Blog Summer 2018

Every student understands at some point in their college career that being frugal is a must in order to survive. So, before you make your judgments about this article telling you not to save money, hear me out!

Having an regular on-campus job has its benefits…for the short term. All it really is simply is a way to have a few extra bucks that you can spend. What it doesn’t provide you are the long term benefits attributing to your major or other future jobs you may want to pursue. This means that just because you got hired to work within the cafeteria or your campus library, it may not add much value to you or your resume in the long term.

Yes, it really won’t. This is where you activate that smart college brain of yours and start looking at jobs around campus that will specifically benefit your major! For example, if you are a Sports Management major then maybe look for a position where you can work within one of your school’s sports teams. Look for work-study programs, these are great to find work related to your course of study. If not those then an internship which is even better for you to work at!

Most of these jobs are paid so you will be compensated for the work that you do!

Each school is different with how they assign jobs to their undergraduate students so it is up to you to figure out where your talents will be used best. The best thing on top of it all, (yes there is something better than getting paid) is that you can beef up your resume with quality experiences that employers are sure to note when you apply to jobs. They will see you took initiative to better your future which shows responsibility and makes you a model applicant.

Bottom line these are ways you can get a step ahead of your peers and killing two birds with one stone! Be prepared, there are exceptions you may run into  where you aren’t getting paid. Don’t be afraid to take it! Use this as an opportunity to build experience in your field of study. Humble yourself, it’s okay to not make money, I mean this is your future here.

You can always make money in the job world once you have bettered yourself to reach that top job that others cannot. The sacrifices now will always pay off in the long run. Happy Job hunting!

If you are coming up on your final semesters of school and wondering “Oh no, I have to get an internship this summer!” don’t stress. Semester-based internships in the Fall and Spring are becoming more popular and it may be better for you than you think.

I’ve had Fall, Spring, and Summer internships and I can tell you that my personal favorite time to have an internship is during the Spring.

Having an internship during the school year is a great opportunity to get ahead of you other classmates and advance your skills. I really enjoyed learning about inbound marketing during the spring semester because I could relate it back to my classes.

You honestly learn more at internships than you do in classes.

Summer Internships are nice, however if you are interested in traveling a lot over the summer then adding an internship to that list may not be the best option. Many places have a 14 week program and in order to get the most out of it you want to be as present as possible.

Many people think that having an internship during the school semester may be more challenging because they have classes on top of it. Well, in all honesty it was very easy to manage both 5 classes and a three day a week internship. Taking on an internship during the school year allowed myself to learn how to manage my time more efficiently. It is important to learn how to manage a work/school and life balance while we are in college so you will be able to handle it when we graduate.

Don’t panic if you already passed a summer internship opportunity. Move forward and try one during the school year! Challenging yourself will only help you grow.

If you’re considering moving to Atlanta or simply spending a weekend in the city but don’t think there’s much to do in the Southern city. You are in for a treat, here’s a weekend in the life of a Radius intern.

Friday

8:45 am: The traffic isn’t as heavy as the past couple of days and the office mood is relaxing. That’s how you know it’s Friday. I grab some coffee and get started on the rest of any pending marketing projects.

10:45 am: Dogs, so many dogs. All the dogs are running around the office, making their usual rounds to get as many belly rubs as they can from everyone in the office.

12:00 pm: Lunch time! Everyone in the office gathers around a big table to eat lunch together. We have development demos and discuss any accomplishments we’ve had in the past week.

3:30 pm: Everyone is ready for the weekend and in the matter of hours it will be. We’re all trying to be productive with what usually ends up being a throwback Spotify playlist because why not?

5:00 pm: Time to go home!!! I drive home to relax and have a night in with roommates.

11:00 pm: We end up at Victory Sandwich Bar to grab some sandwiches and played by the expert ping-pong players that spend countless hours perfecting their skills in the ping-pong room.

Saturday

10:30 am: Farmers markets are a huge thing on Saturdays here in Atlanta. Today we stopped by the Freedom Farmers Market for some fresh fruits and vegetables and hand-made bread.

1:00 pm: With Atlanta weather, pool days are a must so we head to the pool with: friends, drinks and music for a good time. 

7:30 pm: Walk to Jackson Street bridge, a two in one view of a beautiful sunset and the wonderful skyline of Atlanta.

Sunday

11:00 am: Sundays are for brunch and in Atlanta, we have some of the best brunch in my personal opinion. Today we go to Ria’s Bluebird in Grant Park (a personal favorite but the Yelp reviews don’t lie). Their biscuits are delicious and definitely worth the 30-minute wait.

2:00 pm: Walk around the neighborhoods in Atlanta to seem some cool street art done by local artists.  Whether it’s a wall a tunnel or tiny doors on the BeltLine there’s always something to look out for.

6:00 pm: On Sundays, several people get together to do the one thing that Atlantan love more than brunch and breweries which is free yoga. King of Pops hosts free yoga on the BeltLine every Sunday evening.

7:00 pm: After a relaxing hour of yoga we walk down the BeltLine and find ourselves at Ponce City Market, a food hall with all kinds of different restaurants and boutique stores. We grab a quick bite to eat from one of the small eateries and head back home.

Atlanta has grown to be a fun and interesting city with art murals, Southern hospitality and very unique individuals. It’s an interesting mix which always makes for fun days around the city. Over the last couple of years, new trendy places have been popping up all across Atlanta. The best part about being in Atlanta is that if you get tired of the hustle life in the city you can always drive out for no more than an hour to reach the beautiful nature Georgia has to offer.

Finding an internship is a long and difficult process that I feel like people aren’t always candid about. I just recently finalized my internship and now that I have had a moment to reflect back on the process I have some thoughts and tips for anyone going through the same thing.  Sure, every university has career centers who are there to help students with this process but I am here to offer REAL advice that may not be “best practices” but I have seen work first hand. The reality is that you are competing with countless other individuals for a few positions at a company, you need to find a way to differentiate yourself. I offer the following advice for anyone who may be struggling through the process of finding an internship, I feel your pain and I am here to help!

Be personal with your emails

My first bit of advice is to not be afraid to reach out to the company, even if your don’t see a position for an intern posted. It became disheartening when I would submit application after application for an intern position and never hear back, however, when I started finding the email of the HR department and shooting them an email containing a short description about who I am, what I am studying and what I am looking for in an internship my response success greatly increased. I highly suggest sending emails in this way, however, don’t be annoying about it! Send one and if they don’t respond leave it at that, you want to show these companies that you will be an asset to their business, not an annoyance.

Revamp your resume

Next, and this I learned from my career center, customize your resume! Every company is going to be receiving countless amounts of resumes, most of which will look identical. I suggest you look at the job description and customize your resume to match those qualifications. For example, if the job responsibilities include assisting with content creation for digital marketing materials, make sure to add into your resume some school experience where you created content for a project or an essay and spin it to show the employer that you have experience in this area and they wouldn’t need to worry about whether you are qualified. The more job responsibilities you can cover on your resume, the better. This will allow you to stand out in the piles and piles of resumes that employers receive.

Walk the walk

And last but not least, show up. If a company that you have applied for is coming to your university career fair, go and talk to them! Putting a face with a name is always helpful. That being said, go to the career fairs for your area of study! I have a ton of friends who got their jobs just by making a brief but impactful connection with a company recruiter. Use these fairs as a way to network with a variety of different people and companies. I can’t emphasize enough how crucial it is to network when trying to get an internship. It is really hard to get a job, let alone hear back from a company unless you know someone there that can refer you. Don’t let this discourage you but instead it should motivate you to go meet with everyone you can, it’s more fun than it sounds I promise.

What to take away

I hope you find these tips helpful and you learned something that you might not have known before. I wish someone would have told me these things while I was searching for an internship but as you go through the process you are going to learn what works for you and it might be totally different. Everyone has a different experience when it comes to searching for jobs and internships, just remember to shoot high and be persistent. Show those companies why you are so awesome and it will work out! Good luck!