New research explains why you work better with TV on in the background

New research explains why you work better with TV on in the hintergrundNew research explains why you work better with TV on in the backgroundSince the invention of the open amtsstube plan, employees have been battling unwanted sound interruptions and office banter distracting them from doing their jobs. In fact, researchhighlighted in Harvard Business Review has found a lack of sound privacy is the number one thing employees list as a productivity killer - ranking higher than air quality, freezing temperatures, bad building hygiene, and cramped workspaces.If unwanted noise is killing our focus, is the solution to work in total silence? New research has found that the answer is no, we dont work best in complete silence, either.Study The perfect background noise is not too silent, not too loudA study in the Journal of Consumer Research applied the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears to ambient noise levels, and asked a group of participants completing creative thinking tests which level of ambient noise in the background was too much, too little, and just right. What they found was the group working in70-decibel levels of noise, a sound condition thats equivalent to the chatter in a caf or your television set at a normal level, significantly outperformed the total silence and high levels of noise group. The moderate-noise group generated ideas that were mora creative than those in the total silence group or the group that was hearing noise as loud as jackhammers.Researchers suggested that moderate noise is superior for creative thinking because its the noise level most likely to spark the abstract processing in our brains, which can bring out our inner Picasso. Meanwhile, too much background noise willreduce how much information can get processed in brains distracted by the sound of jackhammers.Not all noise is equalOur findings imply that instead of burying oneself in a quiet room trying to figure out a solution, walking out of ones comfort zone and getting into a relatively noisy environment (such as a caf) may trigger the brain to think abstractly, and thus generate creative ideas, the study concludes.Not all sound is noise, in other words.A separate study backed up why a person talking in the background of your the TV can help your creativity while a person talking to you face-to-face can distract you. In a study testing how our brain waves respond to sound, the researchers found that some levels of white noise helped participants creative scores while face-to-face interactions hurt creative scores.This studys conclusion suggests that the source of noise is a determining factor of when sound becomes distracting noise. We may feel compelled to listen more closely to the office chatter of our colleagues than the background chatter in cafs or television sets. You can tune out a talking head on TV, but you cant tune out what your cubicle seatmate is saying about company gossip right next to you.So next time you want to think up your nex t big idea, it may be time to head outside of the office filled with distracting humans and into a caf filled with noisy humans who blessedly dont work with you. Its one scenario where noisy chatter can give you peace of mind.

Nomination Deadlines Approaching for 11 ASME Awards

Nomination Deadlines Approaching for 11 ASME Awards Nomination Deadlines Approaching for 11 ASME Awards Nomination Deadlines Approaching for 11 ASME AwardsJuly 14, 2017The ASME Honors and Awards department is currently accepting nominations for 11 ASME awards, including the Fluids Engineering Award, the Freeman Scholar Award and the Ralph Coats Roe Medal. The nomination deadlines for these awards will fall between Aug. 30 and Sept. 15.Nominations for the Fluids Engineering Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to the field of fluids engineering, are due Aug. 30. The winner of the award will receive $1,000, a bronze medal and a certificate. Nominations should be mailed to Wayne Strasser, award chair, at strassereastman.com.The deadline to submit nominations for the Freeman Scholar Award, which honors extensive experience in fluids engineering, is Sept. 1. The candidate chosen as the Freeman Scholar will receive $10,000 and a certificate. Nominations should be e-mailed to F ran McKivor, ASME Honors and Awards, at mckivorasme.org.Seven other ASME awards also have a nomination deadline of Sept. 1The Edwin F. Church Medal, for eminent tafelgeschirr in increasing the value, importance and attractiveness of mechanical engineering education $1,000 a bronze medal and a certificate e-mail nominations to Kenneth Ball, award chair, at ballgmu.edu.The Y.C. Fung Early Career Award, which is intended to encourage investigators under the age of 36 to pursue research in bioengineering $1,000, a bronze medal and a certificate e-mail nominations to Naomi Chesler, award chair, at cheslerengr.wisc.edu.The Patrick J. Higgins Award, which recognizes an individual who has contributed to the enhancement of standardization $1,000 a bronze medal and a certificate e-mail nominations to Peter DeMarco, award chair, at Pete.demarcoiapmo.org.The H.R. Lissner Medal, for active members of the Bioengineering Division who have made a pioneering contribution in biomechanical research $1 ,000, a bronze medal and a certificate e-mail nominations to Noshir Langrana, award chair, at langranarutgers.edu.The Van C. Mow Medal, for candidates with a Ph.D. or equivalent degree who have made meritorious contributions to the field of bioengineering $1,000, a bronze medal and a certificate e-mail nominations to John Bischof, award chair, at bischofumn.edu.The Ben C. Sparks Medal, for eminent service to mechanical engineering or engineering technology education through outstanding contributions that bring innovative, authentic, practice-based, engineering design-and-build experiences to undergraduate students $1,000, a bronze medal and a certificate e-mail nominations to John Williams, award chair, at williajcalfredstate.edu.The Yeram Touloukian Award, for outstanding technical contributions to the field of thermophysical properties by an individual who is internationally recognized for major contributions in the thermophysical field a bronze medal and a certificate e-mail nomi nations to Neil T. Wright, award chair, at wright01msu.edu.The Savio L-Y. Woo Medal, for active members of the Bioengineering Division who have translated meritorious bioengineering science to clinical practice through research, education, professional development, and with service to the bioengineering community $1,000, a bronze medal and a certificate e-mail nominations to James Moore, award chair, at james.moore.jrimperial.ac.uk.The deadline to submit nominations for the prestigious Ralph Coats Roe Medal is Sept. 15. The award, which recognizes an outstanding contribution toward a better public understanding and appreciation of the engineers worth to society, consists of a $12,000 honorarium, a gold medal and a certificate. Nominations should be submitted by e-mail to Ozden Ochoa, award chair, at oochoatamu.edu.To learn more about these ASME awards, or for more information on the ASME Honors and Awards program, visit www.asme.org/about-asme/get-involved/honors-awards.

A little more control in the job search can only be a good t

A little more control in the job search can only be a good tA little more control in the job search can only be a good tWhile the possibility of a recruiter or interviewer taking the time to go through the profiles of your connections to find pictures of you, it is conceivable that they might inadvertently see them mentioned while visiting your own profile. And even if the risk is infinitesimally small, does anyone enjoy the feeling that you dont know exactly how much of your life is currently living online? Fortunately, there is the beginning of a solution- at least for those on Facebook. A new application for the social networking site allows users to search for photos of themselves using facial recognition technology. You read that right the app will scan the internet for you and pull up any and all pictures that may contain your visage, so that youre at least aware enough of them to request that they be taken down. Ohand it does it for free. Need I say more?Posted by Phil Stott, Vault.com

The Role of Proof of Performance and the Media

The Role of Proof of Performance and the MediaThe Role of Proof of Performance and the MediaWhen it comes to media and advertising, managing schedules and ad placements can be difficult and overwhelming. When an advertiser enters into an agreement with a website or television or radio station, the outlet often gives the advertiser a proof of wertzuwachs (POP). This provides advertisers proof that their ads actually ran as expected, fulfilling the requirements of the contract. Its a form of insurance for advertisers, so they know they got what they paid for. How are POPs developed? A POP contains the date, time and station when the ad aired. It usually includes screenshots or clips of how it appeared on air. In radio, audio clips are recorded instead. For print ads, there is usually a tear sheet from the publication to show when it ran. In the growing area of digital advertising, there is not an industry standard for web proof of performance. Some advertisers do not get any POP ot hers get screenshots of banner ads and weekly figures. Some choose to check the sites themselves. Who puts together POPs? Larger advertising outlets often have proof of performance specialists on staff. They are typically assigned a certain number of clients to track. They are responsible for Reviewing photos of advertising campaigns and reporting any discrepanciesor errorsCreating compliance reports to send to clients, either using PowerPoint or a program designed specifically to create proof of performance reportsEnsure that campaigns meet all contract stipulations and client standardsCommunicates with other departments to get photos, tear sheets, audio samples of video clips of each ad placementProvides status updates to clients, such as how much of that contract has been fulfilled to date Works with the data or research department to collect results from advertising campaigns, such as the number of ad clicks or increases in web trafficWorks with the account managers to colle ct and report data to build proposalsManage client information and branding guidelines In smaller outlets, the proof of performance specialist position is usually combined with other roles, such as an account manager or marketing assistant. Electronic Versus Hard Copy In years past, proof of performance reports were only available in hard copy form. They often were thick books or stacks of paper, with tear sheets and audio discs from publications and media outlets. This could be cumbersome and annoying for clients, who were looking for assurance their needs were being met and that they were getting results for their expenditures. In recent years, hard copy proof of performance reports are no longer common. fruchtwein companies have made the shift to digital versions, taking advantage of online and cloud access to share media reports and link?sto ads as they are posted. This streamlines the process significantly for both advertisers and outlets or agencies, as everything can be d one digitally and edited, without having to worry about mailing completed reports or sifting through piles of paperwork. New companies have been launched to meet this growing demand, offering dynamic proof of performance creation services, where outlets can create visually engaging reports quickly and easily.

What Is a Summary on a Resume Guide

What Is a Summary on a Resume Guide What Is a Summary on a Resume - What Is It? The absolute most productive summaries target one career objective. There are a lot of standard kinds of resumes you may use to submit an application for job openings. For instance, your resume says youre a wearhouse supervisor. There are lots of basic kinds of resumes used to fill out an application for job openings. Including a profile is helpful for nearly every applicant. Anotlageher idea is to use the exact same key terms that are employed in the work description and align your goal to the businesss core value. Anyhow, you may add your LinkedIn profile address since its an expert job networking site. Ensure you include the results Naturally, the resume objective must be the job that you want to take. Your measurable achievements help it become real. Now lets go into a bit more depth about what constitutes an excellent career summary. Top What Is a Summary on a Resume Secrets Simply speaki ng, the above are a few of the tips we find helpful in preparing a superior MA resume. Functional and conventional resumes arent the only resume types to pick from. Using resume maker software is the very best choice when on the watch for employment out there right now. A resume is the very first impression that you give to prospective employers and, should it not have the correct content, it can be your last. Place your name near the top of the resume. There are many applications out there which offer resume maker software, but a lot of them, especially the totally free versions, are usually not too useful and everybody is using them, so your resume will probably look the exact same anyway. These types of resumes are perfect for individuals who have gaps in their employment histories or are new to a specific industry. Utilizing resume maker computer software program also can make certain that your resume makes the ideal impression. At the peak of the resume is a list of so meones skills and qualifications. Creating a resume with the help of a template is able to help you become conscious of the resume areas which you must fill. Attempt to do a little bit of research on the business youre applying to since the majority of the companies have various values. On the flip side, the moment the work applicant has strong experience, there is not any need to require the academic training any longer and it doesnt need to get mentioned. As soon as you determine the skills you need to concentrate on, do a bit of research and see whether they line up with job requirements listed for the positions youre seeking. If your prior jobs dont demonstrate how youre qualified for the job that youre applying for, you may use a functional overview to showcase abilities and achievements from all regions of your life. Courses which youve taken with respect to professional improvement. Just because youve got an advanced degree doesnt indicate you may readily get work. With a CV the more comprehensive information you can can offer the better as it will present your vast wisdom and experience. Get the Scoop on What Is a Summary on a Resume Before Youre Too Late Folks may understand how to compose a resume but only some folks understand how to compose an effective resume that inspire their possible employer in rather first sight. Youre going to compose a resume summary which gets far more interviews. At the moment, you only need an offer. Telling someone you managed a huge project is terrific. Whispered What Is a Summary on a Resume Secrets Its rather simple to tell the difference. Even if one isnt required, its generally a great idea to send a brief cover letter together with your resume. You always compose a summary in your words. When writing your statement, its important to think about where youre in your professional progression.Its so difficult to compose a resume summary statement. Make your resume expert summary from the very best few b its. The conventional resume format is in fact a couple pages. Whatever resume format you choose to use, be confident your format remains consistent throughout the document.

jobswhilepregnant

jobswhilepregnant Mona Sonis story about being hired by Dow Jones at nine months pregnant (yes, she took three months of paid maternity leave) is pretty remarkable. And yet, it doesnt have to be. Dow Jones saw Mona for the skills she brought to the company - and nothing less. They needed her to run engineering teams in New York and Minneapolis. Not only did Dow Jones investment in Mona pay off, but the company is also sending a clear message that theyll do what it takes to include top women in tech. Follow Dow Jones by clicking the banner below and scrolling to the top of the page. Youll get job alerts tailored to you, company updates and mora. Or, check out some of their open roles below Principal Software Engineer - Princeton, NJService Desk Analyst - RemoteTechnical Product Manager - Princeton, NJSenior Principal Cloud Engineer - New York, NYSoftware Engineer - Minneapolis, MNNew geschftsleben Sales Executive - New York, NYCustomer Service Associate - RemoteOne of t he main reasons we started PowerToFly was to get more compares to understand how investing in women pays off in the long run. If you want proof of Monas success to-date then look at what Dow Jones has produced since hiring her world class news products that keep financial markets and investors up to speed each day.(Another fun fact about Mona and the video above, is that she was pregnant with her second child when we shot it over the summer.)Related Articles Around the Web Getting Hired While Pregnant Above the Law Anybody get hired while pregnant? - September 2017 Babies ... Getting Hired While Pregnant Olga V. Mack Pulse LinkedIn 4 Women Share What Its Like to Get a New Job While Pregnant One of the biggest challenges in almost all industries today is achieving gender parity. Gender diversity provides huge benefits in the workplace. pWhile some industries have made significant advancements in gender diversity, some industries lag further behind... and the construction industry is well-known for being in the latter category. If someone says, construction workers, youll likely picture a group of men in yellow hard hats analyzing an architects plans or laying bricks on top of a scaffold. And men at work signs only help to reinforce this image.pThis stereotype is rooted in reality. When was the last time you actually spotted a woman on a construction site? Or hired a female plumber or carpenter? Your answer is most likely never. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statisticsreports that only 3.4% of the total of 8.3 million construction employees are women.pBut the construction industry has a lot more to offer than steel-toed boots and hard hats, and it needs women to help advance the industry in this era of rapid change. Here are 5 reasons why women joining the workforce or looking to make a pivot should consider a career in construction.h21. Fuel Innovation/h2pNot only is diversity the socially and morally right thing to do, but it is also actually an excellent business strategy. pResearch presented in the Harvard Business Reviewshows that diverse teams develop more innovative ideas. This is further supported by a study conducted by Gallupon the performance of gender-diverse teams versus single-gender teams, which found that the difference in backgrounds and perspectives led to better business performance and problem-solving. h22. Capitalize on Demand/h2pThe construction industry is currently experiencing a labo r shortage. The industry itself is booming and projected to be one of the fastest-growing industries, with total spending projected to exceed $1.45 trillion in 2023/a. However, most construction companies are unable to meet the rising demand. pAccording to the Associated General Contractors of America/a, more than 80% of contractors are experiencing difficulties filling hourly craft positions that represent the bulk of the construction workforce.pAnd demand isnt limited to individual contributor roles. Given the industry boom, there are a number of open stable and high-paying roles (any project managers out there?) waiting for the right candidateh23. Leadership Opportunities/h2pAccording to the Bureau of Labor Statistics/a, women compose only 7.7% of the total 1 million managerial positions in construction.br/pBut given the highly collaborative nature of construction work, more women in leadership roles would help drive innovation and enhance productivity.Furthermore, as a woman in construction in a leadership position, youd have the unique opportunity to drive change for the industry and make it a more attractive option for other women.h24. High-Income Potential/h2pSalaries for many skilled positions in construction are on the rise, making a construction career a prime choice for women looking for a high-paying job,pThe 2018 Construction Craft Salary Surveyconducted by the National Center for Construction Education and Research revealed that salaries for many skilled craft areas are increasing. Project managers and project supervisors topped the list at $92,523 and $88,355, respectively. The next set of highest-paying jobs include those of combo welders ($71,067), instrumentation technicians ($70,080), pipe welders ($69,222), power line workers ($68,262) and industrial electricians ($67,269). Of the 32 categories of workers in the survey, 19 positions earned an average salary of $60,000 or higher.h25. Sense of accomplishment/h2p The construction industry can give employees a unique sense of achievement. Yes, the job is stressful and the work can be demanding, but nothing beats the feeling of being able to build something from the ground up. pHow many professionals in other industries can point at a school, a hospital, or a skyscraper and say I helped build that?pThe construction industry has a long way to go in combating gender bias and supporting women in the workforce, but given the current demand for workers, theres no better time to pick up a sledgehammer (figurative or literal) and smash the gender stereotypes plaguing the construction industry.

Prepare for your Job Interview Using Your Resume

Prepare for your Job Interview Using Your ResumePrepare for your Job Interview Using Your ResumeYou have spent time writing a winning resume and applying for jobs, now it is time for the final stage, the job vorstellungsgesprch. They can be nerve-wracking and there are many traps that candidates fall into during the process.However, correctly preparing for a job bewerberinterview you can significantly improve your chances of success. If you can anticipate which questions will be asked, you will not be caught out by surprise questions and be able to give considered answers.It is vital to understand the importance of the resume in the interview. Knowing how to prepare for your first job interview by using the job description and yourprofessional resume, can improve your wertzuwachs in the interview.By this stage you should have already produced an attractive, professional-looking resume. If not, use a resume builder to make sure it is up-to-scratch.Research the companyDoing some homewo rk on the company is essential. Go onto the companys website and find out as much as you possibly can about them before the first interview. If you appear not to know anything about the company it will seem like youre uninterested in the job.Researching the company ahead of time will help you target your answers to fit what the employer is looking for, it will also help you to ask some insightful questions in the latter stages of the interview.Prepare answers for resume based interview questionsFirst of all, make sure your you know your resume backwards. Familiarize yourself with every detail including job titles, dates, and responsibilities. If you get these details mixed up in the interview it will give the wrong impression.Secondly, the trick is to imagine you are the employer looking at you resume. Often employers follow the resume in a job interview or prepare the interview using the resume.What questions would you ask? Have you got any unexplained gaps on your resume? By antic ipating the job interview questions it will be easy to prepare answers.Thinking of a good answer to an interview question is easy when you have time and are not under pressure. Try to anticipate as many of the questions as possible to avoid finishing the interview wishing you had answered a question differently.This is a key part of how to prepare for a job interview.Analyze the job and match your skillsRead carefully through the job posting and identify the required skills, attributes, and work experience. Use the keywords in the text to help you. Then make a comprehensive list of all the qualities required by the employer.Using your resume, think about your strengths and how they match those wanted by the company. Think of specific examples when you have demonstrated skills and abilities and prepare yourself to talk about them.The interviewer will ask you to give examples of when you have shown certain qualities. This preparation technique of using your resume to prepare for a job interview will help you to answer job-specific interview questions.Practice the job interview using your resumeThe main thing you want to avoid is being caught out and having to rack your brains for a job interview answers. Review typical job interview questions and spend time practicing answering them. Follow our top job interview tips to make sure you are fully prepared.Think about how to answer job interview questions about your resume and focus on your strengths. It is important to practice actually speaking your answers too. This will help you to give more concise answers in the actual interview and it will give you confidence.Ask someone you know to give you a mock job interview using your resume and the list of questions you have prepared. If it is a phone interview, do it over the phone.

Be so interesting you cant be ignored

Be so interesting you cant be ignoredBe so interesting you cant be ignoredIn 2007, Steve Martin stopped by theCharlie Roseshow.For those who dont know, Martin got his start as a comedian, and he later built that into a career spanning across television, movies, music, and even writing. He is known for his offbeat and eccentric style.He had recently releasedBorn Standing Up, a very personal memoir and the conversation with Rose centered around how Martin first found himself in front of a stage, the relationships in his life, and the rest of his career.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moraThe interview is both touching and funny, but its perhaps fruchtwein fascinating when Rose asks Martin to explain the followingSomebody once stood up in the audience and asked you how to become successful, and you said thatyou have to be undeniably good at something.Martin looks at him for a second, n ods a little, and then sharesWell, people always ask me how do you make it in show business, or whatever.What I always tell them, and Ive said it many years, andnobody ever takes notebecause its not the answer they wanted to hear.What they want to hear is Heres how you get an agent, heres how you write a script,...but I always say,Be sogood they cant ignore you.Simple and somewhat obvious, but also very profound.You cant fault the advice. In fact, Cal Newport wrote abookabout exactly this topic arguing whydeveloping skills and optimizing yourself to be good at something is a far better career path than waiting for your passion.That said, I think it can be further supplemented.The Limitations ofGoodThe world we live in today is heavily dictated by theattention economy.There are far more stimuli in our average environment than there has ever been at any point in history.Our senses are constantly bombarded withnoise.This is particularly prominent on the internet, where the amount of in formation and data produced continues to grow exponentially, but the digital reality is far from theonlyplace where this is true.Think about the buildings, advertisements, and attractions of the average large city in the world and compare that to how it may have looked 50 to 100 years ago. The chances are that you wouldnt even recognize it.What this has done is that,withso much competition for our attention, its put a premium on dedicated engagement.Indeed,to many companies, our attention is the most valuable metric to measure such engagement, and this fact has perpetuated a cycle of even more noise.While its true that the market rewards whats good and valuable over time, with the increasing noise, that time frame is getting longer and longer.In the words of legendary economist John Maynard KeynesMarkets can remain irrational a lotlongerthan you and I can remainsolvent.Very broadly speaking,beinggood alone isnt enough.We live in a world where being able to signal that competence is almost as important.Marketing yourself in some form is a necessity.The Power of InterestingThe best marketers in the world dont tell you theyre marketers.They tell you a story,theyengage you with genuine excitement, and theymostlytreat you like the human being you arerather than a number.It goes beyond that, too, though. Doing these things will take you far, but even so, in a noisy world, there is a particular quality that rewards some people over others. Its why they are able to capitalize on their competence.To be sure, tactics and hacks often do work in getting someone to pay attention to you, but building long-term trust in your competence takes more than that.It takes adegree of interestingness.The term interesting is fairly broad, but thats exactly its strength in this case.In order to get the attention you deserve you not only have to be so good they cant ignore you, butyou also have to be so interesting they cant ignore you.Interestingis whatmakes you stop and look twice. In teresting is what inspires you to dig deeper.Interesting is how you stand out in the noise.Once you capture interest, your competence can do the work for you.The beauty of using this term is that it describes an output that always gets a response, but it can be accomplished through a multitude of inputs.You dont need to know the depths of every absatzwirtschafthackin the book, nor are you circumstantially confined.All you need to do is optimize whatever it is youre selling, whether it be yourself or a product, for interestingness.More often than not, thatsdone bycapitalizing onwhatmakes youunique.The World MadeEasyWhile what weve talked about is most relevant to careers, all of this is far broader than that if we loosen up our definitions a little bit.Most people have a very narrow view of marketing because theyve been forced or tricked one too many times into having their time stolen.When you really break it downmarketing is justthepsychologyof getting someone to give you a moment oftheirfocus.Nothingmore, nothing less.When youre giving a presentation at work or school, youre marketing.When youre at a bar hoping to make eye contact, youre marketing.Whenyoure telling someone a personal story, youre marketing.In each of these instances, youre vying not only for someones time but also their attention, with the hope and possibility of something more.The only way they are going to give you something more, however - whether it be their money, their company, or their empathy - isifsomething about you makes them take a second look.Something thatmakes them pause.How good you are at something isnt always visible even after the first glance.Toget someone coming back enough times for them to noticeyour competence, you have to add a bit of intrigue.Be so interesting you cant be ignored.This article first appeared on Design Luck .You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you sa y, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

How to Tell if an Internship Will Be Meaningful - The Muse

How to Tell if an Internship Will Be Meaningful - The MuseHow to Tell if an Internship Will Be Meaningful Weve all heard the internship horror stories. Those grueling days working with little to no pay in the heat of summer, trekking to get coffee for a terrible boss before organizing filing cabinets all day.But dont worry, that doesnt have to be the case. You can land an awesome internship, but to benefit, you have to do your homework.And to help you with said homework, we spoke to Melanie Kollmai, a Campus Recruiter for Philips in the greater Seattle, WA area. She gave us the scoop on how to find an internship that will help launch your career. So read on to start your first professional chapter on the right foot.Dig Into the Job DescriptionThe job description is the first thing you see for any role, and the details (or lack thereof) can say a lot about the substance of an internship. And the more specific an employer is about the job responsibilities and the team, the better. Esta blished organizations follow a specific template, and hiring managers should be just as clear in a job description for an internship as they are with any full-time position.Look for a specific format a clear background on the hiring company, an overview of the role, a detailed description of day-to-day tasks and an optimal candidate profile- followed, of course, by application instructions. Make sure that youre looking at the team specifics and any projects you may be working on, in particular, says Melanie.Sometimes, companies bewerberinterview interns in the fall for the following summer, so they may not know the exact focus of your work. That said, there should be clarification on the scope of the work, which helps ensure you will get real value out of your experience.Red FlagsVague or short job descriptions, little to no detail about the purpose of the internship, very few details on day-to-day responsibilities.Ask the Right QuestionsThe interview is your time to shine and to fi nd out more about the internship and the hiring company. Melanie explains why this second part matters Its important to remember that, not only is a company interviewing you, youre interviewing them, too. It may be your first interview, but its important that you ask a lot of questions.Here are some interview questions that will give you valuable insight into the roleAs you go through each step of the selection process, try to gauge the extent to which the companys answers align with your growth. The best internship serves as an introduction to professional life, and gives you structured opportunities and regular support.At Philips, interns have a mentor and a manager- they go to meetings and benefit from one-on-one collaboration, even with other teams, Melanie explains. They are expected to act as if they are full-time employees by taking ownership, driving their projects forward, and working seamlessly within their team and others. Internships like that are endlessly rewarding, an d set you up for a bright career.Red FlagsUnprepared interviewer, vague or incomplete answers to your questions, an unstructured program.Talk to Former InternsBeyond talking to the hiring manager, theres another way to get really good intel on an internship straight from the source. Consider asking the hiring manager if there are any former interns you can speak with to learn about their experiences. Given that theyre a year (or more) ahead of you, they can give a longer-term view of whether the internship contributed to their career and if so, how.Youll want to ask about the specifics of their day-to-day in the role and whether the internship aligned with their interests or degree. Its also worth checking whether this temporary gig turned into a job offer, and if so, how theyve found the company since then.Nervous about asking the interviewer directly? Do some digging on LinkedIn. With the right search, you can find a few people who worked at the company in a similar internship and team. Reach out and ask if they have 15 minutes to talk about their experiences or if they could answer a few questions over email. Their insights will give you a neutral perspective from someone who has been in your shoes.Red FlagsFormer interns think the program was a waste of time, negative feedback about the position.When an organization invests in a strong internship program, theyre investing in you as a long-term employee. These mutually beneficial situations can set you up for a career that builds on your degree and opens a door for your next steps.