summer internship

12 Days of Christmas for College Students

By | Career Advice | No Comments

Christmas shopping, cookie baking and family events dominate the holiday season, but these prized weeks during December can also represent a break from the rigorous class, homework and work routine that college students must juggle each semester.

While students may feel tempted to stay glued to Netflix over Christmas break, they can make the most of this time by completing a simple activity each day to prepare them for the upcoming semester and their future careers.

On the first day of Christmas:
Set your short-term goals for the upcoming semester. Make sure they are SMART (specific, measurable, assignable, realistic and time-related).

On the second day of Christmas:
Create or update your LinkedIn profile to establish your social media presence and connect with colleagues, friends and family to expand your network.

On the third day of Christmas:
Research professional business organizations on campus or in your community and commit to attending the next meeting or event in the new year.

On the fourth day of Christmas:
Subscribe to a professional print or online publication that will expose you to new trends and thought leaders in the industry.

On the fifth day of Christmas:
Explore summer internship opportunities to gain real world experience and better yet, apply early and contact the company’s HR rep to show your interest.

On the sixth day of Christmas:
Identify a mentor through your network of family and friends that can guide you through your post-college job search and beyond.

On the seventh day of Christmas:
Complete an online personality or skills test to help you better understand your strengths and weaknesses in your personal life and in the workplace.

On the eighth day of Christmas:
Commit to a professional development opportunity like the Dardis Academy training simulation to give you a competitive advantage in the job market.

On the ninth day of Christmas:
Give back to your community and volunteer at a non-profit that you can stay connected to beyond the holiday season.

On the tenth day of Christmas:
Update your resume to include all of your relevant job experience and have a trusted business professional provide feedback on the format and content.

On the eleventh day of Christmas:
Establish three to five long-term career goals that you can work toward over the next five to ten years and post them in a prominent location in your dorm room or apartment.

On the twelfth day of Christmas:
As your first lesson in work-life balance, sit back and relax with a hot cup of cocoa – you’ve earned it!


Photo credit: Jamie McCaffrey via Flickr

Interns Reflect on Summer Success

By | Classroom to Career | No Comments

The 2014 Dardis Classroom to Career summer internship program came to a close earlier this month, but the impact of this real-world business experience will carry our interns through their entire careers. Many participants completed sales early on in the process and stretched that momentum through the summer. For others, they faced and overcame challenges to learn lessons they can apply in their first job and beyond.

Kendall Hendrix, a senior at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, attributes her offer for a full-time position with a financial services company after graduation to the Dardis Academy.

“Dardis was the sole reason this door was opened to me and is the reason I was able to further refine my interests and ambitions as a professional and narrow down what I want to do in my career,” she said.

She attributes her success to understanding that she’s not only selling clothing – ultimately, she was selling herself as an accomplished professional.  Kendall encourages other college students to seriously consider the Classroom to Career internship program regardless of their college major.

 “Aim high and don’t underestimate the doors this internship will open for you,” she said. “If you are putting your 100 percent best effort in every single day, you will see the results without fail.”

University of Northern Iowa junior Morgan Maiers considers her most successful sales experience with Dardis on a day that she actually made zero sales. While she had meetings set up, none ended in a sale, leaving her initially discouraged before she decided to search for other prospects on foot.

“I label this as a success because I could have easily given up at that point, but instead I pressed on and gained future prospects that I made sales to in the future,” Morgan said.

Brian Thompson, a senior at the University of Chicago, began his Dardis internship worried that he wouldn’t make any corporate or personal sales. But only a few weeks later, Brian was able to secure a meeting with a high-level executive at a software company. He had low expectations on his potential return, but to Brian’s surprise, the orders kept coming in, reaching 50 items for a total corporate sale worth $5,000.

“Sales is hard work, and I heard “no” a lot through the summer,” Brian said. “But I learned that every now and then, I will hear a “yes,” and that makes it all worthwhile.  Dardis helped teach me that I should never quit before the miracle.”

Congratulations to all of our 2014 Classroom to Career interns!
We are proud to have you a part of the Dardis family.

We would like to especially congratulation our top three overall sellers based on total sales. Together, they sold more than $35,000!

Cameron James, University of Iowa, Sophomore, Team Iowa: $15,655
Fran Campbell, University of Kansas, Graduate Student, Team Kansas: $10,940
Trevor Morlock, College of St. Scholastica, Junior, Team Minnesota: $8,603

2014 Top Sellers

Recruitment Manager Spotlight: Courtney Conklin

By | Someone you should know | No Comments

Courtney Conklin, a member of our passionate recruiting team, truly believes that the Dardis Classroom to Career internship program is a valuable experience for any college student:

“The internship is for anyone and any major.  If you are a student who is willing to work hard and work smart, you are going to be successful, just like our previous graduates!” she  said.

Courtney travels across the state of Illinois with this very message as she searches for the best and brightest students for our Classroom to Career internship program. While the May 1 application deadline is months away, all of our recruitment managers encourage students and their parents to spend time over the holiday season discussing summer internship opportunities – including Dardis’ competitive program, which will serve as the gateway to future career success.

Learn more from Courtney in our latest recruitment manager spotlight:

What is the greatest benefit of the Dardis Classroom to Career internship program?
There are so many benefits of our Classroom to Career program!  If I had to choose the greatest benefit, I would choose personal growth.  From start to finish, students are working with a variety of professionals from different backgrounds while gaining real-life experience.  This growth and experience allows the Dardis intern to mature and develop on both a personal and professional level.

What sets the Dardis internship apart from other internship opportunities?
Dardis Academy provides the two main things employers are looking for in an applicant: communication skills and real-world experience.  Students are not only learning valuable skills in the classroom, but they are able to then apply those skills in the field. After completing our program, our graduates are a fully-trained, proven asset to any organization!

Why do you think it’s important for students to gain real life career experience while in college?
Real-world experience is the #1 thing employers look for on a resume.  Our internship provides students with that experience, giving our students the competitive edge they need to set themselves apart from other applicants.

In one word, what’s Dardis all about?
Opportunity.

How can students contact you for more information?
Students can contact me at courtney@dardisinc.com or 563-940-7547, as well as Facebook and LinkedIn.

Contact Dardis today to learn more. Contact Us