It is already May!  For many this means graduation and the start of summer, for the Ohio Cooperative Education Association (OCEA), it means Annual Conference Season. Ohio has a robust state organization which hosts an annual spring conference and drive in workshops throughout the year.  These events are a great opportunity to network with co-op and internship professionals across the state.

This year’s conference was held during the last week of April at the Blackwell Inn on the campus of The Ohio State University.  Along with ample opportunities for networking, highlighted the State’s vision for building a competitive workforce, social networking as an educational tool, a round-table discussion, and panel discussions.

One of the true highlights of the event, for me, was the Ohio Coolest Co-ops Contest.  This is the second year OCEA has hosted this contest, and this year, we received full sponsorship from Honda of America Manufacturing and Danis Building Construction.

The contest is hosted online and eligible students from across the state are encourage to enter.  Entries consist of a 100-300 word essay and photos explaining what makes their co-op or internship experience ‘cool.’ Students enter in one of three categories:  Cool People, Perks, or Projects. Voting is then conducted through a public website. This year, we received 49 entries from 11 institutions across the state, and nearly 7000 votes were cast!

2009-2010 OCEA Coolest Co-op Winners:  (L-R) Julianna Barton, Bowling Green State University (BGSU Office of Design & Construction); Rebecca Nesbitt, University of Cincinnati (Procter & Gamble Germany); Emily Babel, The College of Mt. St. Joseph (Ideopia)
Seeing the entries displayed throughout the conference is a rewarding reminder of the true value the students see in their experiences. Also, speaking with gracious employers of the winners makes it evident that they, just as much as we educators, see the educational value of these experiences for our students.

Does your state have an association for co-op and intern professionals? These organizations can provide development and networking opportunities for professionals and students close to home and specific to the interests of your state. Check out the State Chapters page of the MCEIA Website to see the news for your state.

The more people you know, the more people you can influence, either positively or negatively. People who work at developing strong clusters of networks across a broad cross-section of interests, age groups, demographics and cultures can often wield enormous positive or negative influence. These people are often referred to as master networkers and spheres of influence.

One of the challenges in our time-poor society is that many of us can’t be bothered investing the time required to work at and create new networks. It is so much easier and a great time saver to stick to the networks that we know and feel comfortable with. Our comfort zone becomes very safe and non-threatening. However, it is also very limiting and the potential for influencing large numbers is almost nonexistent

Lessons in Influence from Master Network
Communicating and connecting

One of the greatest opportunities for influence can arise when you build a strong connection with someone who trusts you.

If you build a connection and trust with another person, it is natural for them to speak highly of you within their own networks, thereby potentially allowing you to influence total strangers, based purely on the connection you built with the original person. Picture a house being built brick by brick. Imagine trust being built in the same way – conversation by conversation, contact by contact. The more contact we make, the stronger our connection becomes.

Here are some lessons to be learned from master networkers about communication.

• Constantly work on improving your listening skills. Strong networkers look beyond the words and observe the tone, inference and body language of everyone in the group.
• Remember to use people’s names. ‘Name calling’ (using a person’s first or full name) in conversations is a very powerful tool.
• The better you listen, the better you will remember. An added bonus for having strong listening skills is that you will remember more about previous conversations you may have had with someone.
• Don’t be afraid to ask questions or clarify details. Master networkers are always ready to admit that they may not understand something.
• There is always more to know. No matter how much you know, there is always more to learn and other people have the information that you need.
• Remember that nobody is a nobody. Master networkers know that everyone is connected to other people, and that everyone is a somebody, somewhere.

Empowering others
There is a great sense of satisfaction when you have the ability to influence someone by empowering them. One of the easiest ways to empower someone else is to give them information. Information can equate to power – and the more information you have about a subject, the more powerful or influential you become.

Information is one of the major currencies of networking, and master networkers have much ‘information power’. As a rule, they are extremely well informed. They work at gaining and constantly updating their information through sources such as newspapers, books and the Internet, but also through the information that circulates through their networks.

Master networkers also know that the greatest gift you can give someone is your sole focus. Whether it is for 10 seconds or 10 minutes, if your sole focus is on that person, you will have had a quality conversation with them. Simply giving sole focus to someone is sufficient to influence and empower them, as this action is so rarely experienced in our busy society.

Master networkers watch what other successful networkers do, and then do the same. That is how they become masters at what they do. They look to people they admire and want to be like – role models – and then copy what they do, but without becoming their clones or stealing their ideas and concepts.

As role models come in many forms, I will share the traits of my current role models.

• They are passionate about the work they do.
• They believe in themselves, even when others don’t.
• Their motto is: The buck stops here … let’s fix it rather than find a scapegoat.
• They always stand by their staff, as long as they have the total truth told to them.
• They look for the good in others, even when it’s hard to find.
• They make heart-to-heart connections when they speak to you.
• They are fun to be around.
• They laugh often.
• They don’t overindulge.
• They don’t hold grudges.

In Conclusion

Master networkers influence others, both formally and informally, in matters small and large. So a smart manager or aspiring leader learns from them and works at developing strong, ethical networking skills. And remember, networking skills are a prerequisite for forming strategic alliances, which can enable you to move your organization and your career to the next level.

If you are prepared to constantly hone your networking skills, value your current and expanding networks, consider forming strategic alliances and value the worth of such activities as mastermind groups, it is inevitable that you will have as much influence as you want to have.

As Harvey Mackey says, it is not what you know, but who knows what you know. Happy networking!

Ten habits for becoming a networker of influence

Understand that networking is a life skill, not something you do only when you want something from someone else.

Practice making heart-to-heart connections with people when you communicate with them. Aim to be totally present and ‘in the moment’ at all times.

Arm yourself with business cards and a nametag when you attend a networking event.

Befriend the gatekeepers – the people who assist or sometimes protect the people you are wanting to network with (secretaries, personal assistants and so on).

Walk your talk. Directly and indirectly you will become a role model to others.

If you set out to build a strong network of people whom you admire, respect and value, the by-product will be that you will have great influence within this group. Yet if you set out to have influence without the firm foundation of a strong network of supporters you will fail and have no influence and a poor reputation.

Understanding Influence for Leaders at all Levels The Power of Networking (extract) – By Robyn Henderson

For the full article, please visit http://www.aim.com.au/Publications/bkchapters/influence_ch5.html

The MCEIA Board of Governors has spent a great deal of time and efforts in looking for ways to incorporate value add opportunities for our membership. This webinar was just one piece of the strategic initiatives that the Board has been discussing and developing over the past two years. We hope that this will be the first of many webinars for our membership.

The “Building Employer Relations” webinar focused on co-op/internship coordinators’ ability to make connections with employers and how to nurture those relations. Discussion topics focused on reflecting on time put forth in building and maintain the relationship, the balance between credibility and visibility, engaging employers with our colleges and universities, managing expectations from all constituents and troubleshooting.

As practitioners, we are often telling our students to develop and build connections with people. Network, Network, Network, we often hear ourselves saying. However, meeting people and having a relationship are two different things. Relationships take work. This can be hard given hectic schedules and the variety of directions we are pulled professionally.

In dealing with employers, we must balance a variety of areas – credibility and visibility, HR needs – cheap labor vs. student learning, and the list can go on. We also look for a balance between the needs of our constituents – employers, students and colleges/universities.

Building relationships takes time, flexibility and commitment. In our webinar, we looked at the percentages that we devote to our constituents. Most shared that students and office duties win over the time we spend working with employers. Some of our offices have a student first mentality which may put employer relations down the list of importance.

We also looked at the Sales Process Model that focuses on establishing relationships, helping define the needs of employers and solving their problem. Often, there may be some visibility issues. Do employers even know that we exist? As for credibility issues, why as educators are we the expert an employer might need? What do our organizations have to offer? What do our students have to offer?

The sales process also looks at lead generation, collection, qualification, distribution, incubation, tracking, and follow-up. Participants were asked to look at how they do this at their college or university. How do they manage these relationships within their office – what systems/processes do they have in place to track their interactions with employers? Also, why the tracking of this information is potentially needed and how can it be used in organizations?

Engagement is also a key to the relationship. This can be both passive and active. We defined active engagements as interactions on both parties and passive interaction on the side of one party. As we looked at these engagements a key point focused on making the life easier for the customer/employer.

Social media is an emerging tool that can be used for both passive and active engagement. These tools can be actively used to get our message out to the employer about our programs, our offices, and our universities.

In co-op and internships, there can often be a disconnect between expectations about the co-op or intern. Helping the employer understand realistic expectations about your campus and students as well as follow-up while the student is employed is an essential piece to the relationship building. Sometimes, we even have to see our role as the troubleshooter in creating the balance between our imperfect students and our imperfect employers.

As we begin the month of February, businesses, colleges, and students in the state of Michigan are reminded of the importance of internships. Our Governor, Jennifer Granholm, has officially named February as cooperative education and internship month. There are a few reasons internships are so important to think and talk about in Michigan and I’m sure this is true throughout the Midwest. I believe an early sign of job growth is internship growth.

Student + College + Business = Economic Growth

Everyone in the internship equation adds value to and benefits from the relationship.

Business

Business can offer perspective outside of textbooks to both colleges and students – it’s the college learning equivalent of reality TV. In return, business can bank on getting eager and interested minds to resolve problems and complete tasks at the most affordable rate they can imagine. Internships are a cost effective method for getting work done and provide a trial-run with a potential long term employee.  The average summer intern works 400 hours and costs and average of $5000. For many companies, it costs more than that to hire one full time employee.

Students

The generation that is more connected and more able to multi-task than any generation before? Of course, the technological savvy, the desire to learn, and the certainty with which they do it is an absolute draw for business. The students of today promise new and exciting movement for the future. Their take-away? Internships enhance their experience, grow their professional network, and often, lead to that all important first job.

College

Colleges are the essential linkage between business and students. You hold the key to making this equation work. Your employer partners value your knowledge of the students and helping them to find the perfect fit for their companies. Internships bring value to college campuses by adding real life experience to the classroom and improving the chances of full time placement after graduation.

Michigan is concerned about retaining its college talent after graduation and so, some amazing groups have pooled there resources to create a new website to build bridges and make the Internship equation strong for our state. It’s called InternInMichigan.com. Here’s the history. A survey sponsored jointly by the S.E. Michigan WIRED (Workforce Innovations in Regional Economic Development) and the Michigan Municipal League, sent to over 33,000 graduates of public universities in 2007, found that 46% had left the State by the Spring of 2008. The results were based on the responses of over 5,300 people, 88% of whom were Michigan natives. Funny thing is, over half of those who left Michigan also admitted they believed there were not opportunities and left the state.

This free resource is helping Michigan businesses, colleges, and students connect in ways they never dreamed. It’s one of the many creative ways Michigan is working toward growing its economy. Post your comments: What’s happening in your state?

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About the Webinar:

Wendy will discuss what students experience going through this application and on-boarding process from the employers point of view.  This information and discussion is intended to give college representatives a look at the process to be able to assist and coach students more effectively on the do’s and don’ts of the looking for full time employment, how to make their resume stand out and what they will experience once a job offer process is started.

The presentation will include a power point of screen shots from the Midwest ISO on-line system to ensure participants can follow the discussion.

About Wendy Weiler:

Wendy Weiler, originally from Columbia, Maryland graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park in 1992.  She has worked in Human Resources her entire career and relocated to Carmel, Indiana in June of 2007 after accepting a position with Midwest ISO as the Intern and Co-op Coordinator.  With the tagline “The Next Generation”, Wendy has expanded the internship program and launched the company’s co-op program in 2008.  The internship program has received both nation and local recognition and for 2009 won the Employer of the Year Impact Award from Indiana INTERNnet.

Throughout Wendy’s career she has always been responsible for the recruiting function in her HR roles.  Through an extensive orientation and administrative process she has on-boarded numerous fulltime employees and interns.  Midwest ISO recently ungraded their on-line system so candidates and new hires can experience a seamless and almost paperless application and on-boarding process.

Even though you may feel that you are extremely easy to talk to, others may have mixed emotions on the matter. Let’s take a step back and reanalyze how others may perceive us, starting with body language. Does your job have you sitting behind a desk all day, or up and walking around? Either way, your arms should not be crossed. You want to give off a good vibe, not one that makes it seem like you are upset or agitated. If you do start speaking with someone, make sure you lean in a bit and keep eye contact. You want to let them know that what they are saying is important and has all of your attention.

When speaking with someone, make sure you are slightly animated. Nobody wants to talk to a monotonic, catatonic bump on a log. Having facial expressions as well as vocal expressions can show that you are human and that you can relate to people on different levels. Also, make sure you ask some questions to show your interest. While they are talking, perhaps nodding can also show your attentiveness.

A very amicable gesture is as simple as a smile. Showing others that you are warm and caring can go a long way in the world of communication. Just remember though, keep it polite and sincere, otherwise it will look phony.

Lastly, if people are not approaching you, perhaps you should approach them. Remember to keep your body language open and inviting, and perhaps flash a smile or two. This will show those around you that you are concerned with their lives, as well as the life of the company. The communication within the company is only as strong as the weakest amplifier.

Many students take on internships or co-ops because they sound fun or they think it will be another bullet to add to their resume. Although these things may be true, there are a few other things one will have to think about.

An internship, whether or not it is paid, is just like a job. It is like class in the sense that you are expected to learn things, show up on time, and be productive, however, you will not be allowed to just copy off of your neighbors’ assignment or sit in the back of the class and sleep. You are here to learn something valuable for your future. So get out that notebook and pen, and start jotting some things down.

Firstly, you want to stand out, and not in a “wear a loud outfit everyday” kind of way. If you only do what is expected of you, you will fade into the background and just be another face among all of the other young, eager learners there. If you are there because you know what you are doing, excellent! Share your thoughts or ideas on certain things. What is the worst that can happen? Perhaps you will be the one recognized for the greatest idea of the day, and just maybe, the president of the company will be there to hear your idea as well. Hands on experience is often the best way to learn, so it only makes sense to get in there and get your hands dirty. Ask your supervisor for more responsibility. Take on responsibilities when the opportunity arises. Showing that you are creative and have productive ideas will prove that you are willing to take chances.

One thing you should not take chances on, however, is missing many days at your internship. Although this is not a class where you only get three sick days, just remember that this company is doing you a favor. The more you show up, the more responsible you appear, especially if you are working hard. If you are only doing the minimal, you are showing the company that you are only expecting the minimal. An internship is like a delicately crafted relationship, it is a give and take, the more you give, the more you will get. You never know you who you will meet during your experience. These people you meet can help your career for many years to come, create a connection and build a network.

Finally, never forget why you are there. This is for a future goal you have set up. Do not get mixed up in the office drama of day to day life. You are there to learn to do the job, not to learn to socialize with the people in the cubicle next to yours. Networking is an important part of the internship, but it does not involve talking about the score of last night’s game or what happened on Grey’s Anatomy. This internship could make or break you when it comes to a future job. Create a portfolio of accomplishments during your internship. From projects you worked on to excerpts from emails saying how great of a job you did to examples of tasks you managed. All of these things will help you supplement your resume and engage the employer during the interview. Thinking about the next part of your life will help you be better prepared. It is a learning tool that you will remember and rely on for other opportunities in the future. If you keep yourself in check while learning at the office, you may just be preparing yourself for signing a continuous check at the office.

Professional associations what can one say about these groups?  We encourage our students to participate.  We tell them how wonderful it is to network, be known in your profession, and the list can go on.  Do we always take our own advice?  What professional associations do you participate in?  How do they benefit you?  What do you do to benefit them?

I just read an interesting article on the web by Susan Ellis called Chicken or Egg: Why Are Our Professional Associations Weak?  This made me think about how I view my profession.  Her article looks at the reasons people do and don’t participate.

Her chicken view:

• Collegial exchange and debate on issues
• Setting standards for themselves
• A voice for issues facing the profession
• Mentor newcomers to the field
• Analyze trends through the lens of their perspective/approach
• Affect public opinion on behalf of their profession

Her egg view:

• For too many practitioners, professional associations are volunteer efforts and not our primary career.
• Lack of formal education in the profession – many of us tends to “fall into” the field and learn by doing.
• Many of us are isolated in our positions – we’re the only one in our organization doing the work.
• Because of isolation – we may not even know there is a professional association out there.

Wow, what do you think about this?  Do you see yourself in some of this?  I see myself.  What impact does seeing this information have on you?

I encourage you to discuss this.  Give some feedback.  Think about how we encourage the future to service through our actions today.

Kelly Harper
Cincinnati State

http://www.wqow.com/Global/story.asp?S=11375443

Posted on LinkedIn by Kelly Harper