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Published by ktimmons, 2021-05-04 17:58:58

*Timmons Final Project

new spread draft copy

Vol. 1 / May 2021

VIRTUAL INTERNSHIPS:

how Chicago companies made the best of
the pandemic and defied distance with
remote hiring

PHOTOSc&COVERARToVIAUNSPLASHThe Intern May 2021ntents ON THE COVER

Online Internships Open

32New Doors for Chicago
Companies

WHAT’S NEW?

8Letter From the Editor: Welcome to
The Intern
Breaking the New Glass Ceiling: College

13internship access and innovation in the
age of Covid-19
From Facebook to the State Department:

18How Coronavirus changed summer
internships

HOW-TO

25Resume 101: Crafting the perfect resume to
secure your next internship

41Taking the Next Step: Tips for turning your
internship into a full-time job
52Diversity & Democracy: Reducing
internship inequity in the workplace
57Speaking Up: Advocating for yourself
as an intern



EditorLetter from the

Upon entering college, I was prepared for the designed to navigate the job market for college stu-
rigorous application process, and I knew entering the dents who have completed or are close to complet-
workforce after graduation wouldn’t be a walk in the ing their academic careers. Essentially, we’re a safe
park. However, no one had mentioned the challenge space for prospective and current interns to get real
of securing an internship. As a hardworking student about the stuff no one talks about.
with a strong resume, I never expected finding an
internship to be comparable to looking for a needle The Intern understands the stigmas that surround
in a haystack. internships: fetching coffee and mindlessly entering
data, all for little to no pay, and we’re determined to
I thought I’d have more guidance from my advisors change the conversation. The Intern is the only maga-
and my college, but I received very little direction. zine created specifically for student interns to connect
Even after finding internships I could apply for, I and navigate their workplace environments. This is
faced the all-too-common problem of how to get the publication I needed when going through the
experience without already having it. A great majority internship process, and I’m excited to share it with all
of journalism internships require previous work in a of you. We hope you enjoy our inaugural issue!
newsroom, and amidst transferring colleges, studying
abroad and staying on top of my classes in a new vir-
tual world, I’d hardly stepped foot inside of a working
newsroom. I was lucky enough to have contacts in
other areas of communication that I could reach out
to, and I ended up working in an internship created
specifically for me.

Here’s where The Intern was born! The Intern is

OUR THOUGHTS contenThe tInternsMay 2021

62 Paying to Work: Should
colleges be charging tuition for
unpaid internships?
COVID-19 & The Lost College

68 Internship: How internships became
a casualty of the pandemic

75 On a Scale of 1-10: The 10 most interesting
virtual internships in 2021

YOUR STORIES

80 Addie Joseph: My internship went
remote due to the pandemic & here’s what
I learned from the experience

85 Anna Marie Malay: I couldn’t graduate
without an internship, but no one
was hiring

92 Dylan White: I was hired for three intern-
ships, and each one was cancelled due to
decreased funding

PHOTOS VIA UNSPLASH

virtual internships
change the game
in Chicago

In a year without much of a silver lining, Chicago companies were

able to expand their recruiting reach as internships moved online.

T he summer of the virtual internship may By Robert Channick
have been short on baseball outings,
picnics and water cooler bonding, but it region March 1 — just weeks before the COVID-19
has landed some real jobs for graduating pandemic hit. After getting 11,000 employees in 14
college seniors. states working remotely, he turned his attention to
It also has some companies rethinking traditional 100 college and graduate students hired to start a
on-site summer internship programs as a recruiting 10-week “summer analyst” internship program across
tool. the Midwest in June.

“This is the most significant thing to happen in tal- “One of the first decisions I had to make was,
ent acquisition in 20 years,” said Greg Watkins, who what are we going to do with these people?” said
heads up hiring at M. Holland, a Northbrook-based Moore, a British native based in Chicago.
plastics company. “Probably half of our interns going
into next year are going to be remote.” Moore decided to “push ahead” with the in-
ternship program, an important talent pipeline, and
When the pandemic hit in March, the corporate go fully virtual. The reinvented program included a
world shifted on the fly to a work-from-home par- virtual homeroom for interns to “hang out” with each
adigm. Some companies canceled their summer other, a self-directed training curriculum and an abun-
internship programs, while others pivoted to remote dance of online face time with Accenture executives
solutions, offering future titans of industry a chance to and clients they might not otherwise have met.
learn the ropes from their parents’ basement.
“The interns didn’t have the social side of going
There are about 600,000 to 700,000 college in- to work with everyone because everyone was under
ternships per year nationwide, with employers hiring lockdown,” Moore said. “But the work was actually as
about 55% of those interns for full-time jobs, accord- good, if not maybe better, for the interns because in
ing to Edwin Koc, director of research and public this virtual world, you can be a bit more inclusive in
policy for the National Association of Colleges and meetings.”
Employers.
Moore said most of the interns were hired in Au-
More than 1 in 5 companies canceled their sum- gust for full-time analyst jobs upon graduation.
mer 2020 internship programs entirely, while 70% of
the companies that brought on interns conducted One of those job offers went to Sydney DeHorn,
some or all of the program virtually, Koc said. 22, a business major from Glenview, who is finishing
her final semester at Michigan State University.
Like the corporate world at large, the makeshift
virtual internships proved more successful than many She was part of Accenture’s on-site summer intern-
expected. ship program in 2019 and did the virtual program this
year from her family’s summer cottage in Michigan.
Longtime Accenture executive Lee Moore was Initially disappointed, DeHorn was surprised to find
promoted to head the consulting firm’s Midwest the virtual version a better experience.

Story continues on pg. 34

May 2021 The Intern 33

“This summer brought more opportunities to the The program, which started in late June and was
table because I was able to meet with so many peo- shortened to seven weeks, had 77 interns working
ple virtually,” DeHorn said. “But also, I really had the for the bank’s Chicago-area offices and was primarily
opportunity to spend most of my summer with my conducted online. While some interns lived locally,
family, which I probably wouldn’t have done before.” others participated from out of state, according to
BMO Harris spokeswoman Kathleen Szot.
DeHorn is set to start working remotely for the
Chicago office — likely from her parents’ Glenview Three-fourths of the 2020 summer interns who
home — early next year. were graduating seniors received job offers in Sep-
tember, consistent with previous years, Szot said.
While Moore called the success of the virtual Rivera, who grew up in Chicago’s Logan Square
office a “revelation,” he expects DeHorn and other neighborhood and now lives in Lakeview, was one of
employees to log some time in the physical office only a handful of BMO interns to get some on-site
once the pandemic subsides. experience.

Accenture announced plans last year to expand its The choice to spend time at BMO’s downtown
West Loop office at 500 W. Madison St. and consoli- Chicago office as part of a commercial banking group
date its Chicago workforce at the renamed Accenture was entirely Rivera’s, Szot said.
Tower. Set to open in 2022, the project is still “full
steam ahead,” Moore said, but Accenture is recon- “My primary driver for going into the office was I
figuring the entire space for collaboration, where wanted to really immerse myself in the BMO culture
employees are not expected to be at the office on a and really experience what it was like to be a BMO
daily basis. employee for the summer,” Rivera said.

Converting interns to full-time employees may be BMO is recruiting for the 2021 summer internship
the most important measure of success for the virtu- program and has yet to determine whether it will be
al internship programs, data that won’t be available virtual, in-person or a hybrid, Szot said.
from the National Association of Colleges and Em- Summer interns at BMO, Accenture and M. Holland
ployers until early next year, Koc said. received full pay, despite working remotely and in
some cases from out-of-state.
But another indicator of how the virtual summer
interns may fare is the association’s job outlook With many companies planning to continue a
survey for 2021, set to be published this month. It work-from-home or hybrid strategy well into next
projects hiring for all college graduates to be rela- year, internships will likely follow suit, recruiters said.
tively flat as a result of the COVID-19, an outlook that Seeking to evolve their programs, some have turned
is more optimistic than expected, according to the to Parker Dewey, a 5-year-old Chicago recruitment
survey. company which pioneered the “micro-internship,” a
remote, project-based work experience linking
Jose Rivera, 23, a DePaul University senior, landed students and employers.
a job as a financial analyst with BMO Harris after his
summer internship with the bank.

... we won’t be constrained by
five days a week in the office,

we won’t be constrained by
having people living in Chicago.”

-Greg Watkins, Head of Hiring
at M. Holland

Parker Dewey facilitates short-term paid profes- None of that happened this summer, with two
sional projects, where students spend 10 to 40 hours interns working both virtually and at the nearly empty
working for a company. Jeffrey Moss, founder and Northbrook office, and one participating remotely.
CEO of Parker Dewey, said a number of companies Watkins said it went far better than expected.
contacted him in the spring for advice on how to
transform the summer internship into a virtual experi- “Our tagline as a company is, ‘We take plastics
ence. personally,’” Watkins said. “When we have the op-
portunity to interact again, and it’s safe, we will ab-
His recommendation was to bundle together a solutely have those interactions, but we won’t be con-
bunch of short-term remote projects over the course strained by five days a week in the office, we won’t
of 10 weeks. be constrained by having people living in Chicago.”

The strategy proved successful, and Moss said Watkins said he could see nearly half of the 2021
many of those same companies are looking at a hy- internships being remote, flying interns in twice
brid approach for summer 2021, even if the pandem- during the summer for events and community en-
ic is under control. Remote, project-driven internships gagement.
will also broaden the recruiting reach, he said. Going fully virtual applies to full-time hires as well,
Watkins said.
“The big takeaway from this summer is geography
is off the table from a recruiting perspective,” Moss “We have actually hired people in the last few
said. months who are in different states,” Watkins said.
“We would have required those people to be in Chi-
Each year, M. Holland, a 70-year-old, fami- cago before the pandemic.”
ly-owned company, offers positions to about a dozen
summer interns and was in the interviewing process Trevor White, 21, an Elgin native and Iowa State
when the pandemic hit. University senior, was one of the company’s three
summer interns. Working with the additive manufac-
The program was abruptly curtailed, with only turing and 3D printing team, his program included
three slots filled. remote and hands-on experience.

“In March and April, we were thinking there’s no He is continuing the internship remotely while fin-
way we can do an internship program if they’re not ishing up at school, and hopes to land a full-time job
here,” Watkins said. “We just locked it down, we with M. Holland upon graduation. White considers
decided not to do any additional offers.” himself lucky compared with classmates whose intern-
ships were canceled. But upon reflection, he said his
Watkins said the traditional on-site internships internship fell short in one significant way.
of summers past included philanthropic outreach,
community activities and a company picnic. There “We were in this big office, and no one was
was also a two-hour lunch with the company’s owner, there,” White said. “I was working at this big compa-
Ed Holland, whose parents founded the business in ny, but I only got to meet four people.”
1950.

May 2021 The Intern 35

Wrpietrifnecgt the resume

internship

A step-by-step guide to help your resume stand out from the rest

By Alyse Kalish

Let’s say you’re looking to land
that ideal summer internship.
You’re browsing job boards look-
ing for open roles, and what looks
like a dream opportunity pops
up. You nod your head at every
bullet on the posting, getting
excited about what responsibilities
you’ll get to take on—shadowing
a senator! Writing columns for a
local newspaper! Working with an
engineering team to build a rocket
for launch!—and fantasizing about
one heck of a summer you’re go-
ing to have.

Then you look at the applica-
tion: Please submit a resume.

OK, you have an idea what a
resume is—a list of your profes-
sional skills and experiences. But
from what you can gather, you
don’t have much to offer in this
realm. Maybe a couple summer
jobs working as a server or camp
counselor? A few relevant courses
or class projects? A general under-
standing of Excel?

Don’t panic—first of all, it’s
completely normal, and common,
to find yourself with little to put on
your resume as a student or recent
graduate. Secondly, even the bit
you have can make for a great
resume! Here’s how to go about
crafting yours from scratch—from
coming up with what to put on it
to organizing and editing it in a
way that’ll impress a hiring man-
ager.

36 The Intern May 2021

start here...

Step 1: Brainstorm T he first thing you should The idea isn’t to nix stuff that is
Step 2: Create Your do, once you’ve found a far cry from what you’d like to do
a role (or several) you’d in a professional setting. Being a
Sections like to apply for, is to dig waitress, for example, may not seem
Step 3: Fill in Your into the requirements and relevant to a marketing internship at
responsibilities. “Use the first glance. But if the role calls for
Information job description for the internship someone who can multitask or be
Step 4: Put It All as your guide” to figure out what a team player, you may find that a
to include on your resume, advises lot of your experience in the service
Together Chelsea C. Williams, Founder and industry does apply.
CEO of College Code and a career
coach on The Muse. What skills “One time a student—an English
are they highlighting—both hard major—I was working with got a
skills, like Excel or Wordpress, or paid remote internship in New York
soft skills, like time management or because the hiring manager was
written communication? What words impressed she was a crew trainer at
are they using to describe the ideal McDonald’s; they valued her lead-
candidate? What experiences, work ership ability and hard work ethic,”
history, or general background or says Muse career coach Eilis Wasser-
interests are they looking for? man.
Then, separately, jot down what
you bring to the table. A few things The same thing goes for being
to consider including are: an athlete or running the debate
team—again, it’s not technically
- Your educational history (your a “job,” but a lot of the soft skills
major, your GPA, classes, re you’ve developed could easily factor
search work, big projects, study into an internship.
abroad programs, honors, or
awards) The key is to make sure whatever
- Summer, part-time, or on-cam- you’re including shows some sense
pus jobs of “involvement, work ethic, and
- Volunteer work accomplishments,” explains Was-
- Student organizations, clubs, or serman. What wouldn’t fit into this
sports category? Things like: vacations,
Start by creating a master list of non-educational school trips, or so-
everything you’ve done that could cial events that were purely for fun.
be relevant to a job—any job. Then, If they show a bit of your personality
once you have that list, narrow down or come with a unique story relat-
the items that feel most relevant and ed to your career ambitions, save
applicable. sharing them for your cover letter
instead.

Story continues on pg. 38

May 2021 The Intern 37

up next...

At the very top (and preferably - Education and Awards
in a bigger, bolder font) you’ll need - Work and Leadership Experi-
to add your contact information— ence
which should include your name, - Activities
your phone number, your email - Skills and Interests
address, and any relevant links, like
your LinkedIn profile or personal You have the option to remove or
website, if applicable. add sections of your own, too. If a
lot of your past is filled with vol-
“If you’re a student, include your unteer work, you might decide to
.edu email instead of other emails,” break that out into its own category
Wasserman recommends. “School titled “Volunteer Experience.” Or
emails are often seen more favor- maybe you aren’t involved in clubs
ably among employers.” Plus, it and don’t need an entire section
tends to be a more professional on “Activities.” Go ahead and cut
address than your personal one or condense if it feels natural or
([email protected]? Probably saves you from going on to another
not ideal). page—no one will hold it against
you.
Wasserman suggests that any-
one who’s still in school or recently By the way, templates will be
graduated should have their edu- your best friend in getting orga-
cation at the top of the page. You’ll nized. Check out some of our favor-
likely organize your resume in this ite Google Docs resume templates
order: that you can copy and start person-
alizing instantly.

make it your own...

When you start adding jobs and position” and boosts your repu-
activities to your resume, you’ll tation as a hard worker. Your high
want to put them in reverse chrono- school grades? Not as relevant.
logical order—most recent to least Your senior summer job as a retail
recent. If some happened at the salesperson? Might be.
same time, put the most relevant Let’s break down what to write in
one first. each section:
Wasserman adds that “if you are Your Education
beyond your first year in college, Besides the obvious—your school,
I would recommend not including your major, your degree, your
any high school information unless graduation year, and your current
[it’s] very relevant to the internship GPA (note: if your GPA isn’t great,

38 The Intern May 2021

you may want to leave it off)—there are several other Don’t worry too much about how relevant your
things you can add to your education, if you decide experience is—like I said earlier, paid jobs that are
not to make them their own section. outside your dream field are almost always worth
Like, for example, your Dean’s list awards, or your including, especially when applying for an internship.
study abroad program, or any other honors or honor- Whether you babysat for a professor, served drinks at
able mentions you’ve received as a student. If you’re a local bar, or swiped people into the library, just do-
scraping the barrel for ideas, you could even add ing work for a paycheck shows work ethic, drive, and
a bullet listing “Relevant Coursework,” where you plenty of understanding of the working world and the
provide the titles of classes you’ve taken or are taking soft skills needed to be successful.
that could be applicable to the internship. This is also Your Activities
a great option if you’re pursuing a role outside your A lot of school clubs and outside activities make for
major and want to highlight relevant skills great resume material, and just as many don’t. It all
Your Experience depends on what’s already on your resume up until
“Having an experience section does not only mean this point, what exactly your role was in these activ-
‘paid experience’—that is a common misconception ities and what you got from them, and the kinds of
among students,” says Wasserman. She explains that internships or industries you’re looking to break into.
when you don’t have a lot of actual jobs to include, If a club or activity was a major part of your college
you can fill this section with anything from service experience (but you weren’t a leader in it), it’s im-
opportunities to community or club involvement to portant to include in this section not just to showcase
independent studies. If you played a crucial role in an your personality but to show commitment. Same
organization or initiative—maybe you had a leader- goes for activities where you made a big impact or
ship title or organized a bunch of events—that’s defi- earned some sort of award or recognition. For exam-
nitely worth including in this section versus in your ple, being a member of a singing group for four years
activities section, because it’s more like a job than a in a row says a lot about you, your values, and how
hobby. you spend your time. Spending one semester on the

Story continues on pg. 140

PHOTO VIA UNSPLASH

May 2021 The Intern 39


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