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Networking for Jobs and Internships: Why Patience and Persistence Matter

Networking can feel frustrating at times, especially when responses are slow or opportunities seem out of reach. But here’s the truth: you can’t control timing. You can’t control who replies or when, and you certainly can’t control which positions will be open at any given moment. What you can control is your effort, attitude and persistence. Whether […]

The Three Essential Ingredients for Successful Networking

When it comes to landing internships and jobs, networking can be your greatest asset. But here’s the key: effective networking isn’t about sending dozens of generic messages. It’s about building genuine relationships that transform your search from a series of cold transactions into meaningful connections. Think of networking like baking a cake. You need flour, […]

How to Write Résumé Bullet Points

Your résumé is your first impression with an employer and here’s the truth: they’re not judging you on fancy fonts or creative layouts. We know that VIS taught you how to create out a great layout. However, employers are making their decision based on one thing: what you’ve done. Content is king when it comes […]

Everything You Need to Know to Get an Internship

General internship-hunting tips How to focus your search Lots of choices can make an internship search overwhelming, so you have to put some limits on your search. Where to find internship postings As you’ve discovered, there is no one-stop place to find all internship postings. They’re posted pretty much everywhere and because of this, the […]

What’s an Elevator Pitch? How Do You Create One?

Ever been asked, “So, tell me about yourself?” and suddenly forgotten everything cool you’ve ever done? That’s where an elevator pitch saves the day. It’s a 30–60 second introduction that tells employers who you are, what you’ve done, and where you’re headed. Think of it as your personal trailer. It is quick, memorable, and showing […]

Understanding the Different Virtual Session Options

Are you planning to attend the virtual communications, journalism and media career fair this semester? Understanding the types of sessions offered can help you make the most of your experience. Here’s a quick guide to help you prepare: Individual Sessions (15 minutes): These are one-on-one meetings with recruiters that are a mini-interview that you need […]

Cover Letter Tips

To stand out as a candidate cover letters must be catered to the specific job and/or employer. It takes time, but since employers are using ATS (applicant tracking systems) to filter out materials using keyword searches it is worth the effort. Here are some tips on how to make your cover letter stand out from […]

It’s Not Just About the Dates

When searching for internships, it’s easy to get caught up in the specifics of a single posting, like the exact start date. You are looking at the opportunities listed below thinking that it isn’t a fit because they are looking for Fall or Spring intern. But that can cause you to miss out on valuable […]

Get Ready Now: How to Land Your Spring or Summer Internship

The best time to position yourself for a spring or summer internship is right now. Many spring internships recruit during the fall semester, and some of the most competitive summer internships at big-name companies and industry leaders start their recruiting process early. Starting your search now gives you a head start. Step One: Build Your […]

On the Internship Struggle Bus?

Securing an internship is crucial towards gaining practical experience. However, the process can be challenging, and many students can find themselves struggling. If you’re facing difficulties in finding an internship, here are a few practical steps to enhance your chances and make the most out of your internship search. Diversify Your Search Strategy One common […]

What is Your Story?

When starting on a job search or making a career change the biggest question is answering what is your focus or what is your story? This can be a difficult question when you are interested in many different things, trying to transition to a different industry OR every job you see “looks good.” If that […]

Key to Cover Letters: Focus

To stand out as a candidate cover letters must be catered to the specific job and/or employer. It takes time, but since employers are using key search words to filter out materials it is worth the effort. Here are some tips on how to make your cover letter stand out from the crowd. First step […]

Secret Ingredient to a Proactive Job Search: Target List

The most important step to a proactive job search is having a target list. So few fail to create it and instead rely on being passive by spending the majority of their time applying to jobs online. The harsh truth is that companies won’t find you. You have to find them. You do this by […]

Common job hunting mistakes to avoid

NOT PUTTING IN THE NECESSARY TIME This is probably the biggest problem for any job hunter. Finding the time can be a major struggle, but don’t beat yourself up! Schedule the job search into your calendar. It could be 30 minutes in the morning while having breakfast or 30 minutes over lunch. You must invest […]

Networking Without Expectation

I have a confession to make. I hate the word “networking.” It conjures up images of fake smiles and unrealistic expectations. The word I like to use instead is “conversation.” Networking is a conversation without expectation. If you go into situations with this mindset, the conversation will be more genuine because you are in a […]

5 Tips for a Proactive Job Search

Looking for a job can be a daunting task. Here are some tips for a productive job search… Keep up on industry news. Take time to read up on news that applies to the career you are interested in. Keeping up on the industry will benefit you in interviews and give insight on the industry. As […]

Who should I address this cover letter to?

Let’s start with who NOT to send your letter to. Avoid salutations like, “dear sir or madam, “to whom it may concern,” and other generic openers. If there is no one listed on the specific posting you’re applying to, it’s time to flex those detective muscles and do some poking around. A great place to […]

Common job-hunting mistakes to avoid

Are you falling into one of these traps? NOT PUTTING IN THE NECESSARY TIME This is probably the biggest problem for any job hunter who is still in school. You simply can’t put in the time. Don’t beat yourself up – you need to get out of here before you can start any job! However, […]

What to do AFTER applying to internships

Two words: follow up. In most cases, the people who show they want the internship the most are the ones who get it, so you need to be following up with the internship coordinators/contacts at the companies that you’ve applied to. Don’t call or email inquiring if they “got your stuff,” and don’t sit back […]

Not getting a response from companies? An application checklist

If you have submitted a lot of applications for summer internships, there are a few reasons why you might not be getting the response you want. It definitely could be a case of pure competition or that the company is taking its time reviewing applications. However, it is worth taking some time to sit down […]

Turn today’s job posting into tomorrow’s job offer

Many graduating Newhouse students feel as though they need to start applying to jobs at the start of spring semester (or even earlier!). This is usually because of family pressure or because their friends and peers who are enrolled in other SU schools and colleges are doing so. This is a great time for a […]

Am I too late to apply for summer internships?

The short answer is no… but you should get a move on! While there is no industry standard for when a company seeks, interviews, or hires interns, there are a few rules of thumb: More competitive internships (bigger companies, household names, industry leaders) may have earlier deadlines. This is because many people apply, so they […]

Can I accept one internship while waiting to hear from another?

Submitting applications to multiple companies for summer internships is to be expected, so it makes sense that you may find yourself in a situation where you have an internship offer, but haven’t yet heard from your first choice. What to do? Students in this predicament often wonder whether it’s ok to accept the second choice […]

How to handle relatives over winter break, especially if you’re graduating

If you’re feeling a slight sense of dread about going home for the holidays, especially if it comes from not wanting to deal with the questions about “what’s next?” from relatives, know that you’re not alone. There are a lot of students in your shoes right now! Your best defense will be having a thorough […]

Five things for your winter break to-do list

Winter break will be very soon and some students worry that they will feel antsy or look back and wish they could have done more with their time. Whether you have plans to intern or work on a project over break, or if you just want to make sure you get in some quality rest […]

What to do when everyone else seems to have industry “ins” but you

It can be difficult not to feel at a disadvantage when all of your friends or classmates seem to know someone at companies in the communications industry. It’s frustrating, especially when networking and having someone “on the inside” can be so helpful in getting your application noticed. While we can’t change who your family knows, […]

Internships for Credit 101

There are a lot of questions swirling around interning for credit, so today’s mission is to provide answers to as many of those as possible! Not every internship requires or offers credit – some will be paid, others may offer a one-time stipend or cover costs like transportation or meals. You’ll never see a paid […]

It’s the most wonderful time… to do some networking

(The title of this is supposed to be sung the kind-of-holiday song, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” Pat yourself on the back if you read it that way!) One of the most important parts of the networking process is keeping in touch. As we often point out, what’s the point of doing […]

Managing summer internships with fall deadlines (and other application conundrums)

Overall, we encourage you to be targeted when applying for internships. If you are going to apply to summer internships now, ask yourself one important question first so that, if you’re faced with having to accept/decline offers while waiting to hear from opportunities that have spring deadlines, you’ll know it’s worth the stress! The question […]

Getting career help over winter break

The Newhouse CDC is here to help! By and large, the staff of the Newhouse Career Development Center will be available to students during winter break. We will offer the usual services (appointments, scheduled appointments, drop-ins, etc.) through the end of fall semester, with the exception of a few days for the Thanksgiving holiday. After […]

Interviewing soon? Be prepared!

It’s completely normal (and expected!) that anyone who hasn’t done a lot of interviewing would be at least a little anxious. The good news is, there’s a fix for that – two, actually. The first is practice. Rehearsing beforehand and then just getting experience with interviewing over time will make you much more comfortable with […]

Applying to internships with early deadlines? Keep your options open

Before anything else, stop to consider if you’re just cranking out internship applications to crank out internship applications. We encourage you to be targeted when applyings. Do the internships seem to be structured to allow you to get the kind of experience you want? Are they located where you need to be or remote? Applying […]

Preparing for networking conversations

Many networking conversations will start out over email, but it’s a good idea to try to get “face time” (in person or online) with a contact in order to really strengthen that relationship. A few basics: – Confirm the time/date as it gets closer to serve as a friendly reminder to the contact, e.g. “I […]

What’s covered in Newhouse CDC seminars

The goal of our seminars is to address certain topics on which we get a lot of questions from students. Since we’re a small office (of four!) and have more than two thousand students to serve, we use the seminars to help as many students as possible in one “go.” We realize that students have […]

What to include in your portfolio

Future internship companies and employers are going to want to see examples of your work, which means that it’s never too early to start thinking about what you should include in your portfolio. There are many sites these days that will allow you to set up a site for free. As I am writing this, […]

Is it too early to start networking?

We know that networking is an important part of finding a job or internship, but if you start now, will you run out of things to talk about with my contacts? Is it better to wait until you are closer to graduation or your internship application deadlines? The short answer here is, ‘”no!” You have […]