1. 6/2/2015 3 Red Flags That Will Cost You the Internship ­ College Magazine
http://www.collegemagazine.com/trying­land­internship­3­red­flags­avoid­costs/ 1/4
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By Bari Goldman | June 2, 2015
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With amused horror, Kiersten Sedlar, manager of the college recruiting program at
Zappos.com, watched as a potential intern sat across from her with his feet on her desk.
Slouching in his chair, his answers were nonchalant and peppered with profanity. “He
said f–k thirty times during a half­hour interview,” Sedlar said. Unsurprisingly, he
didn’t get the internship.
Sedlar’s clueless interviewee is not the only student failing at the internship application
process. Around 50 percent of students surveyed in an After College Job Seeker Survey
never heard back from companies after sending resumes, and 16 percent received the
professional silent treatment after being interviewed. Rather than becoming a statistic,
take a look at three easily avoidable red flags that will cost you the job.
C A R E E R I N T E R V I E W J O B S & I N T E R N S H I P S R E S U M E
3 Red Flags That Will Cost You
the Internship
THE RED FLAG: INCOMPLETE OR LOW QUALITY PAPERWORK
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2. 6/2/2015 3 Red Flags That Will Cost You the Internship ­ College Magazine
http://www.collegemagazine.com/trying­land­internship­3­red­flags­avoid­costs/ 2/4
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A poor resume will land in the garbage before you even have a chance to interview.
FirstJob Vice President of Marketing Sean Little said it is important to pay attention to
detail by making sure your resume is updated and flawless. “I will see a lot of cover
letters that have fonts out of whack or spelling mistakes,” Little said. If employers see
those types of mistakes in a resume, they assume the applicant lacks an eye for details
and may not be serious enough for responsibility.
Mark Case, director of the Career Development Office for the School of Public and
Environmental Affairs at Indiana University, said the solution is to share a resume and
cover letter with friends and family to get feedback. “Get as many people to eyeball it as
possible because there will always be kernels of wisdom that can shared,” Case said.
“Everybody’s got a different opinion about what constitutes a perfect cover letter or
resume.” He said it also helps if those people have work experience or are familiar with
the company receiving the application. At the very least have your mom eyeball it so
you don’t spell you own name wrong.
giphy.com
Recruiters will know pretty quickly if applicants show up to an interview without having
done any preparation. Little said that when he interviews students for internships, he
always asks students questions to see if they’ve researched the company. “People will go
into an interview and when the interviewer asks what they like about the company,
people will say, ‘I don’t actually know anything about your company,’” Little said.
“There’s no point in talking to who hasn’t taken the time to learn about your company.”
Before you go into the interview, look up the company website and write down five
pieces of information that are interesting and could be brought up as discussion points
with the recruiter. Quiz yourself on the same info. Drake University sophomore Jackie
Heymann did extensive research before starting her internship with RESULTS: The
Power To End Poverty. “I made sure that I was aware of their mission statement, their
goals and their major initiatives,” Heymann said.
THE RED FLAG: BEING UNDERPREPARED
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3. 6/2/2015 3 Red Flags That Will Cost You the Internship ­ College Magazine
http://www.collegemagazine.com/trying­land­internship­3­red­flags­avoid­costs/ 3/4
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Y O U M A Y A L S O L I K E . . .
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Interviews are your chance to show off who you are. Frowning through the interview,
even if it’s just nerves, doesn’t leave a positive impression. Little said that most
recruiters look for a smile and a hint of personality. “If you sit there like a robot and
don’t show your personality, you probably won’t have a great chance to get your foot in
the door,” Little said.
It’s crucial for the recruiter to gauge whether or not an applicant would adapt to a
company’s environment easily. Heidi Duss, founder of Prepster, a company that helps
people enhance their first impressions with companies, acknowledges the importance
of showing one’s true colors in an interview. “We want you to find the right fit just like
you want the right fit,” Duss said. “Culture is so crucial.”
Before the interview, practice the conversation twice in the mirror. Rehearse smiling,
greeting the recruiter and talking about the company to enhance your confidence
during the real deal. According to Lehigh University sophomore Sam Cassell, the key to
landing an internship is self­assuredness. “Be confident and know you can do the job,”
Cassell said.
When applying for your next internship or entering the big, bad real world, remember
that potential employers have expectations. Don’t ruin your chance by throwing a red
flag before they even learn your name.
THE RED FLAG: SCOWLING
Bari Goldman
Bari Goldman is a sophomore at Indiana University majoring in journalism and
mass coffee consumption.

4. 6/2/2015 3 Red Flags That Will Cost You the Internship ­ College Magazine
http://www.collegemagazine.com/trying­land­internship­3­red­flags­avoid­costs/ 4/4
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