques! If you want to be a better golfer, what do you do?  Practice!  The same is true with interviewing.  Practice your elevator speech, that 45 second intro that provides an overview of who you are and what you are seeking.  Understand yourself, what do you do well and where are you improving.  Provide detailed examples of your successes and challenges.  Emphasize what you can do for them … not what they can do for you. 

Use all resources available to you! Network with family and friends.  Utilize all web based resources, I recommend LinkedIn.  Connect with Career Services.  Join professional organizations, attend networking events.  Do not be afraid to introduce yourself and let people know you are seeking employment.  Keep your network updated on your progress.  The more opportunities your create for yourself, the better chance you will have landing that ideal next step.  Write thank you notes to everyone.  You never know when you might need their assistance again or you can help them out. 

Be confident! Believe in yourself and your abilities.  If you don’t ... who will?
 
by Mike Theobald

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Interning at a Medical Research Lab

Undergraduate research sparks curiosity, fulfills intellectual discovery, and provides an outlet for creativity. As an undergraduate researcher at medical research lab in Kansas City, my classroom knowledge is reinforced, and I am given an opportunity to apply that knowledge - Nicole Nuckolls

Interning at a Major Accounting Firm

My name is Christine Tonnies and I am senior at Rockhurst working towards my degree in business administration with a major in accounting. This semester I am doing an internship at a major accounting firm in tax.  I have always felt that tax is what I wanted to focus on with my accounting background. My dad did taxes for years and loved it. Since we are very similar, I assumed I would too. My first day was January 20 and by the 21st, I was in love with it.
 
Each day I arrive between 8 and 8:30 A.M. The first thing I do is check my email and see if I was assigned any returns to do. If I have been, I work on those, and if not, I pick a return from the prep pool and complete it. While to most people, the idea of sitting at a computer all day and looking at a bunch of numbers and doing tax returns sounds incredibly boring; to me it is so much fun.
 
Learning about taxes in class is one thing, but actually getting to do a real return that is filed and submitted to the IRS is such an amazing thing to be able to do. One of the first returns that I did has already been filed and I get the biggest sense of pride. To me, it is such an incredible feeling to know that I did something for the “real world.”

 If I could give any advice to other students looking for an internship, it would be to not give up and to be persistent. I was dead set on working for a different company and when I didn’t get an internship from them, I was crushed. However, if I had gotten that internship I would not be at the firm I am at now, which is the best thing that could have happened. I cannot imagine working anywhere else.

Friday, February 21, 2014

Introducing Yourself at a Career Fair

When you go to a career fair, job interview or meet with a potential employer impromptu, you will be expected to introduce yourself and be able to talk about your strengths. Commonly referred to as the elevator pitch, this is a 30-60 spiel on who you are, and what your unique skills and abilities are. Imagine you are in an elevator and a hiring manager or top person in the company steps in with you, and you only have the time it takes for this person to get to their destination to make an impression.

This gives you a chance to tell YOUR story. What sets you apart? What unique experiences have you had and what did you learn from them? What are your strongest skills? What made you decide on the major or career path you chose? These are some of the questions you can ask yourself when developing your pitch. It is much easier to have this on hand, ready to go when you need it, rather than waiting until you are in a situation with a potential employer. Whether it be a chance encounter or a networking/career event, your initial introduction gives you a chance to make a memorable impression.

Here is an example of a pitch at a career fair:

Hi, I’m Sarah Smith. I am a junior studying accounting. I have been interested in financial analysis, numbers and strategic planning ever since I took a business course in high school. I have always excelled in mathematics and currently maintain a 3.65 GPA in my major. Does your company offer internships in this field?

For examples, watch this video