Jenny`s Social Networking Tip of the Month By Jenny Westerkamp

July 2009
Issue 6
A Message from Katie…
Hi everyone,
I am sending this update from Madrid, Spain! I am spending the summer here living with a
family and helping their daughter learn English. I have studied the Spanish language for many
years and have been dying to fully immerse myself in the culture, so this seemed like the
perfect opportunity. My time in Spain has prompted me to encourage you all to take
advantage of your surroundings, no matter where you find yourself. For example, I have made
plans to spend some time in the Madrid office of the public relations firm I interned with last
summer in Chicago. Although I may not spend a lot more time there, it will still be good to get
a feel for how their office is run. So how can YOU take advantage of your surroundings?
Research RD´s, companies, and organizations with nutrition practices in your area and beyond.
Ít is far too common for people to think of doing this when they WANT something (a job, etc.)
but it is to your benefit to set up phone conversations or in-person meetings whenever
possible. You just never know where it may take you in the long run.
Jenny’s Social Networking Tip of the Month
By Jenny Westerkamp
College kids are all over Facebook. In fact, 85% of students at 4-year universities have an
account. We know how to use this website inside and out (how else would we know how to
creep so effectively on random people?). Of course, sometimes there can be TOO much
information available on Facebook. It’s time to figure out if you are ready for
employers/directors to creep on YOU.
• Set the privacy settings to “Only Friends” for everything on your profile.
• Delete old profile pictures. You do so my editing the Profile Picture album. This is not
included in your “My Photos” so the privacy settings don’t apply to these. Instead, you
have to just delete these pictures from your account (unless they are acceptable).
• Scan your profile for the top ten turn-offs for employers (some obvious, some not), as
reported by onrec.com:
1. References to drug abuse
2. Extremist / intolerant views, including racism, sexism
3. Criminal activity
4. Evidence of excessive alcohol consumption
5. Inappropriate pictures, including nudity
6. Foul language
7. Links to unsuitable websites
8. Lewd jokes
9. Silly email addresses
10. Membership of pointless / silly groups
Speaking of Facebook, I had some recent drama with my Facebook account, losing access but still being able
to update my status from a third-party application that was tied to that account. Anyways, I am transitioning
to a new Facebook account and I also have a third “personal” account from college. It is clear that I love
‘booking faces’ on a daily basis, so you can imagine how traumatic this is!!! Oh well, friend me at
www.facebook.com/jennifer.westerkamp (Jennifer Westerkamp Chicago, IL) ☺
How to Be Stellar…Even When Your GPA Says Otherwise
By Hannah Carroll
It’s July, school is coming, internships are looming, and maybe you are not exactly where you wished to be
either GPA or experience wise. Have your professors read the recent matching statistics that make you
want to run? There is still time to ensure that a dietetic internship is in your future!
As a freshman, I had the stellar 4.0 GPA for semester one. After transferring to a major university, I learned
that A’s weren’t always easy to obtain…especially in sciences. After managing to pull more C’s than I ever
expected, I entered my junior year with much worry and frustration. My professors and advisor were
concerned but I did not give up hope for getting an internship. What did I do?? I ran for every experience,
job, nutrition opportunity, research assistantship, and conference possible. A few unique experiences were
key to obtaining my dream internship.
•
•
•
Volunteer, Volunteer, Volunteer: For one semester I volunteered as a child life assistant at our local
pediatric hospital. I learned key communication skills among the staff and patients of the hospital,
networked with the volunteer staff coordinators, and realized how much I loved pediatric
healthcare. One year later, when a competitive and unique nutrition technician position opened at
the same hospital, it truly helped that I invested time and formed relationships at the hospital.
Additionally I worked with a local allergy network, our university nutrition coordinator, the dietetic
association at school and in the county, and alongside my fellow students for university-wide
events.
Campus Connections: Due to my class attendance and general desire to learn, I obtained a job and
two research assistant positions by simply getting to know my professors. One of my research
positions lead to multiple conferences, national networking opportunities, and a great exposure to
the nutrition community. Both of these professors wrote various recommendation letters for me
that reflected the time and effort that I put into projects with them. For the internship it is vital that
the professors know you well-don’t be another student they had in class-get to know them! Discuss
their research interests, other jobs/positions they have had, and the subject at hand. Additionally,
campus leadership positions indicate an interest in your community & your fellow man. Check out
possibilities of working with Relay for Life, Diabetes Advocacy group, Health Ambassadors, or any
student advisory committee. Let your interest in nutrition affect your campus and community!
Diversify Your Resume: Throughout my college career I had a series of jobs & opportunities that
were all different. As a junior, I was hired by four Catholic priests as their personal cook. Not only
did this job indicate that I was dependable, trustworthy, etc., it implied that I have the ability to
plan, budget, and prepare food. Additionally I had worked for an upscale caterer, my professor, a
pediatric hospital, and a retail store. Think outside the box-it can truly make you stand out!
Internships love foodservice and clinical experience but adding additional jobs can indicate a lot
about you and your work ethic.
Each of these elements together will make a difference. Do not allow yourself to feel overwhelmed or
frustrated. Many times along the internship journey I found myself needing to refocus. Remember why you
chose this great career path and jump back in! Most importantly, enjoy the ride and keep on working!
Hannah Carroll is a graduate from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville and a member of the 2010 Dallas
Presbyterian Hospital internship class. She may be reached at [email protected] or
gettingadimatch.blogspot.com.
Need Experience?
Company: New York Beef Industry Council
Location: Rome, NY
Contact Person: Kara Behlke, [email protected], 315-339-6922
Website: www.nybeef.org
Description: Activities vary month to month. Past activities include helping to deliver nutrition education to
attendees at the Boston Marathon, Women's Health Expos, the Utica Boilermaker and many other local
health related events. Paid or Unpaid: For now unpaid, but some events are paid
Company: Intuitive Nutrition
Location: Fort Washington, PA (outside Philadelphia)
Contact: Heather Rudalavage RD [email protected] 215-692-3238
Website: www.intuitive-nutrition.com
Description: I am a private practice dietitian working from a home office. I launched my business in Fall of
2008, I previously have worked in acute care and completed my internship with ARAMARK. I tend to focus
on a non-diet approach to weight loss. I would love to either work as a mentor or have just some general
assistance especially with technology stuff- Twitter, blogging, etc. (unpaid) If you babysit, that would be
great too :) (paid)
Company: The George Washington University Hospital
Location: Washington DC
Contact: Amy LaFalce, RD, LD [email protected] 202-715-4498
Website: https://www.gwhospital.com/Volunteering
Description: As part of our hospital's volunteer program, the food and nutrition department offers a special
opportunity specifically for dietetics students. Students work 1-2 days per week, usually for about 3 hours
per day, orienting newly admitted patients to our room service program. They may also help the clinical
nutrition department with special projects as needed. A minimum of 100 total hours of service is required,
which is roughly 8 months if working one day per week or 4 months if working two days per week. We
currently have two students enrolled in the program and another two students who will begin in August.
Company: Weis Markets, Inc
Get ready for MORE nutrition
Location: We will consider location-specific (Sunbury, PA ) and
experiences on the website! We
virtual interns.
reached out to RDs all across the
Contact: Karen Buch, [email protected]
Website: www.weismarkets.com/healthybites
country and asked them to help
Description: We offer health and wellness programming
students with getting great
directed to both Weis Markets' consumers and our employees
experience!
that work at our 165 store locations in a 5-state region (PA,
Stay tuned for this new feature
MD, NY, NJ, WV). We use a multi-media approach to education
in early July!
through HealthyBites Magazine, Weis markets' website, in-store
radio, radio, in-store video, and local television on WVIA, WYOU,
WBRE, WHAG and WGAL. We answer consumer nutrition questions and continue to add innovative
approaches to lifestyle initiatives for Weis Markets. Students interested in community education, recipe
development, nutritional analysis and multi-media nutrition communications are desired.
Paid or Unpaid: Unpaid. If an internship is arranged for an extended period of time, pay is negotiable.
From a Soon-to-Be-Intern…
By Julie Alessi
As the rest of my fellow graduates struggle in this competitive job market, I
can’t help but sit smugly in my seat knowing where I will be for the next year.
On April 19th at 2:15 in the morning, I refreshed my screen to see that I was
one of the lucky ones. I read, “You were matched to the Medical University of
South Carolina”. I stared at the screen, unable to fully comprehend the words
in front of me. All the hard work, stress, and time I put into the application
process led me to that glorious moment. I called my best dietetic friend who
lived across the street from me, we screamed and rejoiced together. Overcome with so many emotions, we
could not believe we were on the road to become an RD.
With the uncertainty about getting matched, I had to make a last minute decision about how I was to spend
my summer. Do I live at home in Ohio? Do I move to Charleston? Well I decided to move to Chicago, my
favorite city (that may be changing after a year spent in Charleston!). I love Chicago for its health
awareness. Yes, there are many hotdogs and deep dish pizzas, but this is balanced by healthy cooking
classes, volleyball on North Avenue, Green City Market, Berry Chill frozen yogurt, and most importantly,
many dietitians working towards wellness.
I am spending my summer as a Chicago nanny. The goal is to save as much money as possible before I
become an unpaid intern. When I’m not enjoying the beautiful city, playing with the kids in the parks, or
trying to get them to eat their vegetables, I am studying my medical terminology flash cards and reading
my Krause’s textbook. My dad always told me to be prepared, so that is the goal. I believe my success in
being matched was due to my preparation. I hope to have as much success as an MUSC intern. Plus,
studying can never hurt! The rest of my time is spent emailing with my new roommate (another MUSC
intern) about finding an apartment in Charleston. It has proven to be a difficult task while living 300 miles
away and my roommate on a mission trip out of the country. I did not realize how much planning there is
in relocating. We used many resources including craigslist and local friends to help narrow down our
search and finally find a safe, reasonably priced apartment for us to live. Furniture bargain hunting is my
new favorite hobby. You’d be amazed at the treasures found in local consignment shops. It’s a lot of work,
but exciting to plan for the next chapter of my life.
The 4-year bubble of college life is over. When someone asks if I have a job, I am proud to explain my
acceptance as a dietetic intern. I am anxious, nervous, but excited for the future. I look forward to my “inbetween” time as an intern, not a student yet not quite an employee either. I realize how blessed I am to
have been matched to MUSC. My advice for future interns- visit the programs you are interested in! I truly
believe the reason I matched to MUSC was due to my effort in visiting each program, meeting with
directors, and taking the extra step to make connections. Another tip- twitter! This social networking
allowed me to meet other dietetic students who share similar interests. That’s how I got to be friends with
Jenny! I follow many dietitians to keep me updated on nutrition news. It’s a wonderful networking tool.
(Be warned… it is very addicting!)
With a month and half left until the move to Charleston, the rest of the summer will fly by and my life as a
dietetic intern will finally begin. It is uncertain what will happen from there, but I could not feel more
blessed and excited for this opportunity. Good luck to all my fellow 2009-2010 interns!
Julie Alessi is a recent Nutrition and Dietetics graduate from the University of Dayton. She will begin her
dietetic internship at the Medical University of South Carolina in August.
What’s New?
Expansion Survey
Here at All Access Internships, we know you need more resources and more help when it comes to
dietetic internships and just being a dietetics student in general! Ideas have been brewing, so we
want to bounce our ideas off of you, and see what else you’d like to see on AAI. It’s 6 quick
questions:
http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl=en&formkey=ckQxUUpITWV6aXo3ZEJSS3JCYTUzQ3c
6MA..
AAI Book Store
We’ve searched the book shelves of dietetic interns, students, and RDs across the country and
created our own store on AAI, which is affiliated with Amazon.com! It includes textbooks, as well as
GRE preparation materials, and books that make you think (like In Defense of Food or The China
Study). Look for this feature coming in the next couple of weeks, just in time to buy your textbooks
for classes and the internship, or for some good summer reading.
Newsletter Articles
Want some writing experience? We are always looking for new articles for our monthly newsletter!
Here are some ideas:
• Interview a cool RD! (Would be a great excuse to reach out to them and
find out what they do! Plus, they would love the promotion on our
website!)
• Talk about a past nutrition experience and what you learned from it
• Give advice on how to be a stellar student
Deadline is the 7th of every month! E-mail [email protected] with your article!
Testimonials!
Know someone that just graduated from an internship?? Refer them to All Access Internships to fill
out a testimonial of their experiences! We appreciate it!
Become an official All Access Internships Spokesperson
We are searching for student spokespersons from every state to be the official liaison between All
Access Internships and the dietetics students and interns within that state. We prefer that you are a
spokesperson for the state in which you live or attend school.
Responsibilities include:
• Developing contact lists for students and interns in your state
• Contacting these students and interns an providing them with information on the site
(which we will provide you)
• Contact nutrition clubs and student state dietetics associations
• Spreading the word through Facebook and Twitter!
We require a 6 month commitment, but depending on how ‘connected’ you are to dietetics
students in your area, this can be an easy task and a great experience!! E-mail
[email protected] if interested!
Shipping Up to Boston!
By Jenny Westerkamp
Moving from the Chicago suburbs to Boston wasn’t exactly the easiest of changes! Of
course, it was all completely worth it, looking back on the past 11 months of my dietetic
internship. I will never forget getting into a rental car at the Boston airport and driving to my
apartment. The theme song to “The Hills” (Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield) started playing
on the car radio!! It was such a crazy moment to think I had actually packed up everything,
left my friends and family, and did it!
A few things that made my transition easy:
1. Previous tenants leaving furniture. Ask your landlord for the contact information of the current tenants
to see if you can arrange to take some of their furniture off their hands. They might give it to you for free or
ask you for a small amount of money in exchange.
2. Neighbors down the street moving out and getting rid of their furniture. This was awesome! The last
thing I needed was a desk, and right when I pulled up, I saw my neighbors bringing a completely acceptable
desk out to the curb!
3. Shipping boxes of clothes and items via UPS/FedEx. This was surprisingly cheap and worked out really
well. It was only about $150 to ship EVERYTHING! Better than lugging a ton of stuff on the plane or paying
the airlines for the extra baggage.
4. Researching where past interns lived. The best advice my roommates and I got was to live near the Red
line in Boston, because that was the most reliable subway line. If we would not have known that, we would
have been walking through the Boston snow storms a lot longer than we wanted to!
I DID IT!!..and so can YOU!
Jenny is co-founder of All Access Internships and also a dietetic intern. She will be shipping down to Chicago
in mid-August in search of more new adventures as an RD! You can e-mail her at
[email protected].
Would you like to write for All Access Internships?
E-mail [email protected] with your article idea! Deadline for submissions is the 7th the month for
that month’s issue.
I’m Moving Across the Country for my DI! Help!
By: Jessica Schroeder
Have you ever been to Corpus Christi, Texas? About 14 months ago, my answer was
“No, but wasn’t Selena from there?” In fact, I had never even been to Texas, but that
would soon change as I packed up my stuff and moved 1300 miles south for my 10month-long dietetic internship last July. Was I scared, nervous, or anxious? Yes, yes,
and yes. I would soon be embarking on a journey in a place I knew little about with
no familiar faces. Though, this was an overall nerve-wracking experience for me, it
would also serve as a chance for me to branch out and partake in
something new and exciting. My advice for anyone in a similar situation is to prepare yourself the best you can
beforehand to ease the transition. Finding roommates and housing before making the move really helped lighten the
burden of settling into a brand new place for me.
Looking for roommates? There are a few things you can do. I believe getting in touch with your dietetic internship
director is the best thing to do. In most cases, the dietetic internship director will send a mass email before the
program starts and inform you of the names and email addresses of the people who will be in your program. That's
how I found my roommates. Just sending out a simple email to the other interns asking if anyone is looking for a
roommate should do the trick. It helps to have roommates who are in the same situation as you, so I would say this
is the best option. You have to be quick though because the other interns are just as anxious as you are to get things
figured out. One of the interns emailed the class and everyone in the class responded. Be on the ball! Craigslist is
also an option. You can narrow the search down by city and search under “housing” to find advertisements for
roommates. I’ve known people who have had lots of luck with this! On a side note, Facebook is also a great resource
to put a name to a face. I actually found out one of my new roommates from Plano, Texas and I had a mutual friend
this way! Small world!
So you have roommates, but what about housing?
Again, craigslist is very helpful in finding housing.
My roommates and I used this tool to find our abode.
If you see something you’re interested in and want to
know more, Google the name of the place and see what
additional details you can find out. If that’s not enough,
write down a list of questions, and contact the place to
get the answers you need. Another way to find a good
place is to ask your internship director if you could have
the contact information of individuals who have
completed the program in the previous years. This way,
you can discuss places they lived at and get the inside
scoop. These individuals are more than likely going to
be honest about their housing experience and may
mention some of the downfalls as well as the benefits
of the places they’ve lived, since they aren’t trying to
sell you anything.
My roommates: From left to right is Laci Williams,
me, Maeghan Winn, and Aimee Knight)
Where there’s a will, there’s a way! If you take the right steps in the right direction, you’ll have roommates and
housing in no time! You’ll be so thankful to have things in place and ready to go to avoid undue stress. By taking
care of these details before my big move, I can now look back and say I really enjoyed my time there and I can now
call Corpus Christi, Texas my second home.
Jessica completed her dietetic internship at Texas A & M University in Kingsville this past May. She graduated from
the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in May of 2008 with a B.S. in Food Science and Human Nutrition with a
concentration in dietetics.