Internships, from a higher-education perspective, are necessary steps towards landing a professional job after college. Internships build the skills young people need to have, such as teamwork, flexibility, and professional drive. Also, internships are a great way for companies to recruit prospective employees. Around 60% of the applicants for a full-time job that are hired were interns for that company previously. Below, I will list a few good pointers for the internship process.
1. Make, and perfect, a resume
-This may sound like common sense, but your resume is really the first thing an employer sees, and is thus the first thing that affects their first impression. A well-written resume will highlight your strengths in a way that will show up immediately. It has been calculated that the average boss/manager/HR official looks at a resume for roughly 35 seconds. This means your resume has 35 seconds to impress someone or make a lasting impression. As this is a very brief window, it is integral that your resume be both short but impactful.
2. Start a personal "network."
-Networking is one of the most important things a young person can do to put their name into the workforce. The more people know about you, the more opportunities you'll get. Start by getting to know people in your field of work. Either through a parent, casual organization meeting, or friend, start getting to know different people. Having others remember your name when it comes time to hire a new person is an obvious solution.
There are many other application tips out there, but these two are probably the most important. Getting an internship is the first step into the professional world, and one that won't be easy to make up after college. Go out now and start applying for internships. You'll be thanking yourself in the future when you land your dream job. Thanks for your time, and good luck.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Greatest Movies of All Time
Alright, so for my first informal blog, I thought I'd choose the hotly-debated topic of best movie ever created. Instead of trying to narrow the field down to just one movie of the millions, I'll give you what I believe should be the top five and the reason why. Now remember, this is just an opinion. This list is in no way definitive, nor will it be very internationally accurate. These aren't necessarily my favorite movies either, so if one of your favorites doesn't show up that doesn't mean it is garbage. Also, I will give a very brief summary of each movie for those of you who have not seen them. This summary is meant to be funny and doesn't completely reflect the actual plot of the movie. On to the list! (Side note: these are not in any particular order, just my "top five" in general)
1. Jurassic Park
-Synopsis: An old researcher/tycoon decides to open up a theme park on an island. The only problem is that this theme park is intended to house dinosaurs. Needless to say, it doesn't go well.
-Reason: This movie was ground-breaking in the special effects department. Not only did the dinosaurs seem to jump right off the screen, but the story was incredibly believable too. The actors aren't the best in this movie, but the sheer amount of jaw-dropping moments in this movie (as well as the performance by a Mr. Jeff Goldblum) makes it an instant classic.
2. Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
-Synopsis: An young archaeologist must save the world from Nazis. And snakes.
-Reason: As the first movie in the epic Indiana Jones trilogy (we won't mention the "fourth" movie, for obvious reasons), this film made "Indy" a household name. Played by a very charismatic Harrison Ford hot off the heels of success in the Star Wars movies, this movie is bursting with excellent one-liners and action. The team of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg made an incredible movie out of a plot that would be very questionable today (An archaeologist that fights nazis? Say what?). So many newer themes and characters have their roots in this film that it would be a tragedy for it to not be in the top five.
3. Animal House
-Synopsis: College happens. Hilarity ensues.
-Reason: If you are in college or ever have been, you're probably aware of the quintessential Animal House. John Belushi's picture can be seen hanging in every dorm room on every campus in the United States for a reason: this movie is just plain genius. While it may be a little dated, most of the themes and college shenanigans still apply. Not only does this movie have an excellent cast (most of which were relatively little-known actors, save for Donald Sutherland), it is packed with character and vigor. Just as funny as the day it was released, Animal House is one of the better "examples" of fraternity life on an American campus.
4. Silence of the Lambs
-Synopsis: An insane genius decides he likes the taste of human flesh. The rest of the world looks down on this, so they send Jodie Foster to set him straight.
-Reason: This movie is probably the most questionable one on my list. I felt the horror/suspense genre needed to be represented, so this is probably the best film in that category. Why? Well, Anthony Hopkins plays the most realistic cannibal genius ever. If you aren't convinced after the credits start to roll, then you are hard to impress. While the story is a unique take on a classic plot, the characters and dialogue are what really make this movie both excellent and creepy. While this is far from the scariest movie ever, you'll still find yourself looking nervously around buildings for Anthony Hopkins from time to time.
5. Pulp Fiction
-Synopsis: A lot of crazy and really f&%$ed-up stuff happens. John Travolta dies on the toilet.
-Reason: You thought I was going to leave this gem out of the list, didn't you? Not a chance, pal. As Quentin Tarantino's greatest film to date, arguably, Pulp Fiction has quite a bit to offer. Violence? Check. Witty and memorable dialogue? Check. Movie in confusing chronological order? Check. Samuel L. Jackson? Check. Pulp Fiction is almost a perfect film; with an all-star cast of characters and hilarious violence, it would be hard to rate this movie poorly.
1. Jurassic Park
-Synopsis: An old researcher/tycoon decides to open up a theme park on an island. The only problem is that this theme park is intended to house dinosaurs. Needless to say, it doesn't go well.
-Reason: This movie was ground-breaking in the special effects department. Not only did the dinosaurs seem to jump right off the screen, but the story was incredibly believable too. The actors aren't the best in this movie, but the sheer amount of jaw-dropping moments in this movie (as well as the performance by a Mr. Jeff Goldblum) makes it an instant classic.
2. Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
-Synopsis: An young archaeologist must save the world from Nazis. And snakes.
-Reason: As the first movie in the epic Indiana Jones trilogy (we won't mention the "fourth" movie, for obvious reasons), this film made "Indy" a household name. Played by a very charismatic Harrison Ford hot off the heels of success in the Star Wars movies, this movie is bursting with excellent one-liners and action. The team of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg made an incredible movie out of a plot that would be very questionable today (An archaeologist that fights nazis? Say what?). So many newer themes and characters have their roots in this film that it would be a tragedy for it to not be in the top five.
3. Animal House
-Synopsis: College happens. Hilarity ensues.
-Reason: If you are in college or ever have been, you're probably aware of the quintessential Animal House. John Belushi's picture can be seen hanging in every dorm room on every campus in the United States for a reason: this movie is just plain genius. While it may be a little dated, most of the themes and college shenanigans still apply. Not only does this movie have an excellent cast (most of which were relatively little-known actors, save for Donald Sutherland), it is packed with character and vigor. Just as funny as the day it was released, Animal House is one of the better "examples" of fraternity life on an American campus.
4. Silence of the Lambs
-Synopsis: An insane genius decides he likes the taste of human flesh. The rest of the world looks down on this, so they send Jodie Foster to set him straight.
-Reason: This movie is probably the most questionable one on my list. I felt the horror/suspense genre needed to be represented, so this is probably the best film in that category. Why? Well, Anthony Hopkins plays the most realistic cannibal genius ever. If you aren't convinced after the credits start to roll, then you are hard to impress. While the story is a unique take on a classic plot, the characters and dialogue are what really make this movie both excellent and creepy. While this is far from the scariest movie ever, you'll still find yourself looking nervously around buildings for Anthony Hopkins from time to time.
5. Pulp Fiction
-Synopsis: A lot of crazy and really f&%$ed-up stuff happens. John Travolta dies on the toilet.
-Reason: You thought I was going to leave this gem out of the list, didn't you? Not a chance, pal. As Quentin Tarantino's greatest film to date, arguably, Pulp Fiction has quite a bit to offer. Violence? Check. Witty and memorable dialogue? Check. Movie in confusing chronological order? Check. Samuel L. Jackson? Check. Pulp Fiction is almost a perfect film; with an all-star cast of characters and hilarious violence, it would be hard to rate this movie poorly.
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