The Formula for a 5-Star Intern Presentation

By now, you have probably started to think about what the end of your internship might look like. What will you have learned? What will you take with you when you go back to school? How have you added value to the company? All these things are critical components to include in your presentation at the end of your internship. If you haven’t been assigned to give a presentation, be sure to read “The Ultimate Intern To-Do List” for reasons why the intern presentation is so important.

But if you haven’t been given much direction on what your intern presentation is supposed to look like, how can you be sure that you are delivering a meaningful product to your audience? You have spent three or four months doing some incredible things and probably getting your hands in more places that you can imagine. So how do you capture a few months of work into 15 minutes?

The answer is simple: SHINE!

Below are the five things that you’ll need to do in order to make sure your intern presentation is the very best it can be:

Show Your Work

There may be people attending your presentation who didn’t get the chance to see your work throughout the summer. This will be the time for you to SHINE and show examples of some things that you were able to do over the course of the summer. When people listen to a presentation, they are much more likely to be engaged if they have something they can physically see or touch. They will be much more likely to remember what you did as opposed to if you just told them. There’s no need to show everything, but at least bring some samples.

Have Handouts

The participants in your presentation may want to write some things down during the course of your presentation. Maybe it’s a question or a comment that they’d like to explore further. Having handouts in your intern presentation will enhance the ability for your audience to follow along and engage with you on another level. A tip: DO NOT SIMPLY PRINT OUT YOUR SLIDES AND MAKE THEM INTO A HANDOUT. The reason for this is that often times, small slides on the page are hard to follow and don’t add much value to what you are saying. It’s much easier if you make a one-page summary or a fill-in-the-blank sheet for your audience to engage in while you are talking.

Infuse Creativity

Think outside the box when it comes to your presentation delivery. Instead of standing up and talking for fifteen minutes, have your participants engage in a fun activity to share what you learned. Maybe have a fun company trivia slide at the end and have a prize for the person who could answer the most questions correctly! Share your learnings in new and exciting ways. One fun idea could be a myth-buster portion, where you have myths about what you expected and how your internship “busted” those myths.   

Nix Presentation No-No’s

DO:

• Speak with enthusiasm
• Encourage participation
• Keep things moving
• Thank your participants for coming
• Practice ahead of time

DON’T:

• Read from your slides
• Overload your content: No more than 6 bullets on a slide with 6 words each
• Turn your back to the audience
• Hold notecards
• Leave with unanswered questions from participants

Explain the Value

People who run internships want to know what you thought of the program and the value that it brought to you as a student. This might be the most important part of the presentation for them. Make sure you broaden the scope and explain the big picture of why this internship was so meaningful to you. Explain what specifically was most meaningful to you and even what you might like to have experienced more if you had more time in the company. This feedback will always be appreciated and will be used to improve the program for the future.

Use this formula and you are sure to have a successful presentation!

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Are you Fit Enough, to be Successful?

An object at rest stays at rest, while an object in motion stays in motion …”

With the consequences of Newton’s first law of physics, comes the comparison to business success and physical fitness, at both individual and managerial levels.

Throughout several previous LinkedIn posts, a general theme/ analogy has been used to illustrate recommendations of planning, dedication, focus, etc; and so the question posed to me often, by professionals across many industries has been … so Shawn,what’s the correlation between personal fitness and professional success all about?

For the better part of 20 years, I’ve had the privilege of being compensated, to motivate and train exceptionally successful professionals, with short and long-term fitness goals:

• Business owners of franchises
• Law firm partners and bank executives
• Student athletes and coaches
  etc

Concurrently, I’ve been paid to consult dealer principals, general managers, fixed-operations staff and individual dealership sales consultants, regarding sales process, professional planning, management training and more.

As a result of observations during two decades of extensive 1-on-1 interactions, with very personal conversations, it’s clear that individuals who reach their goals, often have several factors in common, in both their professional objectives and dedication to personal fitness:

1. Identification of area(s) of improvement
2. Action plan with timelines and responsibilities
3. Support and/or direction from associates
4. Defined points of measurement and accountability

I’m not implying that every executive manager can deadlift 300 lbs, nor every 3 handicap golfer serves as a partner at a leading law firm; however, when it comes to predicting success of attaining goals, it’s the client who designs, adheres and improves upon a detailed plan, whom I’ve observed meet their desired fitness level and who tell me of receiving work accolades, commendations, promotions, etc.

While there’s a significant difference between correlation and causation, why wouldn’t you want to better your odds of achieving objectives?

To that point, consider taking the extra step, literally and figuratively … rather than merely use the stairs at work, hike them two at a time and with purpose.  As a sales professional, instead of only reviewing appointments in a CRM and hoping for a “show”, pick up the phone and make the confirmation call (with a rehearsed script, prepared for both live conversation and/or leaving a voicemail).  And as a senior level manager, rather than focusing exclusively on P&L statements, spend a Saturday on the showroom floor, engaging with sales prospects, existing service customers and actively providing encouraging words to staff.

And when you get tired, rest for a moment, but push hard, to get at least one more task completed.

With that last statement, was I referring to completing another set of an exercise, sprinting the last 100 yards, instead of jogging, or making one more cold-call?

And now for some of the science … if you exercise with vigor, with purpose, in each session, you’ll increase muscle mass, burn more calories, create additional neural pathways, challenge balance, mobility and stability … and as it relates to business, have more energy; therefore, with more energy, you’re able to meet client deadlines by being able to focus for longer periods of time, exceed managerial expectations, by being physically capable of handling more stress, and continue progress the next day, by having the energy to get back up.  Referring back to the comment above, about vigor – it’s not about going through the motions.  Functional training and high intensity interval training are both time efficient and results-driven.

This isn’t a post about whether you should do CrossFit versus Zumba versus Pilates … this post is about doing versus not doing, standing versus sitting, being product versus being busy.  And that no matter what your choice, that it’s active versus passive, with purpose versus indifference.

To be so productive day in and day out, is admittedly difficult and also too generic of advice, so a strong, specific suggestion is to secure the services of a consultant, a coach, a trainer.

You’re financially invested, externally motivated and honestly graded.

And with time as possibly your single most valuable commodity, a professional consultant/ trainer should assist in maximizing productivity, while decreasing the frequency of the ‘accordion effect’ – periods of efficiencies, followed by equally lengthy periods of accomplishing little.  Seek out the services of someone who knows when and how to create motivation that lasts.  There’s little difference between a professional mentor and a coach, who knows when to holler versus cajole players and staff.  At different points of a fitness session or sales cycle, a trainer/manager who can modify their approach, to help you repeat dynamic results, is worth the investment of time and money.

For 20 years I’ve worked, sold, marketed, trained and coached others and myself, in the automotive industry and yet; it wasn’t until this post, that I realized … maybe there’s more than one reason, they’re called muscle cars.

Best of luck training and working, to reach all your goals.

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WRITE A RESUME THAT GETS READ

Remember to put yourself into the head and eyes of an HR assistant who has the job of glancing at resumes and selecting a few for their boss to look at. Get right to the point. Make it as sharp as a knife. Do not list every job you had. In fact, you could summarize them all into one brief paragraph. Focus not on describing in detail each job, but on the keywords that relate to your skills and the talents required by the job for which you are applying. 

Resumes are first read by an assistant or by a computer. They look for the same keywords that they used in the job posting and description. If you have them, then your resume gets read by a decision maker. So you need to customize your resume to use the same keywords as the job postings you apply for. -- Do not focus on making a long list of jobs that you had. Focus on what talents and experience you have that relates to the hire that they need. Do not try to impress with a lot of words. 

Include a paragraph that talks about you, not just what you know. Who are you? What do you bring to the company besides experience and training? What people skills do you possess? Companies are looking for team players. 

What are your future plans? How do they fit in with the company's future plans? Be honest. 

You should even mention what recreational activities you enjoy. Are you a runner? A biker? A bowler?  Are you a family man? Are you looking for a company to grow with? Do you participate in any charitable activities, clubs, etc.? What interests do you have outside of work?  

Companies are not just looking for a person with the right training and experience: There are thousands of those people. They are looking for someone who will be the right fit for them and their current employees. Show that you are a multi-faceted, fun, likeable person with lots of interests.  

Rewrite your resume. Post it on HirePatriots.com's Career job board. Send it to me. I will edit it and send it out to companies and recruiters for you. 

At your service, 

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Ways to Update Your LinkedIn Status

I advocate/recommend that you become more active on LinkedIn, especially if you want to stay connected with your network and garner the attention of recruiters and potential hiring managers.

People have asked me HOW to update their status on LinkedIn, so here are four easy ways you can update your LinkedIn status and share information .

If you read my earlier post on 10 types of status updates for job seekers, you know what you need to do.

Update Your LinkedIn Status Daily

You can tell people what you’re doing (event’s you’re attending), share a profound thought or quote, or you can share the something written by someone else (LinkedIn Influencers, content from blogs or online newsletters/updates).

In Your Visibility on LinkedIn: What You Need to Know, I share more information about changes LinkedIn has made and how to change your newsfeed settings.

1. Write Your Own Status Update

When you log into LinkedIn, you end up on the home page which looks something like this today. (LinkedIn has been making changes to the design/layout of your home page).

2. Share Articles You Find On LinkedIn

If you are following Influencers on LinkedIn or have set your Pulse news feed to share the right information, you easily have access to loads of information to share. Just scroll through your home feed and look for an interesting article. (Remember, on LinkedIn people prefer updates on industry and company news, or tips/hacks to make them better at their jobs.)

3. Share An Article You Find Elsewhere

Every website provides sharing buttons (almost) so you can share the article on many different social media sites. Just click on the icon to share it to the social media platform and you’ll be on your way. If you don’t see the icon you are looking for, let’s say LinkedIn, usually there is a more or plus button and you’ll find the platform. A best practice is to add your thoughts/comments/questions to the introduction of the post so your network gets a better sense of why you are sharing the article.

This is what the next screen will look like once you’ve clicked the icon.

You can share the article as an update AND as a group discussion, as you can see below.

This is what your share would look like in the LinkedIn group.

Buffer It

If you find lots of great articles and you don’t want to share them all at once, you can space out your status updates by using a scheduling tool like Buffer.  Buffer is a free app that lets you auto schedule or set the date and time you want a post to appear. You can link it to Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+ and now Pinterest. But as a free user, you are limited to you can connect to one per each social network- one Facebook, one Google+, one twitter, and one LinkedIn. Here’s the time saver tip: if you find five great articles in one day, you can space them out and share only one per day by using Buffer. Your work is done for the week!

Liking & Commenting Seen As Updates

You should also take a look at this from LinkedIn:

Visibility of Updates and Links You Share

Who sees my shared updates?

Last Reviewed: 04/28/2015

When sharing an update, you can control who sees it by using the Share with dropdown menu below the share box. You may have to start typing in the share box to see this menu.

If visibility is set to Public, your update may appear:

• On the homepages of your 1st-degree connections
• On the homepages of your 2nd or 3rd degree connections if re-shared, commented upon, or liked by your 1st-degree connections
• On your Recent Activity page – learn how to see your activity
• On LinkedIn Pulse

You can select who can see your activity from the Profile section of yourPrivacy & Settings page.

Whenever you like something on LinkedIn, it will show up in your network’s newsfeed.

Likewise, when you comment on a status update or group discussion, it will also show up in your network’s news feed.

Sharing an article or posting a discussion on a group also updates your network.

As I was scrolling through my newsfeed, I saw very few updates from connections I know are job seekers. Just remember, out of sight, out of mind! Keep visible. Keep connected

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 Ways to Get More LinkedIn Profile Views

You’ve heard the news, LinkedIn is the place to be for job search. But why isn’t your phone ringing off the hook with job offers? 

90+% of recruiters are using LinkedIn according to the 2013 Jobvite social recruiting study, to search, contact, keep tabs, and vet candidates. Here’s what you need to do to ensure recruiters are looking at your LinkedIn profile!

Jobvite social recruiting study 2013

1. Use The Right Key Words In Your Headline

By default, LinkedIn uses your most recent job title and employer in your headline. CHANGE THIS. Remember, your LinkedIn profile is about showcasing you, not your employer.

Think about the key words or phrases that a recruiter or hiring manager would use to search for someone to fill a job. These are the words you would want to use in your headline. You have 120 characters, use them wisely!

If you are about to graduate, you don’t need to include that information in your headline. Use key words found in job postings you are interested in applying for.

It is doubtful anyone would search for “team player, organized,” other similar buzzwords (via LinkedIn), so avoid using them in your headline. 

2. Say More In Your Summary

Your summary should provide a high-level overview of what you do (and what you like doing). Here are just some of the things you can include in your summary:

• Use key words and skill sets that are valued by future employers.
• Describe the successes you have had (and quantify whenever possible)
• List the industry experience you have accumulated
• Include processes, procedures, software and other tools you are familiar with
• Consider adding samples of work, pictures and other media too!

3. Create A New Status Update Every Day

As I skimmed through my home page, looking for status updates from job seekers in my network, I was sadly disappointed. I couldn’t find a single one! One of the best ways to stay top of mind and build a memorable reputation is by sharing on-brand news, stories and events. On-brand for a job seeker is NOT job search stuff. It is content related to the next desired occupation.

Here is an example of an update sent by someone in marketing.

4. Connect with Recruiters and HR

If you are job searching, then you should absolutely be connecting with corporate recruiters, HR staff, and third party recruiters! It doesn’t guarantee anything, but, it just might help! Glassdoor asked top corporate recruiters two questions- “How would someone get on your radar?” and “was there a candidate that totally wow-ed you and if yes, how did they do it?”

The answers might just surprise you…Here’s one:

How would someone get on your radar?

It’s fairly easy to get my attention since I’m fairly transparent. Reaching out to me via Twitter and LinkedIn are one of the easiest ways to get on my radar and even better when those individuals begin interacting with my posts, especially Philips related posts.  That level of interaction demonstrates their passion for Philips and even if I don’t have an employment opportunity available for that person at that precise moment, I’ll remember that person.
Chrystal Moore, Senior Recruiter, Philips Healthcare

5. Add Your Thoughts To Group Discussions

Some recruiters lurk in groups looking for talent. Use occupation or industry specific groups to network! (Networking = building relationships and helping others!) Use these concepts to connect with new people, offer advice/help, share interesting news.  This example would be great for leadership or recruiting.

 12 Ways to Build a Better LinkedIn Profile has more helpful tips for improving your LinkedIn profile.

And here is a 20 point check list for creating an awesome LinkedIn profile.

Monitor Your Profile

How do you know if the changes have helped? Check out the stats! They are on the right side of your profile. Do this before you make the changes and then check the stats about 2-3 weeks after you’ve made the changes. You should see the the numbers increase!

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7 Reasons You are Never Going to Get a Job

This is a little sarcastic, I know.  But as I was clearing out my email yesterday, I was hit over and over again with reoccurring themes of “stuck in a rut”, “unable to find a job”, “no one wants to hire me” sob stories.  If any of these shoes fit, get a new pair quickly.  Better yet, share this with people you know, you may even need to highlight the areas they need to fix.

As a society (a gross generalization, I know), we are afraid to provide direct feedback to one another.  When you were treated poorly by a store clerk, waitress or work colleague, did you let them know how their actions or words made you feel?  Did you suggest they approach how the deal with people differently?  No? Why not?  It wasn’t your place?  What good would it do?  Unless you do something, you’ll never know if it will work.  This is a plea to help a fellow job seeker by providing them with the honest, maybe even brutal feedback they need.  If they hear you, if you are authentic in your message and its intent, they’ll thank you later.

Stop playing it safe, take some risks.  Let’s make this a better world, OK?!

These are seven descriptions of behavior or missing knowledge I’ve witnessed that prevent people from getting a job, feel free to add yours!

1) You’ve got nothing to say

If you aren’t reading the news and you aren’t up on current events, you have very little to contribute to any conversation.   This is probably the reason why you aren’t getting much from LinkedIn and you think Twitter is a waste of time.  These tools are social.  People are sharing information because they have something to say.  Over simplified, perhaps.  My point is, you have to have “conversational currency” as Keith Ferrazzi calls it.  Read your local newspaper daily, subscribe to industry newsletters and blogs, pick up a book for crying out loud (Have you read any of these?)!  If you are looking for some free online industry newsletters, check out SmartBrief.  If you want to read interested blogs about your industry, try searching AllTop or Technorati.

2) You are waiting for people to get back to you (hand you a job)

I’ll admit, employers aren’t very good at responding to applicants.  Let’s just all agree the process is broken.  You are the job seeker, on a hunt for the job.  No company is handing out jobs to the first person in line (though that would be nice, wouldn’t it?!).  You have to prove you are interested in the job, be persistent, follow up.  One email isn’t enough. One phone call, isn’t what I’m talking about.  Pursue each opportunity until you get some sort of response and ALWAYS ask when you should follow up again.  Take ownership of this hunt.

3) You are an “old fart”

What I mean by this is you are coming across as:

• Too expensive (your salary expectation are out of wack for today’s job market)
• Unwilling or unable to adapt and work in a fast paced environment with constantly changing priorities
• Behind the times (your skills or knowledge are not up to date)

Who created this perception of being a “old fart”? You did.  Change this by making sure that on paper and online you are perceived as contemporary.  Use examples of times you’ve had to adjust and adapt.  Create videos or Slideshare presentations and add them to your LinkedIn profile.  Enroll in training to keep your skills updated. These are some of the obvious solutions.

4) You are a young whipper-snapper

The flip side of being too old is being too inexperienced.  As any new graduate realizes, it is hard to get experience without some prior. This is not new.  The ones who overcome this are the recent graduates who were involved in activities or internships.  These activities provide great hands-on experience, so talk about them.  The other thing young whipper-snappers should realize is that you may need to start at the bottom and work your way up.  Get your foot in the door, gain some real work experience so you’ll have something to build upon.  FYI, starting at the bottom also means a lower salary than you might expect. Heck, we all have to start somewhere.

5) You don’t know how recruiters work

For the last time, recruiters do not find you a job.  They work for the employer.  Don’t expect more from them than they are able to provide.  Here’s a post about the differences between a recruiter, hiring manager and HR:  HR, Recruiters, Hiring Managers…they all have different missions.

6) You haven’t realized this isn’t about you, it is about the employer

If you are still obsessing over what you’ll say about yourself in your elevator pitch and using the same resume and standard cover letter to apply for every job, then you are missing the boat.  No one cares about what you’ve done and where you’ve been. They want to know how you can solve their problems.  Put everything you say and write in terms that will benefit others.  And make it interesting.

7) Your attitude sucks

You’ve met these people.  They complain, criticize and blame others.  They are negative and exude a dark black cloud.  Please, somehow, someway, let them know that their “tude is showing.

The really good news about these seven problems, is that they are all easily fixable. First you have to admit which ones are yours.

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