A Day in the Life of a CB Intern, Plus Networking & Resume Tips

The first time I walked into Collective Bias, like most people, I was surprised to open the door and see about 10 heads pop up and look at me. After all, they are a start-up company and after my Internet research I really didn’t know what to expect when walking in the door for my interview. After about 2 minutes, the intimidation I felt was immediately gone. What I found after talking with three members of the team was that this is an awesome work environment, one that I could not wait to join (that is, if they wanted me to).

Throughout my college career I have been lucky enough to participate in three wonderful internships. However, my time spent as an intern at Collective Bias has been unique in that, every day I am surrounded by an amazing team that genuinely wants me to learn and become engaged in their work. From day one, everyone in the CB office was nothing but welcoming. If there is one thing that stands out to me about CB, it is how often they say “thank you”. Just two simple words can make the biggest difference; especially to an intern.

What does a typical day look like in the life of a CB intern?

Every day is different but you can always expect some familiar tasks. While some tasks include running to Walmart or the Post Office, others include creating insights decks and final reports. PowerPoint skills are essential and your analytical skills develop quickly by learning to pick out important insights from our bloggers that can be presented to clients.

What is culture like in the CB office?

In my opinion, the culture of a company is the deciding factor in whether it is someplace I would enjoy working for or not. Luckily, I have found my niche! When I think of the CB culture these are the words that come to mind: laid back, encouraging, playful, productive, innovative, teamwork and fast paced.

The Power of Networking

I am a graduating senior and I know there is nothing more stressful than the job hunt. I know from first hand experience the power of networking. More specifically, the power of networking through social media. Have you ever heard of the six degrees of separation? It is so easy to connect with a professional via Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. All it takes is knowing someone who knows someone.  You are just six steps away, by way of introduction, to meeting anyone in the world. I am a firm believer in this. Here are some tips to networking online:

• Use a mutual contact to initiate a connection with whomever it is you’re looking to network with.
• Follow companies that you are the least bit interested in, they will use their profiles (especially LinkedIn) as an outlet for recruiting.
• Another benefit to “connecting” with someone is the advantage of a direct message, you can tweet at someone, message them on Facebook, etc, in order to start direct dialogue and let them know you are taking the initiative to show your  interest in the company and/or position.

My Resume Tips:

• Proofread – even if you think your resume is free of error, it is better to be safe than sorry; have it reviewed by a career center, a recruiter, or even a friend.
• Be concise – while it is important to explain your role in a company or extra curricular activity, a recruiter doesn’t want to see a drawn out explanation of what you accomplished. Give an engaging one sentence description and use your interview to explain your involvement further.
• Do not have duplicate information – A lot of jobs consist of similar tasks, try and pick out different tasks for different jobs.
• Use quantitative information – if you can quantify any work you have done – do it! Numbers are impressive and what drives business. Have you worked with budgets? Managed a group of people? These sort of things can be translated into numbers.

Searching for an internship and/or job can be intimidating, but just remember, it is just as much about the job finding you as you finding the job. When the match is right, you will know and the employer will know.

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