summer intern newsletter - kossuth county ng, ﬁ ltering, cell references, diﬀ erent formulas,...

2012Summer Volume 11 • Issue 1

Summer 2012

HOMEGROWN INTERNSHOMEGROWN INTERNSInside thisInside this

Issue:Issue:Homegrown Interns...........1Intern Breakfast................2Golf Outing .......................3Finance/401K ...................4Microsoft Excel .................4Project Hope .....................5Resumes ...........................6Insurance 101 ...................6Interviews ........................7Bring Your ‘A’ Game ..........7Roster ..............................8Sponsors ..........................8

K/PACEDC INTERN

COMMITTEEMission

Statement:To provide a means

for individuals to expand their

leadership goals, obtain business

development training, and support

community service and volunteerism for

the betterment of our area along with

gaining experience in their summer work

environment.

In its 14th year of existence, the Kossuth/Palo Alto County Economic Development Corporation’s Intern Program, under the direction of Maureen Elbert, once again proved to be a great experience. This year there were 42 interns from 18 area businesses in Kossuth and Palo Alto Counties that were involved in the many opportunities and training sessions K/PACEDC has to off er.

This year’s program took the theme “Homegrown Interns: Planting Big City Ideas in Our Backyards” because the interns truly believe that in Kossuth & Palo Alto County you can have big dreams no matter how small of a town you are from. K/PACEDC’s goal for the program is to provide opportunities to expand leadership, meet area business leaders, network, and underline the importance of volunteerism. On Wednesday, July 11th, CEOs and interns across Kossuth & Palo Alto Counties gathered for the annual CEO/Intern Luncheon at the KC Hall in Algona. Our special guest, Bruce Nelson, former Iowa Hawkeye and Carolina Panther, who now farms in Emmetsburg was the key note speaker.

Bruce spoke to the group about his journey starting with playing football at Emmetsburg to walking on at Iowa, playing in the Super Bowl for the Panthers, and starting a development project on the lake in Emmetsburg. One piece of advice Bruce off ered was having a mentor to guide you. He gave great personal insight on how it takes failure to have success. Not all of your seeds will grow, but when one does, it doesn’t stop.

The interns would like to thank Stu Simonson for providing and preparing his famous Whittemore Legion Burgers. A special thank-

you also goes out to area businesses leaders and CEOs for their dedication and commitment to the intern program. Finally, the Homegrown Interns would like to thank their “head gardener”, Maureen Elbert, for giving them the tools, support, learning

opportunities, and guidance to lead successful futures. Without her, there wouldn’t be the Kossuth/Palo Alto County Intern Program!

McKayla Loss, K/PACEDC Intern

www.kossuth-edc.com www.paloaltoiowa.comKossuth/Palo Alto CountyEconomic Development

Corporation

KOSSUTH/PALO ALTOCOUNTY ECONOMIC

DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

2 Summer 2012

Being a summer intern is a great way to gain experience and is a great investment in your future. When applying for jobs, having an internship is an asset for you and future employers. This great summer internship program helps teach interns about professionalism, responsibility, communica� on, and much more. “There is a lot of commitment from business because interns are the future,” said K/PACEDC Execu� ve Director Maureen Elbert. The Kossuth/Palo Alto County Economic Development Corpora� on kicked off the summer internship program with the annual intern breakfast on May 23, at the KC Hall. Approximately seventy area business people and interns gathered to begin the day with breakfast and mo� va� on for the fi rst big event of this year’s intern program. Mo� va� onal speaker Brenda Clark Hamilton of Fresh Coff ee Professional Growth Programs encouraged the group to be professional inside and outside of the workplace. She discussed the importance of how professional appearance, behavior, and a� tude play a huge role of importance in the work fi eld. Her presenta� on was very helpful to interns to give them the tools and insight to take into their fi rst experience in a professional work environment. Those who a� ended the breakfast took away prac� cal knowledge that will assist them in both life and work immediately. The goal of the intern breakfast is to show the great opportuni� es Kossuth & Palo Alto Coun� es have as well as what the summer intern program can off er the interns. Overall, the breakfast was a great success and fantas� c way to kick off the summer.

Ciara Wi� e, K/PACEDC Intern

20122012INTERNINTERN BREAKFASTBREAKFAST

BusinessEtiquette&&

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www.kossuth-edc.com • www.paloaltoiowa.com

2012 Summer 3

FINANCE

401Kand

Your credit score is a major factor in planning for your future. On June 5th, Dan Quinlin of Northwest Bank explained that your credit score is a number based on your past credit decisions. Some ways to build your credit include opening a checking or savings account, and acquiring a debit or credit card. However, Dan emphasized the way to build good credit is by being responsible and paying off your debts as soon as possible. Your credit report is important because it aff ects many things in your future, such as whether or not you can receive a loan and what the loan will cost. A� er describing ways to improve your credit, Dan strongly encouraged the interns to check their credit score. Also presen� ng was fi nancial advisor, Jay Geving, of Edward Jones. Jay focused on the importance of saving for re� rement. It is best to start saving early and there are diff erences between the 401K, Roth 401K, and IRA funds that fi nancial advisors can help you understand. His recommenda� on to the interns interested in beginning a savings plan was to start a Roth 401K because there is no penalty if they would need to take contribu� ons out of the account. When deciding on a re� rement plan at a new job, it is good to check if your employer will match your contribu� ons. Finally, Jay le� the interns with a ques� onnaire to help determine which savings plan is right for them. Overall the interns learned an important lesson: You can earn your best possible future by saving, inves� ng, and making responsible decisions with your money.

Kelcey Olson, PHMIC Intern

EXCEL-lentSKILL BUILDING

Almost all businesses use Microso� Excel to store, organize, and manipulate data in spreadsheet form. Therefore, learning to use Excel is crucial for employees because they are either dealing with numbers or a vast amount of data. Unfortunately, knowing exactly how to use many of Excel’s features is diffi cult due to the many techniques and diff erent ways of doing things, some of which are quite complicated. Excel makes many � me consuming tasks faster and more effi cient. One example of Excel making the work process faster and more effi cient is using the Autosum or typing in formulas to calculate numbers, rather than adding them on a calculator or in your head. Taking an Excel class can be very benefi cial to a future career or situa� on in which you need it. On June 12, 2012, Alison VanO� erloo taught an hour and a half session to the interns on Microso� Excel. She taught on a level of what she considered to be intermediate to advanced. Some of the things the interns learned included sor� ng, fi ltering, cell references, diff erent formulas, etc. One of the benefi cial parts of the session was being able to demonstrate what we learned through a prac� ce spreadsheet. VanO� erloo said the best way to become familiar with Excel was through hands-on experience. Everyone who a� ended the Excel class learned something new that they will be able to put to use someday. Many interns will have to put their knowledge of the program into prac� ce this summer or next school year. Anyone who uses Excel should a� end a workshop or take a class over it. Who knows, you might learn something new!

Jeff Burtne� , KRHC Intern


4 Summer 2012

No ma� er ho w much - or li� le - experience one has in the game of golf does not ma� er as long as the people playing are enjoying themselves. The interns, CEO’s and business leaders were doing just that as well as developing new and enhancing old business rela� onships at the 12th annual Intern Golf Ou� ng held Friday, June 15 at River Road Golf Course.

This year, six teams of four players played a nine hole round followed by a luncheon and prizes. The ou� ng was a nice way for interns and CEO’s to connect beyond the workplace in a relaxing environment. The ou� ng also provided interns with a way to network, ask ques� ons,

and learn about other businesses in the area. Prizes were awarded to Kelsie Berke and Eli

Marlow for the longest drives, Catherine Edgerton and Josh Hollinger for the longest pu� . Prizes were also awarded to teams with the highest and lowest scores. Each intern also received a cooler fi lled with gi� s

donated by local businesses.K/PACEDC

would like to thank River Road Golf Course for hos� ng this event as well as the area businesses for dona� ng gi� s and allowing their interns to par� cipate in this year’s golf ou� ng.

Catherine Edgerton, K/PACEDC Intern

G lf G lfOutingOuting


2012 Summer 5

ProjectProject HHooPEPE

Volunteering and community service plays an important role in today’s work force. The Kossuth/Palo Alto County Economic Development Corpora� on has asked for the community’s help with a service called Project Hope. Project Hope gives the interns an opportunity to help children in need around the community. Dona� ons of personal hygiene and household items are collected at various businesses throughout the en� re community. Project Hope is one week dedicated to dona� ng items that will help provide a sense of ease and comfort for children and teens removed from their homes.

This year, dona� ons were collected from July 8-14. During this week businesses that par� cipate display a box for community members to donate the items. A� er all the items are collected, the interns came together on July 17th to bag and deliver the items to churches, the Department of Human Services, the Sheriff ’s Offi ce, and local schools. This is a huge event for the interns, who are all very grateful to have the experience of volunteering to make a diff erence in the lives of those who are in need.

On behalf of K/PACEDC and the Intern Program, we would like to extend our most sincere thank you to all who helped make Project Hope a success.

Kelsie Berke, Northwest Bank Intern

Kossuth County Economic Development Corporation‛s Project Hope week is on its waySo we need your help to collect items today.

Bring personal care items like combs, brushes, shampoo, soap, and moreBecause we welcome anything that comes through the door.

This week is designed to provide children, teen, and adults with careThe more we collect, the more we can share.

Distributions will be made to DHS, the sheriff‛s offi ce, and local schoolsSo help us provide plenty of hygiene tools.

We encourage all of Kossuth County to participate in the collection.July 8th through the 14th please donate and show some affection.


On June 26th, Jus� n Davis from Pharmacists Mutual spoke to the interns about diff erent types of insurance, diff erent situa� ons where insurance comes into play, and why it is very important to have. Insurance protects us from tragic events, such as a car accident, that are out of our control. Jus� n explained how factors such

Insurance 101 as receiving good grades, living near a fi re sta� on, and your credit score can infl uence your premium. A� er lis� ng ways

of what and what not to do to save money on insurance, Jus� n provided the interns examples of the many job opportuni� es in the insurance industry.

From Jus� n’s presenta� on the interns learned that the best way to feel safe and protected in the event of an accident, it is best to have the insurance coverage

that fi ts your lifestyle. Kelcey Olson, PHMIC Intern

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6 Summer 2012

Resumes & Portfolio BuildingWhat should I put in my resume? How should I format my resume?

What is important for poten� al employers to see? Most college students, including this summer’s K/PACEDC interns, have numerous ques� ons about resumes. Thankfully, on June 19, 2012, Human Resource Specialists Rose Kain from Murphy-Brown and Diane Streit from MaxYield Coopera� ve held a skill building session on resume wri� ng.

The interns learned that a resume is a way to sell themselves on paper to poten� al employers. Rose Kain and Diane Streit gave a very informa� ve power point presenta� on on some of the more important aspects of building a resume. They gave many helpful hints about the do’s and don’ts of resume wri� ng. The interns were able to take the informa� on with them to revise their own resumes. They also had the opportunity to turn in their resumes for area HR specialists to cri� que.

The interns were advised to write down a self-assessment on paper before wri� ng a resume. In a professional resume, the content should include contact informa� on, an objec� ve or summary, educa� on and special courses

taken, and work experience and training. The resume should also include volunteer work and leadership ac� vi� es to highlight a well-rounded person. These items should follow that specifi c order to make the resume easy to follow for the employer. The interns learned that references should not be placed in the resume. Instead, a note should be placed on the resume sta� ng, “references furnished upon request.” There should be a separate reference contact sheet available for the employer if they ask for reference informa� on.

The importance of forma� ng and resume presenta� on was also stressed to the interns. The resume should not include any decora� ve typefaces including italics, script, and underlined words. It is also important to s� ck to one typeface throughout the resume. The resume should be printed on white or off -white paper with a slightly heavier weight than regular prin� ng paper. If a resume has to be mailed, it is essen� al to put it in a large envelope, so the resume does not have to be folded.

The resume wri� ng session was very valuable for the interns. There are many � ps that they can take with them to be used throughout their careers. Human Resource Specialists Rose Kain and Diane Striet gave an excellent presenta� on and shared memorable stories from personal experience on how resumes can have both posi� ve and nega� ve eff ects on employers when applying for a job.

Anna Kollasch, KRHC Intern

k d k d h


2012 Summer 7

Mock Interviews

BRING YOUR GAMEPalo Alto Leadership hosted their fi rst training session

on July 13th and invited community leaders and their staff , as well as interns to a� end. They will be facilita� ng three training sessions. The fi rst session is en� tled “Bring Your ‘A’ Game” with key note speaker Brenda Clark Hamilton.

This professional training session covered how to bring your very best to your job, home, and rela� onships. The class provided a� endees with interac� ve sessions on how to keep yourself feeling upbeat and energized on a day-to-day basis. It was benefi cial to not only community leaders, but interns and other staff members as well.

Maureen Elbert, Execu� ve Director, explained, “I’m very excited about having Brenda Clark Hamilton as the guest speaker of this training session. We want to give our K/PACEDC interns and area business leaders an opportunity to a� end professional development sessions to enhance their skills.”

The session was very informa� ve and those in a� endance said that they look forward to the next two installments that will be held on September 13, 2012, and later in the year on December 5th.

Patrick Elbert, K/PACEDC Intern....

On Tuesday, July 10, 2012, Rose Kain from Murphy-Brown and Diane Streit with MaxYield Coopera� ve held mock interviews for the interns to follow up with their skill building session on resume wri� ng. By crea� ng resumes and basing the interviews off of the interns’ prospec� ve future careers and majors, the interns were able to get insight into what their upcoming interviews may be like.

Going into your fi rst big interview to start out your career or to gain an important internship is defi nitely in� mida� ng. As college students with li� le experience interviewing, this whole process was an extremely valuable confi dence-builder to those who par� cipated. Now the next step will be pu� ng this knowledge and experience into ac� on in today’s compe� � ve job market! All of the Kossuth County Interns would like to thank Rose and Diane for their exper� se and advice.

Kris� n Berte, K/PACEDC Intern


8 Summer 2012

THANKS TO OUR

2012SPONSORS:

ALGONA MUNICIPAL UTILITIES Aus� n ZadowALGONA PUBLISHING Madalyn GischALGONA POW MUSEUM Mary SkadenCENTRAL FINANCIAL GROUP Eli MarlowDIAMONDSBradley HoskinsFARMERS STATE BANK Elizabeth ThilgesIOWA LAKES ELECTRIC COOP.Alex OlesenI&S GROUPErin NorthKOSSUTH COUNTY ENGINEER Cody Weaver KCEDC Catherine EdgertonCiara Wi� eKris� n BerteMcKayla LossPatrick ElbertKRHCAbby SextonAimee DahlhauserAnna KollaschDanielle RahmHannah BodeJeff Burtne� Melanie MyersRachel HoskinsMAXYIELD COOPERATIVEBen MatsonDerek HaupertKelsi PringnitzJake MullenixP.J. FrederickMURPHY�BROWN LLCApril LogemannJacob BakerNORTHWEST BANK Kelsie Berke Kayla SchiltzMark GarmanParth Patel

NORTHWEST COMMUNICATIONSChelsey RouseTaylor HallberPETERSON & LIPPS LAW FIRM Catherine EdgertonPHARMACISTS MUTUALCasey ReedHeroshne PathmanathanJosh HollingerKelcey OlsonMaria ZellerSTATELINE COOPERATIVE Tom Kuecker2012 INTERN ADVISORY COMMITTEE Anna Kollasch – Co Chair Kelsi Pringnitz – Co Chair Kelcey Olson – Treasurer/Historian Kris� n Berte – Secretary CEO/INTERN LUNCHEONCo-Chair: Kris� n Berte Co-Chair: Ciara Wi� eCo-Chair: Kelcey OlsonCo-Chair: Kelsi PringnitzPROJECT HOPE Co-Chair: Ciara Wi� eCo-Chair: McKayla LossCo-Chair: Catherine EdgertonCo-Chair: Kelcey OlsonGOLF OUTINGCo-Chair: Patrick ElbertCo-Chair: McKayla LossCo-Chair: Kelcey OlsonCo-Chair: Kelsie Berke

NEWSLETTER Chair: Kris� n BerteChair: Patrick ElbertCAREER INTERN COMMITTEEMegan Cook – Co Chair Laci Erpelding – Co ChairKa� e Besch Bob Jennings Adrianne MagillBrien RindoneNick Roethler Dan QuinlinAllison VanO� erlooTascha Wykoff $100 HOLE SPONSORS Algona Municipal U� li� esCentral Financial GroupCountry MaidElbert ChevroletFarmers State BankFarmers Trust & Savings BankI&S – Kuehl & PayerIowa State BankJim Gage, CPAMotor Inn of AlgonaNorthwest BankPharmacists MutualPro Advantage ServicesSBEMCO Security State BankState Bank of Ledyard

Algona Aqua� c CenterAlgona Dairy QueenAlgona Family YMCAAlgona PublishingAllure SalonBuscher Bros. RV CenterCinco De MayoCi� zens Community Credit UnionErnie Williams LTDErpelding Voigt & Co.FarewayFarm & Home ServicesGood Samaritan Society of AlgonaHy-VeeInnova� ons Salon & SpaKemna Auto CenterKossuth Regional Health CenterKOFABMaxYield Coopera� veMurphy-Brown LLCNorth Iowa LumberNorthwest Communica� onsOakcrest Funeral ServicesPerky Parrot PitchersPremier PizzaPrime� me RestaurantReding’s GravelRiver Road Golf ClubRoethler ElectricSportsman’s CornerState 5 TheatersStateline Coopera� ve Styles SalonSubwayThe Chocolate SeasonThe MarketThe Water Connec� on

KOSSUTH/PALO ALTOCOUNTY ECONOMIC

DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

Roster

KOSSU

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2012 INTERN

summer intern newsletter - kossuth county ng, ﬁ ltering, cell references, diﬀ erent formulas,...

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