[LIVE] Work It podcast: Crushing your internship and landing that full-time job

Key Concepts:

• Career counseling
• Internships (local and overseas)
• Full-time employment conversion
• Resume optimization (ATS compatibility)
• Job search strategies
• Workplace wellness
• Skills (adaptability, proactivity, collaboration)
• Communication (over-communication)
• Initiative
• Ownership
• Feedback
• Boundaries
• Cultural nuance
• Passion
• Viability

1. Introduction and Hosts:

• Tiffany and Gerald host the "Work It" podcast, focusing on career-related topics for mid-career professionals and graduates.
• Gerald is a career counselor at Avoda People Solutions. Tiffany is a journalist.
• The podcast has recorded over 50 episodes.

2. How Tiffany and Gerald Met:

• They met two years ago when Gerald was a guest on another podcast.
• Tiffany invited Gerald to co-host "Work It" because she valued his realistic advice.
• Tiffany was looking to refresh the show and build a community, not just produce content.
• Gerald initially hesitated due to lack of formal training but agreed because he aligned with Tiffany's vision.
• After three months, Tiffany initiated a feedback session to improve their partnership.

3. Podcast Topics and Memorable Episodes:

• Topics include job search, workplace wellness, skills, career planning, and managing colleagues/bosses.
• One episode highlighted the importance of resume formatting for Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), advising against placing contact details in the header.
• Another memorable episode featured a retrenched person who remained positive, leading to job leads after the podcast aired.

4. Internship Focus and Guest Introduction:

• The episode focuses on how to excel in internships and secure full-time jobs.
• The guest is Hooue, co-founder of Skilio, a startup that matches students with internships.
• Hooue has completed two internships, one locally and one in Israel. Gerald has done three internships in different places. Tiffany has done two internships with the same company.

5. Internship Market Competitiveness:

• Hooue states that the internship market is always competitive, with more applicants than available roles.
• She advises students to develop the right skill set, branding, and positioning to stand out.
• Overseas internships are also competitive, but offer opportunities to diversify work experience.

6. Effort Required for Internship Applications:

• It takes an average of 3-4 hours to prepare a customized resume for a single role.
• Mass applications are discouraged; instead, focus on tailoring each application.
• Before applying, students should experiment with side projects, part-time jobs, and school modules to identify their passions and strengths.
• Passion is a result of trying things, not a prerequisite.

7. Qualities of a Successful Intern (Green Flags):

• Communication: Over-communicating is best, especially in remote or hybrid roles. Provide regular updates on task progress, challenges, and questions. Consolidate updates every 1-2 days.
• Ownership: Imagine being the business owner and understand the bigger picture. Problem-solve and find ways to make everyone's lives easier.
• Initiative: Take initiative to communicate, provide updates, identify needs, and treat the internship as your own project.

8. Internship to Full-Time Conversion:

• Less than half of interns are converted to full-time employees.
• Employers prefer to convert interns to avoid onboarding and training new hires.
• Conversion is based on the intern being worthy and deserving.

9. Student Q&A:

• Dakota asks: Do you get to choose what you want to do for internships?
  • Hooue advises choosing wisely and intentionally, selecting roles that align with interests and offer opportunities to learn.
• Follow-up: What if the job isn't what you signed up for?
  • Hooue suggests understanding if the new role aligns with learning goals. If not, flag it early and propose alternative ways to contribute.
• Hin asks: With AI, will it be more viable to work a 9-to-5 job or start your own brand?
  • The hosts suggest that viability lies within oneself. Try both 9-to-5 and entrepreneurship to see what fits.
• M asks: What is the best way to score an overseas internship?
  • Hooue advises showcasing the ability to navigate cultural nuances, highlighting past experiences with different cultures, and demonstrating a two-way exchange of learning.
• Claris asks: How to tactfully maneuver around overtime requests?
  • Set clear boundaries early, communicate workload, and suggest alternatives like starting later or ending earlier on other days.
  • If overtime is excessive, involve school supervisors.
• Jerus asks: What skills will be important in the future?
  • Hooue emphasizes adaptability and proactivity.
  • Gerald highlights collaboration and the ability to learn and adapt.
• Michelle asks: What are the red flags for interns?
  • Hooue identifies lack of communication, passiveness, and failure to take ownership.
  • Gerald emphasizes the importance of a good relationship with the supervisor.

10. Red Flags for Interns:

• Lack of communication and failure to provide updates.
• Passiveness and lack of initiative.
• Failure to take ownership and blaming others.
• Poor relationship with the supervisor.

11. Conclusion:

• The hosts thank the students and Hooue for their participation.
• They encourage listeners to follow up with questions and access the podcast on various platforms.
• The episode emphasizes the importance of communication, initiative, adaptability, and building relationships for internship success and full-time employment conversion.