About Internship Mastery (And A Little About Me)
Hi, I'm Ryan Glick...
How do most college technology students react when you bring up the topic of internships? For many, the word internship leads to instant, sweat-inducing stress and anxiety.
How do you find the right internship? Are career fairs worth your time? What common mistakes should you avoid with your resume and cover letter? What research should you do before an interview? What if you don't interview well? How do you properly prepare for your internship? Where do you even start?
Well, if you're a college technology student looking for an internship—or you already have an internship lined up—then you're in the right place.
Let me explain why...
Hi, I'm Ryan Glick...
How do most college technology students react when you bring up the topic of internships? For many, the word internship leads to instant, sweat-inducing anxiety.
How do you find the right internship? Are career fairs worth your time? What common mistakes should you avoid with your resume and cover letter? What research should you do before an interview? What if you don't interview well? What if you're shy or an introvert? How do you properly prepare for your internship? Where do you even start?
Well, if you're a college technology student looking for an internship—or you already have an internship lined up—then you're in the right place.
Let me explain why...
Why Internship Mastery?
Far too many students view internships as merely resume builders. But, they're so much more than this. If you approach your tech internship correctly, it can be a springboard into a successful career.
I've seen it a million times. An intern candidate is late for an interview, completely unprepared, sweating due to extreme nerves, or has no idea what my company even does.
Many students show up to their interviews expecting me (the interviewer) to carry them through it. Across the table I see blank stares, hear one word responses to questions, and witness pure stage-fright when the intern stands up at the whiteboard trying to complete a critical thinking exercise.
Yet, it doesn't have to be this way.
There are specific steps that you can take to find the right internship, nail the interview, and impress your employer with your clear purpose and preparedness as an intern.
This is exactly why I wrote the book Internship Mastery and created this site.
Leverage Experts To Achieve Success
Diving into your internship is not something you need to (or even should) tackle alone. Even the most skilled people on this planet leverage resources and coaches to become even better. Professional athletes, actors, and company CEOs (to name a few) are always trying to find an edge and improve.
And, this includes seeking out experts in the specific areas they want to improve.
Michael Jordan hired Tim Grover, Michael Phelps hired Bob Bowman, and even if only virtually, Tony Robbins has positively impacted countless Fortune 500 CEOs.
In his book, The War of Art, Steven Pressfield said—while referencing Tiger Woods—"It would never occur to him [Tiger Woods], as it would to an amateur, that he knows everything or can figure out everything on his own. On the contrary, he seeks out the the most knowledgeable teacher and listens with both ears... A professional does not hesitate to ask for help."
This is the exact same reason I have my own professional and personal mentor. I realize I don't know everything (nor will I ever), so I'm always looking to others for their wisdom. I'd strongly encourage you to consider an expert to help you along your own journey.
I can help you nail your internship and jumpstart your career—and, when the time is right—there are countless other experts out there who can help you in other areas of your personal and professional life.
Let's continue on with your internship for now.
Hundreds Of Interviews
Since 2006, I have spent many years in the Fortune 500 business world—first as a software engineer and then as an information technology leader—where I’ve interviewed hundreds of intern candidates and hired a select few of them.
And, this whole experience intrigued me.
It made me wonder why some candidates are so well prepared while others seem to be simply going through the motions. I also wondered why some interns take full advantage of their time during their internships while others seem to blend in and disappear when their time comes to an end.
The more I reflected on this experience over the past 10-plus years, the more I wanted to help college students make the most out of their internships.
The truth is, an internship can provide you with a gold mine of experience, connections, and can springboard you into a successful future.
However, this is only possible if you are adequately prepared.
It’s not rocket science, yet it does take some brain-power and ambition.
I want you to not only land a great technology internship, but I want your internship to be a positive experience. I want your internship to be more than a one-liner on your resume. I want you to kickstart your journey toward the career of your dreams.
Whether you plan to be a tech entrepreneur and start your own business, or you plan to work your way up within a large organization, I'm here to help.
Who Is Ryan Glick (Me)?
In addition to working for 10+ years as an information technology leader with a Fortune 500 company, I've also worked for several years as an entrepreneur and consultant for many small businesses.
All of my professional and business experience has revolved around two things:
- Working with technology
- Helping others succeed
These are two things that I enjoy doing on a daily basis. I find ways to create things using technology, and I look for ways to help and teach others what I know.
Even when working on home projects, I dabble in tech. I've built multiple arcade cabinets (woodworking and all), and I've even built a digital wall calendar using a Raspberry Pi, a disassembled laptop monitor, arcade push buttons, and functionality written in Python.
Technology has always fascinated me—going all the way back to my family's first Commodore 64.
Although I enjoy technology, there's more to my life than simply playing around with tech. (Hey, I have a family after all). So, let's shift gears real quick and take a look at a few of my more personal interests.
Here are three quick hitters to help us get to know each other on a more personal level...
I'm Motivated
by my FAMILY
That's me with my wife, Kristin, and our 3 kids—Jacob, William, and Hannah.
I'm a self-titled family man, and everything I do with personal growth and entrepreneurship has the underlying goal of helping my family and leaving a lasting legacy for my kids. I love taking family road trips across the country! I actually prefer driving over flying... the only one in my family (sigh!).
I'm Obsessed With
Personal Growth
These are a few of the many books I am surrounded by in my home office.
Although I earned by BBA and MBA from the University of Iowa, I strongly believe in continual self-education. For the past several years, my goal every year is to read over 100 books (mostly non-fiction—including reading some titles several times). I do this while looking for at least a single nugget of wisdom that can have a meaningful impact on my life.
I'm A HEALTH &
Fitness Crazy Person
That's me running the Chicago Marathon for the first time back in 2009.
I drive my wife crazy with my constant obsession over my physical and mental exercise programs (such as #75hard—look it up) and the food I eat. I'm all about creating and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. I'm up at 5:30am daily to start my Miracle Morning—reading, journaling, exercising, meditating, and more.
My Personal & Company Core Values
If I don't act consistently with my core values, then adding them to my site doesn't mean a thing. This would simply create a facade that would quickly be undone by my inconsistent actions. That's why I focus on my core values daily. Although I'm not perfect, I consciously strive to live out these ten core values in all areas of my life.
#1—Go The Extra Mile
Always look for ways to go above and beyond expectations. Surprise customers with intentional acts of kindness and unrelenting great service.
#2—Integrity
Do what’s right even when others aren’t looking (or may never find out). Never cut corners or take the path of least resistance to save time or money.
#3—Accountability
Own your mistakes and take pride in your successes.
#4—Initiative
If you see something that needs to be done, then do it. Don’t wait around for someone else to tell you to take action. And, never forget that none of us are too good to do even the most menial task.
#5—Loyalty
Take pride in all of our relationships with family members, customers, vendors, partners, and all others we associate with. Promote and practice transparency.
#6—Gratitude
Be grateful for every success and failure, every customer and antagonist, every partner and competitor. Be grateful for living and working in the greatest country on earth, USA.
#7—Positivity
Guard against negativity at all costs. Even in hard times, find the silver lining and stay positive. Positivity breeds more positivity, and this is what we expect at all times. Negativity and pessimism will not be tolerated.
#8—Teamwork
Don’t hog the limelight, look for win-win opportunities with team members. Give credit where credit is due, and stay humble with your own successes.
#9—Personal Growth
Self-education must continue until the day we leave this world. We must never stop learning, and we’ll accomplish this by encouraging all team members to continually grow and improve.
#10—Health & Fitness
We’ll live healthily by making the best possible holistic health and fitness decisions. We’ll offer nutritious food options, and we’ll strongly encourage (and make time for) daily physical and mental exercise.
My Personal & Company Core Values
If I don't act consistently with my core values, then adding them to my site doesn't mean a thing. This would simply create a facade that would quickly be undone by my inconsistent actions. That's why I focus on my core values daily. Although I'm not perfect, I consciously strive to live out these ten core values in all areas of my life.
#1—Go The Extra Mile
Always look for ways to go above and beyond expectations. Surprise customers with intentional acts of kindness and unrelenting great service.
#2—Integrity
Do what’s right even when others aren’t looking (or may never find out). Never cut corners or take the path of least resistance to save time or money.
#3—Accountability
Own your mistakes and take pride in your successes.
#4—Initiative
If you see something that needs to be done, then do it. Don’t wait around for someone else to tell you to take action. And, never forget that none of us are too good to do even the most menial task.
#5—Loyalty
Take pride in all of our relationships with family members, customers, vendors, partners, and all others we associate with. Promote and practice transparency.
#6—Gratitude
Be grateful for every success and failure, every customer and antagonist, every partner and competitor. Be grateful for living and working in the greatest country on earth, USA.
#7—Positivity
Guard against negativity at all costs. Even in hard times, find the silver lining and stay positive. Positivity breeds more positivity, and this is what we expect at all times. Negativity and pessimism will not be tolerated.
#8—Teamwork
Don’t hog the limelight, look for win-win opportunities with team members. Give credit where credit is due, and stay humble with your own successes.
#9—Personal Growth
Self-education must continue until the day we leave this world. We must never stop learning, and we’ll accomplish this by encouraging all team members to continually grow and improve.
#10—Health & Fitness
We’ll live healthily by making the best possible holistic health and fitness decisions. We’ll offer nutritious food options, and we’ll strongly encourage (and make time for) daily physical and mental exercise.
My Personal & Company Core Values
If I don't act consistently with my core values, then adding them to my site doesn't mean a thing. This would simply create a facade that would quickly be undone by my inconsistent actions. That's why I focus on my core values daily. Although I'm not perfect, I consciously strive to live out these ten core values in all areas of my life.
#1—Go The Extra Mile
Always look for ways to go above and beyond expectations. Surprise customers with intentional acts of kindness and unrelenting great service.
#2—Integrity
Do what’s right even when others aren’t looking (or may never find out). Never cut corners or take the path of least resistance to save time or money.
#3—Accountability
Own your mistakes and take pride in your successes.
#4—Initiative
If you see something that needs to be done, then do it. Don’t wait around for someone else to tell you to take action. And, never forget that none of us are too good to do even the most menial task.
#5—Loyalty
Take pride in all of our relationships with family members, customers, vendors, partners, and all others we associate with. Promote and practice transparency.
#6—Gratitude
Be grateful for every success and failure, every customer and antagonist, every partner and competitor. Be grateful for living and working in the greatest country on earth, USA.
#7—Positivity
Guard against negativity at all costs. Even in hard times, find the silver lining and stay positive. Positivity breeds more positivity, and this is what we expect at all times. Negativity and pessimism will not be tolerated.
#8—Teamwork
Don’t hog the limelight, look for win-win opportunities with team members. Give credit where credit is due, and stay humble with your own successes.
#9—Personal Growth
Self-education must continue until the day we leave this world. We must never stop learning, and we’ll accomplish this by encouraging all team members to continually grow and improve.
#10—Health & Fitness
We’ll live healthily by making the best possible holistic health and fitness decisions. We’ll offer nutritious food options, and we’ll strongly encourage (and make time for) daily physical and mental exercise.
A Great Cause I Support
I recently had the opportunity to work with a non-profit organization that fits perfectly into a couple of my passions—helping kids and reading.
I've gotten to know the founder of New Chapters (Stacie Palmer) over the past year, and she is super passionate about helping at-risk youth.
Taken directly from the New Chapters website, here's what they do...
"New Chapters is a volunteer group committed to making a wide variety of books available to at-risk youth by creating and maintaining libraries in the facilities where they reside. This commitment includes fostering a love of books and reinforcing reading skills in the youth served."
If interested in helping out, you can donate directly on the New Chapters website.
